Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Rank: Chūnin
System Points: 1,375
Naruto stared at the rank.
Chūnin.
It still didn't feel real.
Not after how he'd gotten it.
He dismissed the status screen.
"Inventory."
Several items appeared.
Most were familiar.
Then—
5x Medium Skill Experience Packs
2x Legendary Item Chests
1x Skill Evolution Stone
1x Sharingan Awakening Fragment
1x Destiny Breaker
Naruto's eyes stopped on the last one.
For a moment—
His room wasn't quiet anymore.
A monitor screamed.
Hiruzen went still beneath his arms.
Naruto looked away.
"...Not that."
Not today.
His attention moved upward.
Five Skill Experience Packs.
Naruto grinned weakly.
Now that—
That he could deal with.
"Rail Pierce."
Wind Release: Rail Pierce
LVL 6 (38/60)
Naruto selected a Medium Skill Experience Pack.
Use Medium Skill Experience Pack?
YES.
Wind Release: Rail Pierce
LVL 6 (38/60) → LVL 7 (18/70)
Naruto's eyebrows rose.
"Oh."
Again, this times four!
Medium Skill Experience Pack consumed x4
Wind Release: Rail Pierce
LVL 7 (18/80) → LVL 9 LVL MAX
Naruto sat forward.
Naruto smiled.
Then waited.
Nothing.
"...Well?"
Nothing.
"Evolution?"
A window appeared.
SKILL MASTERY ACHIEVED
Wind Release: Rail Pierce — LVL MAX
Technique has reached the limits of its current developmental path.
Naruto grabbed his Skill Evolution Stone.
"Perfect."
He selected Rail Pierce.
ERROR
Naruto blinked.
"What?"
Skill Evolution Stone incompatible.
Wind Release: Rail Pierce possesses no further evolved form.
Naruto stared.
Rail Pierce had evolved from Gale Pierce.
He'd assumed everything kept going.
Better compression.
More penetration.
Some ridiculous next version.
But—
No.
TECHNIQUE DEVELOPMENT COMPLETE
Gale Pierce → Rail Pierce → MAX
No subsequent evolution available.
Further improvement must originate from User application, combinations, environmental advantages, or external modifiers.
Naruto slowly lowered the Evolution Stone.
"...Huh."
For some reason—
He liked that.
The System wasn't an endless staircase.
Some techniques simply reached their destination.
Anything beyond that—
Would have to come from him.
Naruto closed the window.
Save those.
His attention shifted.
Sharingan Awakening Fragment.
Naruto's smile disappeared.
Sasuke.
He remembered the notification.
The Rival Growth Link had somehow produced it after Sasuke's breakthroughs during the invasion.
Naruto hesitated.
Then selected it.
SHARINGAN AWAKENING FRAGMENT
Bloodline Fragment detected.
Current Fragments: 1
Compatible Bloodline: Uchiha
WARNING
User does not possess Uchiha ancestry.
Foreign bloodline integration may produce unpredictable developmental pathways.
Proceed?
Naruto swallowed.
"...Yes."
Nothing happened.
Then—
Pain.
"NGH!"
Naruto grabbed his face.
His eyes burned.
Not hot.
Deep.
Like something behind them was being pulled apart and reconstructed.
Images assaulted him.
Sasuke.
His Sharingan.
One tomoe rotating.
Then two.
The world slowing around him.
Hands.
Feet.
Shoulders.
Hips.
Tiny movements happening before attacks.
Naruto's eyes snapped open.
The water cup beside his bed fell.
He saw it.
Not slowly.
But—
Earlier.
His eyes caught the tiny shift before it slipped.
His hand moved.
SNAP!
Naruto caught it.
Water splashed over his arm.
He stared.
"...What?"
Bloodline Fragment successfully integrated.
Perk Discovered: Uchiha Bloodline - Weak
Sharingan — LOCKED
Awakening Requirements: NOT MET
Additional Awakening Fragments may increase compatibility.
Natural awakening remains possible under sufficient physical and/or emotional stress.
Awakening is NOT guaranteed.
Naruto's heart hammered.
He could—
Someday—
Naruto touched beneath his eye.
"Sasuke is going to fucking kill me."
PING!
FRAGMENTARY UCHIHA ADAPTATION ACQUIRED
Perception +10%
Dynamic Visual Acuity increased.
User may occasionally recognize obvious preparatory movements before an opponent attacks.
Predictive capability heavily limited.
Effectiveness decreases sharply against faster, unfamiliar, deceptive, or technically superior opponents.
Does NOT replicate Sharingan precognition.
Naruto tested his vision.
Nothing looked different.
Good.
Then another notification appeared.
SHINOBI CODEX UPDATED
Fire Release Affinity
Previous Cost: 300 SP
New Cost: 200 SP
Bloodline Fragment Compatibility Discount: -25%
Naruto stared.
"...That's actually pretty good."
He almost bought it.
Almost.
Then stopped.
1,375 points looked like a lot.
Until you started spending them.
He'd learned that lesson already.
For perhaps the first time in his life—
Naruto did not immediately buy something.
That was concerning.
Small Stat Boost — 10 SP
Skill Experience Pack (Small) — 15 SP
Basic Chakra Control Training — 30 SP
Random Ninja Tool Pack — 20 SP
Earth Affinity — 150 SP
Lightning Affinity — 450 SP
Fire Affinity — 200 SP
Skill Evolution Stone — 200 SP
Uzumaki Bloodline Awakening Fragment — 250 SP
One-Tail Sand Control — 1,000 SP
Advanced Chakra Control Training — 100 SP
Then—
Lottery Roll — 10 SP
Naruto stared.
A month ago, this would've been easy.
Buy Fire Release.
Maybe Lightning.
Definitely gamble.
Then wonder why all his points were gone.
Now his 146 Intelligence immediately started finding problems with that plan.
"...Being smart sucks."
Naruto pulled up his current build.
Advanced Fūinjutsu — LVL 7
Wind Release: Cyclone — LVL 7
Wind Release: Rail Pierce — LVL MAX
Water Release: Tidal Wave — LVL 5
Wind was already his strongest element.
Rail Pierce gave him ridiculous single-target penetration.
Cyclone gave him area control.
Water gave him large-scale battlefield manipulation.
Fūinjutsu gave him...
Everything else.
Barriers.
Traps.
Storage.
Gravity.
Containment.
Redirection.
Naruto frowned.
The answer became obvious.
He didn't need another attack.
He needed to make everything he already possessed work better together.
His eyes landed on the easiest purchase first.
Advanced Chakra Control Training
Cost: 100 SP
"Buy."
PURCHASE CONFIRMED
System Points: 1,375 → 1,275
Knowledge flooded his mind.
Output regulation.
Chakra division.
Shape maintenance.
Reduced waste.
Simultaneous manipulation.
Naruto immediately thought of Rail Pierce.
The technique itself was finished.
MAX.
There was no higher System level waiting for him.
But that didn't mean Naruto couldn't become better at using it.
If better chakra control reduced the amount of chakra he wasted compressing and stabilizing Rail Pierce—
He could fire more of them.
The same applied to Cyclone.
Tidal Wave.
Shadow Clones.
And especially his seals.
Naruto nodded.
"Best hundred points I've spent."
Next came the elements.
Fire Affinity — 200 SP
Naruto stared at it.
Cheap.
Way cheaper than it used to be.
And after integrating the Sharingan Fragment, Fire Release felt almost appropriate.
Sasuke used Fire.
The Uchiha specialized in Fire.
Naruto could already imagine Sasuke's face.
That alone nearly justified the purchase.
Almost.
Then his brain ruined his fun.
Naruto already needed to train Wind.
Water.
Fūinjutsu.
Taijutsu.
Shadow Clones.
Advanced Chakra Control.
Adding Fire meant starting another elemental nature from zero.
And what problem did Fire solve?
Damage?
Rail Pierce.
Area destruction?
Cyclone.
Raw power?
He'd just beaten a fucking Bijū.
Naruto reluctantly moved on.
"...Later."
Lightning Affinity — 450 SP
"Nope."
That one didn't even require thinking.
Then—
Earth Affinity — 150 SP
Naruto stopped.
This was different.
He didn't have much defense.
His seals relied heavily upon terrain and physical anchor points.
His traps required preparation.
And Water Release became substantially more useful when Naruto could manipulate where the water traveled.
Walls.
Trenches.
Raised terrain.
Underground traps.
Protected seal anchors.
Physical barriers.
Naruto's eyes narrowed.
Earth didn't compete with his existing build.
It filled holes in it.
"Buy."
EARTH AFFINITY PURCHASED
System Points: 1,275 → 1,125
Naruto felt something settle into place.
Not knowledge.
Not techniques.
Potential.
He looked at the floor.
For the first time, Earth-natured chakra felt like something he could eventually understand.
Wind.
Water.
Earth.
Naruto smiled.
"Yeah."
That combination had possibilities.
Then came the expensive part.
Uzumaki Bloodline Awakening Fragment
Cost: 250 SP
Naruto didn't need 146 Intelligence for this one.
His Uzumaki bloodline had already saved his life.
It increased his chakra capacity.
His endurance.
His Fūinjutsu growth.
His vitality.
His resistance to foreign chakra.
And Unyielding Vessel was probably the only reason pumping himself full of Nine-Tails chakra hadn't turned his insides into soup.
Every improvement here strengthened the foundation beneath nearly everything else.
"Buy."
1,125 → 875 SP
Naruto stared at the second fragment.
Five hundred points total was expensive.
But unlike an elemental affinity—
This wasn't adding another branch.
It strengthened the trunk.
"Again."
UZUMAKI BLOODLINE AWAKENING FRAGMENT PURCHASED875 → 625 SP
Fragments Acquired: +2
Naruto smiled.
That hurt.
But it was worth it.
Then his eyes moved toward—
Skill Evolution Stone — 200 SP
Naruto already had one.
Which meant buying another would give him two.
His first instinct was to reject it.
Rail Pierce was already MAX.
And the System had explicitly told him:
No further evolved form exists.
So why buy another?
Naruto thought about Cyclone.
Tidal Wave.
Basic Toad Fist.
His other techniques.
Rail Pierce had taught him exactly how valuable Evolution Stones could become when a technique finally reached its developmental ceiling.
They weren't power.
They were stored potential.
And unlike the Lottery—
There was no randomness.
Naruto purchased it.
SKILL EVOLUTION STONE ACQUIRED
625 → 425 SP
Inventory: Skill Evolution Stone ×2
"Future Naruto can thank me."
Naruto paused.
"Actually, fuck Future Naruto. Present Naruto bought it."
Then Naruto arrived at the bottom of the Shop.
LOTTERY SYSTEM
Cost Per Roll: 10 SP
Common — 70%
Rare — 25%
Legendary — 5%
Naruto stared.
His Intelligence screamed at him.
This was inefficient.
Guaranteed purchases existed.
Expected value was uncertain.
Rewards could be useless.
He should preserve his remaining points for future Shop unlocks.
Every rational calculation produced the same conclusion.
Do not gamble.
Naruto nodded.
"Absolutely."
He closed the menu.
...
Opened it again.
"Ten."
The System blinked.
Purchase 10 Lottery Rolls for 100 SP?
Naruto hesitated.
His brain screamed louder.
Naruto pointed at the screen.
"Listen."
The screen did not listen.
"I just spent nine hundred and fifty points responsibly."
Technically—
He calculated.
Correct.
Naruto nodded.
"I've earned this."
His Intelligence supplied approximately fourteen reasons why that logic was completely invalid.
Naruto ignored all fourteen.
"Roll."
100 SP CONSUMED System Points: 425 → 325
Naruto grinned.
For the first time during the entire shopping session—
This felt familiar.
LOTTERY x10
ROLLING...
Naruto rubbed his hands together.
"Come on..."
The first light appeared, followed shortly after by 8 others.
Naruto stared.
"Last one."
The wheel turned.
His 146 Intelligence reminded him that previous failures had absolutely no effect upon the probability of the final independent roll.
Naruto hated knowing that now.
"Come on."
The light slowed.
Common.
Rare.
Common.
Rare.
Then—
Gold.
Naruto stopped breathing.
LEGENDARY
His mouth dropped open.
"No."
The gold intensified.
"No fucking way."
LOTTERY RESULTS
Common Reward ×7 = +3 Strength, +1 Agility +3 misc. items
Rare Reward ×2 = +1 Medium Skill pack, +1 Rare Item chest
Legendary Reward ×1
Naruto stared.
Then immediately pointed at absolutely nobody.
"SEE?!"
Silence.
"I KNEW IT!"
His Intelligence quietly reminded him that he had not, in fact, known it.
"SHUT UP!"
Only then did Naruto look at everything he'd purchased.
PURCHASE SUMMARY
Advanced Chakra Control Training — 100 SP
Earth Affinity — 150 SP
Uzumaki Bloodline Awakening Fragment ×2 — 500 SP
Skill Evolution Stone — 200 SP
Lottery Roll ×10 — 100 SP
TOTAL SPENT: 1,050, POINTS REMAINING: 325
Naruto leaned back.
Over a thousand points.
Gone.
But looking at the result—
He couldn't find much he'd change.
Once he practiced advanced Chakra Control he'd improve practically everything he already did.
Earth Release filled a weakness without replacing Wind or Water.
Two Uzumaki fragments invested directly into the bloodline underlying his ridiculous chakra reserves, survivability, Fūinjutsu talent, and ability to handle Bijū chakra.
Two Evolution Stones now waited for techniques that eventually reached their limits.
And the Lottery—
Naruto looked at the glowing gold reward.
Okay.
That one was irresponsible.
But sometimes irresponsibility had a five-percent drop rate.
Naruto grinned.
"Now..."
He selected the results.
"...what'd I win?"
He sat straighter more carefully.
Rare Item Chest x 1
LEGENDARY ITEM CHEST x3
Naruto rubbed his hands together.
"Come on."
He selected the first.
RARE REWARD
The light collapsed.
Something dropped into his hand.
A pair of black fingerless gloves.
Naruto turned them over.
"...Gloves?"
Item Identified.
Chakra Weaver Gloves
Rarity: Rare
Chakra-conductive gloves designed for precision chakra work.
Effects:
+10% Chakra Control
+10% Fūinjutsu Inscription Speed
Naruto blinked.
That was...
Actually useful.
No ridiculous ability.
No hidden transformation.
Just better control and faster seal work.
Considering he'd nearly blown his hands apart maintaining the Shukaku array—
Naruto put them on.
"Mine."
Opening Legendary Item Chest...
Golden light filled the room.
Naruto's jaw dropped.
Something heavy landed across his blanket.
THUNK.
He stared.
A massive war fan.
Orange-brown wood.
Black markings, 3 red tomoe on either side of the fan
A long reinforced handle.
Naruto slowly picked it up.
The thing was enormous.
LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED
Uchiha Gunbai
Classification: Legendary War Fan
Origin: Uchiha Clan
Naruto stopped.
"...No fucking way."
Effects
Chakra Reflection
When properly supplied with chakra, the Gunbai can disrupt and redirect portions of incoming chakra-based attacks.
Effectiveness depends upon User chakra control, attack strength, elemental composition, and timing.
Wind Amplification
Wind Release techniques channeled through the Gunbai receive increased area, stability, and force.
Naruto stared at it.
Uchiha.
Sharingan Fragment.
Now this.
He looked toward the ceiling.
"System."
Nothing.
"Are you trying to get Sasuke to murder me?"
Silence.
"Because you're doing really good."
Still—
Naruto ran his fingers over the Gunbai.
Legendary.
Actually legendary.
Something from shinobi history.
And it amplified Wind Release.
Naruto smiled.
"...Mine."
Item stored in Inventory.
One chest remained.
Naruto selected it.
"Hit me."
Opening Legendary Item Chest...
The golden light appeared again.
Then immediately turned black.
Naruto's smile disappeared.
Red characters crawled through the darkness.
Something fell onto the bed.
Very softly.
Naruto stared.
A mask.
White.
Long teeth.
Horns.
A horrible grin.
Naruto didn't touch it.
Every instinct he possessed screamed at him.
LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED
Uzumaki Death Seal Mask
Naruto stopped breathing.
The System continued.
Classification: Forbidden Uzumaki Ritual Artifact
Origin: Uzushiogakure
Associated Art: Dead Demon Consuming Seal
Naruto's blood went cold.
He knew that name.
Jiraiya's books.
His own seal research.
Forbidden techniques.
The kind you didn't practice.
Unique Effect — Death's Audience
While wearing the mask, User may perceive spiritual entities, soul-based techniques, and certain forms of residual chakra normally invisible to living humans.
Does not grant control over perceived entities.
Unique Effect — Reaper's Bargain
Once per year, User may offer a permanent sacrifice to temporarily enter a pact with the Shinigami.
Acceptable sacrifices may include:
Permanent Stats
Maximum Chakra Capacity
Bloodline Progress
Years of Natural Lifespan
System Perks
The greater the requested effect, the greater the demanded sacrifice.
The Reaper may refuse an insufficient offering.
Naruto stared.
"That's..."
He swallowed.
"...terrifying."
Then another line appeared.
Hidden Effect — Uzumaki Resonance
User possesses Uzumaki blood.
Artifact compatibility: EXCEPTIONAL
Wearing this mask while studying Uzumaki Fūinjutsu grants +50% comprehension toward soul-binding, containment, and sacrificial sealing formulas.
WARNING: Prolonged use may attract unwanted spiritual attention.
Naruto immediately put it into his inventory.
"Nope."
A pause.
"Useful."
Another pause.
"Still nope."
Then there was one.
Gold burned around the final reward.
Naruto stared.
LEGENDARY REWARD
"Come on."
The light intensified.
"Something cool."
A golden flash filled the hospital room.
Naruto covered his eyes.
When the light disappeared—
Nothing happened.
Naruto blinked.
"...What?"
He checked the bed.
Nothing.
The floor.
Nothing.
Under his blanket.
Still nothing.
"You better not have given me invisible socks."
PING!
Naruto looked up.
LEGENDARY ITEM ACQUIRED
A tiny object dropped into his palm.
Then another.
Naruto stared.
"...Earrings?"
Two earrings rested in his hand.
Simple at first glance.
Two wooden black tomoe stud earrings laid in his palms.
Naruto turned one between his fingers.
No markings.
No seals he could recognize.
Nothing particularly impressive.
Then the System identified them.
Earrings of the Sage
Classification: Legendary Artifact
Origin: Sage of Six Paths
Naruto stopped moving.
"...Excuse me?"
Artifact Analysis
An ancient pair of earrings carrying traces of chakra that predate the modern shinobi system.
Original purpose: UNKNOWN
Original owner: ???
True Name: ???
Naruto frowned.
"But you just called them Earrings of the Sage."
System designation.
"...Oh."
That was significantly more ominous.
EQUIPMENT EFFECTS
Effect I — Sage's Affinity
Able to perceive Natural energy.
Naruto stared.
Sage Ninjutsu.
Immediately—
Jiraiya came to mind.
The strange transformation.
The two ancient toads.
That monstrous chakra Naruto had felt from him during the invasion.
Naruto's eyes widened.
"Wait..."
He looked at the earrings.
"Does this mean I could learn what Pervy Sage does?"
The System didn't answer.
Naruto kept reading.
Effect II
???
Unlock Condition:
???
Effect III
???
Unlock Condition:
???
Effect IV
???
Unlock Condition:
???
Naruto stared.
Then scrolled downward.
Nothing.
Back upward.
Nothing.
He tapped the second effect.
???
Again.
???
"Come on."
???
"I have one hundred and forty-six Intelligence."
???
Naruto's eye twitched.
"THEN LET ME INTELLIGENCE IT!"
Nothing happened.
Naruto inspected the earrings himself.
His eyes narrowed.
No obvious seal matrix.
He pushed chakra into one.
Nothing.
Wind chakra.
Nothing.
Water.
Nothing.
A tiny pulse of the strange new Earth nature he'd only just begun recognizing.
Nothing.
Naruto stopped.
Interesting.
They weren't rejecting his chakra.
They weren't accepting it either.
It was almost like—
They were waiting.
For something.
Naruto looked back at the description.
Traces of chakra that predate the modern shinobi system.
That sentence bothered him.
The Sage of Six Paths wasn't some famous jōnin.
He wasn't even like the First Hokage.
The Sage belonged to stories.
Legends.
The beginning of shinobi history itself.
And somehow—
Naruto Uzumaki had just won his earrings from a fucking slot machine.
Naruto stared at the Lottery menu.
Then at the earrings.
Then back at the Lottery.
"...This thing makes absolutely no sense."
Still—
Legendary was Legendary.
Naruto put them on.
Nothing happened.
No explosion.
No ancient voice.
No sudden transformation.
Naruto checked his reflection.
He tilted his head.
"...Huh."
They actually looked pretty good.
More importantly—
Something felt different.
Extremely faint.
Naruto closed his eyes.
For several seconds there was nothing.
Then—
An outflow of color appeared in his mind's eye.
Not chakra.
The room.
The air.
The plants sitting beside his hospital window.
The sunlight warming his face.
Something existed underneath all of it.
Everywhere.
He didn't know what to do with this new feeling, he just simply watched the colors interact with each other. He lost the sensation upon hearing a knock at the door.
Naruto examined the earrings again before allowing entry into his hospital room.
Earrings of the Sage
Legendary Artifact
Effect I — Sage's Affinity: UNLOCKED
Effect II — ???
Effect III — ???
Effect IV — ???
Naruto grinned.
The unknown effects bothered him.
Which meant—
He absolutely needed to figure them out.
Not today.
Probably not tomorrow.
But eventually.
Naruto touched one of the earrings.
"Three secrets."
His grin widened.
"Fine."
He'd uncover
Naruto dismissed everything.
"Come in."
The door opened.
Sakura walked inside.
Then Sasuke.
Then Shikamaru.
Then Choji.
Then Ino.
Then Kiba.
Then Hinata.
Then Shino.
Naruto stared.
"...Why are all of you here?"
Kiba frowned.
"Visiting you?"
"All at once?"
"Yeah."
"Why?"
Everyone looked at him.
Naruto genuinely didn't understand.
Sakura moved first.
She punched his shoulder.
Not hard.
"Ow!"
"You idiot."
"What did I do?!"
"You fought Shukaku!"
"He started it!"
"IT'S A BIJŪ!"
"Exactly! He should've known better!"
Kiba started laughing.
Choji opened a bag.
"I brought snacks."
Naruto immediately reached for them.
Sakura slapped his hand.
"Those aren't all yours."
"Then why are they in my hospital room?"
"They're mine," Choji said.
Naruto stared at him.
"Then why are they in my hospital room?"
Choji paused.
"...Good point."
Hinata quietly placed flowers beside Naruto's bed.
Naruto smiled.
"Thanks, Hinata."
She turned red.
"Y-you're welcome."
Shino adjusted his glasses.
"I came because hospital visitation is considered an important component of maintaining interpersonal relationships."
Kiba stared at him.
"You could've just said you're his friend."
Shino went silent.
"...That was implied."
Ino laughed.
Shikamaru dropped into the nearest chair.
"This is troublesome."
"You came willingly."
"I was coerced."
"By who?"
Shikamaru pointed at everyone.
Naruto looked toward Sasuke.
The Uchiha leaned against the wall.
One arm remained bandaged.
Naruto grinned.
"You came to visit me?"
"No."
"You're literally in my room."
"I was walking past."
"Inside the hospital?"
"Yes."
"To my specific room?"
Sasuke's eye twitched.
"Shut up."
Naruto's grin widened.
"Awwww."
"Say it and I'll reopen your ribs."
Everyone started talking.
Arguing.
Laughing.
Sakura yelled at Kiba.
Ino yelled at Sakura.
Choji ate.
Shikamaru complained.
Shino attempted to explain something nobody was listening to.
Hinata laughed quietly.
Sasuke pretended he hated every second.
Naruto watched.
Something hurt.
Not his ribs.
His chest.
Different.
Warm.
He remembered the swing.
Watching other children leave with their families.
Going home alone.
Eating alone.
Training alone.
Being alone.
When had that changed?
Naruto looked around.
Eight people had crammed themselves into a hospital room because they wanted to see him.
Not the jinchūriki.
Not the invasion hero.
Not the new chūnin.
Him.
Naruto looked down quickly.
Sakura noticed.
"Naruto?"
"I'm fine."
His voice sounded weird.
Ino noticed next.
"Are you crying?"
"No."
Kiba leaned closer.
"You're totally crying."
"SHUT UP!"
Naruto wiped his face.
"My eyes are injured!"
Sasuke raised an eyebrow.
"Both?"
"YES!"
"From what?"
Naruto pointed at him.
"SHARINGAN DAMAGE!"
The room went silent.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed.
"...What?"
Naruto froze.
Bad choice of words.
"Metaphorical Sharingan damage."
"What does that even mean?"
"I DON'T KNOW!"
The room exploded again.
Naruto laughed.
Actually laughed.
For the first time since Hiruzen died—
It didn't hurt quite as much.
A knock interrupted them.
Iruka stood in the doorway.
His expression told them immediately.
The room quieted.
Iruka entered.
He looked at Naruto.
Then everyone else.
"The council has finalized the arrangements."
Nobody asked which arrangements.
They knew.
"The Third Hokage's funeral will be held in three days."
Silence.
Naruto looked toward the flowers beside his bed.
Three days.
Hiruzen Sarutobi would be buried.
And Konoha would say goodbye.
Far beneath the Land of Fire—
Orochimaru crushed a glass vial in his hand.
Blood ran between his fingers.
Kabuto didn't react.
He'd learned when silence was healthier.
"Konoha still stands."
Orochimaru's voice was quiet.
That made it worse.
"The invasion force routed."
Kabuto adjusted his glasses.
"Yes."
"The One-Tail defeated."
"Yes."
"My Edo Tensei disrupted."
Kabuto hesitated.
"...Yes."
Orochimaru's eyes narrowed.
Everything should have collapsed.
The Hokage dead.
Konoha destabilized.
Sand and Sound tearing through its streets.
Instead—
The village endured.
And one name appeared repeatedly in every report.
Naruto Uzumaki.
"The boy."
Kabuto looked up.
"Naruto?"
Orochimaru smiled.
Not pleasantly.
"He interests me."
"The Nine-Tails?"
"Partly."
Orochimaru's tongue slid across his lips.
"His growth."
Naruto had interfered with the barrier.
Developed seals Orochimaru hadn't expected from a genin.
Fought Shukaku.
Survived.
Won.
And Sasuke—
Sasuke continued developing as well.
Orochimaru's anger slowly became amusement.
"Perhaps the invasion wasn't entirely wasted."
Kabuto glanced toward him.
"You lost the First and Second Hokage."
"Tools."
"The Fourth was sealed."
Orochimaru's smile disappeared.
"...An irritation."
"And the village remains operational."
Silence.
Then Orochimaru laughed.
"But Sarutobi is dead."
His anger softened.
There it was.
Victory.
Small.
Incomplete.
But delicious.
His teacher was finally gone.
"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."
Orochimaru turned.
"Watch them."
Kabuto's eyes narrowed.
"Both?"
"Closely."
"Sasuke remains the priority?"
Orochimaru smiled.
"Of course."
The Sharingan.
The body he'd wanted.
That hadn't changed.
"But Naruto..."
Orochimaru remembered the barrier.
The seals.
That monstrous chakra.
The reports of a red cloak surrounding the boy.
"...may become either extraordinarily useful..."
His eyes narrowed.
"...or extraordinarily inconvenient."
Kabuto understood.
"Do you want him captured?"
"Not yet."
"Killed?"
"No."
Orochimaru smiled.
"I want to know what he becomes."
He turned toward the darkness.
"And if Naruto's attachment to Sasuke continues to deepen..."
The smile widened.
"...then perhaps obtaining one will provide the leash for the other."
Kabuto said nothing.
Orochimaru had lost an invasion.
He had lost three legendary corpses.
He had failed to destroy Konoha.
But he'd killed his teacher.
And discovered two children who might someday give him something far more valuable than a ruined village.
Three days remained until Hiruzen Sarutobi's funeral.
Konoha prepared to bury its Hokage.
Naruto prepared to bury his grandfather in all but blood.
And somewhere beyond the village walls—
A snake began planning how to steal Konoha's future.
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Village: Konohagakure
Rank: Chunin
Stats
Strength: 132
Agility: 156
Endurance: 151 (+40%)
Intelligence: 146
Charisma: 98
Luck: 15
System Points: 325
Inventoryxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Flash Anklet - 20% move speed buff for 60 seconds, 300 second cooldown
Shinobi Mesh Undershirt - Reduced damage against slashing/piercing attacks, +10% physical and elemental damage resistance. Contains 4 sealing formula locations
Chakra Weaver gloves - +10% Chakra Control, +10% Fuinjutsu inscription speed
Phantom Step Sandals - Greatly reduces sound during movment
Supresses chakra during movement, makes wearer harder to detect/track
Once every 60 seconds, rapid movement leaves behind a brief chakra afterimage that continues in the user's original direction for several meters.
Uchiha Gunbai -
Chakra Reflection, When properly supplied with chakra, the Gunbai can disrupt and redirect portions of incoming chakra-based attacks. Effectiveness depends upon User chakra control, attack strength, elemental composition, and timing.
Wind Amplification Wind Release techniques channeled through the Gunbai receive increased area, stability, and force.
Uzumaki Death Seal Mask - While wearing the mask, User may perceive spiritual entities, soul-based techniques, and certain forms of residual chakra normally invisible to living humans. Does not grant control over perceived entities.
Unique Effect — Reaper's Bargain
Once per year, User may offer a permanent sacrifice to temporarily enter into a pact with the Shinigami.
Acceptable sacrifices may include:
Permanent Stats
Maximum Chakra Capacity
Bloodline Progress
Years of Natural Lifespan
System Perks
The greater the requested effect, the greater the demanded sacrifice.
The Reaper may refuse an insufficient offering.
Hidden Effect — Uzumaki Resonance
User possesses Uzumaki blood.
Artifact compatibility: EXCEPTIONAL
Wearing this mask while studying Uzumaki Fūinjutsu grants +50% comprehension toward soul-binding, containment, and sacrificial sealing formulas.
WARNING: Prolonged use may attract unwanted spiritual attention.
Earrings of the Sage -
Effect I — Sage's Affinity: UNLOCKED
Effect II — ???
Effect III — ???
Effect IV — ???
Damaged Uzumaki Record (Fragment)
x1 Medium Skill experience packs
Chakra Stabilization Band: +15% experience boost to Chakra Control training
2 Skill evolution Stone
1 Destiny Breaker
Earth Affinity Passive - Increased compatability with earth-based techniques, Reduced chakra cost for earth jutsu, enhanced defenses when using earth material!
Uchiha Bloodline (Fragmented) - 1/5 Next upgrade -> Weak
Perception +10% Dynamic Visual Acuity increased.
User may occasionally recognize obvious preparatory movements before an opponent attacks.
Effectiveness decreases sharply against faster, unfamiliar, deceptive, or technically superior opponents.
Does NOT replicate Sharingan precognition.
Uzumaki Bloodline (Strong): 2/5 -> Next upgrade = Advanced.
increase to Endurance and overall chakra capacity (40%)
Improved compatibility with fuinjutsu (+35% lvling speed for fuinjutsu related skills)
Uzumaki Vitaltiy - resistance against lethal wounds
Unyielding Vessel: Uzumaki chakra possesses exceptional density and stability, granting increased resistance to Bijū chakra, hostile foreign chakra, and chakra-network disruption. The user's body can safely contain and circulate substantially greater quantities of Bijū chakra before suffering physical degradation or loss of control