Disclaimer: Naruto and all of its character belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I own nothing but the original characters I make.
Chapter 69: Level 4
---Early In The Morning, Before Birthday Party---
[CONGRATULATIONS: YOU HAVE REACHED LEVEL 4]
[NEW FUNCTION UNLOCKED — YOU CAN NOW PURCHASE A SKILL FOR OTHERS]
Raiken blinked at the glowing blue screen floating in front of him. For a moment, he just stared, letting the words sink in. It had been several long months since he last leveled up, and finally, his livestream account had risen from Level 3 to Level 4.
"Well… finally," he muttered, rubbing his temple. "It took me half a year just to reach this point."
Curiosity sparked in his eyes as he scrolled through the new menu. "Alright, System, what's the price for buying a skill for someone else?"
[PURCHASE PRICE: TRIPLE THE ORIGINAL COST. FOR EXAMPLE, A 10,000-POINT SKILL WILL COST 30,000 POINTS WHEN GIFTED.]
Raiken groaned and flopped back onto his chair. "Erghh, that's ridiculously expensive." He crossed his arms, thinking about whether to ask more questions but he stopped himself halfway.
In the back of his mind, memories from his past surfaced. He had read enough transmigration novels to know that whenever a system realized it had a bug or loophole, it would "fix" it and usually, that meant losing a powerful advantage.
Right now, his own system had one very convenient flaw he could add items to his add to cart without any limits. If that loophole disappeared… life would become a nightmare. Imagine being restricted to one purchase per day or per level. That would completely destroy his current pace of growth.
He wasn't going to risk it. Not now. Not tomorrow, he will fool system as long as he can.
"Forget it," he said and he grumbled though no one heard. 'Let's not tempt the programmer behind the system.'
Still, the cost of upgrades nagged him. He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "What's the requirement for the next level, System?"
[10,000,000 POINTS REQUIRED TO UPGRADE TO LEVEL 5.]
Raiken froze. "Ten million…?!" He had barely scraped together three million points over an entire year and that had required near-constant broadcasting, trapping the Hokage, and doing something that would make him an enemy. His jaw tightened in disbelief. "It's like climbing a mountain with bare hands," he grumbled.
Sighing, he dismissed the floating screen and leaned back on his chair. The translucent interface faded, leaving behind only the warm evening glow that filled his office.
Today was supposed to be his seventeenth birthday, a day most people would celebrate with joy. But Raiken wasn't like most people. To him, birthdays were an unnecessary hassle. The only reason he was hosting one now was because of his position.
As the Uzumaki Clan Leader, appearances mattered. Holding a birthday banquet wasn't just a personal celebration, it was a political tool.
He could invite orphans from the Konoha orphanage, offer them food, and win public goodwill. He could welcome other clan heads, subtly strengthen alliances, and maybe even earn a few favors for future negotiations. Every smile, every handshake, every "thank you" would contribute to the Uzumaki growing influence.
It wasn't a birthday party anymore. It was strategy.
Raiken stood and adjusted his robe in front of the mirror. His reflection stared back at him, sharp eyes, calm expression, and a quiet intelligence that seemed to grow colder by the day.
He couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I'm becoming like him… aren't I?"
He didn't have to say the name. The image of Sarutobi Hiruzen came to mind, the man who smiled kindly in public yet calculated every move in private. Raiken wasn't sure if he admired or despised that kind of cunning, but he understood it now.
Day by day, step by step, he was becoming just as shrewd as him. Maybe shrewd is not correct word, instead he was becoming cunning like Voldemort from Harry Potter.
"Happy birthday, Uzumaki Raiken," he whispered, forcing a faint smile. "Now, let's see how far this game can really go."
---Birthday, Mikoto and Kushina special moment---
Early in the morning, Raiken was greeted by a familiar, lively voice.
"Hey, Brother! Happy birthday!" Kushina called out, her energy lighting up the quiet courtyard.
"Thank you, little sister." Raiken smiled warmly and reached out to ruffle her fiery red hair. "The birthday party starts at nine. You're very early."
"Of course I came early!" Kushina puffed her chest proudly. "I didn't want anyone else to wish you happy birthday before me! Besides.... look, here's my gift for you!"
"Huh? A gift for me?" Raiken asked, amused.
"Yes!" she declared, waving a small ticket excitedly.
Raiken squinted. "What's this, Kushina?"
"This is a special edition ticket from Ichiraku Ramen! It was incredibly hard to get one!" she said proudly, beaming with satisfaction.
Raiken chuckled softly at her enthusiasm. He hadn't realized just how much Kushina loved ramen. He had eaten there once before, it was indeed delicious but he wasn't the type to indulge in unhealthy food every day. His appetite for such things was nowhere near as strong as Kushina.
Before he could respond further, Uchiha Mikoto appeared quietly behind Kushina, holding a neatly wrapped box in her hands. Her usual calm expression softened, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
Just earlier, she and her grandfather had arrived with Kushina to wish Raiken a happy birthday. If it weren't for Kushina insistence on being the first to congratulate him, Mikoto might have beaten her to it.
"I… um," Mikoto began softly, her gaze lowering. "I brought you something. It's not much, but… I hope you like it. Happy birthday."
Raiken blinked in pleasant surprise. "A gift? Thank you, Mikoto."
"I hope you'll like it," she murmured, placing the box gently in his hands. "It's a handmade scroll holder. I thought it might help you organize your jutsu notes better."
Raiken expression softened even more. "That's very thoughtful of you, Mikoto. Thank you."
Kushina leaned closer with a teasing grin. "Ooh, look at you two, acting all shy. Should I give you a moment?"
Mikoto blush deepened instantly. "Kushina!"
Their laughter carried through the air, drawing the attention of an older man seated nearby, it was Mikoto's grandfather, Uchiha Hikaku.
"Young people like you bring joy," Hikaku said kindly, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "To an old man's quiet life like mine."
Raiken smiled at him respectfully. "Thank you, Grandfather. I'm glad you came."
Author Notes: To read advanced chapter you can go to my patreon.
Chapter 97: Marriage
Chapter 98: Leaving A Seed
Chapter 99: Emergency
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