Chapter 6: Whiter Than Snow
Akiyama Makoto rubbed the corners of his mouth, which were sore from smiling, trying to calm himself down from the reverie.
Before transmigrating, Makoto had girlfriends, more than one in fact. But unfortunately, no other girl had ever allowed him to experience such a relaxed and intimate relationship. The only regret was that this was, in the end, just the detailed data of a simulation, not reality.
Makoto looked at the very last photo.
In it, Tenten was holding Akiyama Ayame, nestled in Makoto's arms, her face filled with a blissful smile.
He subconsciously wanted to open the photo, but after a long hesitation, he ultimately chose not to. He could at least see Tenten in reality, but Akiyama Ayame... it was better to treat her as just simulation data.
The process of viewing the simulation details was one of mental leaps, occurring at incredible speed, so it didn't take much of Makoto's time.
Over the next few days, besides processing the details of the simulation, Makoto didn't forget to refine his chakra and formulate a plan of action. After finalizing all the details, he chose to be discharged from the hospital early. Thanks to the ninja talent and chakra he now possessed, his body's recovery speed had increased significantly, and he was able to move freely after just five days.
Makoto completed the discharge procedures and withdrew the remainder of the money Tenten had advanced for his bills. This left him with over 6,000 Ryō in funds. While 6,000 Ryō wasn't much for a ninja, for Makoto, it was enough to live on for two months.
However, Makoto immediately spent 5,000 Ryō on paper, pens, and a new set of clothes. He then returned to his home carrying the large pile of supplies.
When Makoto arrived back on his street, the neighborhood elders greeted him warmly. Among them were ordinary Konoha civilians and elderly, retired ninja, but now they all shared a single identity—Akiyama Makoto's neighbors. As an orphan, Makoto had managed to grow up safely thanks not only to Konoha's orphan stipend but also to the care of his neighbors.
Makoto greeted the elders all the way home, accepting their concern and well-wishes.
By the time he stood before his own dilapidated little courtyard, it was already noon.
Looking at the wooden gate, which was barely held upright by a crooked rope, Makoto gave it a gentle push, and the gate door fell backward onto the ground. Although this made the lock seem rather pointless, the old Makoto had lacked the money and strength to replace the hinges. Fortunately, there was nothing worth stealing in his house. From the pots and pans to the tables and chairs, not a single item was without a patch or repair.
When Makoto placed the paper and pens on his desk, he seemed even more out of place with his surroundings. But he had long grown used to it all and knew he would inevitably escape his current predicament. He quickly immersed himself fully in his writing.
This caused him to completely miss the fact that someone had appeared on his roof.
It was Tenten, her vacation now over, preparing to leave for a mission. She had originally planned to secretly check up on Makoto, only to be surprised to hear that he had already been discharged. Luckily, the hospital had his home address on file, which was how she managed to find him.
Tenten lifted a roof tile, curiously observing Makoto's every move. With her sharp eyes, she could easily read the words he was writing, and she quickly became engrossed.
It wasn't until nightfall that Tenten snapped back to reality, realizing she had been crouched on the roof, staring at Makoto for an entire afternoon. The thought made her face burn. Seeing Makoto begin to prepare dinner with some cabbage and radishes, the now-relaxed Tenten left as quietly as she had come, intending to put the matter of Akiyama Makoto completely behind her. She had helped plenty of people before; besides being a bit handsome, there was nothing special about him.
What Tenten didn't expect was that she would have a very long dream that night.
When she woke up the next day, she couldn't remember what the dream was about. She only had a vague feeling that it was somehow related to Akiyama Makoto. This made her stare blankly at her reflection in the mirror. Had she actually started to develop feelings for him?
In the blink of an eye, a week passed.
On Makoto's end, although he was still far from finishing The Biography of Uchiha Madara, the first volume was ready to be shown to others. Not only that, but he had also drawn up the initial schematics for the first ninja tool he had researched in the simulation: the Fragmentation Kunai.
As the name suggested, the idea for the Fragmentation Kunai came from the fragmentation grenade. A normal kunai only causes damage when it directly hits an enemy. When an explosive tag is attached, the power is greatly increased, but the damage radius is still limited.
Makoto's Fragmentation Kunai, however, used two concepts: an internally placed explosive tag and a specially scored texture on the kunai itself. This allowed the kunai to be used normally, but at a critical moment, chakra could be injected to trigger a timed detonation. The kunai would then shatter into shrapnel, damaging all enemies within a certain radius.
Its lethal blast radius was about five meters, with an injury radius of around fifteen meters. Because the explosive tag was internal, anyone unfamiliar with the weapon might miss the optimal window to dodge. Furthermore, if the user of the Fragmentation Kunai chose to coat it in poison, killing an unlucky fool dozens of meters away was not impossible.
Overall, this kunai could effectively enhance the combat capabilities of Genin and ninja who were not skilled in long-range attacks. When a ninja who specialized in using tools—like someone from the Uchiha clan or Tenten—wielded this kunai, they could potentially suppress an entire group of enemies single-handedly.
This was why Makoto was certain Tenten would fall in love with it all over again.
On this particular morning, Makoto meticulously washed up and dressed, then changed into the new set of white clothes he had bought. Although the material wasn't high-end, Makoto's spirit and presence were now amplified by his chakra. Paired with the white clothes, the "whiter than snow" aura he'd had in the simulation began to truly manifest.
His new look was a pleasant surprise to his neighbors, and many even teased him, asking if he had gotten a girlfriend. Ninja tended to mature early and even took pride in starting families young, so Makoto didn't mind the banter and simply deflected it with a few jokes.
Leaving his familiar street, Makoto headed straight for the Hokage's Office. He continued to attract a lot of attention along the way, a sign that he now possessed a certain charm. He even saw a familiar figure on the road, but he didn't dare look for too long; after all, that person was a respected ninja.
Upon reaching his destination, Makoto used the civilian entrance and went to the General Affairs Desk on the first floor, where he filled out a "Meeting Application Form."
He was going to request a direct audience with the Third Hokage.