Around ten in the morning, news exploded across every channel—literally.
A massive detonation ripped through the Gabe Rainforest in northern Australia. The blast radius stretched nearly five hundred kilometers, as if a miniature nuke had gone off in the middle of paradise.
Reporters were scrambling for answers. According to "official intel," the Gabe Rainforest had hidden an abandoned World War II fascist stronghold—complete with underground arms factories. Apparently, the stockpiled shells had "spontaneously" ignited.
Right. And monkeys type Shakespeare, too.
The U.S. military rushed out a statement: "This was not a nuclear incident. Australia does not pursue nuclear weapons and remains committed to the anti-nuclear alliance."
Watching the broadcast from Natasha Romanoff's car, Ryuuto couldn't help but snort.
So America screwed up, and now they're busy wiping Australia's ass. Good luck selling that excuse.
In his mind, the truth was simple—international relations were a house of cards. Everyone smiled at the table, but under the cloth, daggers were already pressed against each other's ribs. One wrong spark, and World War III wouldn't be fought by tanks or missiles, but by superhumans.
And whether he liked it or not, Ryuuto—"Red Mirage"—was one of those pieces on the board.
Natasha parked the car and led him inside her apartment.
"My missions keep me out most of the year," she said while climbing the stairs. "I don't spend much time here, but there are three bedrooms upstairs. Each has its own bath, so shower as long as you want. Tomorrow, I'll take you shopping for necessities. And… one more thing."
Her tone softened, though her eyes sharpened.
"Sooner or later, you'll have to meet Director Nick Fury. He's been pushing to see you. He'll probably try to recruit you into the Avengers."
Ryuuto frowned. "Yeah, pass. Not interested in signing another contract."
Natasha glanced back over her shoulder, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. "He's still the Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. Meeting him costs you nothing. Besides, X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. have to maintain at least polite diplomacy. No need to slam the door shut."
"We'll see."
"Up to you."
They split off to their own rooms, agreeing to clean up before dinner. Natasha insisted on cooking herself—apparently, even a world-class spy had her domestic quirks.
Steam filled Ryuuto's bathroom as he peeled off his clothes and stared at the mirror.
Not vanity—just curiosity. Ever since he integrated Rock Lee's data packet, his body had changed. His muscles weren't swollen like a bodybuilder's, but cut lean, spring-loaded, made for speed and impact. The kind of body that could smash through walls one day and still weave through a hail of bullets the next.
Damn. No wonder Lee never stopped training. Even my bones feel like they're made of tempered steel.
His strength now? Maybe closing in on Steve Rogers, though not quite there. Captain America had serum-altered perfection; Ryuuto had sweat, willpower, and a cheat system. Still, his body would need more reinforcement if he planned to survive future ambushes.
Which brought him to his next target: Hidan.
The immortal freak of Akatsuki. Regeneration bordering on undeath. In the manga, Shikamaru had only managed to bury him alive, not kill him.
If Ryuuto could unlock Hidan's packet, he'd gain immortality. A cheat code among cheat codes. Wolverine and Deadpool tier.
Can't die? Heh, sign me up. I'll tank nukes and still be bitching about the Wi-Fi signal underground.
Ryuuto leaned back against the tiled wall and muttered aloud—no need to keep it telepathic when he had privacy.
"Oi, Shion. You listening?"
[Always, Host. What's up?]
"I need answers. So far, these data packets drop random. But Naruto's world is packed with shinobi, extras, fodder, even ramen shopkeepers. I don't have time to gacha-pull every side character. Isn't there a way to lock in specific targets? Like Hidan?"
Shion yawned into his skull, tone dripping with mock laziness.
[Mission levels exist for a reason. The Hokage world is ranked into A, B, C, D, S, and SS tiers. So far, your quests have been issued without level tags. If you want, I can label them from now on.]
"I don't give a damn about letters. I'm asking if I can choose."
[If the mission is S or SS level… then, maaaybe, you'll get a choice.]
Ryuuto's eyebrow twitched. "Maybe? Don't 'maaaybe' me. You're a damn system—aren't you supposed to know this stuff? Stop acting like some shady gacha vendor trying to milk me for rolls!"
[Ufufu~ angry Host is cute.]
"...I swear, one day I'm uninstalling you."
[Bold talk for someone still begging me for immortality.]