"How dare you think of marrying my precious daughter, Misato? You're just a Genin; if it weren't for the money, you wouldn't even be worthy of touching Misato…" In a grayish room, a sallow-faced uncle lectured Kobayakawa Ichima, who felt an unspeakable sense of grievance.
If his family hadn't been completely out of food, if the Hidden Mist Village's continuous wars hadn't made it almost impossible for commoners like them to survive, how could Hirunaka Yuta have possibly sold Misato's body for 5,000 ryo, and to have a child with a guy who only became a Genin at 18?
"So, the matter of Misato marrying me is off the table?" Kobayakawa Ichima picked his ear and asked again.
He was indeed just a Genin, and if his connection to the Terumi Clan were exposed, he would even be hunted by the Village. But a Ninja is a Ninja; in the Hokage worldview, a Ninja is synonymous with power.
After being reborn into the Ninja World for 18 years, Kobayakawa Ichima finally awakened his System this year. The System, named "More Children, More Blessings," allowed him to grow stronger by having children.
In a Ninja World where the three main protagonists couldn't even manage to have a pair of parents, awakening a System was already quite fortunate. Therefore, whether for his own survival or to become stronger to face crises, Kobayakawa Ichima had to develop his System.
"It's off the table! You demon Fourth Mizukage's dog! You Village parasite!" Hirunaka's curses grew uglier, even directing his resentment towards Fourth Mizukage Yagura.
Upon hearing Yagura's name, Kobayakawa Ichima paused for a second, then blinked. Realizing the situation, he pulled a kunai from his Ninja tool pouch and thrust it towards Hirunaka.
Clang!
The kunai struck the wooden table, narrowly missing Hirunaka's left palm. Kobayakawa Ichima's eyes were fierce as he threatened, "How can a frog in a well like you understand the Fourth Mizukage's profound foresight?"
That was close; he almost forgot to maintain his persona as a fervent supporter of the Fourth Mizukage… Kobayakawa Ichima nearly broke out in a cold sweat. In this dangerous period, his allegiance had to be clear.
Hirunaka was startled, his hand trembling as he silently moved away from the kunai. He hadn't expected that Kobayakawa, who was usually easy to talk to, would completely change his demeanor upon hearing the Fourth Mizukage insulted.
"I don't want to hear it from you anymore. Let's talk about marriage after the child is born." Kobayakawa Ichima put away his kunai and walked towards the room nearby.
Name: Kobayakawa Ichima
Lifespan: 30 years
Chakra Level: 0.1 Chakra
Ninja Aptitude: E
Ninjutsu: Substitution Technique (9% completion), Transformation Technique (9% completion), Clone Technique (8% completion).
The room was empty and hollow, the grayish-white concrete making it even colder. Kobayakawa Ichima saw a slender girl.
Name: Misato
Age: 18
Beauty: D
Ninja Aptitude: F
Bloodline Limit: None
The System's rewards are divided into two parts: conception and childbirth. In the conception stage, the more beautiful the woman involved, the more rewards are gained. In the childbirth stage, the higher the child's Ninja Aptitude, the more rewards the System provides.
Additionally, if the child born possesses a Bloodline Limit, the System will grant extra rewards.
Fortunately, after one night, Kobayakawa Ichima had successfully conceived and received his System rewards.
Name: Kobayakawa Ichima
Lifespan: 30 years
Chakra: 0.3 Chakra
Ninja Aptitude: E (1/2)
Ninjutsu: Substitution Technique (9% completion), Transformation Technique (9% completion), Clone Technique (8% completion).
Now, Kobayakawa Ichima's Chakra level had increased by 0.2 Chakra, and his aptitude had changed from E-rank to E (1/2).
Kobayakawa Ichima was already very satisfied with these rewards. This was just for successful conception; he expected even more rewards when Misato gave birth to his child.
After resting for a day, Kobayakawa Ichima became busy again. The Hidden Mist Village had only recently emerged from the shadow of the Third Shinobi World War, and then immediately plunged into an internal civil war. The moniker "Land of Blood Mist" had already spread throughout the Ninja World.
In fact, Kobayakawa Ichima felt that the rumors of the Land of Blood Mist were entirely accurate.
Due to Fourth Mizukage Yagura's series of policies, internal conflicts frequently erupted in the Village, and families with Bloodline Limits were purged, thus putting them at odds with the Village.
Because of the high-pressure policy of isolation and years of civil war, the Hidden Mist Village was now in disarray. Resources were scarce, and prices soared. Ninjas like them could barely survive by risking their lives, and many ordinary families were thankful just to ensure everyone had enough to eat.
This was also why he only spent 5,000 ryo to convince Uncle Hirunaka to let his daughter have a child with a Genin. According to current prices, 5,000 ryo was barely enough to buy 30 catties of grain.
Two months later, the accumulated snow began to melt, and the mist that perpetually shrouded the Village started to reappear. Spring had arrived.
The market was not good this year. Kobayakawa Ichima only received 5 Ninja missions in these two months, with each mission costing around 800 ryo. The money he earned was just enough for him and Mei Terumī to barely survive.
That's right, Mei Terumī and Kobayakawa Ichima shared an almost negligible blood relation. After the Terumi Clan, who possessed a Bloodline Limit, was hunted by the Hidden Mist Village, it was Kobayakawa Ichima who took in Mei Terumī and provided her with a place to live.
"It's the season for crops to grow. If only I knew Water Release, it would be great. If I learned Water Release, I could take on simpler and easier missions," Kobayakawa Ichima sighed. Irrigating one mu of land could earn a reward of 50 ryo. Jonin and Chunin might not care for it, but for a Genin, it was indeed a decent mission.
Genin can usually only take D-rank missions, most of which involve helping local port fishermen with fishing, repairing boats, or running errands—some non-dangerous tasks. In peacetime, Genin could adequately support their families with these missions.
But in times of war, with everyone fearing for themselves, these peaceful missions have almost completely disappeared.
Of course, in addition to regular D-rank missions, Genin could occasionally take on C-rank or B-rank missions. These missions usually involved accompanying a Jonin to make an appearance, boosting morale during wartime.
However, even though it was just to boost a Jonin's morale, the death rate was quite high. It's well known that during Ninja World wars, the first to die are usually the foot soldiers.
Spring turned to autumn, and in the blink of an eye, it was winter again. The mist surrounding the Village became thinner, and snowflakes fell, clear and sparkling.
During these ten months, Kobayakawa Ichima diligently took on missions, spending the rest of his time learning Ninjutsu.
Due to the increase in his Ninja Aptitude, the completion rates of his Ninjutsu, which hadn't grown in years, also began to increase. Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique, and Clone Technique each increased by 3%. As for his Chakra level and Ninja Aptitude, they remained unchanged.
Ninjutsu can be learned, but Chakra and Ninja Aptitude are innate and cannot be changed through acquired learning. This can only be done through the System.
Don't let Kakashi being jokingly called a Chakra measurement unit fool you; his Chakra level is still that of a Jonin. This amount of Chakra allows him to use A-rank Ninjutsu like Chidori four times a day.
For Chunin and Genin, successfully performing Chidori even once would be commendable.
Early in the morning, Kobayakawa Ichima saw the System's update notification. He realized that Misato had given birth to a child with F-rank Ninja Aptitude.