One card. Three monsters. And a single decision that could reshape Ayato's future.
[Ding!]
[Classic Zhongli quote detected. Proficiency increased by 0.1%.]
[Current Role Sync Progress: 6.5%]
A faint surge of satisfaction rippled through Ayato as the system prompt faded.
He hadn't been idle these past two days. By deliberately imitating Zhongli's mannerisms and weaving in his iconic lines at the right moments, his synchronization had quietly climbed another half percent.
Progress, however small, was still progress.
"Ahem. If we're talking about the Eight Trigrams Seal," Ayato said lightly, suppressing the pleased glint in his eyes, "there are three places where you might find it."
"Three?" Kakashi looked genuinely surprised.
"Yes." Ayato lifted one finger. "First, the Scroll of Seals kept by the Hokage. There's a high probability the Eight Trigrams Seal is recorded inside."
Kakashi frowned.
The Scroll of Seals was tightly restricted. Only shinobi who had completed multiple high-ranking missions were granted access—and even then, only under supervision. Even he had never been allowed to study it.
"And the second?" Kakashi asked.
"The second option is more convenient for you," Ayato continued. "Among the documents and scrolls left behind by your teacher's wife, Kushina, there may be records of the seal. If you have the opportunity, try searching there."
Kakashi's gaze darkened.
Minato and Kushina's belongings had been cleared out the day after the Nine-Tails incident. Only the empty house remained.
And Kakashi knew exactly who had ordered that.
"…And the third?" he asked after a brief pause.
"For the third," Ayato said slowly, "you'll need to leave the village."
"Leave Konoha?"
"To the east. Do you know of the small island out there?" A trace of nostalgia flickered through Ayato's eyes.
"The east… the Land of Whirlpools?" Kakashi thought for a moment. Kushina's homeland. A nation long since erased.
"Yes. That's the place," Ayato nodded. "If anything survived, shrines would be the most likely hiding spots. People often conceal important things beneath them."
He deliberately didn't elaborate further. That fragment of lore hadn't appeared clearly in canon, and oversharing carried unnecessary risk.
The more they spoke, the more uncomfortable Kakashi felt.
"The longer we talk," Kakashi said quietly, "the harder it is to believe you're just an ordinary shop owner."
For a shinobi, being guided so smoothly—step by step—felt dangerous.
"Oh no, you're mistaken." Ayato laughed softly. "I'm merely a perfectly ordinary, law-abiding Odd Jobs Shop owner."
"…"
Kakashi stared at him with his trademark deadpan eye.
After a long pause, he reached into his pouch, placed two items into the donation box, and turned to leave without another word.
[Ding!]
[Two transactions completed.]
[Function 5 Progress: 2 / 10 transactions → 100 points pending]
Ayato smiled faintly at the system update.
That was enough business for today.
He opened the donation box and inspected Kakashi's payment.
As expected.
One item was a familiar 1,000-yen bill.
The other—
A copy of Icha Icha Paradise by Jiraiya.
Ayato blinked once.
If Kakashi was willing to part with that, then he truly must have taken Ayato's words to heart.
Outside the shop—
Kakashi suddenly froze.
He patted his pockets once.
Then again.
"…Where's my Icha Icha Paradise?!"
His face drained of color.
That was a signed copy from Jiraiya himself. He'd paid a small fortune for it.
A catastrophic loss.
Absolutely devastating.
…
Inside the shop, Ayato calmly glanced at the wall clock.
Still early.
He decided to step out for a walk.
After all, living like Zhongli meant more than staying indoors. Listening to the finest opera, strolling with elegant songbirds, savoring refined tastes in food and scenery—only the act of paying was never part of the Geo Archon's habits.
Perhaps someday he should commission a proper Vortex Vanquisher replica of his own. Unfortunately, Konoha's blacksmiths were mediocre at best. If he wanted a true masterpiece, the Land of Iron would be far more suitable.
As he wandered casually, a new system notification flashed before his eyes.
[Mission: Resolve Uchiha Itachi's Inner Conflict]
[Status: Completed]
[Reward: Temporary Card Draw +1]
[Reward added to inventory]
"…Itachi's mission already cleared?" Ayato frowned slightly.
That was faster than expected.
Most likely, whatever Shisui had discussed with Itachi had shifted the boy's perspective enough to untangle part of his inner knot.
Curious, Ayato opened the system interface.
A single card floated quietly within it, shrouded in a faint blue glow.
So this was a Temporary Card.
[Temporary cards do not occupy role slots.]
[Each use provides three selectable characters.]
[Duration: 30 minutes.]
[Each grants 60% of the chosen character's peak strength.]
In other words…
If luck favored him, even a single draw could grant overwhelming combat power for half an hour.
Without hesitation, Ayato tapped the card.
[Ding!]
[Temporary Card Draw Complete. Please select a character.]
Three radiant cards materialized before him.
[Option 1 — Genshin Impact]
Barbatos — Anemo Archon — Venti
[Option 2 — One Piece]
Former Warlord — World's Greatest Swordsman — Dracule Mihawk
[Option 3 — One Punch Man]
Hero Hunter — Absolute Evil — Garou
Even at only sixty percent of their peak strength, any one of them would be terrifying.
For the first time in a long while, Ayato felt genuine hesitation.
Three monsters.
One choice.
And no room for regret.
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