"Well," I said, my hands resting comfortably in my pockets. "You've been real busy now, haven't you?"
Gaara's green eyes dilated. He let out some sort of snarl and thrust his hand forward, launching a massive wave of blood-soaked sand directly at me.
I casually sidestepped it.
The heavy sand slammed into the brick wall behind me, cracking the stone. The sheer volume of Shukaku's killing intent pouring off the boy was enough to paralyze a normal ninja, but to me? It felt like a light summer breeze compared to the suffocating aura of the Crimson Lord or Kushina's Echo.
"Ooo, it's pretty fast for something tied down by someone so slow," I mocked, effortlessly weaving my way through a second and third consecutive sand spike.
Gaara's face contorted in pure fury as he shot more sand out, attempting to completely envelop the alleyway.
I waited until the last micro-second to dodge the lethal blast, and reappeared directly next to him. "Phew, that was a close one," I said sarcastically, wiping fake sweat off my forehead. "You almost had me there."
Before he could react, I reached out and firmly grabbed his wrist, completely bypassing his automatic sand defense with sheer speed. I twisted his arm into a slightly different motion, startling him. "You should use your forearm more laterally though. That might actually get me."
Gaara tried to pull away, but found that he couldn't get out of my grip even a fraction of an inch. Desperate and enraged, he commanded the swirling sand to crush us both.
I narrowed my eyes and flared my [PRESENCE].
The heavy, oppressive weight of my aura slammed into him, causing the sand to freeze dead in its tracks just inches from my face.
I let go of his arm. "Have you come to your senses now?" I asked, my voice dangerously calm.
Gaara stared at me for a moment with an expression of disbelief, then he grabbed the side of his head in slight agony, his breathing turning ragged as he tried to get a hold of himself. "Why are you even here?" he questioned, his voice trembling with a mix of rage and genuine confusion.
"I could ask the same thing of you," I responded. "I was simply taking a stroll when I happened to come across you causing a ruckus, and came to see why. That's all."
"I came here to prove my existence," he stated, his voice eerily hollow, yet laced with an unhinged conviction.
"Prove your existence?" I questioned, feigning confusion with a raised brow. "And you do that by slaughtering others?"
"They are merely hulls of flesh, and nothing more," he stated.
"Quite the words of wisdom, oh wise one," I said, sarcastically. "And how did you come up with that conclusion?"
"The moment I asked myself why I existed in this world," he said.
"And your answer ended up being?" I asked.
"That I exist to kill all humans other than myself," he replied. "By killing others who may prove to kill me, I'm able to justify my existence. If I fight only for myself and love only myself then I can experience the joy of living."
"Listen to this drivel," Kurama scoffed in my mind, his deep voice dripping with contempt. "Shukaku always was a pathetic weakling. Now he's reduced to whispering this nonsense into a child's ear just to feel powerful. He's completely fried the boy's mind."
He ain't wrong, I thought. I never quite understood that sort of thinking from him when I viewed the source materials.To feel alive he needed to snuff others out? That makes no sense. That insomnia is really beating his ass if it's making him crash out like this.
"Hmm, how insightful," I said. "However, I see one massive flaw in your quest."
"That being?" he said, staring intensely.
I gestured toward the towering walls of the stadium behind me. "Slaughtering no-name Genin in a dark alley proves absolutely nothing," I began. "And if you try to kill me here, in the shadows, no one sees it. Your existence remains a whisper in the dark. Is that what you want? To be a stray dog biting at ankles in the mud?"
The sand around his feet twitched, reacting to the direct insult to his ego.
"If you really want to prove your existence to the world," I continued, my words flowing like silk, "you shouldn't waste it on ones weaker than you. You wait until the arena is packed with the Kage, nobles, and Daimyos in attendance. You wait until you face Sasuke Uchiha. You wait until you face someone like me. Save that bloodlust for the Finals, and let the world witness it there."
Gaara stared at me for a long, heavy moment.
Kurama scoffed. "Hmph. You're manipulating that twisted pride Shukaku has placed on him perfectly," he commented. "He's as predictable as he is pathetic."
Then, the blood-soaked sand slowly receded, pouring back into the massive gourd on his back.
"Very well," he whispered, accepting the twisted logic. He turned his back to me, the psychotic smile returning to his lips. "But make no mistake, after I finish with everyone in my way... I will kill you. Just you wait."
"Yea, we'll see," I scoffed with a smirk, watching him disappear into the shadows of the village.
"Do not get too arrogant, brat," Kurama warned as Gaara's chakra faded. "Shukaku may be the weakest of us, but when cornered even he can still be a nuisance."
"I'm aware," I replied mentally. "It should be fun though."
The Fox grunted, and then went back into slumber.
All's well that ends well I supposed, I thought, before seeing the mangled corpses at my feet. Well, not for those guys.
I let out a yawn. Time for me to get reacquainted with my bed, I thought, as I headed home to wrap up the day.
The next morning, the village was even more chaotic as the festival reached its peak. I bypassed the crowds and stepped into the high-end clothing boutique in the middle of the commercial district to pick up my custom gear.
The head clerk rushed out from the back, beaming as he handed me a heavy, perfectly folded garment bag.
I unzipped it and pulled out the pieces, nodding in deep satisfaction. It was exactly what I had envisioned. The base was a fitted, dark blue muscle tank top, paired with highly durable, black Anbu-style pants. The centerpiece, however, was a high-collared Pumpkin Orange jacket with a specialized string attachment across the collarbone, meant to be draped over my shoulders like a cape—heavily inspired by Yami Sukehiro from Black Clover.
Both the tank top and the back of the jacket featured a dark crimson Uzumaki crest.
Something that really surprised me was a pair of black combat boots that completed the outfit.
What?! I didn't even know these existed here, I thought, analyzing the footwear.
I glanced at what was on the clerks' feet, and noted that some wore civilian sandals, while others wore closed-toe shoes. Now that I think about it, a majority of the film crew for Koyuki's movie had on closed-toed shoes, as well as winter-like boots, I mused. Maybe my brain brushed it off because of the cold setting we were in.
Then, another thought made its way into my mind. If there are close-toed shoes in the world, then why do the vast majority of shinobi wear open-toed sandals? I questioned internally. Maybe it has to do with ninjas having to constantly run through mud, rivers, and forests. Open-toed sandals would prevent water from pooling and causing athlete's foot or trench foot. That makes the most sense to me, but still, I prefer the look of boots in some cases. I probably just have to manually air my shit out during long travel times.
[NOTICE: THE PRESENTED FOOTWEAR HAVE BEEN CRAFTED UTILIZING MATERIAL COMBINATIONS THAT GRANT WATERPROOFING WHILE MAINTAINING COMPLETE BREATHABILITY. THE FABRICS NATURALLY DISPEL MOISTURE, SWEAT, AND FUNGAL PATHOGENS, ELIMINATING THE NEED FOR OPEN-TOED VENTILATION.]
Reaaally?! I thought, looking at the bottom of the soles. Well that takes care of—
"Excuse me," a refined voice called out, breaking me out of my musings.
I turned to see a patron standing right next to me. He wore silk robes and refined jewelry that practically screamed that he was of the nobility class.
"Yea, what's going on?" I replied.
"I came into this boutique the other day and saw the incredible fabric they were using for your garments," he said, eyeing the material in my hands. "When I demanded to purchase some, these tailors informed me that the material belonged solely to you. Tell me child, where did you procure such high-grade silk and leather?"
"I've come across some of the fabric materials through trade during my journeys to other lands, and I make most of the finer quality items myself," I said smoothly.
"You do, Mr. Uzumaki?" the head clerk asked in intrigue.
"Yes, but it's a proprietary technique," I responded. "Something I discovered that only I can do."
The noble raised an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. "A shinobi who weaves? Fascinating. May I see a demonstration, if you wouldn't mind?"
"I second that," the head clerk agreed. "You simply must, Mr. Uzumaki."
"Well how could I in good faith say no?" I replied. I brought my hands together, letting a faint, visible glow of yellow chakra coat my palms. Using the light as a distraction, I seamlessly pulled out a folded stack of [ARACHNID SILK FABRIC] directly from my [INVENTORY] into my hands, making it look as though I had literally woven it from pure chakra and thin air.
The noble's eyes widened in sheer astonishment. "Incredible…" he said, feeling out the fabric. "The texture... it's flawless. I must purchase a surplus of this immediately. Name your price."
Purchase?! I thought, as my eyes glistened with Ryo signs. Hmm, If I start supplying these materials to the nobility, I can build a financial empire so massive that I'll finally have a reasonable alibi as to where I'm getting all my money from.
I rubbed my hands together internally. What luck! I can't believe I hadn't thought of it sooner, I thought. And it all begins with this wealthy sucker in front of me.
"No, please, keep your money," I said, handing him and the clerk the pristine stacks of silk. "Consider this as a gift for admiring my ability. However, I do require a small favor from the both of you."
"Name it, and I shall grant it to my ability," the noble said.
"I would be absolutely honored to display this as our premium offering," the head clerk nodded eagerly, clutching the silk like it was a newborn child.
"When your peers or customers ask where you acquired such fine material, just make sure you tell them exactly who made it."
The noble looked at me with newfound respect, bowing his head slightly as he accepted the fabric. "You are a shrewd businessman, shinobi. You will undoubtedly hear from my associates."
"Every patron who steps through my doors will know your name," the clerk promised.
Music to my ears.
"And what name shall I give them?" the noble asked.
"Naruto," I said as I smirked, zipping my custom gear back into the garment bag and depositing it directly into my [INVENTORY]. "Naruto Uzumaki."
[NOTICE: FACTION REPUTATION WITH 'NOBILITY OF THE LAND OF FIRE' HAS SLIGHTLY INCREASED.]
I left the boutique feeling incredibly accomplished. The custom gear was safely stored in my [INVENTORY], and I had just planted the seeds for a massive financial empire.
As I walked down the bustling street, I bumped into Tenten standing outside a shinobi weapons shop. The moment she saw me, her eyes lit up.
"Naruto! Just the guy I was looking for," she said, cornering me. "Any chance you've come across any more of those high-tier weapons? I have Ryo ready to spend."
Yea, right, I thought. You'd have to save up five years' worth to even purchase one of my weapons.
"Uh, not with me, but I'll be on the lookout for some for you," I replied with a noncommittal shrug, before slipping past her. "For sure."
"You better not forget!" she yelled out, as I made my way.
A few blocks down, I ran into Rock Lee and Might Guy. Lee was looking significantly better, though he was still doing mild exercises rather than his usual extreme routine. He aggressively bowed to me, loudly thanking me for the potion Ino and Sakura had given him in the hospital. Guy, naturally, was intensely curious about the miraculous healing liquid. I casually chalked it up to a unique ability I had picked up on my travels, and tossed the Green Beast a [HEALTH POTION] of his own, which he accepted with literal tears of youth streaming down his face.
Leaving the green spandex duo behind, I took a slow stroll through the commercial district, mentally reviewing the specific entryways where Orochimaru's agents were planning to attack. I was internally mapping out exactly where to place my Soldiers to snuff them out before the invasion even kicked off when I spotted Hinata outside an herbalist shop.
I walked over and was able to easily determine that while the [HEALTH POTION] Ino and Sakura had also given her had worked wonders, but she likely still had some minor internal bruising.
"Oh, hey, Hinata," I greeted. "You're out of the hospital. That's good. How're you holding up?"
She jumped slightly, turning around with a faint blush. "N-Naruto. I'm doing much better," she said softly. "Thank you very much for the medicine you sent with Sakura and Ino. It helped immensely."
"Yea, no problem," I nodded. "You performed pretty well during your match. You seemed very determined."
"Uh, yes," she said. "I don't know what came over me. It felt like all my troubles had just washed away from me."
I nodded at the information. "And what about now?" I asked. "How do you feel now?"
She was quiet for a moment, attempting to put the words together. "I feel better than I have in a long time," she said, looking at her hand. "I'm not sure, but I feel like I can do much more than I previously thought."
"That's good to hear," I responded with a smile.
Hmm, how interesting, I thought, observing her. So my [CHA] stat really has lasting effects. It truly is pretty busted, huh?
Hinata hesitated for a moment, her pale eyes scanning me.
"Huh? What is it?" I asked, watching her fidget.
She timidly twiddled her fingers. "You... you feel different, Naruto. Your chakra... it feels very different now."
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" I asked, raising a brow.
"O-Oh, it's a good thing!" she stammered quickly. "It's different, but... you're still you. You just feel... much more assured of yourself."
"Yea, I suppose you're right," I said.
That observation ain't wrong, I mused. My goat did somewhat hide many of his doubts and insecurities through action. You either found it endearing or annoying. And I rocked with the former, of course.
"You know, after I wipe the floor with my first opponent, I'll be fighting your cousin in the second round," I said, shifting the topic.
Hinata flinched at the mention of him, her gaze dropping to the floor. "Yes N-Neji... he's very strong. He believes that fate has already decided the winner of every match."
"Fate?" I scoffed, waving a hand dismissively. "That's cute. I guess I'm gonna have to show him the errors of having that line of thinking."
She looked up at me, her anxiety melting away into a mixture of awe and relief at the confidence in my words.
"There's nothing to worry about it, Hinata, because I'm gonna—"
"Well, well, well. Look who we have here," said a loud, boisterous voice.
I turned to see that it was Kiba, jogging up to us with Akamaru barking from his jacket.
"Oh, it's just you," I sighed, dismissively. "I almost thought it was someone I needed to give my attention to."
"What's that supposed to mean?!" he questioned angrily.
"It means that someone out of the Exams has made his way in front of us. That's what it means."
"Kiba, Akamaru," Hinata chimed in softly, offering a polite bow. "It is good to see you. How is Shino's training going?"
"Oh, hey Hinata," Kiba said, his annoyance fading for a second. "Shino's out deep in the woods doing his creepy bug training. Said he didn't want any distractions before his match against that puppet guy from the Sand." Kiba then shifted his attention back to me, a cocky grin returning to his face. "Yeah, well, you're lucky you didn't have to face me in the Finals!"
"Puh-lease. You lost plain and simple," I said, brushing off his bravado with a smirk. "I can't believe you lost to that guy from the Stone. He practically just stood there. You should feel ashamed of yourself. Shame!"
Kiba's face flushed red. "I beat the other guy, didn't I?!"
"And then you lost to rock man!" I retorted, shaking my head in exaggerated disappointment. "Embarrassing Akamaru like that."
Akamaru whined in agreement.
"Man, whatever," Kiba waved off, clearly annoyed. "Shouldn't you be more worried about your upcoming opponents?"
"Them? Light work," I waved off, then pointed a finger directly at his chest. "I'm not about to go out sorry like Kiba Inuzuka!"
Kiba got right in my face. "Oh! Oh! Oh!"
I immediately stepped up, getting right back in his face. "Yea! Yea! Yea!"
"U-Um, you two... please don't fight," Hinata said nervously, raising her hands to de-escalate, but neither of us were backing down.
I finally pulled back with a scoff. "I'm gonna win all my matches with ease, mark my words."
I turned and walked away, leaving Kiba fuming. But after a few steps, I spun back around quickly and pointed at him again.
"MARK 'EM!" I yelled.
"Yeah, okay, we'll be the judge of that!" Kiba yelled back, raising a fist in the air.
*********
The next day, I crossed paths with Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, and Sakura near the training grounds.
"Where is he?!" Sakura questioned pacing nervously. "Kakashi-sensei hasn't brought Sasuke back yet! What if they don't make it back in time for the Finals?"
"Relax, Billboard Brow. He's most likely just training hard as usual," Ino said, before rolling her eyes and groaning. "Unlike some people I know." She glared at her two teammates. "Asuma-sensei and I have been forcing Shikamaru and Choji to train constantly for the last two weeks."
"A lot of training too," Choji added simply, continuing to munch on his chips, while Shikamaru let out a long, tired yawn.
Then they finally noticed me approaching.
"Hey, is that Naruto?" I heard Choji ask between bites, attempting to redirect Ino's line of sight. "He doesn't seem stressed at all. Maybe we should follow his example. He did beat his opponents in a dominant fashion, after all."
"Yeah, something my brain is still trying to process," Ino said, turning her attention to me. "How's your prep going? You look as relaxed as the last time we saw you."
"And just like last time, my answer remains the same," I said. "I'm going with the flow. My matches are as good as won."
"Going with the flow?!" Sakura repeated, stopping her pacing to glare at me. "Are you even taking the next stage seriously?! These are the best Genin in and out of the village, Naruto!"
"I'm taking it exactly as seriously as I need to," I replied smoothly. "Honestly, these guys should be the ones worried about advancing and going up against me. Especially the lazy one with the spiky hair. We're matched up in the same bracket section, after all."
Shikamaru's eyes narrowed at me. I could tell he was analyzing multiple things at once. But he didn't press the issue like the others did. He just let out a singular, exhausted sigh. "Troublesome," he muttered, and that was the end of that.
Later that evening, I decided to visit the village hot springs—something I hadn't actually done since arriving in this world.
As I walked toward the men's entrance, I noticed a familiar shock of white hair crouched near the bamboo fence separating the baths.
So, he's shamelessly peeping, huh? I mused, attempting to walk away, until curiosity got the better of me.
I "accidentally" ended up glancing through the small gap in the wood. I was instantly met with a view of majestic mountains and incredible curves.
"Whoa!" I blurted out, my eyes widening.
Jiraiya chuckled quietly beside me, giving a thumbs up. "Haha, nice, huh?"
I aggressively swiped my hand down my face, shaking my head. "Lemme refocus," I muttered, stepping away from the fence and heading toward the actual entrance.
"The Finals are the day after tomorrow," Jiraiya called out, his tone shifting to something slightly more serious. "You ready?"
"Is that a rhetorical question?" I asked over my shoulder as I headed inside. "That tournament is mine to lose."
"Good to hear," the Toad Sage responded. "Let's see if all that solo training you've been doing actually has some merit to it."
*********
The day before the Finals, I was summoned to the Hokage's office.
The atmosphere in the room was incredibly heavy. Hiruzen sat behind his desk, looking older and more tired than I had ever seen him. He ordered the Anbu to clear the room before he finally spoke.
"Naruto," he began solemnly. "There is something you must know. We have gathered irrefutable intelligence of Orochimaru planning to launch a full-scale invasion of Konoha during the Finals, utilizing the Sound and Sand villages."
I looked at him calmly. "Yes, I'm fully aware."
Hiruzen blinked, completely taken aback. "You... know?"
"Yea. I've known for a while," I stated casually.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Hiruzen questioned, his brow furrowing. "And why do you look so unconcerned? I purposely waited until today to brief you because I wanted to limit the potential eyes and ears viewing, and because I did not want to distract you from your training as specified."
"I appreciate the sentiment, Old Man, but you know you don't need to worry about me," I said, leaning against the wall. "My [SHADOW SOLDIERS] are already actively positioned at critical structural weak points around the village borders. I also have eyes on Orochimaru's sleeper agents. When the invasion goes off, my forces will protect the civilians and neutralize the infiltrators before anything even happens."
Hiruzen stared at me, genuinely shocked that I had already orchestrated a massive counter-espionage defense network right under his and Orochimaru's noses.
"Furthermore," I continued, "I highly suggest you keep Old Man Jiraiya stationed discreetly near you when the Finals begin, rather than having him patrol the stadium perimeter. You and Jiraiya facing Orochimaru together is a much better matchup than you fighting him alone. I can handle the chaos outside the stadium before it even gets out of hand."
We spent the next hour coordinating my Shadow network with his Anbu deployment. By the time I left the office, the board was completely set.
As I walked home, a thought occurred to me.
System, I asked internally. What happens to my [SPIRITUAL CONTRACT] with Hiruzen if he dies during the invasion?
[NOTICE: IF THE CONTRACTED PARTY (HIRUZEN SARUTOBI) EXPIRES, THE SPIRITUAL CONTRACT WILL BE IMMEDIATELY VOIDED.]
I sighed a breath of relief. Oh, sweet. I got nothing to worry about then. That's a positive for me. I won't owe him anything. In fact, I can—
[WARNING: IF THE SPIRITUAL CONTRACT IS VOIDED, ALL CURRENT TERMS AND CONDITIONS ESTABLISHED WITHIN THE CONTRACT BECOME NULL AND VOID.]
[THIS INCLUDES THE CLAUSE GRANTING THE PLAYER POLITICAL IMMUNITY AND PROTECTION FROM THE HOKAGE'S OFFICE REGARDING THE SECRECY AND LEGALITY OF THE PLAYER'S SHADOW MONARCH ABILITIES.]
I froze dead in my tracks in the middle of the street.
Wait, what?! What do you mean?!
[NOTICE: THE COGNITIVE PRIVACY SEAL APPLIED TO THE MEDICAL DOCUMENTS RECORDED BY THE APPOINTED DIAGNOSTICIAN (DR. HONAKA) IS DIRECTLY TIED TO THE CONTRACT. IF THE CONTRACT IS VOIDED, THE SEAL DISSIPATES. THE CLASSIFIED RECORDS DETAILING THE ANOMALIES OF YOUR BIOLOGY AND SECRETS OF YOUR NECROMANCY WILL BECOME FREELY ACCESSIBLE TO ANY THIRD PARTY WHO OBTAINS THEM.]
My eyes widened in realization. So if he dies... all the secrets regarding my abilities could be uncovered by anyone who looks into it, I thought in disbelief. And considering that one-eyed fuck has already stationed his operatives on me, I wouldn't be surprised if he's been moving around trying to get that information.
I shook my head. I might need Hiruzen to live after all, I thought, then pinched the bridge of my nose. Tomorrow might be more stressful than I'm anticipating.