Boom!
A blast of scorching heat slammed into Asuka's back.
He stopped walking and turned around.
Above the Naka Shrine, the sky had been dyed crimson by roaring flames. Fireballs exploded one after another in midair like brilliant fireworks, creating a breathtaking spectacle from afar.
Looks like those old men failed to settle things with words.
"U-Um..."
A timid child's voice suddenly came from the nearby bushes.
Following the sound, Asuka found three children clutching cameras, staring toward the shrine with pale faces.
"B-Big Brother... did enemies attack the village?"
Asuka walked over, patted each of them on the head, and smiled reassuringly.
"No. That's the Uchiha Clan's shrine."
"They're just... discussing something."
"Really?"
The three children looked from the exploding fireballs overhead back to Asuka, skepticism written all over their faces.
No matter how they looked at it...
That definitely didn't seem like a normal discussion.
Still...
Such a handsome big brother probably wouldn't lie to them.
"Oh, right!"
Asuka noticed the cameras they were carrying and asked curiously,
"You're not from the Uchiha Clan, are you? What are you doing here?"
"Well..."
The child holding the camera proudly lifted it up, the fear on his face quickly giving way to excitement.
"The Fourth Hokage's wedding is almost here! We wanted to find a place with a really nice view so we could record a congratulatory video for Lord Hokage."
He looked at Asuka expectantly.
"Big Brother, do you want to be in it too?"
"Hm?"
A congratulatory message?
He had never even met Minato Namikaze.
What exactly was he supposed to congratulate him for?
After straightening his hair, Asuka nodded.
"Sure."
As the camera began recording, he flashed a peace sign and delivered the blessing he'd already prepared.
"Lord Fourth Hokage. Lady Kushina."
"Congratulations on your marriage."
"Perfect!"
Afterward, Asuka waved goodbye to the children and continued on his way.
He still needed to return home and pack.
The Fourth Hokage's wedding would be the perfect opportunity to slip out of Konoha. With everyone focused on the celebration, security would inevitably be more relaxed.
---
Konoha was a wonderful place.
Peaceful.
Beautiful.
A strange blend of advanced technology and traditional ninja culture.
It was the kind of village people fell in love with after only a few days.
Naturally...
Asuka didn't want to leave either.
But he had no cheat system.
His talent wasn't even close to the monsters who could overturn Konoha before they were ten years old, and he wasn't exactly silver-tongued either.
Despite living here for eighteen years, he'd never managed to build any influential connections.
Once, during the war, he had even tried talking an enemy into surrendering.
The result?
He got stabbed with a kunai.
Besides...
Even if one Uchiha Itachi never appeared, who could guarantee there wouldn't be another?
The real problem had never been Itachi alone.
It lay with certain people among Konoha's leadership.
After eighteen years of relentless training, Asuka still wasn't confident he could defeat Danzō.
As for Hiruzen Sarutobi...
He wasn't even worth considering.
---
"Lady Kushina."
Asuka's thoughts were interrupted by the voices of nearby villagers.
Turning toward the commotion, he saw Kushina Uzumaki standing in the middle of the street.
Her long crimson hair swayed gently as she smiled and greeted everyone around her.
She carried a small basket filled with baby supplies.
Seeing the maternal warmth radiating from the famed Red-Hot Habanero, the corner of Asuka's mouth twitched.
An overwhelming sense of urgency surged through him.
Naruto has already been conceived...
As he passed by, he politely greeted Kushina before buying some food and heading straight home.
If Kushina was pregnant...
Then the Night of the Nine-Tails' Attack was less than ten months away.
---
A month later.
The morning of the wedding.
Bang!
Asuka dropped a heavy backpack onto the table.
Looking around the now-empty house, he let out a quiet sigh.
Over the past month, he had sold nearly everything he owned.
Every last ryō had been exchanged at the Cat Granny's shop for kunai, explosive tags, and other supplies.
After all, rogue ninja had to pay several times the normal price.
Black market merchants specialized in taking advantage of desperate people.
They knew fugitives wouldn't dare make trouble.
If anyone caused a scene...
They'd simply report them.
The only thing Asuka couldn't sell was the house.
Otherwise, he would have had enough money to buy even more supplies.
Throughout that month, he had watched Kushina's belly grow larger day by day.
His heart had been filled with anxiety...
Unease...
Fear...
Bitterness...
And helplessness.
He had never even held Kushina's hand.
The child she carried wasn't his.
But...
He was an Uchiha.
Once the Nine-Tails attacked, everything would change.
Without the benefit of hindsight, there would be no explaining why the Sharingan appeared inside the Nine-Tails' eyes.
And throughout the ninja world, even children knew one simple fact.
The Sharingan belonged to the Uchiha Clan.
A few years after that...
That "filial son," Itachi, would once again raise his butcher's blade against his own clan.
---
Standing by the window, Asuka silently gazed across the Uchiha Compound, engraving every familiar scene into his memory.
Then he reached into his clothes and pulled out Konoha's forehead protector.
Holding it in his hand, he muttered,
"Don't worry..."
"I'll burn paper money for all of you during the holidays."
He examined the forehead protector thoughtfully.
This was his first time becoming a missing-nin.
He had absolutely no experience.
Should I scratch the slash horizontally... or vertically?
[Ding!]
«[Host detected.]
[Counterattack System successfully activated.]
[Name: Uchiha Asuka]
[Age: 18]
[Identity: Uchiha Clan Ninja]
[Strength: Jōnin]»
A mechanical voice echoed inside his mind.
Asuka instantly drew a kunai and scanned the room in alarm.
When he realized the voice was coming from inside his own head, his expression froze.
Excitement.
Disbelief.
And a hint of helplessness.
"...This thing only activates after I've already decided to become a missing-nin?"
Regardless of how strange its timing was...
A system was still a system.
«[This is the Counterattack System.]
[Its purpose is to assist the Host in surpassing Uzumaki Naruto and becoming the strongest shinobi in the ninja world.]
[Would you like to receive the Beginner Gift Pack?]»
Reading the brief introduction, Asuka's eyes lit up.
Just from those few lines alone...
He could already tell this system was incredibly powerful.
It could actually help him become the strongest person in the ninja world.
Without hesitation, he chose to claim the reward.
"Receive."
The moment the words left his mouth, several items suddenly appeared on the empty table.
Taking a deep breath, Asuka picked up what looked like a voucher and read the large words printed across it.
«Honey Mustard Fried Chicken Family Bucket
Loved by children everywhere.
Quantity: Unlimited
Usage: Crush the voucher to summon.»
"..."
Asuka stood frozen.
Speechless.
What exactly did fried chicken have to do with becoming stronger?
If he remembered correctly...
Eating too much fried chicken only made people fat.
Suppressing his confusion, he picked up the remaining items one by one.
«Ninja Academy Learning Acceleration Card (3 Days)
One day of use equals one month of study, saving valuable training time.»
«Ninja Academy Will of Fire Course Notes
Includes annotations and insights from numerous academy instructors.
Memorize them, and you'll completely escape Danzō's scrutiny.»
«Encyclopedia of Every Ninja Academy Teacher's Habits and Preferences
Master its contents, and even if you skip classes to train, the teachers will happily overlook it.»
«Miniature Camera
Requires neither batteries nor storage.
Capable of recording every second of life at the Ninja Academy.»
"...???"
Asuka stared blankly at the pile of items.
Then he asked in complete confusion,
"System..."
"I'll admit the Beginner Gift Pack isn't exactly useless."
"But..."
"Have you noticed that every single one of these items is designed for Ninja Academy students?"
"System."
"What is my current strength?"
The mechanical voice answered immediately.
«[Jōnin.]»
"...Didn't you give me the wrong Beginner Gift Pack?"
"I graduated from the Ninja Academy eight years ago."
"So why are you giving me supplies meant for students?"
«[Verification complete. No errors detected.]»
"My strength?"
«[Jōnin.]»
"So who exactly is this Beginner Gift Pack intended for?"
«[Ninja Academy students.]»
"...Did you make a mistake?"
«[No errors detected.]»
"Heh..."
Asuka stared silently at the items on the table.
Then he slowly put down his backpack.
Turning around, he headed toward the village park.
"The defection can wait."
"The Fourth Hokage's wedding banquet is about to begin."
"I'll go freeload a meal first."