[Catching kittens is really tiring!]
[Optional task completed. Energy +0.1]
"The mission's complete?"
Hyūga Bin, who had just passed by Orochimaru on the street, blinked in mild surprise.
After all, completing his first optional task had triggered a follow-up chain mission. But this time, he received a direct reward with no additional objectives. The contrast was unexpected.
Still, a 0.1 increase in energy felt almost meaningless. Bin didn't notice any immediate difference in himself.
"The easier the task, the more trivial the reward. The harder the task, the greater the reward. So next time, I shouldn't blindly chase high-value rewards—I need to evaluate the actual feasibility too..."
After some thought, Hyūga Bin believed he was starting to understand the rules of the system.
Later, after returning to the Hyūga clan compound and completing his afternoon training, Bin wandered around the streets of Konoha again. However, the system didn't trigger another optional task.
That's when he realized: the system's tasks weren't something he could summon at will. Luck played a major role.
At dusk, Hyūga Bin returned home, removed his sandals, and stepped inside.
"Father, Mother, I'm home."
His father, Hyūga Masato, wasn't in—he was attending a clan gathering that evening.
His mother, Hyūga Rei, was setting bowls of soup on the dining table. She looked up with a soft smile and said, "Dinner will be ready soon. Go ahead and relax."
"Okay," Bin replied, dropping into a chair with a tired sigh.
After sparring with several of his Hyūga clan cousins in the training hall all afternoon, his body was sore.
Unlike typical isekai stories, his transmigration hadn't resulted in godlike powers or parents who offered divine artifacts. His life was pretty normal. Comfortable, even.
There was always someone to cook and do laundry. He didn't have to clean or worry about chores. Life here was easier than his old world.
His father, Masato, was a jōnin—an elite ninja. His mother, Rei, had once served as a kunoichi but retired early from active duty after becoming pregnant. Now, she was a stay-at-home mom.
Thanks to his father's income, Bin was financially secure. Spending a bit to treat Uchiha Obito to meatballs didn't even dent his allowance.
He was also well-regarded within the clan, recognized by elders for his diligence and potential.
All things considered, aside from being underestimated occasionally due to his age, he was living quite comfortably.
The only thing missing was a Huawei Mate 40 Pro Porsche Edition.
Nights without a smartphone were painful.
…
After dinner, he chatted with his mother for a while, then went to wash up and sleep.
The next morning, Bin rose early for his usual run around the clan compound.
As he passed the home of Hyūga Aoi, one of the clan elders, for the second time that morning, he saw her standing at the entrance, looking anxious. She was glancing around as if searching for something.
Concerned, Bin moved to approach her—when suddenly, the system chimed in his mind:
[Option A: Actively help Hyūga Aoi find her lost kitten. Reward: Shurikenjutsu (C-rank skill).]
[Option B: Offer comforting words—"It's just a cat, you can buy another." Reward: Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique, D-rank).]
[Option C: Ignore the situation and keep running. Reward: +0.1 random attribute point.]
Looking at the options, Bin didn't hesitate. Option A clearly held the best reward.
He jogged over and said, "Grandma Aoi, I'll help you find your kitten."
[Option selected: A]
[Follow-up mission triggered: Help the elder Hyūga Aoi find her lost kitten. Reward will be given upon successful completion.]
[Mission conditions: Find and return the kitten to Hyūga Aoi before dusk, relying solely on your own strength.]
"As expected, it's another chain mission." Bin was mentally prepared this time.
"It's Bin-chan," Aoi said, her expression softening slightly. "But I don't know where she's gone."
"It's alright, Grandma Aoi. Just describe what she looks like."
"She's named Xiaohua—black and white, very obedient. She wandered off while I was walking her this morning…"
Bin nodded as he listened to the details, memorizing everything he needed.
"Don't worry, I'll find her today," he assured her with a confident smile.
He set off immediately, energized by both the mission and his own enthusiasm.
"Finding a kitten? Easy. I'll have her back before noon."
After all, he was the future strongest ninja in the world.
[Shurikenjutsu]—even the name sounded impressive. That technique was practically his already.
…
Until dusk.
Bin finally cornered Xiaohua among a group of stray cats, completely worn out. But even then, he couldn't catch her by himself.
Cats in the Naruto world were nothing like their Earth counterparts. Faster. Smarter. More agile.
Xiaohua darted from shadow to rooftop to alley, sometimes aided by other strays who seemed to enjoy watching Bin struggle. He chased her for over half an hour, sweating and panting.
In the end, only with the unexpected help of a kind civilian passerby was he able to secure the little troublemaker.
And just like that—mission failed.
Despite spending the entire day on the task, he had not fulfilled the condition: "Rely on your own strength."
No reward.
That was when Bin understood why Konoha assigned so many low-rank missions involving lost pets to new Genin teams.
It wasn't just about teamwork or humility. These animals were genuinely a pain to catch.
"Catching cats is exhausting," he muttered as he handed Xiaohua back to Grandma Aoi. "I'm never doing this again."
He sighed.
Thinking back, that random +0.1 stat point he earned from just walking past in the morning was practically a freebie.