[Ding! The host has triggered a side quest. Releasing side quest now—
Option 1: Summon Uchiha Madara and level Konoha to the ground.
Reward: The Third Hokage's Summoning Beast — Enma.
Option 2: Unearth the coffins of Konoha's past Hokage, collect their genetic material, and escape undetected.
Reward: A Kekkei Genkai (type unknown).
Option 3: Sneak into the Hyūga Clan compound and… spend the night with little Hinata.
Reward: Her heart, one hundred percent yours. ]
Naruto's expression went through a series of changes as the system message echoed in his head. At first, he was thrilled. Then, the more he listened, the more his face twisted, until he rolled his eyes so hard it hurt.
"Oi, system, are you serious? Hinata's already been head-over-heels for me forever. You still need to bribe me with '100% affection'? Since when has she looked at anyone else? That's just redundant!"
He shook his head. No way was he doing that one. In fact, he'd already left his Flying Thunder God mark on the Hyūga compound earlier this afternoon, but this task? Too cheap, too stupid.
The first task wasn't much better. "Summon Madara… just to trade him for the Monkey King Staff? Come on. Enma isn't the actual Ruyi Jingu Bang that weighs 13,500 kilos and can stretch into the heavens. What am I supposed to do with that?!"
Naruto snorted. "That's like chewing tasteless gum—you don't want to spit it out, but swallowing it's a waste. Why expose my trump card—Uchiha Madara—just for that? Raising Konoha's defenses for a glorified stick? Only an idiot would take that deal."
Which left the second task.
Now that one… that had real value.
A Kekkei Genkai.
Naruto's eyes gleamed. "Bloodline limits in this world are almost always overpowered. Even the so-called 'weak' ones can be absurdly useful in the right hands. Sure, there's no way to know what I'll get until I complete the mission, but unless I'm unbelievably unlucky, this is the best choice."
Decision made, Naruto selected Task Two without hesitation.
Still, he couldn't help but grumble: "Damn it, system! You knew I was planning to raid some graves tonight, didn't you? That's why you gave me this quest, huh? At least try to be subtle about it. Next time, stop acting like a lazy copycat system—issue the quests proactively! That's the only way to get ahead in life, you know. Take the initiative, reap the rewards!"
The truth was, even without the quest, Naruto was going grave-digging tonight. Ever since he'd gotten his hands on the cracked version of Edo Tensei, that had been the plan. With the First through Fourth Hokage as his pawns, his forces would be unstoppable.
"An immortal body with bottomless chakra reserves, plus the Hokage's ridiculous combat ability… let's see another ninja village try to stop me then!"
Of course, he wasn't planning to disturb the Fourth. That was Minato, his so-called father. Even if Naruto didn't feel much of a bond, the blood tie was real. Summoning him as a puppet felt… wrong. If he dug up Minato, it would only be as a last resort.
The First and Second Hokage though? Fair game. No hesitation there.
As for Hiruzen, the Third? Naruto smirked. "Relax, old man. You're still alive for now. Once Orochimaru takes you out during the Chūnin Exams, you'll be mine to play with."
Meat on the chopping block—completely inevitable.
Pulling a black robe out of his system inventory, Naruto draped it over one of his shadow clones. No way he'd show up in person tonight. The clone could handle the risks while he stayed safely out of sight.
He'd already transformed the clone into a random face he'd spotted during the day. Just an ordinary passerby—nothing that could be linked back to him.
Naruto opened his system interface and directed the clone toward his network of Flying Thunder God seals. The sheer number of marks he'd placed in a single afternoon made him grin with satisfaction. They were scattered all over Konoha, each carefully organized—especially his father's and the Second Hokage's marks. He kept those separate, just in case.
"Wouldn't want to accidentally teleport into their laps, after all."
With a soft whoosh, the clone vanished.
Meanwhile, the real Naruto stepped out of the bathroom, stretched, and flopped down on his bed. Pulling the quilt over himself, he closed his eyes and began his usual meditative breathing. A perfect alibi.
"Record it—9:35 p.m., Naruto went to bed. No abnormalities detected."
On a nearby rooftop, an Anbu with a fox-patterned mask reported to his partner, who wore a dog mask.
The dog-masked Anbu gave a curt nod, pulled out a small notebook, and jotted it down quickly.
—
Meanwhile, at the Konoha Cemetery…
Naruto moved silently among the graves. He'd spent the entire day preparing for this, laying down Flying Thunder God seals all around the area. After all, this was where the heroes of Konoha rested—the great and the ordinary alike. Hokage, jonin, and nameless shinobi who'd given their lives for the village.
Naruto didn't spare a glance for the lesser tombs. His real targets were clear: the First and Second Hokage. And, if time and conditions allowed, there was another candidate on his list. That one he absolutely had to dig up.
He pulled out a shovel and got to work.
As a kid, he'd been an unofficial "Arbor Day champion," always good at digging holes when put in charge of planting trees. With both hands on the shovel, he went at the earth like an experienced worker.
The grave of the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, gave way faster than he expected. Naruto's youthful strength, combined with his speed, made short work of it. Before long, the shovel's edge struck the coffin lid. Using leverage, he pried it open with a grunt.
"…So even the God of Shinobi couldn't escape time's decay." Naruto muttered, frowning at the sight. "Good thing the skeleton's intact. At least it hasn't turned into mulch."
Suppressing his nausea, he snapped a rib from Hashirama's chest and tossed it into his system space. No safer storage than that.
Half the mission, done. Next: Senju Tobirama.
Naruto wiped the sweat from his brow, his sleeve coming away damp. "This physical labor's no joke… my back even cracked when I stood up."
He tossed the shovel up out of the pit, braced both hands against the edge, and vaulted out. After carefully closing Hashirama's coffin, he paused only a moment.
As for filling the grave back in? No time. Tobirama's body came first. If he managed to finish quickly, he swore he'd come back and fill it properly.
"The project isn't abandoned. A contractor has to maintain minimum quality standards," Naruto whispered to himself with a crooked grin, before hurrying to the next grave.