Chapter 3: The Most Perfect Ninja Tool
He subconsciously wanted to use his second guidance, but his rational mind calmed him down.
Since Tenten was destined to remain single for a long time, it meant he had many more chances to try. Even if he waited until after the Great Ninja War ended and Kaguya Ōtsutsuki was sealed, he would still have time to pursue Tenten.
What Akiyama Makoto needed to do now was, first and foremost, learn to live like a decent human being.
[Half a month later, you are discharged from the hospital, but you don't even have enough money for a single meal.]
[After some painful reflection, you decide to work part-time while plagiarizing and adapting literary works from your past life into novels. However, the owner of the barbecue restaurant refuses to re-hire you. You are on the verge of starving to death.]
Makoto quickly chose to use his second guidance. The persona he had set was "a dignified but melancholic and frail artistic youth," but the current text looked more like the prelude to starving to death.
Makoto had no idea where he could find another exceptional female ninja willing to stay in contact with him for an hour. Therefore, his first simulation had to succeed!
What should he do?
Makoto thought hard. It seemed nearly impossible for his simulated self to find a job. Being naturally frail and stubbornly protective of his dignity made him look like a troublemaker or a ticking time bomb in the eyes of any potential employer.
And if he were to cast aside his dignity... setting aside the question of whether being shameless alone would be enough to survive, would Tenten ever fall for someone with no principles?
"Sigh, it's so hard to stay alive."
Akiyama Makoto let out a soft sigh. Where was the key to breaking this deadlock?
He touched his face again... and vaguely recalled the life stories of many great authors.
How does a young man who thinks highly of himself but lacks the ability to even survive manage to successfully complete his literary works?
Answer: Find a rich woman to support him!
Like Rousseau and Madame de Warens, Balzac and Madame de Berny, Tchaikovsky and Nadezhda von Meck, or even Liszt and Princess Carolyne!
Akiyama Makoto had an epiphany.
He wasn't looking for a rich woman to keep him; he was simply seeking a patron to assist him in completing his artistic masterpieces, contributing to the literary development of the ninja world!
So... who were the rich women of Konoha?
Makoto counted on his fingers, only to realize with dismay that there were very few. More importantly, if he tried to approach any of them, he would most likely be killed by a single kunai, leaving no chance to write anything.
Makoto looked once more at the sleeping Tenten and, gritting his teeth, decided he had to try his luck with her. He swore to himself that if Tenten helped him, then even if she knew nothing of the simulation, he would become her most loyal friend.
After setting the parameters, the simulation continued.
[You use your last bit of money to buy a sheet of paper, borrow a pen from a stationery shop owner, and write a heavily adapted story from your memory, planning to give it to Tenten.]
[After some inquiries, you find Tenten's home. As a ninja who casually throws around expensive tools, Tenten's family is quite wealthy.]
[The butler informs you that Tenten is away on a mission but accepts your manuscript, mistaking you for one of Tenten's classmates from the Academy.]
[You return home, hungry and thirsty. You try to imitate Naruto by venturing outside the village to find edible plants and wild fruits to eat, but you collapse before you even leave your house.]
Makoto closed his eyes. He felt that this simulation was probably going to fail. The simulation was even making him doubt his own future. What if he really couldn't find a job later on? If he truly reached a dead end, he would just go find Naruto and become a spoiler-spouting maniac. He didn't know how he'd die, but at least he'd get a full meal before the end.
Just as Makoto was contemplating whether to use his final guidance to make his simulated self struggle for survival, a glimmer of hope lit up his face.
[Tenten, having returned from her mission, receives your manuscript and comes to find you. She discovers you have fainted from hunger and decides to take you home. She personally feeds you meat congee, and you quickly recover your strength.]
[Tenten tells you she loves your story, "The Ninja Tool Princess," an adaptation of Snow White. She curiously asks who the main character is based on.]
[Faced with the blushing rich girl, you answer without hesitation that it's Tenten herself. Tenten is overjoyed, and from that moment, you feel the relationship between you has changed.]
[Ding! Tenten now considers you a friend.]
Akiyama Makoto let out a long sigh of relief. He couldn't believe it had actually worked. He had just been wondering if his hastily adapted story would even be accepted by Tenten. It turned out that the level of literary development in the ninja world wasn't very high. Especially when faced with a handsome boy writing a story just for her, Tenten had almost no resistance.
[Tenten decides to sponsor you to achieve your dream. However, she can only provide you with food, paper, and pens, not money, as her parents do not approve of her decision.]
[You know your situation is still not stable. After careful consideration, you decide to adapt another literary work.]
[Using the style of "The People of the Toyotomi Clan," you write "The People of the Uchiha Clan." The opening chapter, a biography of Uchiha Madara, causes a sensation throughout all of Konoha.]
[The Third Hokage personally visits Tenten's house and meets you. You are no longer gaunt, but have sharp eyebrows, bright eyes, and are dressed in white robes. He extends an invitation, hoping you will come work in the Hokage's Office.]
[You look at Tenten, who is beaming with happiness for you, yet has a hint of panic in her eyes. You make a major life choice.]
Even without a system prompt, Makoto knew this was a critical moment. He quickly used his third and final guidance opportunity to map out the next phase of the simulation.
Soon, the simulation resumed.
[You politely decline the Third Hokage's invitation but agree to write biographies for Konoha's past Hokages. The Third Hokage is delighted and hires you as an honorary teacher at the Ninja Academy. From then on, you have a stable government position.]
[With Konoha's backing, your books become bestsellers throughout the Land of Fire. Even the Daimyō of the Land of Fire seeks your autograph. Your "Hokage Chronicles" series becomes required reading for all young students in the nation, used to cultivate their patriotic spirit.]
[Now famous and successful, you could have moved out of Tenten's house, but you never mention it. Instead, you develop a new hobby: helping Tenten design ninja tools.]
[Konoha 65: You successfully develop the Fragmentation Kunai. Konoha 66: You successfully develop a long-range assassination shuriken. Konoha 67: You successfully develop the Puppet Tool: 'Heartless Cannon'. Konoha 68: You successfully research the Ultimate: Thermobaric Scroll, which shines brightly in the Great Ninja War.]
[After the war, you are hailed as the "Father of New-Era Ninja Tools" and awarded the Land of Fire's First-Class Medal of Honor. Despite your fame and achievements, you continue to freeload at Tenten's house.]
[Konoha 70: Unable to bear it any longer, a drunk Tenten decides to kick you out. You, however, tell her that you still need to create one final, perfect ninja tool—a tool that requires two people to complete. You ask for her help, and Tenten happily consents.]