Konoha's strength was not only measured in its shinobi but also in its reputation. That reputation was as valuable as any treasure. Missions were more than contracts; they were bonds of trust between the village and the world around it. That was why, even when faced with bandits hoarding stolen wealth, Jiraiya refused to seize the goods for himself.
"Strength is one thing," he had once told them, "but the honor of Konoha is what makes us the strongest. Without it, we'd be nothing but mercenaries."
Lock understood now. The bounty for the bandits was generous, and their captured loot would return to the townsfolk. Konoha would leave behind gratitude, not suspicion.
For Lock, though, the true reward lay elsewhere. In the shadows of battle, he had gained something no one else could see: growth. His strange system whispered of numbers and experience, tallying strength gained from every fight. The last skirmish had given him a surge, enough to push him past the boundary he had been waiting for.
He was stronger now.
Back in town, the mayor's gratitude translated into an increased bounty—fifteen ryō in total. Jiraiya, grinning broadly, divvied up the earnings.
"Three ryō each for you brats. Six for me. Teacher's privilege."
Kushina groaned. Minato gave a patient smile. Lock only accepted his share quietly.
It was no small sum. In just one mission, he had earned almost as much as the forty-odd D-rank errands he'd run since becoming a shinobi. With what he had saved, he could help his mother's snack shop thrive. For the first time, he felt a measure of security.
But the money was just the surface. Beneath, his power had shifted.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Under Jiraiya's tutelage, Lock grew rapidly. Missions piled up: forty-seven D-rank chores, fifty-six C-rank escorts and captures, and more than a dozen B-rank assignments. Each battle honed him sharper, each kill hardened his resolve.
More importantly, his system advanced. His body was stronger, faster, and more resilient than any ordinary nine-year-old's had a right to be. His chakra reserves swelled beyond what academy instructors would ever believe.
And now, standing at a new plateau, he had unlocked something extraordinary.
Blink Strike.
The ability was simple to describe, terrifying in practice: an instant shift to an enemy's blind spot, followed by a strike launched in the same motion.
Not just speed. Not just substitution. A true assassination art.
He tested it in secret, again and again, vanishing a dozen meters in a heartbeat and reappearing behind a wooden post, a stone dummy, even wild animals in the forest. Each time, his blade or fist lashed out before his feet even settled on the earth.
Ten meters. That was his current limit. Short, but decisive. Against an unsuspecting target, it was death in a single step.
He thought of it as a reflection of Flying Thunder God—the legendary jutsu of the Namikaze clan—but unlike Minato's art, Blink Strike needed no seals, no special markings. Its weakness lay in range and recovery. Once used, his body required precious seconds to reset. Against a fast enough foe, that opening could prove fatal.
Still, it was enough. Combined with his stealth, Blink Strike became a weapon to end fights before they began.
Lock hid his new skill. It was his secret, his ace. Even Jiraiya didn't know. He would not reveal it unless the situation demanded.
In those same years, he saw his peers grow.
Kakashi, prodigy among prodigies, had risen to chūnin within a year. When Lock sparred with him, he fought with everything he had, drawing on every trick and ounce of cunning. And still, the best he managed was a draw. Kakashi's brilliance shone brighter with every passing day, his blade work and ninjutsu sharper than steel.
Lock never challenged him again. Not out of fear—but out of understanding. Kakashi's hunger for missions, his relentless climb, was something Lock couldn't yet match. He would wait. He would prepare.
Because one day, he would need to surpass even him.
For now, Lock walked the quiet line between shadow and light, his new power simmering in silence, waiting for the moment when Blink Strike would decide life or death.
---
A/N: Advanced Chapters Have Been Uploaded On My Patreon
Support: patreon.com/Narrator_San