Night had fallen. After the birthday party ended and they had safely escorted the sobbing Iruka-sensei home, Naruto and Satsuki parted ways at a crossroads. As she was leaving, Satsuki gave him a look as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she just snorted lightly and disappeared in the direction of the Uchiha compound.
Pushing open the door to his apartment, Naruto collapsed onto his bed in exhaustion, but he couldn't help but grin. Today's birthday party had been more successful than he had imagined—not only had he seen a rare emotional outburst from Iruka-sensei, but more importantly...
His system points had skyrocketed!
He called up the semi-transparent light screen that only he could see. On it was a dense list of the bonds he had established at school.
Shikamaru Nara, Bond Level 3, Points gained: 300.
Choji Akimichi, Bond Level 5, Points gained: 500.
Kiba Inuzuka, Bond Level 4, Points gained: 400.
Akamaru, Bond Level 5, Points gained: 50.
Shino Aburame, Bond Level 3, Points gained: 300.
Iruka Umino, Bond Level 8, Points gained: 1600. (Note: Qualitative change - Family)
Naruto's fingertip hovered over the word "Family," a warmth spreading through his chest.
By the way, Kurama's bond level was now 5. Through their nightly chats, his level had increased by one, earning him another 400 points.
But...
Naruto looked at a name on the light screen that should have had data but was still empty: Ino Yamanaka.
Since the start of school, he had tried to approach this future member of the "Ino-Shika-Cho" trio several times. But for some reason, whenever he got close, Ino would spring away like a startled rabbit, either pretending to suddenly remember something urgent or suddenly claiming to feel unwell and immediately running off.
Strange... could the butterfly effect have given her some reason to be afraid of me?
Although calculating his points like this seemed a bit mercenary, Naruto knew in his heart—he genuinely liked these guys.
The joy of eating barbecue with Choji, the frustration of being outsmarted by Shikamaru in shogi, the fun of playing with Akamaru with Kiba—these daily interactions were not just for show. Naruto truly enjoyed every moment he spent with them.
Naruto's gaze lingered on the entry for [Iruka Umino].
Before tonight, Iruka's bond level had been stuck at 5—which was already a considerably close relationship.
But even so, Naruto hadn't expected that a single birthday party could make that bond break through its limit, soaring from Level 5 to 8.
So Iruka-sensei... had been suppressing so much emotion? At that thought, Naruto called up his system points summary.
Current Points: 2450.
The number made him whistle. Nearly a year of hard work had not been in vain. From the initial two, he was now surrounded by so many companions, and every bond had turned into a tangible reward.
However, although he had a lot of points, he hadn't saved them all up. Naruto should have had 3450 points, but a few months ago, he couldn't resist and had done a ten-pull on an impulse.
The result... was all blues and whites. The only consolation was that the ten-pull had at least yielded one slightly special item.
[Congratulations! You received: Fox Mask]
[Item Description: A mask identical to Menma Uzumaki's. Extremely durable and can block sensory-type ninjutsu, including the Byakugan, when worn.]
When he first got the [Fox Mask], Naruto had only noticed its most direct use—blocking sensory ninjutsu.
This way, even if he ran into a wild Hyuga clan member as "Menma" in the future, he wouldn't have to worry about being seen through by the Byakugan.
He had even been quite satisfied when he tried it on. The mask fit his face well, his vision was clear, and it wasn't stuffy to breathe in. Although the overall lottery result was bad, at least this mask was practical.
However, as time went on, this seemingly ordinary item gradually revealed an unexpected value.
In the original timeline, the fox mask "Menma" wore was just a cheap item that could be found at any market stall.
But ever since the Hidden Cloud Village had started to widely publicize the terrifying legends of "Menma," this once-unremarkable mask had gradually become a symbol of misfortune in the eyes of the public.
The result was that the fox masks went out of production.
It made sense, though. Who would buy a "mass murderer's mask" for their child to play with?
Although Naruto could have easily replicated the mask's appearance with the Transformation Jutsu, it just didn't feel the same. A transformation was ultimately an illusion; if his chakra was disturbed or interfered with, the disguise would dissipate. A real fox mask was different—even if the transformation was dispelled, the mask would not disappear, which was undoubtedly an extra layer of insurance for hiding his identity.
And besides... changing his signature feature just because it was out of production would be too cheap.
Since "Menma's" image was already tied to the fox mask, there was no need to change it. In fact, the mask's discontinuation had become an advantage—from now on, as long as he appeared wearing it, no one would doubt his identity.
At that thought, Naruto continued to look at the system interface.
Tonight's bond breakthrough with Iruka-sensei had brought him a huge income. Adding that to what he had saved, he now had enough points for two ten-pulls...
Naruto lay back on his bed, staring at the system interface floating before his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he had pulled an Epic. Every time he saved up enough points, he would be full of anticipation, only to be met with basic talent or chakra enhancements.
"I'm definitely getting something good this time!"
Naruto shot up. He took a deep breath, his finger hovering over the ten-pull button. After a moment's hesitation, he finally made up his mind. Screw it! I'm not saving anymore! Even if my luck is bad, I should at least hit the pity timer by now!
With a firm press of his fingertip, ten blue-glowing cards fanned out in the void. Naruto swallowed, his finger trembling slightly as he tapped them one by one.
0.1 Kakashi of chakra... explosive kunai... 5% genjutsu talent... Fuma shuriken...
By the time he tapped the fifth card, a "Ninja Tool Sealing Scroll," Naruto couldn't help but sigh. Just as he was about to give up hope, the sixth card suddenly burst into a dazzling purple light!
"Nine Masked Beasts...?"
Naruto's finger froze in mid-air, his pupils suddenly contracting. He stared at the text appearing on the card.
[Congratulations! You received: Nine Masked Beasts]
[Item Description: Use the Summoning Jutsu to summon the Nine Masked Beasts to battle. Arranged in the order of Sei, Byaku, Shu, Gen, Kū, Nan, Hoku, San, Gyoku, they are the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, Black Tortoise, Golden Snake, Southern Dipper Sage, Northern Dipper Sage, Grim Reaper, and Celestial Maiden. They are formed from the Nine-Masked Fox, and each beast possesses extremely powerful special abilities.]
Finally... I finally got it!
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