Night Maple frowned. This task still wasn't complete.
In his mind, the system also displayed a direction—northeast.
Staring at the pitch-dark forest, Night Maple hesitated.
This forest is way too dark, isn't it?
Kind of scary…
Right then, Night Maple wondered whether he should keep chasing.
He was just a genin!
"Maybe I should go back and be a salted fish?"
"But task completion is already at 60%. If I find four more strands of hair, maybe I can finish it?"
Night Maple grit his teeth. He'd already come this far—how could he quit halfway!
Chase!
At the same time, a yellow blur shot toward Konoha's gate like lightning.
It was Namikaze Minato.
"Minato, any clues at Kushina's place?"
The one asking was Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo.
Minato produced a strand of wine-red hair. "This should be Kushina's."
Sakumo immediately summoned a ninken and had it sniff Kushina's hair.
The ninken bayed toward the northeast.
"Kushina's scent leads northeast, but it's already very faint…"
Minato hurriedly said, "Big Brother Sakumo, can we still catch them?"
Sakumo pondered. "We'll try!"
Sakumo turned back. "Report to the Hokage. Minato and I will give chase!"
With that, Sakumo and Minato leapt and vanished into the night.
...
Soon, guided by the system, Night Maple found a second strand of hair!
[Ding, clue discovered! Task completion 70%! Please continue your investigation, host!]
At that moment, Night Maple also recalled a bit of the Naruto plot.
According to the story, Minato was the one who found the hair Kushina deliberately left behind.
After a whole night, by early next morning, Kushina had already been taken to the border.
Just as Kushina was falling into despair, Minato appeared out of nowhere—hero saves the beauty.
In the end, Minato rescued Kushina and won her heart.
Now, Night Maple had become a variable.
He was curious—if he picked up all the clues, would Minato still be able to find Kushina?
If because of his interference Kushina really got taken away, wouldn't that change the entire plot of the later story?
Even with his head full of doubts, Night Maple quickly found a third strand of hair.
Plot or not, the task was now at 80%. Two more strands should finish it!
There was no way Night Maple would quit now.
That so-called Leaf Whirlwind—he absolutely wasn't taking it!
Chasing and chasing, Night Maple reached the edge of the woods.
His figure flashed onto a treetop. He looked out over the open plain, and his pupils suddenly shrank.
A hundred meters away, several people were fleeing in the direction of Kumogakure. The slender figure at the rear, with a head of red hair—wasn't that Kushina?
The moment Night Maple spotted Kushina, he himself was discovered.
"Who goes there!"
A chill voice sounded behind Night Maple.
Not good!
Before he could react, a palm slammed toward his back.
"Ah, shit!"
Night Maple spat blood. Agony exploded in his chest; it felt like his organs were shattering as he toppled from the tree.
The attacking shinobi dropped down after him.
Seeing the man's Kumogakure uniform, Night Maple knew it was bad.
Wearing a standard-issue vest—at least a chūnin.
"A genin brat? Courting death."
The ninja sneered, then burst with a bang and vanished.
Shadow Clone Technique!
In his view, a genin who'd taken one hit from him was dead for sure—no need to check.
Kushina heard the commotion in the woods. She looked back and blanched. She couldn't see who it was, but she could guess it was someone come to rescue her.
Killed by the Cloud!
"Hmph. Stop struggling. Move!"
"See? Whoever comes to save you dies!"
"It's laughable—just a genin coming to throw his life away."
Hearing that, Kushina swayed on her feet. Night Maple's smiling face surfaced in her mind.
No. Absolutely not that coward Night Maple.
As the thought spiraled, Kushina's body trembled.
In the distance, Night Maple leaned against a tree, gasping, his eyes losing focus.
[Ding, Kushina located. Congratulations, host—Opening Option Three complete. Reward: Supreme Starter Pack!]
"Open the Supreme Starter Pack, now!"
Night Maple felt himself about to die. His whole body was freezing. His eyelids grew heavier and heavier; he could barely keep them open!
Damn it—almost got myself killed!
This pack was his last shot at survival.
[Ding, would the host like to open the Supreme Starter Pack?]
[Yes!]
A blinding light burst from the pack.
[Ding, congratulations—SSS-rank Character Card: Hashirama Senju!]
[After fusing this card, the host will obtain all of Hashirama Senju's ninjutsu, taijutsu, senjutsu, combat experience, and cultivation talent!]
[Because the host's power is far below the card's character, full integration is estimated to take 1 year!]
[Does the host choose to fuse?]
[Fuse!]
Night Maple's eyes lit up. He was saved!
Hashirama Senju!
The First Hokage!
God of Shinobi!
Reincarnation of Asura!
Monstrous vitality—wounds heal instantly. Even Uchiha Madara once said, "On the battlefield, no one can kill Hashirama."
In an instant, a virtual space unfolded in Night Maple's mind.
At its center stood a towering figure—Hashirama Senju himself.
Night Maple's perspective slipped into Hashirama's body—as if he were Hashirama!
And the enemy before him was a young Uchiha Madara!
"Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!"
The earth boomed and trembled!
Countless saplings burst from the ground, growing savagely at a speed visible to the naked eye, transforming into a dense forest in a blink.
From every direction, trees seemed to come alive, thrusting out fierce, thick branches that swallowed Uchiha Madara!
This was Hashirama's kekkei genkai!
Night Maple's eyes snapped open as rapid changes swept through his body.
The pain vanished quickly.
The cold faded completely.
Every pore across his body opened at once.
Power flooded him in an instant!
He could feel the ambient energy being absorbed, swiftly transmuted into chakra within him!
And Night Maple could sense himself merging with his surroundings—a special kind of affinity.
In just a few seconds, he'd gone from near death to full health!
Not only that—he could tell he could unleash that move from his mind at any time: Wood Release: Deep Forest Emergence!
With a single thought, the sea of trees descends!
Such was the terrifying kekkei genkai of Hashirama Senju!
And Night Maple had inherited all of the God of Shinobi's combat experience as well!
Even at the moment of initial fusion, Night Maple felt his strength multiply tenfold—hundredfold!
And this was only partial integration. If he fully fused, it would be unimaginable!