[Naruto World Online Updating...]
[3%...]
Makoto lay flat on his bed, drowsiness washing over him like the rising tide. His eyelids felt as if glued together, stubbornly fighting to close.
Yet he stubbornly forced himself to keep staring at the pale golden panel in front of him.
The edges of the panel shimmered with fine, fragmented golden light, as if someone had sprinkled stars across it. With every 1% increase in the progress bar, specks of light would flutter down like dust, blooming into fleeting, shimmering spots on the bedding that only he could see, vanishing almost instantly.
He couldn't suppress a yawn, his jaw feeling like it might unhinge, thinking this update speed was slower than a snail crossing a road… he estimated it would probably finish by the time he woke up from sleep.
The currently extremely safe living environment, coupled with the confidence brought by the Resurrection Coin, allowed his sleepiness to surge over him like a tide, rising from his ankles up his calves.
Makoto rolled over, burying his face into the pillow. After nuzzling against the soft cotton for just a few seconds, he plummeted into a deep sleep.
Sunlight crept from the window lattice to the base of the wall, then stealthily slipped beyond the doorstep. By the time moonlight climbed onto the roofs of the Uchiha Clan's compound, the night was already thick and impenetrable, like ink spilled from an inkstone.
[Ding-]
[Naruto World Online Update Complete]
[After spending a total of 350 million ryo in the Player Shop, Naruto World Online will update again.]
A crisp notification sound, audible only to him, exploded in his mind. Makoto's eyes snapped open, and he nearly bolted upright from the bed.
The pale golden panel before him had finished updating, now featuring a conspicuous new template.
The pale golden border was noticeably brighter than before. The newly added [Missions] template at the bottom was particularly eye-catching, glowing like freshly steamed rice cakes, steaming with a palpable heat.
[Player: Makoto]
[Backpack] [Shop] [Achievements] [Titles] [Missions]
[More functions to be activated...]
Makoto's brow furrowed slightly.
When he read novels in his previous life, he hated mission templates like this the most, as it was forcing the protagonist to complete tasks, making them seem like puppets on a string, with no freedom at all.
But when his gaze swept over the fine print beneath the mission template, his slightly furrowed brow instantly smoothed out, and the corners of his mouth even twitched upward involuntarily.
It clearly stated:
[Missions are issued randomly. Execution is not mandatory for the player. Completion yields rewards. Abandoning a mission incurs no penalty.]
He immediately used his intent to open the [Missions] template of the pale golden panel and saw the current sole mission.
[Secure the Firsts of the Hokage]
Makoto's pupils contracted sharply, and he almost genuinely jumped up from the bed.
He blinked hard, then brought his face even closer until his nose was almost touching the virtual panel. He even activated his Sharingan, suspecting he might still be dreaming.
He recognized each of these characters individually, but when strung together like this, he couldn't make sense of them...
'The Hokage of this era were all men...'
It wasn't until he opened the [Prank the Hokage Mountain] details within the mission that he suddenly slapped his forehead.
'So I was overthinking it,' Makoto mused inwardly. He had no interest in men. He examined the detailed notes more carefully.
[At this point in time, Uzumaki Naruto has not yet put makeup on his father, making this the perfect opportunity to secure the Hokage's 'first'.]
[Reward for mission completion: Random S-Rank Ninjutsu]
Seeing this mission reward, Makoto admitted he was somewhat tempted.
With very few exceptions, S-Rank Ninjutsu were the strongest in the Ninja World, encompassing countless incredibly powerful techniques like the Dead Demon Consuming Seal, One's Own Life Reincarnation, Flying Thunder God Technique... and other near-bug-level Ninjutsu.
This mission and its reward offered an extremely high value.
Unlike those Naruto fanfictions he read in his previous life, where rewards were something measly like the Great Fireball Technique, so stingy...
After browsing through it several times and confirming its high value, Makoto decided: 'Bet it all. I wouldn't back down.'
This mission wasn't exactly dangerous, yet it was dangerous. It was dangerous, yet not truly dangerous.
'As the second young master of the Uchiha Clan, for such a minor matter, the clan should... probably... maybe... be able to cover for me, right?'
'But even if they couldn't, the worst possible outcome was death. A mere life-threatening crisis? I didn't care. Acting without restraint was the way to make a fortune.'
If Makoto lost his life, he still had the Resurrection Coin. But letting a readily available S-Rank Ninjutsu slip away? That would be a sin worthy of divine punishment.
He had already planned his escape route. If Konoha truly forced him to his death, after he used the Resurrection Coin and respawned randomly elsewhere, he would lay low and develop his strength for a while outside.
Then, when he returns, those who forced him to his death would face his wrath.
With this in mind, Makoto, bursting with spirit, immediately ran to the storage room and began rummaging through boxes and chests to prepare his 'props'.
…
Sasuke was woken by the need to pee.
He had previously passed out in the living room, and it was only when Itachi remembered him that he was carried back to his room to rest. Meanwhile, Mikoto were still wondering if she had forgotten something...
Sitting up groggily, he rubbed his eyes and yawned, his mind still foggy. It wasn't until he caught sight of the photo of the three brothers on his bedside table that the memories from before his 'fainting' exploded in his mind.
Makoto's Sharingan burned in his memory like red-hot branding irons, searing his heart with panic.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!!" He muttered to himself, his small fists pounding the mattress, his childish voice low and choked with hints of a sob.
"A genius like me hasn't even awakened it yet, how could Makoto awaken it before me? I must be dreaming! And it's a nightmare!"
No sooner had the words left his mouth than hurried 'thump, thump, thump' footsteps sounded from outside the door. Makoto, arms full of stuff, flashed past the doorway, the corridor light casting his shadow long behind him.
Worried that Makoto might have heard him, Sasuke's face flushed bright red in an instant, burning from his earlobes all the way to his chin, like a little tomato thrown into the fire to roast.
He didn't even bother with shoes, chasing out barefoot, his short legs slapping against the corridor floor. He spread his arms wide in front of Makoto, blocking his path, like a bristling little kitten.
"P-please... wait a moment!"
Hearing this, Makoto stopped and looked at Sasuke, whose hair was messy from sleep, with one stubborn strand sticking straight up.
"What do you want?"
Sasuke's eyes were wide open, like a startled fawn, his voice a bit shaky. "Did you... did you awaken the Sharingan or not?"
Makoto raised an eyebrow, deliberately drawing out his words, "No, I didn't..."
As soon as the words left his mouth, he blinked, his black pupils igniting into a crimson red. A single tomoe Sharingan slowly rotated almost a full circle, its eerie light reflecting in Sasuke's pupils.
Sasuke's mouth fell open, wide enough to fit an egg, 'Makoto had just said he hadn't awakened it, so what was this?'
"Am I really still dreaming? Am I dreaming or not? I can't tell, I really can't tell!!"
Sasuke rubbed his eyes vigorously, his eyelashes almost coming off.
Seeing Sasuke's expression, looking like he was on the verge of being broken by his teasing, Makoto almost laughed out loud. In a flat tone, he said, "I just happened to awaken the Sharingan by chance. Don't take it to heart."
Sasuke stammered for a long time, his small hand clutching the hem of Makoto's clothes, his knuckles turning white. He whispered, "How did you awaken it so early... It makes my talent seem so weak..."
"As long as you promise not to show off the Sharingan for now, I'll do anything you say!"
"Wait for me... okay? As long as you agree, I'll agree to any condition you have."
"Please, I'll do anything."
Amused and in a rather pleasant mood, Makoto reached out and patted Sasuke's head, teasing him.
"Alright then, since you'll do anything, awaken your Sharingan right now."
Sasuke took a sharp step back, his face flushing even redder, his eyes widening further. He stomped his foot. "What kind of joke is that!"
Watching Sasuke spin in place anxiously, like a lost little kitten, Makoto suppressed a laugh and reached out, poking Sasuke's forehead firmly with his finger.
"Forgive me, Sasuke. Go play with Itachi. I have things to do."
Sasuke stood frozen, hand on his forehead. By the time he reacted, Makoto had already turned the corner of the corridor and disappeared.
He stomped his foot at the empty corridor, his cheeks puffed out like he'd stuffed two walnuts in them, and muttered angrily, "Makoto, I'm never talking to you again!"
After muttering, he pulled out the candies from his pocket and stuffed them all into his mouth… originally, he had been thinking of saving half for Makoto.
When Makoto stepped out of his house, arms full of props, the moon was dozing behind the clouds, and the stars were squinting sleepily.
---
FOR EVERY 50 POWER STONES, I'LL UPLOAD ONE CHAPTER