Chapter 2: The Birth of a Bitter System part-2
[Negative. You exist within the mind of the Host. You can speak to them, view their status, and issue quests. You can also manipulate probability to a small extent—creating accidents, triggering alarms, or temporarily boosting the Host's abilities.]
(Great. I am a glorified nagging voice in someone's head. Fine. Send me in. Let's save some poor bastard from heartbreak.)
[Initiating transfer to World Number 1...]
[Target World: The World of Ninjas.]
[Target Host: Minato Namikaze.]
[Current Status: Critical. The "Yellow Flash" is currently overworked and neglecting his relationship. A Transmigrator named "Hiroto" has infiltrated the Hidden Leaf Village and is currently targeting Kushina Uzumaki.]
(Minato? The Fourth Hokage? Wait, I watched this anime back in college. Minato is a genius. How could he possibly get cheated on? He can teleport!)
[Love is blind, System Ethan. And Transmigrators are sneaky. Transferring now.]
.........
The sensation of travel was instantaneous. One moment, Ethan was in the void; the next, he was assaulted by a rush of sensory data. He could "see" through someone else's eyes. He could "feel" their fatigue.
He was currently residing in the brain of Minato Namikaze.
Minato was sitting at a desk piled high with paperwork. The room was dimly lit by a single lamp. Outside the window, the famous Hokage Rock loomed over the village. Minato rubbed his temples, his blue eyes dull with exhaustion. He was not the Hokage yet, but he was a top candidate, and the workload was crushing.
(Okay, let me check the situation,) Ethan thought. (Status Panel, open.)
A transparent screen appeared in Ethan's mind. It was not a spreadsheet, but more like a dossier.
[Host Name: Minato Namikaze][Age: 24 Years Old][Occupation: Jonin / Hokage Candidate][Relationship Status: Dating Kushina Uzumaki][Relationship Health: 60 percent (Warning: Declining rapidly due to neglect)][Current Mood: Exhausted, stressed.]
( Sixty percent? That is a D-minus, Minato! You are failing boyfriend class!)
Ethan shifted his attention to the "Threat Radar," a function of his system. It showed a red dot moving on the map of the village.
[Villain Identity: Hiroto (Transmigrator)][Cheat Ability: The "Comforting Shoulder" System. Passive effect: Increases charisma by 500 percent when the target is feeling lonely or neglected. Increases persuasion when offering food.][Current Location: Walking towards Kushina Uzumaki's apartment.][Current Action: Carrying a pot of homemade ramen and a bottle of sake.]
(Oh, hell no,) Ethan thought, panic rising. (He is bringing her ramen? That is Kushina's weakness! And sake? He is trying to get her drunk and emotional. Minato, you idiot, wake up!)
Ethan cleared his "throat"—or whatever the digital equivalent was—and spoke directly into Minato's mind.
(Minato Namikaze. Wake up, you workaholic blonde porcupine!)
Minato jumped, nearly knocking over his inkwell. He looked around the empty office, his kunai knife instantly in his hand.
"Who is there?" Minato whispered, his voice sharp. "Show yourself! Is this a Genjutsu?"
(I am not a Genjutsu,) Ethan said, making his voice sound deep and authoritative, like a wise sage. (I am your... subconscious. Your guardian spirit. The manifestation of your Will of Fire. Whatever makes you listen to me faster. Listen, we have a Code Red emergency.)
Minato blinked, lowering the kunai slightly. "My subconscious? Why do you sound like a middle-aged man from a different country?"
(Focus, Minato! While you are sitting here signing papers about bridge maintenance, do you know where Kushina is?)
"Kushina?" Minato glanced at the clock on the wall. It was 9:00 PM. "She is at home, probably sleeping. I told her I would be working late tonight."
(Wrong!) Ethan shouted in his mind. (She is lonely. And there is a man named Hiroto heading to her apartment right now with premium ramen and sake. He intends to "comfort" her. Do you understand what "comfort" means in this context?)
Minato's eyes narrowed. "Hiroto? The new Chunin transfer? He is a nice guy. He brings donuts to the office."
(He is a snake! He has a charisma buff that works on lonely women! Minato, if you do not get your rear end over there right now, you are going to lose the Red Hot Habanero to a guy who smells like cheap cologne and opportunism!)
"But..." Minato looked at the stack of papers. " The Third Hokage needs these reports by morning..."
(Forget the reports! If you become Hokage but lose your woman, you are just a lonely guy in a fancy hat! Move! Use the Flying Thunder God technique!)
Minato hesitated for a split second. Then, the image of Kushina eating ramen with another man flashed in his mind. He felt a sudden, irrational spike of jealousy—which was actually Ethan tweaking his emotional dials just a little bit.
"Right," Minato said, his face hardening. "Nobody gives Kushina ramen but me."
He stood up, grabbed his white cloak, and threw a marked kunai toward the window.
Zap.
In a flash of yellow light, Minato vanished from the office.
.........…..
Location: Outside Kushina Uzumaki's Apartment.
Hiroto, the Transmigrator, adjusted his hair in the reflection of the window. He was a handsome man with generic anime protagonist features—spiky brown hair and a charming smile. He held a steaming pot of miso ramen in one hand.
He smirked. (This is too easy,) Hiroto thought. (Minato is too busy trying to save the village. He forgets that a woman needs attention. With my System's "Sympathetic Ear" skill active, Kushina will be crying on my shoulder in ten minutes. Then, one thing leads to another... and I will be the father of the chosen one.)
He reached out to knock on the door.
Inside Minato's mind, Ethan was watching the scene through Minato's sensory perception as he arrived on the roof of the building opposite Kushina's apartment.
(There he is! look at that smug face,) Ethan growled. (Minato, look at him. He is checking his breath. He is planning to make a move!)
Minato crouched on the roof edge, squinting. "He does have ramen," Minato whispered. "And he is wearing his best casual kimono."