Maya decided that, all things considered, being reborn wasn't so bad.
Jennifer and Tom were both spectacular disasters as parents—that much was inarguable. But at least she wasn't alone the way she had been in her previous life. She had a genuinely adorable little brother now. And Jack, her stepfather, was good to her.
Living each day fully and deliberately—that was the intelligent approach. Spending every waking hour in existential dread over the future while her actual present slipped away? That would make her a complete idiot.
She'd already committed to becoming a third-rate street hero. Before setting foot in the field, preparation was non-negotiable. Yes, the Black Market refresh was a money sink—but hoarding Influence Points without using them was even more pointless.
She was going out into the world as a hero. Those low-level thugs were mostly harmless, sure—she could probably carve through everyone between the upper Hudson and the Atlantic without losing a single hair. But what if a mutant showed up?
Not every mutant was safely tucked under Magneto's wing or Professor Xavier's roof. Wild mutants were the overwhelming majority. They blended in, hid their abilities—and they showed up in the news regularly enough to prove it.
A girl still rated Special Genin sitting on tens of thousands of Influence Points only to get blindsided in some back alley would be the most embarrassing thing imaginable. The smart move was to convert those points into actual capability—and frankly, the Black Market refresh was also faster than the old daily free reset, which no longer kept pace with her progress.
Maya kept finding new ways to justify the purchase. Maya kept finding new excuses to spend.
With Jennifer and Jack both out, she had the apartment to herself. She opened the Black Market, went all in, and started spending.
+100 points. The old shopkeeper's hourglass spun. A pair of sandals appeared—Bronze 9 Leaf Village standard-issue open-toe sandals. Maya checked the size. Size 42/26. Her own feet were only size 12—children's sizing. Stuffing extra socks in wasn't going to close that gap. Only 500 Influence Points—but she was rich now and didn't need to waste it on shoes she couldn't wear. She passed.
+100 points. The hourglass spun again. A piece of fruit tumbled out.
Maya leaned in—then deflated. Not a Devil Fruit. Just an unranked specialty fruit from the Mist Village, described as having "moisturizing and skin-brightening properties." For 200 Influence Points.
She bought it. She was still young and full of collagen—hardly in need of skincare—but it was cheap and she was spending anyway. Good enough justification.
+100 points. This time: a coat. A long, sweeping coat in dark red and black, trimmed with cloud patterns in crimson.
Every Naruto fan's heart would have recognized it immediately.
Akatsuki cloak.
Maya's pulse spiked. She turned it over and checked the tag sewn into the collar: Vermilion Bird—Suzaku.
It was Silver 7, priced at 5,000 Influence Points.
She bought it without a second thought.
The Akatsuki coat was the single most striking garment in all of Naruto. Even the Fourth Hokage's ceremonial robe didn't carry that mystique. And don't even mention the standard-issue ninja flak jackets—those things were eyesores.
+100 points. The hourglass spun. Out came a plate of grilling meat, still sizzling with steam.
Bronze 3 barbecue, from Chōji's favorite restaurant. 200 points. She bought it.
+100 points. A large stone object materialized—a Golden 4 rock carving of the Second Hokage's head.
Beautifully made. Completely useless to her. She passed.
+100 points. Bronze 2 extra-durable Leaf Village standard sandals. 300 points. Sold.
+100 points. Silver 9 General High-Grade Experience Pack ×1. 10,000 points.
Maya's hand hovered over the pass button—Wait.
She blinked. Came back to herself. Wasn't this the entire reason she'd started refreshing the Black Market? She needed an experience pack. She could not pass on this.
Buy.
+100 points. A sapling in a small pot—Mount Myoboku specialty, Silver 4 banyan seedling, 3,000 points. Actually had genuine research value. Buy.
+100 points. The research notes of Root bigshot Danzō Shimura. Golden 3, 23,000 points.
Maya raised an eyebrow. Danzō doing research? He must have picked something up from his teacher, the Second Hokage Tobirama Senju. That pedigree made it legitimately interesting.
Buy.
"We're sorry, dear host—your Influence Points are insufficient for this purchase. Please top up and return. Thank you!"
"But I still have over thirty thousand —" Maya started, then stopped.
She pressed her fingers to her temples. Took a breath.
Checked her balance.
Influence Points: 70
Recent expenditure: 2,900
She stared at it for a long moment.
Then she looked at the bed.
Akatsuki cloak. Ninja sandals. Mist fruit. Replacement sandals.
Then at the desk.
One small potted banyan tree. One plate of barbecue, still faintly steaming.
I actually just spent almost thirty thousand Influence Points.
She lay flat on her back on the bed, completely drained. She'd really let herself get carried away just now.
Gacha: one hit and you're hooked.
Spending: one session and it's all gone.
Maya pressed her cheek against the silky fabric of the Akatsuki cloak. The texture was as good as she'd imagined.
Worth it, she decided. Everything in that closet was bought with love. Love was reason enough.
Somewhat comforted, Maya sat up and tried on the coat.
Button clasps—she'd expected a zipper. And then she noticed: it was far too big.
She held a small mirror up and looked at herself. Reflected back was a girl with striking features and long dark hair falling to her waist, swallowed entirely by an oversized garment that pooled around her like a tent. She looked simultaneously adorable and ridiculous.
Maya carefully removed the coat, folded it with deliberate precision, and placed it at the very bottom of her wardrobe.
She would grow into it. A few years—she'd definitely be taller by then. When that day came, this cloak was going to look spectacular.
While folding, she aimed a quiet curse at the lousy system. Other systems in fiction let clothing scale to fit the user on the fly, or got stored conveniently in pocket dimensions. Was custom tailoring to current body measurements really such an outrageous feature to include?
Apparently yes. Apparently that was too much to ask.
She sighed and closed the wardrobe.