Five hundred million, or fifty million?
Looking at the two choices before him, Ren Uchiha stood silently in place. Honestly, the suffering he had endured was practically nothing compared to five hundred million. With that money, he could slap his "old brother" with a stack of cash until he regretted everything and knelt to lick his new Berluti leather shoes. He could drive luxury cars that he used to only stare at from afar, never again having to worry about wind or rain. He could even drop two million to buy out his snobbish landlord's house in one go, watching the man's gaze transform from disdain to utter bewilderment.
Five hundred million, man! With that money, I'd be a living Dragon Lord!
But Ren couldn't help but recall this brief year in the shinobi world. He didn't have to worry about tomorrow; he just had to train and complete trivial missions to save up a seven-figure bank account. The elders in the clan, though harsh with their words, genuinely cared for him. Every week, a basket of food would appear at his door.
It was a peaceful year, yet a year that had left him feeling anxious and unsettled.
And after leaving the clan...
The Great Elder, Setsuna Uchiha, had nearly died to save him.
His new little brother, Hidan, followed him despite the danger and jumped off a cliff just because he trusted him.
And then... the most adorable girl Ren had ever seen in his life was cradling his dead body with an expression of pure sorrow.
Ren knew all of this was "fake." The peace was fake. His heroic image in the eyes of others—built on the goal of dying for an insurance payout—was fake. The real side of the shinobi world was filled with blood, tears, hatred, and madness. He wasn't some hero saving the world; he was a greedy, lustful commoner. A fraud.
However, five hundred million... that was real! Losing 450 million was more painful to the penny-pinching Ren than being stabbed.
So, Ren's gaze hardened. He clapped his hands together and whispered a prayer. Hidan, little brother, your bro has burned out. Your future is up to fate now. I'll light three sticks of incense for your action figure in the other world. If that's not enough, I'll burn some paper money—500 RMB gets you over 10,000 Yen in 1-yen notes, that's a thick stack!
I'm being sincere here! You saw it, I only have 5.26 left in my pocket. Burning money for you means I'll have to take out a loan. It's a big sacrifice.
Finishing his "mantra," Ren grinned. He straightened his back and reached out to poke Option 1, ready to greet his new life as a billionaire.
But just as his finger was about to touch the text...
"Haaa..."
A sweet, strawberry-scented breeze, carrying the long breath of a young girl, blew in. It blew through the storm. It blew through the cracks in the window. It blew from the endless darkness. After dozens, hundreds, thousands of relays, it finally reached this rain-shrouded room.
In Ren's burned-out heart and cold, empty chest, a surge of hot blood suddenly erupted, spreading to every limb in an instant.
Thump-thump!
Thump-thump!
The world froze. Cracks climbed through the vision of his rental room. A light like the dawn sky shattered the clouds of the featureless night.
It was the light of dawn.
It was the kiss that could melt even a Susanoo.
"1310."
"1311."
"1312."
Yu no Kuni.
On the cliffside near the Jashin Headquarters.
Shinno watched the scene before him, casually closing the incision he had made in Ren's chest with a perfunctory medical jutsu while counting in his head.
That was all he could do. Aside from the artificial respiration, Ren's body—driven by the automatically running Physical Rebirth and Earth Grudge Fear Stitching—was handling the rest. He didn't even need chest compressions.
Any medical ninja would scream for three more patients like this. But whether Ren would actually survive was still a question mark even for Shinno. A case like this would probably even make Tsunade of the Sannin dizzy, let alone a "barefoot doctor" like him.
"How is he? Is he alive?"
Mei Terumī was panting, her chin lifted as a thin, crystalline thread of saliva pulled away. She glared at the nearby Shinno.
Shinno immediately swapped to a serious face. "Soon, soon! I can feel a power awakening inside this kid."
Mei gritted her teeth. "You said that half an hour ago! Give me a straight answer!"
Shinno glanced at the "corpse." Seeing no movement after all this time, he figured Ren was probably truly gone. Maybe I should just take him back for a dissection? Just as he was wondering if dragging the body away would be rude, he sensed a surge of sinister, cold chakra.
Shinno's eyes narrowed as he looked at Ren's eyelids. "This time, it's for real."
Mei's forehead twitched. What does this guy think a girl's first kiss is?
"Fine. This is the last time! If there's still no change, I'll melt both of you into a puddle."
Dropping that cold threat, Mei turned back. She skillfully lifted Ren's chin and, as if to vent her frustration, bit down slightly on his lip as she sealed them together. She thought to herself that if this guy didn't wake up, her next breath would be the Boil Style: Skilled Mist Technique.
However, before she could exhale, Ren Uchiha—who had been a "corpse" for over an hour—suddenly snapped his eyes open. He took several sharp, heavy gasps.
His breath hit Mei's face, leaving her frozen. Ren's Sharingan flared to life, the whites of his eyes bloodshot. Having just watched 500 million fly away, the single tomoe in his eyes began to spin violently, looking as if it were about to split into two, then three...
Then, their eyes met.
The air fell into absolute silence. Ren blinked. Looking at Mei, who was currently kissing him, the rage in his heart vanished. His pupils dilated. He began to wonder if he really had died and was now in heaven.
Looking into the girl's indignant and embarrassed eyes, he desperately wanted to post on a forum: Help! I was just forcibly kissed by a super cute girl. Should she take responsibility for me, or should I take responsibility for her?
Mei's breathing stopped. Her face turned a deep, blood-red, and steam practically jetted from her head. The awkwardness was off the charts.
Does he think I have bad intentions?
Mei immediately pushed off the ground, covered her face, and turned away to gaze at the sunrise. It was a smooth, calculated move, pretending she was just admiring the dawn and that everything he just felt was a genjutsu.
The early spring breeze carried the scent of youth, awakening the sun. Ren touched the corner of his lip blankly, his face turning red as he watched the girl's silhouette. She stood in the dawn, her ears bright red, her auburn hair swaying in the wind.
The atmosphere became... complicated.