Chapter 199: A New Alias Debuts
The ashes of the Second Great Ninja War had barely settled, but the devastating power vacuum left by the fallen Kage demanded immediate action. Across the elemental nations, new leaders rose to claim the mantle.
First was Konoha, where Hiruzen Sarutobi took control as the Acting Hokage. Acutely aware that every Hokage who took office seemed to die particularly quickly, he stubbornly clung to the "Acting" title and resolutely refused to hold an official succession ceremony.
In the Land of Wind, the renowned Magnet Release ninja stepped up as the Acting Kazekage—the man who would eventually become the Third Kazekage. It wasn't that he had any personal reservations about making his title official; rather, the middle and lower ranks of Sunagakure simply did not respect him yet. He could only serve as a temporary leader, hoping to formally succeed the seat after grinding out some tangible results.
Over in the Land of Earth, Ōnoki officially succeeded as the Third Tsuchikage, while the Land of Water quietly crowned their Third Mizukage.
As for the Land of Lightning, the situation was far messier. After the death of the Third Raikage, A, the strongest fighters in Kumogakure clashed for dominance. The resulting narrow victories left no one truly convinced of the winner's absolute superiority. To ensure the village didn't tear itself apart, the reigning strongest fighter simply followed Konoha's lead and declared himself the Acting Raikage. The men of the Land of Lightning were incredibly straightforward—if someone could beat him in a brawl, he would gladly step down.
That great war had scorched too wide an area and bled the nations too deeply. No country was willing to stick its neck out again. They all retreated behind their borders, licking their wounds and focusing entirely on internal development.
Rebuilding the economy. Replenishing the population.
In Konoha, this era of peace welcomed a new generation. Infants who would one day shape the future—Kakashi Hatake, Obito Uchiha, Genma Shiranui, and Ibiki Morino—were born one after another.
Time flowed like water, and six years passed in the blink of an eye. This new generation of Konoha was just reaching the age to enter the Ninja Academy.
It was precisely at this time that Stelle finally arrived in the Land of Fire.
She had infiltrated Konohagakure at the fastest speed possible. Yet, her current situation was... how should she put it? It left her staring blankly at the peeling paint of a dilapidated wall, utterly speechless.
She had entered the village using her true appearance, without a single transformation jutsu or disguise. As the very first alias to debut with her real face, this should have been a monumental occasion worth celebrating.
However, thanks to the brilliant strategic guidance of her terrible, chess-playing System, her current identity was that of a miserable, pitiable little wretch.
[Name: Stelle]
[Total Mood Value Loan/Repayment: 1,111,111,110,000 / 555,555,555,000]
[Remaining Mood Value: 1,026,520]
[Today's Daily Installment: 1,000/1,000 (Deducted)]
[Status: You possess the most improved physical vessel and a mind unmatched in Ninjutsu creation. Though you are a one-in-ten-thousand genius, you are currently a miserable little piece of trash standing at death's door. Keep working hard to pay off your debt!]
[Lifespan: 5 years]
Standing at the edge of the village in a broken, drafty courtyard, Stelle's eye twitched.
[System: Host, why is your expression so stiff? Was my notification sound just now not obvious enough? You've already paid back half of the loan and have now unlocked a new alias in the best possible era! This is a massive cause for celebration. You should be jumping for joy!]
'I know I've paid back half the loan,'Stelle replied dryly in her mind.'Haven't you seen how hard I've worked? I've stirred the nerves of the entire Ninja World. Even that giant toad from Mount Myōboku contributed over a million mood values out of sheer stress. Isn't it only natural that I've paid off half my debt?'
Stelle slowly turned her head. She glanced at the disheveled woman sitting under the large courtyard tree, giggling foolishly at a pile of dirt. Then, her gaze shifted to the greasy man sitting on the porch, feverishly counting a stack of ryo. Her mouth twitched violently.
The one happiest about paying off half the loan wasn't her. It was the System.
Ever since she took that astronomical loan, the System had been locked at Level 1. It had possessed a fixed, mechanical voice and a painfully low IQ; other than shouting "Incredible!" like a brainless cheerleader, it couldn't do much of anything.
But now, the System had jumped to Level 5 in a single breath. It had become vastly more intelligent. Not only was its core processing upgraded, but it had also unlocked a brand-new function to perfectly customize aliases for her.
And because she had actually believed the System's confident nonsense, she ended up stuck in this bizarre, neither-fish-nor-fowl identity.
'I honestly think your upgrade is worse than staying at Level 1,'Stelle thought, rubbing her temples.'Did you evolve specifically just to screw over your Host?'
[System: Host, you're one to talk! Back when the elites of the Four Great Nations were surrounding you, trying to kill you, if you had fought just a tiny bit harder, it wouldn't have been them surrounding you—it would have been you surrounding them all by yourself!]
Stelle paused. She had to admit, the System had a point there. The scene had been a bit too grand, and she had gotten entirely swept up in the adrenaline, almost treating it like the climax of the Fourth Great Ninja War. She had been so excited that, if the System hadn't frantically reminded her, she would have switched aliases right then and there to drop a few meteorites on their heads.
Still, this current identity was truly something she hadn't anticipated.
Time rewound to five days ago.
She had arrived in the Land of Fire occupying the shell of an eight-year-old girl, her right eye harboring a Rinnegan that she could open or close at will.
While she was wandering the woods, casually pondering what kind of tragic backstory to weave for herself, she stumbled across a group of audacious bandits pillaging a border town. Naturally, they conveniently kidnapped her along with the local children.
Stelle had originally thought there was no harm in checking out the bandits' den. Her plan was simple: look around, pretend to be absolutely terrified, have a sudden "accidental" outburst of latent power, and use a clean combo of Banshō Ten'in and Shinra Tensei to blast them all into the stratosphere.
That way, the existence of her Rinnegan would be dramatically exposed. Konoha's sensory ninjas would detect the massive chakra spike, the village would personally escort her back as a high-priority VIP, and they would provide for her every need. Clean, efficient, and highly profitable for farming shock values.
But the System had immediately vetoed the idea. It argued that she had already used the "terrified child awakens god-tier bloodline" trope with her Wood Release, and the readers were getting tired of the repetition.
, her previous aliases had all been beautiful, overwhelmingly strong, and relatively well-off. Her Ida Mutzuki alias had stayed in the village for over twenty years and knew far too many people. If the personality overlap was too high, she risked exposure. The System strongly suggested she try a "Special Misery Edition" to farm a different flavor of angst.
So, she obediently sat in the filthy bandit den, playing the part of a mute, terrified captive until a squad from the Konoha Enforcement Team descended from the canopy to rescue them.
During the chaotic skirmish, a stray Fire Release jutsu ignited the wooden holding cell. Since she was playing the role of an ordinary, helpless child, and the other kids were getting singed, she couldn't exactly walk out of the inferno completely unscathed.
To make matters worse, in the panicked stampede, another child shoved her from behind. She stumbled face-first toward a burning beam. The result? A nasty burn that severely disfigured the side of her face.
Oh well. It was just a burn. With her improved body, she could heal it in a heartbeat if she wanted to.
But the System chimed in again, insisting that since she had acquired this "misery attribute," she shouldn't rush to erase it. She might as well farm some pity-based mood values first. Even a hundred points here and there added up. She should treat the disfigurement as a strategic asset.
However, from that exact moment, the plot took a massive 180-degree nosedive.
Just as the rescued children were escorted to the Konoha Orphanage, and before Director Yakushi even had the chance to summon high-level Medical Ninjas to treat their injuries... Stelle was adopted.
She was claimed by a greasy man who practically oozed bad intentions. Yet, his attitude toward the orphanage staff was sickeningly sincere, weeping and acting as if Stelle were his long-lost biological daughter.
And now, wearing a cheap silk scarf provided by Director Yakushi to cover her burned face, Stelle stood in this drafty living room, watching her new "father" joyfully count a stack of bills.
"I didn't expect the village subsidy for adopting orphans to be this generous," the man muttered, licking his thumb as he flipped through the ryo. "If I'd known, I would have grabbed a few more of those brats."
While Kobayashi Isamu counted the cash, phrases like "betting on big" and "loaded dice" kept slipping from his lips. One didn't need a Sharingan to see he was a degenerate gambler.
The irony tasted like ash in Stelle's mouth. Back when she was the Hokage, she had personally drafted and applied this exact welfare policy. Residents who adopted war orphans would receive a monthly stipend to ensure the child's proper upbringing.
Kobayashi Isamu's sole purpose in adopting her was to siphon that Hokage-mandated subsidy to fuel his gambling addiction.
As for the thirty thousand ryo Director Yakushi had specifically handed him to take Stelle to the hospital for her facial burns? That had already been mentally converted into casino chips by Isamu.
Finishing his count, Isamu stuffed the thick wad of cash into his jacket. He glanced down at the little girl standing silently in the middle of the room, his face twisting into a haughty sneer.
"You better be grateful, you little brat. If I hadn't brought you to Konoha, you'd still be sharing a lice-infested bunk with those rejects in District Two. From now on, keep your head down and be observant in this house. Seeing as your existence provides me with a steady income, I'll reluctantly let you sleep under my roof."
Kobayashi Isamu was a perpetually unmotivated Genin whose only passions in life were cheap sake and high-stakes dice. His wife, Kikushi, had suffered a complete mental breakdown after their mediocre son died on a C-rank mission. Isamu had zero patience for taking care of a mentally unstable woman; tossing her scraps so she didn't starve was his absolute limit.
By adopting Stelle, he hit the jackpot: a free, live-in maid to watch his crazy wife, and a monthly government stipend to fund his vices. Truly killing two birds with one stone.
Satisfied that he had sufficiently intimidated the little girl into silence, Isamu turned on his heel, preparing to hit the local casino.
Stelle moved. She stepped forward and firmly grabbed the frayed hem of his jacket.
"You've taken all the living expenses," she said, her voice perfectly flat. "What are we going to eat?"
Isamu scowled, clearly shocked that this disfigured brat dared to touch him. He raised a heavy, calloused hand and swung it viciously toward her cheek.
Stelle didn't even blink. She merely shifted her weight a fraction of an inch.
Isamu's palm hit empty air. Because he had put his entire back into the slap, the missed momentum dragged his poorly balanced body forward, and he nearly planted his face straight into the floorboards.
Catching himself on a nearby chair, he spat on the ground and glared furiously at the girl.
"I've already registered you for the Ninja Academy entrance exams next month! At the school, charity cases get a free lunch. When the time comes, you can bring half of it back for Kikushi. Until then, go find some wild vegetables or something. You won't starve!"
Stelle stared at him. This degenerate had actually studied Konoha's educational welfare systems thoroughly, just to maximize his gambling funds.
What a damn genius.
"And what about this month?" Stelle asked, her tone entirely devoid of childish fear.
Isamu gritted his teeth in irritation. But remembering that he needed this brat alive to keep the monthly stipends flowing, he couldn't actually let her starve to death. If the Anbu investigated, he'd be executed for fraud.
"There's a grove on the east side of the village. Plenty of wild vegetables grow behind it," he barked, yanking his jacket free. "Go forage for them yourself. If you're too stupid to find any, go to the vegetable market and dig through the trash for the bruised leaves the merchants throw out. With that ugly face of yours, maybe someone will take pity and toss you a few scraps!"
In his twisted mind, bringing this girl into the village and giving her access to a Ninja Academy education made him a saint.
Grumbling under his breath, Isamu stormed out of the house, clutching the money tightly. He didn't look back once, and he certainly didn't leave a single copper coin behind.
Stelle stood in the empty room. The silence was deafening.
She felt that the events of the past few days were entirely too surreal. Ever since the System convinced her to hide her Rinnegan and play the victim in the bandit den, the perfectly good, hot-blooded shonen manga vibe she had cultivated had derailed completely.
Both the Host and the System fell into a heavy silence.
[System: Host... I just wanted to set up an alias for you that wasn't so overwhelmingly overpowered. I wanted to highlight a 'beautiful, strong, and miserable'persona to farm sympathy points. How did your life suddenly turn into a melodramatic soap opera? Look at this setup: a deadbeat gambling dad, a crazy mom, a dead brother, and a disfigured orphan. It feels so... weird.]'Yeah,'Stelle replied, her mental voice dripping with sarcasm.'A perfectly good action epic suddenly feels like a cheap daytime drama.'[System:...]'Isn't this the direct result of your brilliant guidance?'Stelle continued mercilessly.'Back at the orphanage, I told you this man reeked of bad intentions and I should just reject him. But you said, "Oh, if you don't go with him, some other innocent child will get cheated!" Otherwise, how could things have devolved into this mess?'Although she had technically saved another orphan from this nightmare household, the current reality was truly hard to stomach.'How about you refund my mood values first?'Stelle sighed, walking over to the window to watch the crazy woman playing in the dirt.'Honestly, I preferred your "dumb and cute mascot" phase when you were at Level 1. Please revert your update.'
[System:...]
Am I, so diligent and lovely, worth your reward? If so, say it out loud.
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