Chapter 31 - New Mission
I froze in my tracks, stunned by the flood of rewards I had just received. Sure, I completed a mission, but this seemed excessive, even for the system. Why had I been given so much? As I mulled over the possibilities, a notification chimed, pulling me from my thoughts.
[Ding!]
[Missions Updated]
[New Mission: First, go to the City of Towers, 'Rōran.']
Rōran? Why would the system want me to go there? In this timeline, it should have already fallen into ruins by now. My thoughts were quickly interrupted by another notification.
[Ding!]
[Host, this is a parallel timeline. In this version, Naruto never traveled to Rōran in the future, causing Mukade's plan to be delayed by a few years. Now, he has joined forces with the Minister of Rōran, Anrokuzan. In a year, Anrokuzan will kill the Queen of Rōran and seize control.]
[The mission will be divided into multiple parts.]
[The mission will continue once you reach Rōran.]
Before I could process this information, Obito noticed I was missing.
"Hey, where's Ruki?" Obito asked, glancing around.
He finally spotted me standing still, lost in thought. Waving his hand, he shouted, "Ruki, come on!"
Everyone turned back to look at me. Obito approached and snapped his fingers in front of my face, breaking me out of my trance. I hadn't even noticed when they had all gathered around me.
"What happened to you?" Rin asked, concern evident in her voice.
"N-Nothing," I stammered, still a bit dazed. "I was just thinking about something."
"Let's go," I added quickly, trying to shake off the strange feeling, and began walking forward again.
We soon arrived at the playground. Kakashi and Guy immediately began their usual intense physical training, pushing each other to their limits. Rin and Yuhi sat down to catch up on things, chatting away with smiles. Meanwhile, Asuma, Obito, and Raidō started their own conversation, discussing recent events.
I found a spot at the base of an old tree, the roots gnarled and twisted from years of growth. As I sat down, a leaf floated down from a branch above me, drifting lazily on the breeze before landing gently in my hand. An idea crossed my mind—could I use this moment to earn some favorability points?
Opening the system window, I quickly purchased two items.
The first was [Tobirama's Memory Fragments] for 2000 points. The second was [B-Rank Flute Skill] for 300 points.
[Ding!]
[Both items have been received in inventory.]
The weather had turned cloudy, the breeze cool against my face. I activated the flute skill, feeling a new knowledge settling into my mind. Then, I opened my inventory and selected the memory fragments.
[Click to integrate.]
I clicked the option and felt a rush of memories, techniques, and insights from Tobirama Senju flood my mind. At the same time, I brought the leaf to my lips and began to play, the notes flowing naturally from my newly acquired skill. As an anime fan, I couldn't resist playing the theme song from Suzume.
[Link: https://youtu.be/J3QLtpvymWY?si=Emeq8LceOx6J22BS]
As the melody drifted through the air, I noticed Yugao Uzuki approaching from a distance, her attention drawn by the music. The wind picked up, swirling around me as I played, the sound amplified by a small jutsu I had bought from the system.
When I finished the song, I looked up to see Asuma, Kakashi, Guy, Yuhi, Yugao, and Obito all watching me, their expressions ranging from admiration to surprise. I quickly lowered my mask again, hiding my face as I stood up.
[Ding!]
[Yuhi's Favorability increased to 36.]
[Ding!]
[Rin's Favorability increased to 45.]
[Ding!]
[Uzuki's Favorability increased to 69.]
A small smile formed at the corners of my mouth. The system rewards had given me more than just power—they were helping me connect with those around me, too.
To be continued...