Chapter 2: Don't Be Fooled by Appearances
"What exactly is a 'Contractor'?"
From the very beginning, Renjiro had found the term strange. None of this made sense to him; it all defied logic.
"If I don't complete the missions this 'Space' assigns me… what happens then?"
The synthetic, electronic voice responded instantly, as though pre-programmed. Lines of text materialized before his eyes.
[We recruit the dead who show potential, granting them a second life as 'Contractors' within this Space.]
[By completing missions, Contractors earn rewards and gain extraordinary powers.]
[But this is a realm where only strength matters. Only the powerful survive.]
[Failure to complete a mission results in penalties, including loss of strength.]
[Those who fall too far behind will be "cleaned" by the Sweepers.]
"What are Sweepers?"
The voice fell silent. Red text floated ominously in the air.
[Your clearance level is insufficient. Access denied. Increase your strength as soon as possible. At your current level, you are at risk of Sweeper elimination.]
The crimson letters pulsed with warning, and a countdown appeared on the right side of his vision.
[60]… [59]…
Renjiro had already noticed what happened to the others trapped inside their blue ovals—when their countdown reached zero, they simply vanished.
From his exchange with the System, he knew what would happen next: he was about to be sent to his first mission.
[Your first mission: Eliminate 10 zombies.]
[Time limit: 1 hour.]
[Mission difficulty: Easy.]
[Mission reward: Newcomer-exclusive reward.]
[Starter Points: 100.]
[Remember, Contractor No. 19999999: your body has been fully digitized, but pain and injury will still feel real. Proceed with caution.]
[Teleportation will begin shortly. Please select your first skill.]
"Wait."
Although his wounds had healed, the pain from earlier still echoed faintly through his body. But Renjiro's mind remained sharp, analyzing every detail of what the System had just told him. His calm eyes locked on the floating text. His voice was quiet, but brooked no refusal:
"I want to spend all my Points to raise the mission difficulty."
The countdown froze. The System paused, then new yellow text appeared.
[System scanning…]
[Request meets regulations. Permission granted to Contractor No. 19999999.]
[Deducting 100 Points. Adjusting mission parameters…]
The text flickered and vanished. Then blue letters emerged, glowing faintly.
[Your first mission: Assassinate a Rain Village shinobi named Toshi Ameyashiki.]
[Target Rank: Chūnin (Intermediate Ninja).]
[Mission Difficulty: Hard.]
[Time limit: 3 days.]
[Mission reward: Newcomer-exclusive special reward.]
Seeing the reward had changed to a "special" version, Renjiro knew his hunch was right. In this Space, Points truly were everything.
[0]
The countdown hit zero. Darkness swallowed his vision, and he lost consciousness as his blue barrier dissolved. He didn't see the figure outside who had stopped, waiting for him.
…
[Teleportation complete. Contractor, you have one minute to select your first skill.]
Renjiro awoke in a sewer. He didn't immediately choose a skill. Instead, he looked around.
Filthy heaps of trash littered the damp tunnel. The long channel stretched into the distance where dim light streamed in. Rats squeaked as they gnawed at insects, and the sour stench burned his nostrils. His brow furrowed.
He placed his left hand on the ground to push himself up—only to notice it had turned pitch black. He fought the urge to recoil.
"I choose… Invulnerability."
[Selection invalid. Please choose again.]
Blue text appeared directly in his field of vision. He blinked. When he shook his head, the words moved with him. He realized no one else could see this but him.
"...Fine. I choose Water Clone."
[Selection confirmed. Skill granted. Contractor, complete your mission with caution.]
The blue text vanished, and his vision returned to normal.
Back in the Abyss Orphanage, during the rare moments of free time, he and the other kids had often watched anime together. Those memories surfaced now—this wasn't entirely unfamiliar territory to him.
He understood one thing about this world—there was a "bug skill" called clones. And the reason he chose a Water Clone was simple: his target was a Rain-nin, and in a watery environment, water techniques would be the most effective.
Renjiro began sorting through the information in his head. He was now a Contractor, bound to complete missions in order to survive.
If he failed, his strength would be stripped away, and sooner or later he'd be "cleaned up" by those so-called sweepers. In plain terms—he would die.
He had already died once. But now that he'd been given another chance, Renjiro was determined to live. After all, how many people would cling desperately to a second life if given the chance?
And this second life had dropped him straight into the world of Naruto—a land overflowing with ninjutsu, monstrous tailed beasts, and shinobi with bodies far stronger than normal humans. Even an ordinary chūnin was on a completely different level from him. In a one-on-one fight, he had no chance.
His mission was simple on paper: [Eliminate a Rain-nin named Ameyashiki Toshi.] But there was no detailed intel, not even a hint of the target's location.
That could only mean one thing: the target had to be nearby, and would most likely come to him.
"Hey! Who's over there? State your name!"
The shout came from a man standing on the water's surface, supported by a faint blue glow beneath his sandals. A headband with four vertical slashes crossed by a single horizontal line gleamed on his forehead protector.
Recognizing that unique insignia, Renjiro's heart skipped—his guess was right. He kicked off and rushed forward at blinding speed.
"Ameyashiki Toshi! I'm your dad!"
Hearing the boy charging at him while shouting such nonsense, Toshi's temper flared instantly.
With a swift motion, his right hand pulled a kunai from his pocket and hurled it straight at Renjiro.
"You dare disrespect my father? You're dead, brat!"
The kunai whistled through the air, stabbing directly into the boy's head—
Splash!
The body dissolved into water, scattering across the surface.
"Damn little brat! Using a Water Clone to fool me… next time I catch him, I'll beat him to a pulp!"
As Toshi cursed in frustration, several hundred meters away Renjiro was climbing out of a sewer ladder. The images from his clone's destruction had reached him.
"Target appearance confirmed."
He shoved the manhole cover aside, ignoring the startled glances of passersby. Patting the grime from his soiled clothes, Renjiro only wanted one thing right now: a place to rest.
Thump, thump!
After walking a few hundred meters, he spotted a modest little house and gently knocked on the door.
"Is anyone home? I'm the son of a traveling merchant who fell on hard times. May I stay for the night? I'll pay you later."