The continuous heavy rain of the Land of Rain never seemed to cease. It cast a gloomy veil over the entire village, matching the somber mood of its inhabitants.
Inside the tower, Uehara Naraku sat quietly, examining the translucent blue panel that only he could see.
[System Panel]
Host: Uehara Naraku
Gender: Male
Age: 12
Chakra Amount: 350 (Standard Genin level)
Life Energy: 300 (Standard Genin level)
Natural Energy: 0
Skills:
• Dance of the Paper Shikigami (Incomplete): Learned from Konan. Currently allows for the manipulation of paper into basic shapes.
• Basic Taijutsu: Standard academy level.
Main Mission: None currently active.
Side Mission: [New!]
Uehara's eyes narrowed slightly. A new side mission had appeared this morning. He tapped the glowing text with his mind.
[Side Mission: The First Blood] Description: A true mastermind must be decisive. While you have learned the ways of the ninja, you have yet to take a life. The world of shinobi is cruel; prove you have the resolve to survive it.
Objective: Kill one enemy ninja (Rank: Genin or above).
Reward: 100 Gold Coins, Random Skill Card (R-Rank).
"Kill a ninja..." Uehara muttered under his breath. It was a standard rite of passage in this world, but for a transmigrator from a peaceful era, it was a psychological hurdle. However, looking at the reward, his hesitation vanished instantly.
He needed strength. In this dangerous world, especially being in the Akatsuki a magnet for disaster, being weak was a death sentence.
"Naraku."
A cool, calm voice interrupted his thoughts. Uehara immediately closed the system interface and looked up. The paper sheets floating around the room gathered together to form the figure of a woman with blue-purple hair and a piercing gaze.
It was his teacher, Konan.
"Teacher Konan," Uehara greeted, standing up respectfully. He had cultivated the image of a polite, talented, yet somewhat naive disciple perfectly over the last few months.
Konan nodded, her expression impassive, though her eyes held a hint of softness she reserved only for him and Nagato. "You have mastered the basics of paper manipulation faster than I expected. Today, we leave the tower."
Uehara blinked. "We're going out?"
"Yes," Konan said, turning toward the exit. "Hanzō's subordinates have been sniffing around our perimeter. We need to clear them out. It will be a good opportunity for you to see real combat."
Uehara's heart skipped a beat. Real combat? This coincided perfectly with his system mission. It was as if fate, or the plot, was handing him the opportunity on a silver platter.
"I understand, Teacher," Uehara said, injecting a tone of nervous excitement into his voice. "I won't let you down."
The industrial landscape of Amegakure (Hidden Rain Village) was a maze of steel pipes and stone towers. The rain slicked every surface, making footing treacherous for the inexperienced.
Uehara followed Konan, jumping from pipe to pipe. He wore the standard raincoat of the village, his senses on high alert.
"Stop," Konan commanded softly.
Uehara froze instantly, crouching behind a ventilation duct.
Below them, in a narrow alleyway, three ninja wearing the breathing masks characteristic of Hanzō's loyalists were inspecting a dead body, likely a civilian who had violated curfew.
"Three of them," Konan whispered. "Two Chunin, one Genin. I will handle the Chunin. The Genin is yours, Naraku."
She turned to look at him, her gaze intense. "This is war, Naraku. Do not hesitate."
"Yes, Teacher," Uehara replied.
Konan didn't wait. Her body dispersed into hundreds of sheets of paper, swirling down into the alleyway like a sudden storm.
Paper Shuriken!
The attack was swift and silent. The sheets of paper hardened into razor-sharp blades, slicing through the rain. The two Chunin barely had time to react before they were forced on the defensive.
"Enemy attack! It's the Angel!" one of them screamed, recognizing Konan's signature jutsu.
While the two Chunin were occupied by Konan's overwhelming assault, the third ninja, the Genin, panicked. He saw the chaos and instinctively tried to flank, looking for an escape route or a way to ambush the attacker.
He leaped onto the pipe where Uehara was hiding.
Now!
Uehara didn't use a flashy jutsu. He didn't have any yet. He simply utilized the element of surprise.
As the Hanzō Genin landed, Uehara lunged. He channeled chakra into his hand, activating the Dance of the Paper Shikigami he had practiced. Several sheets of paper flew from his sleeve, not to cut, but to distract.
They plastered onto the Genin's mask, blinding him for a split second.
"What?!" the Genin shouted, clawing at his face.
That second was enough. Uehara drew a kunai and drove it forward with all his strength.
Thud.
The blade sank into the gap between the Genin's vest and neck. Warm blood sprayed onto Uehara's hand, mixing with the cold rain.
The Genin gurgled, his body going rigid before slumping forward. Uehara caught the body to muffle the sound of the fall, his breathing heavy.
[System Alert] Side Mission Complete: The First Blood. Reward: 100 Gold Coins.
Reward: Random Skill Card (R-Rank) acquired.
Uehara didn't have time to check the card. He looked down at the lifeless body. There was no nausea, only a cold realization that he had crossed a line.
Below, the battle was already over. Konan had disposed of the two Chunin with terrifying efficiency. She reformed her body on the pipe next to Uehara, looking at the dead Genin and then at her student.
She saw the blood on his hands. She expected fear or trembling.
Instead, Uehara wiped his hand on the rain-soaked metal and looked at her with a calm, albeit slightly pale, face.
"I did it, Teacher."
Konan was silent for a moment. This child... his adaptability was frightening. Most children would freeze or vomit after their first kill. Uehara had executed the ambush perfectly and composed himself instantly.
"Good," Konan said, her voice betraying a hint of complex emotion. "You have the talent to survive. Let's go. More will come."
As they leaped away into the shadows of the rain, Uehara mentally opened his inventory.
Open R-Rank Skill Card.
The card flipped over in his mind's eye.
[Skill Card: Card Fate (Twisted Fate - League of Legends)] Rank: R
Description: Throw three cards (Red, Blue, Gold).
• Blue Card: Restores a small amount of Chakra upon impact.
• Red Card: Causes a small explosive Area of Effect (AoE) and slows enemies.
• Gold Card: Stuns the target for 1 second.
Uehara almost tripped mid-jump.
Twisted Fate's cards? And a stun capability?
In the Naruto world, a guaranteed stun, even for one second, was a god-tier ability. If he timed a Gold Card with a powerful jutsu, he could kill almost anyone.
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, hidden by the rain.
The Mastermind's journey had officially begun.