Haruto raised Murasame and struck a pose.
"Death is like the wind—always by my side."
He paused, then turned and changed his stance.
"The power of will... can even pierce through stone."
After a few dramatic seconds, he lowered the sword and sighed with frustration.
"No, no, no. Still not cool enough. It doesn't show my elegance or my handsomeness. I'll change it again."
Off to the side, Naruto finally snapped. "Boss! Why do you have the nerve to watch me work while you just stand there posing?! Come help already!"
Haruto clasped his hands behind his back, looked up at the drifting clouds, and said solemnly, "Naruto… you still don't understand the intentions of your great boss. I'm putting on this performance for you. It's your chance to shine."
Naruto looked suspiciously at Haruto's innocent face. "What does that even mean?"
"Didn't you say you wanted to be recognized by the villagers?" Haruto said seriously. "If you work hard and complete this mission well, more people will acknowledge you. Work hard, young man. The title of Hokage is waving at you from the horizon."
Naruto's eyes lit up. "I'll definitely become Hokage!" He turned around and got back to weeding with full energy.
...A moment later.
"Boss!! You're still slacking off!! Get over here!!"
"Oh? You saw through me?" Haruto laughed, backing away. "Naruto, you've been hanging around me so long, your IQ's gone up!"
"Idiot! Don't run if you have the guts!"
"If you have the guts, try to catch me!"
As Naruto gave chase, stomping across the flowerbeds, Sasuke watched from the side, deadpan.
"…Idiots. Both of them."
Haruto stopped and patted Sasuke on the shoulder. "I'm counting on you, Sasuke. I believe in your talent. You can handle this solo."
Sasuke sighed, walked forward with an annoyed expression, and said coldly,
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
The sewer tunnel in front of them erupted in flames. Moments later, Naruto and Haruto came scrambling out, coughing and covered in soot.
"Ugh! It stinks in there!"
"But wow, Sasuke, that was incredible! Fire Style in a sewer? Genius!"
"Yeah, yeah—your fire jutsu is crazy strong, man!"
Sasuke glared at them. "If you ever make me use ninjutsu in a place like that again, I'll kill you."
Later, the seventh squad squatted in some grass, waiting quietly.
"…Why does this cat take forever to show up? So annoying…" Haruto suddenly looked at Naruto, eyes gleaming. "Wait! Naruto, transform into a girl cat and seduce it!"
Naruto immediately backed away. "No way!!"
"Hmm… that's a shame. Someone ruined the client's herb garden. The compensation bill was huge."
"Hey! That was your fault!"
Eventually, Naruto caught the cat in question, tears streaming down his face as it clawed and bit his arms.
After that, the tasks kept coming: cleaning dogs, grocery shopping in neighboring villages, digging for sweet potatoes…
"I'm done!" Naruto slammed the table. "We want a real mission!"
"Idiots!" Iruka scolded. "You're all still newbies! These simple tasks help build your foundation!"
But Naruto didn't give up.
Thanks to his stubbornness, the Third Hokage finally agreed to assign Team 7 a C-rank mission.
Standing before them was a familiar drunk old man with a big mouth.
Haruto narrowed his eyes, Murasame at his side.
"So… the Land of Waves arc is finally about to begin."
At the village gate, Tazuna swayed drunkenly and squinted at Team 7.
"What are you doing, sending a bunch of brats? Especially that short winter melon—he looks ridiculous! Are you seriously ninjas?"
Naruto's expression twitched.
"H-Hehehe… who's he calling a short winter melon?! This guy's so dumb."
Then his smile cracked.
"DON'T STOP ME! I'M GONNA KILL HIM!"
Haruto grabbed Naruto by the collar and calmly said, "Easy. No need to commit murder before the mission even starts."
He turned his gaze on Tazuna, cold and sharp.
"Don't worry. Konoha's ninjas aren't weak. Up to now, our task success rate has been…"
He stared hard.
"One hundred percent."
Cold sweat broke out on Tazuna's forehead. "O-Okay, okay! I'll leave it to you guys!"
Behind him, Kakashi's mouth twitched.
One hundred percent…? The actual stat is like… nineteen percent. And that's for D-rank missions.
Kakashi cleared his throat. "Alright, you all know the mission, go home and pack and bring your tools—especially you, Naruto. Haruto, help him if needed. Dismissed! Meet at the village gate tomorrow morning."
As the team dispersed, Naruto clung to Haruto.
"Boss! Where are you going? Take me with you!"
"I'm going to find Hinata. Wanna tag along?"
"…I'm good."
He found Hinata and her team sitting under a tree having snacks and tea.
"Haruto, are you Hinata's boyfriend?" Kurenai asked with a teasing grin. "Come eat with us!"
"Then I won't be polite, Teacher Kurenai," Haruto said, sitting down with a smile. "I really envy Hinata's team—your teacher treats you to food all the time. Unlike our stingy Kakashi who still hasn't invited us once."
Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "So, how did you and Hinata get together?"
Before he could respond, Kiba and Shino perked up curiously. Hinata blushed deep red and tugged on Kurenai's sleeve.
"T-Teacher…"
"Alright, alright! I won't ask. Our little Hinata's so shy." Kurenai laughed.
Kiba huffed. "Haruto, I heard you're going on a C-rank mission tomorrow. No way! We can't lose to them, right, Sensei?"
Shino nodded silently, adjusting his glasses.
There was laughter and teasing at the table—until he suddenly got serious. He grabbed Kiba and Shino's hands.
"Kiba, Shino. We've been good friends for a long time. I'll be honest—I won't be able to stay by Hinata's side all the time. You have to look after her. You know how she is. Please."
"Tch. You don't have to ask. Hinata's my teammate. I'll protect her—man's promise!" Kiba thumped his chest.
"…I agree," Shino said quietly.
Hinata took his hand, her voice firm: "I'm a ninja too. I'll protect myself."
He smiled gently and patted her head. "I know. Just be careful. With Shino and Kiba, I can relax a little."
But as he said it, doubt flickered in his heart.
The more I learn about this world, the more I see its cruelty. Hinata is part of the main Hyuga family. I don't even know how many people have their eyes on her... and I can't always be there. If only I had the Flying Thunder God technique...
That night, after reviewing his progress in secret, Haruto quietly slipped out of his house.
I haven't done any major dungeon copies recently, but my physical skill tree is already over halfway to Chunin level. Naruto's dungeon drops are insanely high… It won't be long until I complete the system. Once my weaknesses are patched, I'll start hitting the harder dungeons. There are only eight elite dungeons left…
Haruto sat quietly at his desk, planning his next move.
His body was nearly at the mid-ninja level. If he could just fill in that last bit of experience and use an experience book to break through to master Level, he'd gain a massive boost in close-combat ability. But more importantly—
He still lacked a valid reason to openly use some of the advanced ninjutsu he had acquired from dungeon drops. That's why his mind turned to the Third Hokage.
The more Haruto understood the system, the more he felt like it was a trap in disguise.
Forget the dangerous dungeon environments—what was worse was that even if you mastered a skill, there was still a chance of losing it. If that happened during a breakthrough, the cost could be devastating. The system was like a rigged slot machine—except that unlike real gambling, even when you lost, you still had to fight monsters.
Sure, most skills had value, and even if you lost one, you usually got something out of a dungeon run. But there were just too many skills. And too many chances to get something completely useless.
At first, Haruto thought power would advance with each dungeon clear. But reality was harsh.
Which Kage-level powerhouse didn't have seven or eight powerful abilities? In comparison, someone like Naruto—who only ever used Taijutsu and Shadow Clone—was rare. Just thinking about getting "cheated to death" by the system made Haruto's scalp go numb.
So the real path to strength was clear: Find the right skills. Train them up to the bottleneck. Then use a skill book to break through.
With that thought, Haruto arrived at the door of the Third Hokage's residence.
Hiruzen Sarutobi sipped tea slowly. His eyes, half-closed in wisdom, turned to Haruto with a faint smile.
"Haruto, what brings you here so late?" Haruto bowed respectfully to the floor.
"Third Hokage... I want to learn stronger ninjutsu."
Sarutobi looked at him thoughtfully. "Stronger ninjutsu? With time, you'll accumulate mission points and be granted suitable techniques. Or... you could ask Kakashi. They call him the Copy Ninja for a reason—he's said to know a thousand techniques."
Haruto stood up straight. "I can't wait that long. And the technique I want... can't be obtained from Kakashi."
The Third Hokage's expression darkened. The gentleness disappeared, replaced with piercing intensity. "Why do you need power so urgently?"
Haruto met his gaze without fear. "Because my dream requires strength. I want to protect what's important to me—my friends, my family... and the village."
Hiruzen was silent for a long moment. "What technique do you want?"
"Right now... I want to learn the Eight Inner Gate Technique. I hope to learn more techniques in the future as well."
The Third raised an eyebrow. "The Eight Inner Gate Technique? "That technique? It's powerful, yes, but extremely self-destructive. Most shinobi avoid it for good reason."
Haruto nodded firmly.
"I've considered that. But if the village, or my comrades, are truly in danger... I want the power to protect them—even if it costs me everything."
He knew this was the kind of speech that would appeal to Hiruzen, but even so, he wasn't sure the old man would approve it. Still, he had come prepared to risk it all—win or lose.
Sarutobi closed his eyes. He remained that way for a long time. When he finally opened them, the sharp light inside them had softened.
"Is it because of Itachi… that you desire power so desperately?"
Conan flinched slightly.
"He told me about you," Sarutobi continued. "Itachi said you saw through the hidden workings of the village—things even seasoned ninja wouldn't dare question, I was shocked. Since then, I've watched you: your character, your decisions, your wisdom, even your friendships. You're excellent in every area. And yet… I still can't see through you."
"Especially your ideals. They're beyond anything I expected from someone your age."
Speaking of this, the Third Hokage stared into Haruto's eyes again, speaking slowly.
"In fact, I have trained you as the next generation of Hokage. Originally, I thought that this would take a year or two, that you would grow up and be ready. But since you're eager for power now, I've decided to advance that timeline. Just tell me what techniques you need, and I'll teach you personally until you become a true, independent ninja."
Haruto was taken aback by the Third Hokage's high expectations. He hadn't expected this level of faith in him. Truthfully, he wasn't the most idealistic, and the incident with Itachi was purely coincidental. Still, it was good to know that the Third Hokage thought so highly of him.
"Is the Flying Thunder God Jutsu of the Fourth Hokage also possible?" Haruto asked tentatively.
The Third Hokage smiled gently.
"Yes, as I said, as long as it's something from the village, it's possible. But the Flying Thunder God technique is very complicated. It requires intricate mastery of the sealing techniques. I can give you some basic knowledge of it, but come find me once you succeed in training the basics."
Haruto looked at the scrolls in his hands, sincerely bowing to the Third Hokage.
"Thank you, Lord Third. "
The Third Hokage waved his hand dismissively.
"Go now. I hope you will not disappoint my expectations. I am waiting to see the changes you bring to this world. I also want to see what the world without war, that you mentioned, would look like."
As Haruto walked out of the Third Hokage's house, a sudden weight pressed down on him. The expectation of the Hokage was no small thing. Could he truly live up to this responsibility?
For a moment, Haruto found himself struggling to breathe. Could he really carry the weight of the Third Hokage's hopes?