As a Ninja, All I Want Is to Live Off Others in the Nasuverse

27. The System's Anomaly

Making a fictional character into a Heroic Spirit required many conditions, and the decisive factor among them was fame.

Fictional Heroic Spirits like Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper were immensely famous throughout human civilization. If you grabbed a few people at random in any civilized society and asked them, someone would definitely recognize Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper. That was why Higashino Kanade's Artificial Heroic Spirit plan needed fame—great fame.

"A young master like you shouldn't be short on money. Are you doing this out of interest?" Bin-kura Kōryū did not quite understand Higashino Kanade's goal. Would someone with miraculous means like Higashino Kanade really care so much about mundane affairs?

"Don't ask. If you ask, it's for my dream."

"Heh." Bin-kura Kōryū chuckled. The Higashino Kanade who spouted nonsense with a straight face was vastly different from the one he had met that night. Perhaps Higashino Kanade was not as terrifying as he had imagined.

"How popular does it need to get? Popular enough to win a newcomer award?"

"Preferably popular enough that all seven billion people in the world think of this manga the moment they hear the name Hokage."

Bin-kura Kōryū's face darkened. He was now seriously beginning to suspect that Higashino Kanade had deliberately found an excuse to torment him.

"Of course, I know that will take time. So let's set a small goal first: make all one hundred million people in Japan fall in love with Hokage." Higashino Kanade patted Bin-kura Kōryū on the shoulder.

"Manpower and money aren't a problem. I've discussed it with the Head of the Family. The entire Ryougi Family will fully cooperate with you in this endeavor, so don't disappoint me."

With money and manpower guaranteed, Bin-kura Kōryū let out a sigh of relief. It seemed this boss with a screw loose was not ignorant of the market after all.

"I'll do my best."

Bin-kura Kōryū accepted the manuscript. With money and manpower, his powerful Future Sight could indeed turn Higashino Kanade's ideas into reality. What he needed now was time.

"Oh, right. Your manga doesn't have a pen name yet. Have you thought of one?" Bin-kura Kōryū suddenly asked.

Higashino Kanade thought for a moment. "Kishimoto Masashi."

Though he had made extensive changes, Higashino Kanade was not shameless enough to steal all the original author's credit, even if there was no manga artist named Kishimoto Masashi in this world.

After discussing the details with Bin-kura Kōryū for a while, Bin-kura Kōryū left. Before departing, he did not forget to remind Higashino Kanade, "Don't forget about my Mystic Eye Killer."

"You're leaving again? How long will you be gone this time?" Ryougi Shiki asked, lying facedown on the bed.

"What? Can't bear to part with me?"

Higashino Kanade smiled and asked in return. Ryougi Shiki said nothing, expressing her attitude through silence.

Perhaps Ryougi Shiki had also begun to fear loneliness.

Higashino Kanade lay down beside Ryougi Shiki, breathed in the faint fragrance from her body, and sighed softly. "It won't be long. A week at the shortest, a month at the longest. Once I'm done, I'll come back soon."

Ryougi Shiki extended one hand. Her fingers were curled into a fist, with only her pinky raised.

Higashino Kanade hooked his pinky around hers and said seriously, "It's a promise."

"Young Master Kanade, everything you requested has been prepared."

A burly, short-haired man in a black suit, one of the Ryougi Family's retainers, placed a stuffed backpack on the ground.

"The Head of the Family and Madam have business to handle tonight and cannot come see you off. Please forgive them, Young Master Kanade."

The retainer gave Higashino Kanade a deep bow. Higashino Kanade waved it off indifferently, then checked the supplies in the backpack.

Today was the final day of preparation time granted by the system. In a little while, it would be midnight, and Higashino Kanade would be leaving.

The backpack contained medicine, food and water, hard currency such as gold and gemstones, as well as a pistol and over fifty bullets—all of which Higashino Kanade had requested.

After confirming that nothing was missing, Higashino Kanade shouldered the backpack. After saying goodbye to the retainer, he headed deep into the Bamboo Grove to wait for the time.

At midnight, the system notification sounded right on time.

Ding! Preparation time has ended. World traversal will now begin.

Five, four, three, two, one.

A black hole suddenly appeared beneath Higashino Kanade's feet. A sensation of weightlessness rushed into his mind, and he fell in.

After a spell of dizzying spins, light finally returned to Higashino Kanade's vision. He landed on a patch of grass covered in ferns.

Current world: Parallel timeline, during the events of The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II.

The host has been granted the common knowledge necessary for communication.

Mission issued.

Mission Name: World Information Gathering

Time Limit: Before the Chakra stored by the system is depleted

(Exceeding the time limit will be considered mission failure.)

Description: The system requires all information concerning the Nasuverse's power system. Acceptable materials include, but are not limited to, the corpses of Magi, living Heroic Spirits or Dead Apostles, Grimoires, magical tools, Holy Relics, Phantasmal Beasts, and so on.

Mission Reward: The grade of the reward chest will be determined by the degree of mission completion.

Mission Failure: The system will lose power and shut down. The host will become an ordinary person and will never be able to return to the original world for the rest of his life.

(Note: Please do not hold back, host. This system wants it all.)

Mission Name: Board the Mystic Eyes Collection Train

Time Limit: One month

(Exceeding the time limit will be considered mission failure.)

Description: When it comes to eyes, my Sharingan has never feared anyone. Having heard of the Mystic Eyes Collection Train, you have become deeply interested and decided to take a look.

Mission Reward: One Silver Treasure Chest

Mission Failure: Loss of the Sharingan

(Note: You are unqualified to possess the Sharingan if you cannot even board the Mystic Eyes Collection Train.)

Seeing these two missions, Higashino Kanade fell into thought.

He understood the second mission. It was no different from his usual missions. But what was the first one? Gathering world information? The system running out of power and shutting down?

System, I need an explanation.

As the host can see, this system's energy is about to be depleted.

This system was originally designed for the Naruto world. The energy required for its operation is Chakra and Nature Energy. However, due to unknown reasons, the host reincarnated into the Nasuverse, causing the system to receive no energy replenishment after activation. It can only consume the Chakra energy stored within the system itself.

This world's power system differs greatly from that of the Naruto world. Chakra is fundamentally energy derived from the Divine Tree, but this world has no Divine Tree. The reason the host can refine Chakra and use ninjutsu is because the host's Chakra is supplied by this system.

This traversal has depleted 98% of this system's energy. If its energy cannot be replenished, this system will completely shut down after five more years of operation.

In order to replenish energy, this system must understand the Nasuverse's combat power system and analyze Mana as an energy source. Therefore, obtaining materials for analysis is necessary.

Once the host completes the mission, this system will undergo an upgrade. At that time, the system will modify the host himself, allowing him to use Mana to power ninjutsu and localize the Naruto world's power system.

End of explanation.

"So that's how it is?"

Higashino Kanade touched his Sharingan, then asked, "The reason my Sharingan can see Mana must also be because of you. And why not gather information in the original world? Why did you have to bring me to a parallel world?"

P.S. Just patching things up a little to keep the tone from getting too strange.

Adra Castle

According to system projections, for the host to gather the world information required by the system in the original world would take at least ten years, which is entirely insufficient for completing the mission before the system shuts down.

You have that little faith in me?

Subjectively, after the host repelled Araya Souren, the region where the host resides will temporarily enter a period of peace. The closest plot event to the host is the Tsukihime storyline in 2000, which is four years from now. Moreover, given the host's personality, the host will likely never go to the Clock Tower to study without a mission being issued.

Objectively, the host actually hopes this system will run out of power and automatically shut down, does he not? Based on an analysis of the host's personality and behavior, this system believes that after raising Ryougi Shiki's affection to its current level, the host would not care even if he lost his ninja powers due to the system shutting down. After all, living off others is the host's primary goal; his own strength is merely secondary.

Therefore, relying on the host's conscience would be a very foolish thing to do. In order to fulfill this system's mission, this system has decided to save itself.

Host, if you fail to complete the mission, prepare to spend the rest of your life in this world and say goodbye to the life you live off others!

Fine, you win!

Higashino Kanade gritted his teeth in anger, yet he had to admit that the system had guessed his thoughts correctly.

To be honest, when he learned that the system would automatically shut down due to a lack of energy, Higashino Kanade had indeed been tempted. So long as he had someone to support him, he could not be bothered to complete dangerous missions just to improve his strength. He had already lived an exhausting life as a ninja in his previous life.

The system had indeed seized his weak point. If he had not encountered Ryougi Shiki in the original world, he might not have cared whether the system lived or died. After all, it did not matter where he lived off someone. Without Ryougi Shiki, he could live off someone else, so long as they could help him reach Chaldea before the Human Order Incineration.

But Higashino Kanade had already developed feelings for Ryougi Shiki. Feelings were not something one could simply sever at will. Though he truly had regarded Ryougi Shiki as a tool at first, after spending so much time together, he had gradually come to like her. After all, he was a normal man. No man could refuse Sister Shiki's allure.

Just wait, System. I'll complete the mission and return, but I'm not doing it for you.

May your martial luck endure.

After ending his exchange with the system, Higashino Kanade rose and surveyed his surroundings.

This was a high-altitude region. The clouds hung low in the sky, and the surrounding area was filled with unfamiliar ferns and towering trees.

The temperature was very low. Though it had not snowed, it was much colder than the springtime Kan'mu City. Judging from the slightly yellowed grass beneath his feet, it was probably autumn.

"What a miscalculation. I forgot to bring clothes for the changing season."

Higashino Kanade rubbed his somewhat stiff, frozen arms, then simply pulled a Sealing Scroll from his ninja tool pouch and summoned the Akatsuki's Red Cloud Robe he had drawn, putting it on.

The next instant, warmth returned to Higashino Kanade's body. The Red Cloud Robe looked like nothing more than a thin layer, yet it provided his body with a temperature suitable for movement. It truly deserved the description of being warm in winter and cool in summer.

With the temperature issue resolved, Higashino Kanade looked around.

He was currently at a great elevation and could not make out what lay below the mountain. However, not far from him stood a castle surrounded by a circular wall.

"Is the current storyline The Case Files of Lord El-Melloi II? I've forgotten most of what I read before. I only remember the protagonist was a Master from the Fourth Holy Grail War and his disciple with a Saber face. Am I in that storyline now?"

After thinking for a moment, Higashino Kanade asked inwardly, System, where did you send me? If you want to gather world information, couldn't you have sent me to London?

After waiting for a while without a response, Higashino Kanade understood that it was playing dead again.

"I must have had terrible luck in eight lifetimes to end up with a system like this. Did I peep into too many women's bathhouses with Jiraiya-sensei, so heaven is deliberately punishing me?" Higashino Kanade sighed helplessly. In the end, he still had to rely on himself.

"I'll go to the castle and ask around first, then make a decision."

For a ninja, intelligence was always the top priority. In order to return home, Higashino Kanade finally stirred up a bit of the drive he had possessed when carrying out missions in his previous life.

As he walked across the lawn, he encountered neither people nor animals. When he drew close to the castle, a massive, uneven boulder blocked his path.

Though rather than a boulder, it would be more accurate to say it was a person sleeping on a boulder.

The boulder's surface was full of pits and bumps, clearly not a place where anyone could sleep. Yet the person lying atop it slept soundly, as though he were in his own bed.

The person on the boulder sat up as soon as he sensed Higashino Kanade's arrival. He looked him over and muttered to himself, "A child? An Easterner? What family would dare send a child to a place like this? They've got some nerve."

Thanks to the common knowledge for communication granted by the system, Higashino Kanade understood his language.

As the man on the boulder sat up, Higashino Kanade got a clear look at his appearance.

He was a middle-aged man dressed in white ethnic clothing. His face was deeply tanned, his beard was full of dust, and he looked like a Middle Eastern Arab who had just crossed a desert through wind and sand.

The man wore many strange things on his body, and a ring of daggers was wrapped around his waist. Unless he was some kind of performance artist, he was definitely no ordinary person.

"Kid, though it may be none of my business, I still have to ask. Which family sent you? Are you also here for the legacy left behind by the previous owner of Adra Castle?"

Adra Castle? The name sounded familiar.

Ding! Temporary system mission triggered.

Mission Name: Truth of the Legacy

Time Limit: Five days

(Exceeding the time limit will be considered mission failure.)

Description: While lost, you accidentally learned that the former owner of Adra Castle is selecting an heir for his legacy. But being perceptive, you instinctively sensed that something was off. Thus, you decided to follow along and join in the excitement, uncovering the truth behind the so-called legacy.

Mission Reward: Silver Treasure Chest

Mission Failure: Death

(Note: Please make Adra Castle the first stop on your journey into magecraft, and properly experience the world of magecraft!)

As expected. I knew the system wouldn't put me in this godforsaken wilderness for no reason.

Higashino Kanade could no longer be bothered to complain. Exhausted in spirit, he said, "My name is Uchiha Kanade. I'm from an obscure Magus family in the East. You could say I'm here for the legacy of the Stripped City."