The Flow of Fate Had Already Changed

"Kabuto, happy birthday."

Natsume placed a palm-sized cake in front of the little boy and said, "The director is too busy to get away right now, so she doesn't have time to see you. She asked me to apologize on her behalf."

"Thank you."

Kabuto Yakushi adjusted his glasses, his face showing a calmness unfitting for his age. "The recent chaos in Konoha affected many people. The director is a Medical Ninja, so it's normal for her to be busy."

"Go ahead and eat."

Natsume sat across from him, looking at his head of white hair as a saying came to mind.

Switch the gender, and the fans would number in the tens of thousands.

White hair plus a loli was plenty of people's thing.

Perhaps white hair plus a shota was someone's preference too.

After all, humanity should never be underestimated.

Though all of it was pretty criminal.

"You're seven this year, right?" Natsume asked.

"Mm." Kabuto Yakushi swallowed the cake in his mouth before answering.

Natsume's eyes shifted slightly as he began to calculate.

Though it had never been stated outright, Kabuto Yakushi should have encountered Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru around this age.

They had valued his outstanding talent for medical ninjutsu, taken him under their wing, and trained him into a ninja spy from then on.

But now that Natsume had transmigrated here, he had repeatedly told Kabuto Yakushi not to reveal his medical talent.

The flow of fate had already changed.

Why hadn't he received a reward yet?

Natsume instinctively looked at his wrist.

There was an artifact only he could see, called the Sacred Ring of Destiny.

As long as Natsume changed the Destiny Node of a character from the story, he could obtain rewards.

A Destiny Node referred to the most important turning point in a person's long life.

Kabuto Yakushi was one example.

His first turning point in fate had been meeting Shimura Danzō and Orochimaru.

"I'm done eating!"

Kabuto Yakushi wiped his mouth, stood up, and asked, "I'm planning to practice Medical Ninjutsu. What about you?"

Although Natsume had told him to conceal his talent, he had not neglected his Medical Ninjutsu.

His talent for medical ninjutsu was genuinely exceptional, after all. It would be a waste not to make use of it.

If he had not encountered Orochimaru, Kabuto Yakushi might have steadily grown into the next Tsunade.

In contrast, Natsume had no talent whatsoever.

Not only did he lack talent for medical ninjutsu, but his ninja talent was also abysmal.

It was truly a double blessing.

Because of your actions, Kabuto Yakushi's fate has changed. You have obtained 100 Destiny Points.

Natsume froze for a moment, then was overcome with wild joy.

Hahaha, my cheat has finally arrived!

"Go practice. Don't worry about me."

Natsume watched Kabuto Yakushi leave, then turned and entered the room.

One hundred Destiny Points might not seem like much, but it was already quite a lot.

According to the rules of the Sacred Ring of Destiny, each person could provide no more than one hundred Destiny Points for each Destiny Node.

As for how many points he obtained, that depended on how important the character whose fate had been changed was in the story.

But since there were many Destiny Nodes, it meant he could repeatedly farm the same person.

Natsume was seven years old. He was an orphan of the Third Shinobi World War and had been adopted by Yakushi Nonō.

At the Orphanage, the only story character whose fate he could change was Kabuto Yakushi.

Under his deliberate influence, the two had become good friends over the three years they had lived together.

Otherwise, Kabuto Yakushi would never have listened to him and hidden his medical talent.

Natsume turned the Sacred Ring of Destiny, and a screen of light unfolded before his eyes.

Current Destiny Points: 100.

Destiny Point Shop unlocked.

Novice Special Offer: Because you possess the bloodline of the Senju Clan, you may awaken the Wood Style Talent at a 90% discount.

Natsume did not hesitate and directly purchased the Novice Special Offer.

Ninety Destiny Points vanished.

A warm current flowed through his body.

That felt good.

Natsume exhaled, feeling utterly refreshed.

With the Wood Style Talent, he now had the foundation to establish himself in the Shinobi World.

But exchanging for talents was not an easy matter.

The Destiny Point Shop did have Wood Style Ninjutsu, but Destiny Points were difficult to acquire.

Natsume set his sights on Konoha.

The simplest method was to directly reveal that he possessed the Wood Style Talent.

Wood Style held an extremely special position in Konoha.

Because it represented the invincible First Hokage, Hashirama Senju.

There was a high chance that the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi would take him under his wing and teach him.

There was a small chance he would enter Root and suffer Shimura Danzō's brainwashing.

But Natsume believed there was a third path.

Tsunade.

Because she was the princess of the Senju Clan.

Faced with the second ninja since her grandfather Hashirama Senju to possess Wood Style, she could not possibly stand by and ignore him.

If Natsume had Tsunade, one of the Sannin, protecting him, he would be very safe for a long time. At the same time, he could learn Wood Style Ninjutsu from her for free.

It could be called a win-win situation.

He won twice.

After the Second Shinobi World War, Tsunade had left Konoha and wandered everywhere.

But that did not mean she had become a rogue ninja.

She still loved Konoha deeply.

Otherwise, she would not have later become the Fifth Hokage.

The original story never mentioned whether she had returned to Konoha after leaving.

But now that the Nine-Tails Attack had just passed, the funeral for the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze and the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki Kushina Uzumaki was about to be held.

There was a high chance Tsunade would return.

Natsume could only take a gamble.

With his status, he could not get close to Tsunade, but Yakushi Nonō could.

At Tsunade's suggestion, Konoha had established a fairly good medical system.

The Medical Unit and Medical Hospital had been established as a result.

Tsunade had once taught in the Medical Unit.

Yakushi Nonō could be considered one of her students, and the two had a decent relationship.

Natsume's plan was to reveal his Wood Style to her, then have her contact Tsunade.

Of course, that required some finesse.

Next, it was time for his performance.

Night.

After a busy day, Yakushi Nonō returned to the Orphanage.

Because of the Nine-Tails Attack, Konoha Hospital was overflowing with patients, and there was a severe shortage of Medical Ninja.

She had no choice but to go help as well.

Although Yakushi Nonō was exhausted, it was not time to rest yet. She still had to make sure the children went to sleep.

She first went to Kabuto Yakushi's room.

The light was still on.

Yakushi Nonō knocked on the door and asked, "Reading?"

"Director, you're back?"

Kabuto Yakushi smiled happily. "I'm reading the Analysis of Basic Ninja Cases you gave me."

"Go to sleep early."

Yakushi Nonō smiled as well.

Although Kabuto Yakushi learned rather slowly, he worked very hard.

He was obedient and sensible.

Among all the children, Kabuto Yakushi was her favorite.

"I'll sleep after one more chapter. Half an hour."

Kabuto Yakushi raised one finger as he bargained.

"You really are impossible. Read for now, then. I'll come back later."

Yakushi Nonō was somewhat helpless, but she felt even more affection and satisfaction toward the child.

She closed the door and headed for the second room.

If Kabuto Yakushi was an obedient good child, then Natsume was an overly mature older child.

He was clearly only seven, yet the way he spoke and acted was like an adult.

But it was precisely because of this personality that Natsume had become the children's leader at the Orphanage, saving her quite a bit of trouble.

Yakushi Nonō opened the door and immediately raised her eyebrows.

His face was slightly pale, his hair was disheveled, his clean clothes bore muddy scuff marks, and his sleeves looked as if sharp thorns had sliced two openings through them, exposing the red, swollen skin beneath.

"Director."

Natsume quickly put on a flattering smile and said, "I accidentally fell."

"I want the truth."

Yakushi Nonō scrutinized the little boy with a serious expression, crouching down and grabbing his right arm.

"Hiss, that hurts."

Natsume instinctively sucked in a breath.

"Now you know it hurts?"

Yakushi Nonō stretched out her right hand over the wound, and a faint green glow flickered.

A warm current soothed his right arm. Natsume's expression relaxed as he secretly marveled at how convenient Medical Ninjutsu was.

"All right. Be more careful next time."

Yakushi Nonō fixed her gray-black eyes on him. "Tell me, what happened?"

Natsume hesitated for several seconds before saying, "Director, I think I may have awakened some kind of special talent."

Awakened? Talent?

Yakushi Nonō was an exceptionally skilled ninja, and she immediately thought of a Kekkei Genkai—ninjutsu inherited through one's bloodline.

Under certain circumstances, it could awaken on its own.

"Let me see." Yakushi Nonō asked impatiently.

If he could awaken a Kekkei Genkai, it meant Natsume could become a ninja.

For an orphan, that was undoubtedly a good path forward.

Natsume extended his right hand. Chakra surged forth, and several thorny vines stretched out from his palm.

But because his control was rather poor, they scattered apart after a few seconds.

The sharp thorns left more scratches on his arm.

"Wood Style?!"

Yakushi Nonō's eyes widened, her voice filled with extremely complicated emotions.

A top-quality Naruto fanfic with daily updates of ten thousand words. This book focuses on lightheartedness, invincibility, daily life, romance, and multiple heroines, so rest assured—the protagonist is not a eunuch. Feel free to join the group, especially the second one, where there are good things to see. P.S. If this feels too childish, check out my previous book, "Farming and Leveling Up from Konoha."