The System Awakens

After talking with Might Duy that day, Haku's life returned to normal.

Might Duy had first endured the death of Might Guy, then, for reasons of his own, had been forced to go to war with only Genin-level strength. The latter had not led to any major crises, thanks to Minato Namikaze.

Though his talent for training was average and his strength was limited, Duy was utterly single-minded about training, with something like the innocence of a child.

This had also led Duy to sense that something was amiss lately. So he told Haku he planned to settle into life as a Genin and stop striving to break the curse that had kept his father, Guy, from advancing beyond Genin. He had met a kunoichi on his latest mission and planned to marry her in a few years.

By the time the next generation graduated from the Ninja Academy, Haku should be able to solve the problem. Then the next generation would have a better environment, too.

Of course, this didn't mean Duy would give up training. He would keep working out as he always had, and when the time came, he would find a way to break the tradition that Taijutsu specialists couldn't become Chunin.

Haku didn't object to Might Duy's decision. As long as Haku stayed put, he now had enough strength to protect himself, and some ability to shelter a few friends in the village. But outside the village, he couldn't stop those who had it in for him—or, for that matter, Orochimaru.

From that day on, Might Duy became more and more unremarkable, gradually earning the nickname "the eternal Genin."

Once Might Duy had made his feelings clear, Haku's life settled down again. The only difference was that he now spent his days studying Sealing Jutsu.

Learning Sealing Jutsu meant frequent visits to Kushina Uzumaki, who taught Haku generously, withholding only a few of her clan's forbidden techniques that couldn't be passed on to outsiders.

Haku was gradually getting the hang of Sealing Jutsu, but he was still far from being able to properly modify the Yin Seal and inscribe sealing formulas.

After Orochimaru concluded the war with Kumogakure, he gradually faded from public view. Even so, word of his good reputation among ordinary people still reached Haku from time to time.

It seemed to Haku that several factions were vying over Orochimaru's reputation, with some unwilling to let him become too popular among the people.

I wonder what Orochimaru-sensei has been doing lately, and how he's been. The village hasn't been saying anything very friendly about him lately.

That day, Haku was at Konoha Hospital, looking over intelligence sent from Hyuga Valley. Though Haku hadn't visited the Hyuga clan or kept in touch with Hyuga Riko since that day, for some reason, Elder Hyuga Valley still sent him secret information from time to time—information ordinary people in Konoha couldn't get their hands on. Some concerned secrets of the village's various clans; others were major events in the Shinobi World.

[ Ding! ]

[ The system has awakened. Version update complete! ]

[ This update consumed too much energy. The system will enter hibernation again. In consideration of the host's needs, a simple intelligent guide has been left behind to assist the host! ]

Haku had been waiting for the system to awaken for half a year. And now, after announcing that the update was complete, it had gone right back to sleep. Haku was speechless. He was so annoyed he felt like ditching the system, but then he remembered it was his only chance of crossing worlds again, so he treated his threats as empty venting.

Muttering curses, Haku opened the updated panel.

[ Combat Power: 140! ] (Combat Power in normal state)

[ S-Cells: 150! ]

[ System Energy: 1.5! ]

[ Special Energy: 1 type! ]

Haku looked at the updated panel, puzzled.

Before he had much time to wonder, a voice sounded in his mind.

[ System intelligence at your service! ]

[ The system panel has been simplified. It currently displays only your overall Combat Power in normal state, your number of S-Cells, and your System Energy. ]

[ System Energy is the Origin Energy of Chakra obtained by the host from killing beings in this world who are hostile toward him. It can be used to directly increase the host's Combat Power or accelerate his progress in learning ninjutsu. It is essentially a wish-granting mechanism: anything the host desires can be realized by spending Energy Points. ]

[ Special Energy is a unique form of energy found in each world. One type has been acquired and successfully analyzed so far: Eight-Tails Chakra. ]

[ The host can spend System Energy to create an Eight-Tails Tailed Beast of his own, one that is not bound by this world's rules. Unlike this world's Jinchuriki, who borrow the power of a Tailed Beast, the Eight-Tails created by the system will be part of the host himself. ]

From the system intelligence's explanation, Haku understood one thing: he had basically gained a way to allocate points—or, rather, a shopping system, a wish-granting system that could make any of his wishes come true. But all of that depended on him having enough Energy Points.