Keiko stood in the backyard for a while before turning to Hanfu. "Feng-chan, be good and stay home. Don't go wandering off, okay? Mom's going to check on things at the hospital. I'll make you something delicious for dinner."
Keiko bent down and gently ruffled Hanfu's hair, then went to the entryway and changed her shoes. Afterward, she turned to look at him.
Hanfu looked back at Keiko. They stared at each other, wide-eyed. Keiko tilted her head, and Hanfu copied her, tilting his head too.
Keiko looked exasperated. "Feng-chan, you can't be so rude."
"Huh?"
Confused, Hanfu quickly recalled what had happened before, and then it suddenly clicked. "I understand, Mom. I'll stay home and wait for you to come back."
Only then did Keiko smile. "Well, goodbye."
Hanfu said nothing.
Keiko opened the door, then turned back with an expressionless face.
Hanfu's survival instincts kicked in. "Goodbye, Mom!"
Only then was Keiko satisfied, and she left.
After she was gone, Hanfu wore an expression of utter despair. How was he supposed to get by in society like this?
After a while, Hanfu suddenly remembered something. He folded his arms across his chest like a little adult and said to himself, "Mom works at the hospital... She's either a nurse or a doctor."
After silently congratulating himself on his brilliance, Hanfu marched into the backyard with his chest puffed out. He glanced at the wooden sword his dad had stuck in the grass, then picked up his own thirty-centimeter wooden sword.
He'd thought he could use his cheat to reach the pinnacle of life, but on his very first day, he'd failed three collection attempts in a row.
"I'll have to rely on myself after all."
Hanfu recalled his dad's Iaijutsu stance from earlier. He copied it, pressing the wooden sword against his left hip, then leaning forward and drawing it in a fierce slash at the wooden post in front of him.
Bang!
The wooden sword bounced off the post with a dull thud. The force of the impact was so strong that Hanfu couldn't keep hold of it, and it flew right out of his hand.
Hanfu remained frozen in his sword-drawing pose, but the atmosphere was unbearably awkward.
"Big brother, are you practicing your swordsmanship?" A childish voice suddenly called from the other side of the wall.
Hanfu turned to look. A little head had appeared over the wall, staring at him with eager anticipation.
Memories surged through Hanfu's mind.
That little brat... was his younger brother, Gekko Hayate!
"Hayate, you..." Hanfu hadn't finished speaking when Gekko Hayate scrambled up the wall on all fours, then jumped straight down. He rolled several times across the grass in the yard, got to his feet as if nothing had happened, and raced toward Hanfu, kicking up sparks and grass along the way.
"Big brother, let's practice swordsmanship together!"
As if! Get out of here!
Hanfu rolled his eyes and rubbed his right wrist. "You go ahead. I'll watch from the side so you don't get hurt."
"Okay!"
Gekko Hayate shouted, then ran over, picked up Hanfu's thirty-centimeter wooden sword, and began swinging it with all his might.
Hanfu turned and sat on the wooden veranda in the yard, resting his chin in his hands as he watched Gekko Hayate. Gradually, his mind wandered.
He was thinking about his future. It might seem ridiculous for a seven-year-old to worry about what lay ahead, but he knew the Naruto story.
To be honest, Hanfu wasn't too concerned about what the future held. He just wanted to live a good, safe life, no matter which world he was in.
The Naruto World was dangerous, but it wasn't dangerous at all if you knew how to stay out of trouble.
If Hanfu decided not to become a ninja, all he had to do was find the legendary Ichiraku Ramen and apprentice himself to its owner. If he got up early every day to make ramen, he was sure to live a long, peaceful life without sickness or disaster. He might even marry the owner's daughter and reach the pinnacle of life!
But if he became a ninja, things would be different. He'd have to leave the village to take on missions—D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, maybe even A-rank or S-rank. The higher the rank, the more dangerous the mission. And during wartime, death would be a constant companion!
So, as far as Hanfu was concerned, he had only two ways to stay safe: either become an ordinary person and make ramen, living peacefully until the story's end, or become a ninja and reach the pinnacle of the ninja world, becoming someone like Uchiha Madara so he wouldn't get beaten to death!
If he didn't have a cheat, Hanfu would have chosen Ichiraku Ramen without hesitation. But he did have one.
The problem was, this cheat seemed... maybe... probably... perhaps a little unreliable. That was awkward.
"Big brother, what are you thinking about?" Gekko Hayate had practiced for ten minutes and was dripping with sweat. When he turned around and saw his big brother spacing out, he got upset.
"I was thinking about my chea—"
Hanfu started to speak without thinking, then abruptly shut his mouth. He immediately glared at Gekko Hayate with ill intent.
Little brother, you were getting awfully bold, weren't you? Trying to get me to spill my secrets?
How dare you!
Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Hanfu.
Was he using his cheat the wrong way?
He didn't know whether his Cheap Dad was a Jonin or a Chunin, but he was still just a little kid. The gap between him and his Cheap Dad was like heaven and earth. It was just like trying to collect something from a boss when you were a level-zero newbie in a game—you were bound to fail!
So, anything he wanted to do had to start small!
Especially... good deeds!
The malice vanished from Hanfu's face. "Hayate Little Brother, are you tired? Want me to loosen up your muscles?"
"I-I'm not tired."
Gekko Hayate instinctively took two steps back, then abruptly tossed aside the wooden sword in his hand and scrambled toward the wall.
"Don't run, little brother! The two of us are going to have a little bonding time today!"
Hanfu pounced like a dog going for its food, knocking Gekko Hayate down just as he'd climbed halfway up the wall.
"Mom, Mom... Waaah..."
Gekko Hayate couldn't take the shock and immediately burst into tears.
Hanfu pinned Gekko Hayate beneath him, but panicked when he saw him crying. The image of Keiko staring at him with narrowed eyes and a blank expression suddenly appeared in his mind. Hanfu shuddered, quickly pulled his little brother to his feet, and began massaging his shoulders.
As the saying went, actions spoke louder than words. After crying for half a minute, Gekko Hayate realized he wasn't being bullied, and his sobs gradually faded.
"Little brother, does that feel good?"
Hanfu asked with a sly grin.
"Yeah, it feels good. Thanks, big brother."
Gekko Hayate wiped away his tears and snot, then turned around and held out his hand. "Big brother, it's my turn to massage you."
Hanfu glanced at the snot on his little brother's hand and awkwardly shook his head. "No, I'm not tired. You just wore yourself out practicing your sword. Turn around—I'll give you another shoulder massage."
"Really?" Gekko Hayate asked. When Hanfu assured him he was, he happily turned around and continued enjoying the massage.
As he worked, Hanfu gritted his teeth and reminded himself: This is an investment. I expect returns. Tomorrow, I'll make you pay me back—with interest!
Hmph, little brother, you had no idea how terrifying society could be!
Tomorrow, your big brother would give you a proper lesson in adult education!
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