Awakening, System Bound

About two hours later, Uchiha Kō awoke from his unconsciousness. He shook his head, took a deep breath, and looked around.

"Where am I?" Uchiha Kō murmured. This wasn't his home, the training ground, or even the shabby little place he lived in the clan compound.

Instead, he was in a spacious, bright residence with a comfortable warmth.

"Boy, you're awake." Uzumaki Mito sat in a chair. She opened her previously closed eyes and looked toward Uchiha Kō on the bed.

Uchiha Kō sat up and turned toward the voice, only to find a middle-aged woman seated in a chair. She had red hair, an air of nobility, and beautiful features, and she regarded him calmly.

His mind raced. Konoha, red hair, a middle-aged woman—could it be...

Uchiha Kō hurriedly got up, pulled back the covers, climbed out of bed, and knelt on one knee. "Thank you, Lady Mito, for saving my life."

Uzumaki Mito raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Young man, I don't recall ever telling you my name. How did you know who I was?"

Of course, it was because she was a red-haired woman in Konoha, but he couldn't say that. It would sound too shallow, so he quickly replied, "Lady Mito, just tell me—who in Konoha could possess such grace and beauty? I truly can't think of anyone besides you!"

Uzumaki Mito covered her mouth and laughed. "What a silver-tongued little rascal."

The Nine-Tails' voice rang out. "That kid's lying! He did it on purpose!"

Uzumaki Mito responded to the Nine-Tails while attending to two things at once. "I know. You don't have to tell me." She gave a quiet snort.

The Nine-Tails: ...

Uzumaki Mito smiled. "Little one, I heard you awakened your Sharingan. Could you let me have a look?"

"Of course!" Uchiha Kō closed his eyes. Yin Release Chakra gathered and connected to his optic nerves. Then he opened them.

Whoosh! His eyes snapped open, and his blood-red Sharingan fixed on Uzumaki Mito's eyes without wavering.

Uzumaki Mito nodded. "Very good. Your awakening was exceptionally successful. I can even sense a presence comparable to that of the Uchiha shinobi of the Warring States Period."

She wasn't exaggerating. The Sharingan awakened by the Uchiha during the Warring States Period had been far stronger than the Sharingan of today.

Uchiha Kō was stunned. The Warring States Period? He'd never expected such high praise. He had awakened his eyes at eighteen, and the Uchiha Clan considered him a good-for-nothing. Yet in Uzumaki Mito's eyes, he was a genius.

Whether or not Uzumaki Mito's words were sincere, Uchiha Kō was genuinely grateful to her.

"Thank you for your praise, Lady Mito." Uchiha Kō spoke with even greater sincerity.

But Uzumaki Mito shook her head. "Don't thank me yet. Little Tsunade found you unconscious and carried you back. She just went out to attend a meeting."

Uchiha Kō immediately understood. So that was it. Before he passed out, he'd thought he saw a flash of gold. It must have been Tsunade's hair!

At the thought of Tsunade, his heart fluttered. Even when watching the anime, he'd thought she was beautiful and peerless. Now he couldn't help feeling a little excited.

Uchiha Kō nodded. The meeting was probably about rallying the troops and assigning units before the war. Tsunade was eighteen and a student of the Hokage, so she would certainly be chosen to lead troops.

That was something she would have to experience, whether as a descendant of the Senju Clan or as the Hokage's student.

There was one thing he needed to keep in mind, though. A year after the war began, there would be a meeting of the jonin, where Tsunade would propose the idea of medical shinobi.

His job was to steadfastly follow and support her. But first, he needed to reach jonin strength and make a contribution within the year. Only then could he attend the meeting.

Uzumaki Mito found the changing expressions on the boy's face amusing. "Kō, right? Please get some rest. You've only just woken up, and you're still weak. When Little Tsunade gets back, you'll have plenty to talk about since you're the same age."

"Uchiha Kō thanks you, Lady Mito!" He cupped his hands in a respectful gesture.

Uzumaki Mito waved a hand and left the room. Just as she was about to step through the doorway, she paused. "Oh, by the way, the room you're staying in belongs to Little Tsunade."

She left with a smile.

Uchiha Kō froze. This... this was Tsunade's room? No wonder. No wonder it smelled so nice. After Uzumaki Mito left, he lay back down and breathed in the faint fragrance, his heart full of joy.

Just then, a voice suddenly rang out. "Ding! System binding complete. The Strongest Ninja System has been activated."

Uchiha Kō froze, then sat up and looked at the panel that had appeared out of nowhere. "Would you like to activate the system?"

Uchiha Kō took a deep breath. He knew exactly what this was. He'd read system novels, not just manga! This was his cheat!

Uchiha Kō said, "Yes!"

Ding! System bound.

Host: Uchiha Kō; Chakra: Genin; Combat Strength: Genin; Skills: Uchiha Style Shurikenjutsu, Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, C-rank Ninjutsu: Great Fireball Technique, C-rank Ninjutsu: Dragon Fire Technique, C-rank Ninjutsu: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique; Kekkei Genkai: One-Tomoe Sharingan (can grow).

Ding! A beginner's gift pack has been detected. Would you like to open it?

"Open it!" Uchiha Kō smiled. His current Genin-level strength would make him little more than cannon fodder on the battlefield of the Second Shinobi World War. The beginner's gift pack had arrived just in time.

Ding! Beginner's gift pack contents: The host is awarded Chunin-level Chakra and the B-rank Ninjutsu Great Fire Annihilation (mastered instantly).

Ding! Since the host awakened the Sharingan on his own, the original Sharingan reward has been canceled. Replacing it with an equivalent reward.

The host has been detected to possess Wind and Earth Chakra natures, meeting the minimum requirements for a Kekkei Genkai. The host is awarded the Magnet Release Kekkei Genkai, along with the B-rank Ninjutsu Sand Binding Coffin (mastered instantly).

Uchiha Kō immediately felt his Chakra increasing rapidly, and his chakra pathways widening considerably. His face, pale from awakening the Sharingan, gradually regained its color.

The methods for using Great Fire Annihilation and Sand Binding Coffin then appeared in his mind. With a slight movement of his hand, the sand in the room began to flow. Uchiha Kō hurriedly stopped.

Lady Mito, a senior shinobi, was right there in the house. If he kept going, she might notice!

But he didn't know that the moment his Chakra increased, Uzumaki Mito had already released the Mind's Eye of the Kagura and begun observing him in secret.

She had seen every move he made. Uzumaki Mito's eyes lit up, and she murmured, "Magnet Release? The little one was hiding it so well!"

Then she withdrew the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, feeling rather pleased. The boy seemed rather handsome, and he and Tsunade appeared to be the same age.

Still, young people should work things out for themselves. After all, a melon forced off the vine wouldn't be sweet.

Uchiha Kō breathed a sigh of relief, then continued examining the system's features.