Fuyue's Entrustment

Impossible!

Absolutely impossible!

He could only rely on the system to grind through missions to get by.

His girlfriends all spoke with such sweet voices.

He didn't have to worry like in his past life, never knowing if the person on the other end was human or a ghost. Because as long as the sample size was large enough, there was no need to worry about such issues; he would always encounter good people eventually.

Therefore, no matter what the system was like, it was his good system.

At a certain moment, Nebula Kotetsu asked in his heart, as if making idle conversation.

"System, tell me, can I defeat the Otsutsuki?"

"Just how much capability do you actually have?"

He was just asking casually, not much different from talking to himself, but unexpectedly, the panel actually displayed a prompt.

[Host, perform your missions well, and Kaguya will absolutely be unable to stop you.]

[Upon reaching certain achievements, you may bring skills back to the real world, with the time of rebirth selectable.]

When Kotetsu Hagane returned from the academy, he heard a series of cheerful whistles coming from the kitchen.

Smelling the aroma wafting from the kitchen, Kotetsu Hagane dropped his school bag and ran to the kitchen doorway.

"So happy?"

"Did you get a new girlfriend again?"

"You brat!" Nebula Kotetsu scolded, just about to retort, but when he thought of the newly bound Uzuki Yugao, for some reason, the words of rebuttal were swallowed back down.

"Go wash your hands, it's time to eat."

"Eat? Not going to deliver soup to your girlfriend?"

"Not going."

Kotetsu Hagane's face was full of surprise: "Really?"

"What's the situation today?"

Nebula Kotetsu: "Just became Genin, everyone is busy with missions. The one scheduled for today had something come up, so it was canceled."

His expression carried a sense of relief.

He truly hoped his girlfriends would work overtime more often; that way, he could have a bit more time to himself.

Kotetsu Hagane said while setting the table: "I don't get you."

"What's so good about having so many girlfriends?"

"Just thinking about it makes me feel like it's a huge hassle."

"That's because you're still young..." Nebula Kotetsu said casually, but before he could finish, he suddenly remembered something, and his expression turned somewhat serious.

"Hagane, is there any girl you like in your class?"

Kotetsu Hagane shook his head without hesitation: "None."

"I think girls are all such a hassle, chirping and chattering all day long, only talking about boring things."

"So annoying."

Nebula Kotetsu's heart sank slightly.

This kid...

In his memories, this guy was a gatekeeper of Konoha, constantly paired up with a male ninja, and seemed to be a bachelor as well.

He wouldn't be into men, would he?

No way, right?

Looking at Kotetsu Hagane, who was busy stuffing his face, Nebula Kotetsu shook his head.

Probably not.

His foolish younger brother was just young. In another two years, perhaps he would naturally start liking girls. In his past life, weren't there many boys who thought playing with girls was embarrassing when they were little, only to regret it when they grew up?

Putting this matter aside for now, he turned his concern to the boy's life.

"How have things been at school lately?"

"Is that kid from the Sarutobi clan still giving you trouble?"

Kotetsu Hagane said while devouring his food: "Nope."

"He stopped."

"I heard his older brother got a new girlfriend, so now his attention is entirely focused on his brother's girlfriend every day."

Nebula Kotetsu: "...What kind of mess is that."

"Besides him?"

"Has anyone else been bullying you?"

"No." Izumo Kamizuki set down his bowl and served himself another helping.

"Nobody has bullied me lately."

"Because someone spoke up for me." As he said this, Izumo Kamizuki's face was full of joy.

Nebula Kotetsu asked curiously, "Who spoke up for you?"

"My new friend, Izumo Kamizuki!" Izumo Kamizuki said, unable to hide the smile at the corners of his mouth: "One day, in front of the whole class, he got into a huge argument with the other boys."

"He said, 'Every debt has its debtor,' and 'It's not Izumo Kamizuki's fault that he has a womanizing, good-for-nothing older brother,' and 'Picking on a younger brother is the act of a coward.' Ever since then, the boys in class haven't bothered me anymore."

"You have no idea how cool Izumo Kamizuki looked back then..."

Watching his younger brother, who couldn't stop talking once he'd started, Nebula Kotetsu's expression gradually turned serious.

He wanted to say something, but didn't know where to begin.

In the end, he sighed and silently shoveled rice into his mouth.

Seeing him like this, Izumo Kamizuki stopped bragging about his best friend's exploits and asked with concern, "What's wrong?"

"Are you unhappy that nobody is bullying me?"

Nebula Kotetsu's rice-shoveling motion paused, then he picked up his chopsticks and tapped the other boy's forehead lightly with the thick end.

"Eat your food!"

Baffled, Izumo Kamizuki obediently went back to eating, leaving Nebula Kotetsu with his thoughts in turmoil.

My own brother seems to be growing up crooked; what should I do?

Right, I heard a new volume of Icha Icha Paradise is coming out. Should I buy one for Izumo? Even though he's a bit young, some things are better learned early than late.

Hmm... better buy two. One is easy to lose, and I can keep the other as a backup.

After dinner, he practiced the Great Fireball Technique to improve his proficiency. Even as he was about to go to sleep, Nebula Kotetsu was still fretting from time to time over the problem of Izumo Kamizuki's upbringing.

Meanwhile...

In the Uchiha compound.

In the bedroom, Mikoto Uchiha was lying on the bed in purple pajamas, holding a book.

The desk lamp was turned off and a candle was lit; the gentle halo made the bedroom look hazy, and the air was filled with an intoxicating, faint fragrance.

The purple silk draped simply and snugly over her body, outlining curves that were quite stimulating.

Although she held the book in her hand, Mikoto Uchiha's attention was clearly not on it.

Every few minutes, her eyes would glance toward the bedroom door.

The candle gradually grew shorter.

Just as she was beginning to feel tired, the sound of the door opening chased away her sleepiness, and a weary-looking Fugaku Uchiha walked in.

"You're back?"

"Mm." Fugaku Uchiha responded flatly.

"Why were you delayed so long today?"

"There are a lot of things going on in the clan lately, and everyone is arguing non-stop."

"The old fogies in the clan—none of them can seem to sit still."

Sensing the exhaustion in the man's voice, Mikoto Uchiha's tone turned gentle.

"Don't worry about it. Even if the sky falls, it shouldn't be up to you as clan head to solve everything alone. Those old men, too—if they have the energy, they should go home and dote on their grandchildren instead of being so restless."

Fugaku Uchiha said, "It's just that the Uchiha's situation is poor. If things were better, the people in the clan wouldn't be like this."

After sighing, he suddenly brought up another matter: "By the way, what do you think of that kid, Asuma?"

Mikoto Uchiha was concise: "Arrogant, average intelligence, mediocre ability."

Fugaku Uchiha nodded: "Mm, I think so too."

"It's a pity for the Third Hokage; he has plenty of ability himself, but his son isn't very promising."

Mikoto Uchiha gave a light hum: "No matter how unpromising he is, you still went to great lengths to have me become his jonin instructor."

Fugaku Uchiha: "I was just saying. Whether he's promising or not, I don't care."

"You must maintain a good teacher-student relationship."

"In the future, when I vie for that position, Asuma's connections will be very important."