New Residence

Inside the Hokage's office in Konoha.

Uchiha Itachi bypassed the Anbu and went to see the Third Hokage, who was reading some documents.

Setting down the documents in his hands, the Third Hokage didn't seem surprised that Itachi had come to see him. He looked at Itachi.

"I'll take care of Sasuke. What surprised me was that another boy around Sasuke's age survived. His name is Uchiha Isho. Do you know him?"

Itachi furrowed his brows slightly, thought for a few seconds, then looked at the Hokage and shook his head.

The Hokage wasn't surprised. He picked up the file again and handed it to Itachi, then said casually:

"According to the information from the Anbu, Uchiha Isho was stabbed in the heart. When he was taken to the Medical Corps, his wound was miraculously healing."

"There are two possibilities. Either his heart is in an unusual position, or his heart healed too."

Hearing this, Uchiha Itachi felt a slight tremor in his heart. He had never heard of such a special Kekkei Genkai in Uchiha history. Suddenly, he thought of something and looked at the Third Hokage.

"Did he lose his sight?"

"No. He woke up this morning and seemed full of energy."

Seeing that Itachi didn't know the answer either, the Third Hokage changed the subject. "I was too naive. I failed to prevent this tragedy."

Itachi apologized first, then said he would join the Akatsuki to stop the mysterious Masked Man with the Sharingan from attacking Konoha. He then left without another word.

"Either way, it means he must have awakened a special Kekkei Genkai."

"Never mind. Let's observe him first."

After a brief moment of thought, the Third Hokage set fire to the file on Uchiha Isho. It soon turned to ash. He then summoned several Anbu who knew about the matter and warned them to keep it classified.

Besides recording Uchiha Isho's life, the file had one note at the very bottom: "Suspected of awakening a special Kekkei Genkai."

Isho never expected that a single treatment from the system would arouse so much suspicion.

But even if he had known, he wouldn't have paid it much mind. At that moment, he was eagerly anticipating something.

[ Ding! Newbie gift pack opened! ]

[ Congratulations, Host! You rolled a luck value of 131 and obtained Explosive Tags, Kunai, 10 Shuriken, 1 Chakra-Sensing Paper, and Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique (C-rank). ]

"These rewards... aren't bad. I'll put them in my inventory for now," Isho murmured.

He held back from taking them out right there, because he suspected that Anbu were watching him from somewhere nearby. He wasn't Sasuke, and he felt quite uneasy about what the Konoha High Command might have planned for him.

Several hundred meters from the hospital where Isho was staying, an Anbu Ninja wearing a cat mask sat in a tree, feeling a little curious.

His task was to observe—or, more accurately, monitor—Isho. He couldn't understand Isho's sudden, exaggerated reactions, but soon came up with his own explanation.

Clearly, last night's horrifying ordeal had left him deeply traumatized. He's still in a state of shock.

At noon, the golden sunlight was hot and glaring. Freshly discharged and having just collected his compensation, Isho couldn't wait to try Uncle Ichiraku's ramen.

"Delicious! Otsutsuki Ichiraku... No, Uncle Ichiraku really lives up to his reputation! This tastes as good as late-night barbecue. It's downright addictive. That long wait in line was worth it."

Isho looked utterly satisfied, praising the food with every bite as if each taste bud on his tongue were cheering.

But inwardly, he wondered, That old Sarutobi didn't summon me after all.

I can't let my guard down. I mainly need to watch out for Danzo. I haven't awakened the Sharingan yet, so his interest in me should be within safe limits.

Just before noon, Isho had been told he could leave the hospital. An Anbu from Konoha had informed him that they'd found him a new place to live, and he would continue to receive the same living expenses as before, from his compensation.

Of course, he had to put on an act. Isho accepted the news with a pained expression and asked if the murderer had been caught.

According to the original owner's memories, on the day of the massacre, his clan members had only told him not to go anywhere that night. Clearly, the Uchiha's rebellion had nothing to do with a weakling like him.

After asking for directions along the way, Isho soon found his new place.

He closed the door and looked around the room, then inspected it carefully. Seeing that it had all the necessities, he nodded in satisfaction and immediately lay down on the bed.

Calling out, "System," Isho opened the Ninja Lottery.

The screen changed in an instant, and the panel split in two. One half had a plain background, with several black silhouettes in different poses lined up neatly as if for a group photo.

The other half had a dazzling, eye-catching background. Several silhouettes stood there like mountains, looking far more mysterious and powerful than those on the other side. Even the figures themselves were larger.

"Holy crap, this looks like the lottery from the Naruto mobile games in my previous life." Isho exclaimed. After a few seconds, he couldn't help grumbling to himself.

Looking at the difference in effects, these are obviously no good. The odds must be terrible.

After glancing at the luck value he had left, Isho decided to try one regular draw and one advanced draw.

Before that, he tidied the room a little, then sat down in a wooden chair by the window. He clasped his hands together like a devout believer and began to mutter:

"Please, Heaven, bless me... Celestial Master, please bless me..."

"Buddha, please bless me... Amitabha..."

After a full minute of praying, Isho slowly tapped the regular lottery.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You obtained the Common Ninja Naruto Uzumaki. ]

A playing-card-sized card appeared abruptly, surrounded by a faint white glow. It depicted Naruto as a boy.

After taking a look, Isho claimed the card and put it in his system inventory, then tapped the advanced lottery without hesitation.

[ Ding! Congratulations, Host! You're blessed with extraordinary luck and have obtained the Epic Ninja Senju Hashirama. ]

"Holy crap, that golden light nearly blinded me!" Isho squeezed his eyes shut against the glare. After a while, he squinted at his prize.

It was a card the same size as the previous one, but it was surrounded by golden light and gleamed all over. It was obviously no ordinary item.

I've seen the difference between three-cent effects and thirty-thousand-dollar effects once again. Isho complained inwardly, but he couldn't contain his delight.

Thud! The chair suddenly toppled over. Isho landed with the back of his head against the floor, but his face was beaming.

At least I can protect myself now. I just don't know how long the card's fusion effect lasts. It should be long enough for me to defeat an enemy or escape, right?

A moment later, Isho's expression turned thoughtful. He tapped one of the cards, and a system notification instantly appeared.

[ Ding! Use Naruto Uzumaki? Duration: one day. When the effect ends, you can randomly obtain one item related to this ninja and receive one-tenth of his chakra. ]

"System, what counts as an item? And how do I get more luck?" Isho asked curiously.

[ Ding! The range includes the ninja's talents, ninjutsu (which cannot be used without the corresponding chakra nature), Kekkei Genkai, and so on. ]

[ Ding! The system will randomly issue daily tasks. Completing them will reward you with luck. ]

At this point, Isho more or less understood what the system did. The corners of his mouth lifted. Then he put one hand to his forehead and burst into laughter, as if he couldn't hold it in any longer.

His unrestrained laughter went on for a long time. Remembering that he had neighbors at home and not wanting them to mistake him for someone mentally ill, Isho finally reined in his laughter.

Just then, Isho felt something strange in his pupils. His eye sockets were a little itchy, and they felt warm when he touched them.

Isho blinked. When he opened his eyes and looked again, he was astonished to find that he seemed able to see much farther. Even the dust in the window's cracks looked several times bigger to him.

He turned to look at the fallen leaves outside the window. They seemed to be drifting down in slow motion.