Mainline Missions

[ Ding! Long-term mainline mission triggered ]

[Mission One: Unity Is Strength! Unseal Kaguya Otsutsuki, defeat her in a one-on-one battle, and successfully persuade her to join your side in the fight against the evil members of the Otsutsuki clan. Reward: 3,000 Luck Points. Failure penalty: Lose 6,000 Luck Points.]

[Mission Two: Earn the title of Strongest in the Shinobi World. Challenge the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki one-on-one and defeat him in front of the shinobi of every nation. Then reveal Black Zetsu's true identity in front of everyone and successfully prevent Kaguya Otsutsuki from being unsealed. Reward: 2,000 Luck Points. Failure penalty...]

[Mission Three: The Pride of the Uchiha. Become the first person in Uchiha Clan history to become Hokage, and bring new glory to the clan. Then fight Naruto and Sasuke, who possess Six Paths Power, two against one, and defeat them. Reward: 1,000 Luck Points. Failure penalty...]

[Time limit: 3,650 days. Please choose...]

"Th-three thousand! Good heavens! I've only earned seven or eight hundred Luck Points in five or six years. At this rate, it'd take me decades to earn that many!"

After reading every word, Yi Xiang paced back and forth, looking ravenous, as though he had energy to spare. Though he'd already eaten lunch, he kept swallowing hard.

Another year had passed, and he'd grown four centimeters taller, making him look a little more mature. His skin was still pale, though not as much as before, and he still drew plenty of curious glances from girls.

Over the past year, Yi Xiang had followed Kakashi on three B-Rank Missions and dozens of C-Rank Missions. If more people hadn't taken on B-Rank Missions that year, Yi Xiang was sure Team Kakashi would have completed the most, since Kakashi always picked missions starting with B-Rank.

"One and two conflict, so it has to be one and three, or two and three. But the risk of failure..."

Yi Xiang found himself at a loss. He furrowed his brow, carefully weighing the odds of success. He was deeply undecided; he'd never taken such a gamble before.

Meanwhile, at the Ninja Academy...

"Naruto, Sasuke. Are you sure you want to challenge all your classmates?"

"Don't worry, Iruka-sensei. Big Brother Yi Xiang beat every student by himself. And there are two of us."

"Uchiha Isho... He was an unprecedented prodigy among the students. If he's your big brother, then I'll let you give it a try. Just don't get beaten too badly by your classmates."

Ever since Yi Xiang had graduated in such a crushing fashion and delivered that moving speech, stories about him had spread among the students in his year. But it was the younger students who had been inspired the most.

Many of them now looked up to Yi Xiang and dreamed of defeating every student in their year, just like he had. Reality, however, was cruel. Most of them had only climbed a few spots in the rankings.

'Sasuke is this year's top rookie, Naruto has broken into the top ten, and he's even mastered the Shadow Clone Technique. The two of them might just stand a chance together.'

After assessing the difference in strength between the two sides, Iruka suddenly thought the pair had a decent chance of winning.

...

Yi Xiang had no idea Naruto and Sasuke would take on the same challenge he had when he graduated, in order to complete a system mission. Instead, he wore a look of grim resolve.

"Fortune favors the bold; the timid starve. If I die, I die—if I don't, I'll live forever. Life and death are nothing. If you've got a problem, then fight..."

After a string of rousing words, Yi Xiang tapped Mission One and Mission Three. They were the riskiest choices, but also offered the greatest rewards.

[Host: Uchiha Isho]

[Ninjutsu: Great Fireball Technique, Shadow Clone Technique, Ninja Art: Rain Dew Senbon...]

[Taijutsu: Shadow Leaf Dance]

[Genjutsu: None]

[System Inventory: Neji Hyuga, Explosive Tag x7, Luck Points: 621]

"I've been here for six years, and I still haven't broken a thousand Luck Points. Including what I've already spent, I've only earned 700 altogether. When will I ever draw another legendary ninja?"

Yi Xiang ran a hand over his head, feeling terribly anxious. He didn't dare try a single high-tier draw, certain his rotten luck wouldn't favor him again. Waiting until he had enough for a guaranteed top-tier pull was his only good option.

The sun sank slowly, and evening drew near.

"Hey, Big Brother Yi Xiang! I knew you'd be waiting here for us. We've become Genin too, and we're the strongest Genin, just like you!"

Naruto's excited shout drew the attention of parents who had come to pick up their children. They turned to look, their gazes cold and disgusted.

Whenever Yi Xiang saw this, his hatred for Danzo grew even stronger. If Danzo showed up right now, Yi Xiang might not be able to restrain himself from attacking with all his might and chopping him to pieces.

'If I weren't trying to save up 1,000 Luck Points, and if the Third Hokage weren't still alive to stop me, I'd have already tried a high-tier draw and gone to deal with that bastard Danzo.'

Thinking that his chance would come soon, Yi Xiang finally calmed down and continued savoring the dango in his hand.

Naruto and Sasuke hadn't even reached him when Yi Xiang suddenly dissolved into a cloud of white smoke. The two of them froze, wondering if Yi Xiang had been too busy and sent a Shadow Clone in his place.

"You arrived just in time. If you'd been any later, I'd have had to taste all this Three-Color Dango for you."

Yi Xiang left two Shadow Clones behind. After receiving a message from another clone, he hurried over from the dango shop. Luckily, he was fast enough; it had only taken a few Body Flickers to get there.

"By the way, Naruto, what were you saying just now? I didn't quite catch it."

Yi Xiang held out the dango and asked with a puzzled look. He'd been focused on the parents at the school gate and hadn't heard Naruto clearly.

Naruto excitedly told him all over again about the brave things he and Sasuke had done. Yi Xiang listened quietly while Sasuke chimed in now and then.

They'd used Transformation Technique and Shadow Clone Technique together to blend in with their classmates, throwing the other students' formation into chaos and even turning them against one another. Only then had the two of them struck from the shadows. They'd won with nothing more than a few minor injuries.

"Good, good! You've learned well—you've grasped the heart of my teachings. If you can solve a problem with your brains, use them first. Force should always be your last resort."

Naruto and Sasuke nodded in agreement as they ate the dango. The three of them then strolled off toward the barbecue restaurant, chatting happily. Yi Xiang was treating, of course; he had plenty of money to spare.

After leaving the barbecue restaurant, Yi Xiang suggested, in a show of his wealth, that the three of them head to the Rising Sun Pavilion together. They planned to wash away the grime and enjoy the hot springs, so they could get a good night's sleep.

The next afternoon, on the roof of the Ninja Academy...

Yi Xiang had thought that, because of him, Kakashi and Team 7 would never cross paths. Then Kakashi told him he'd be getting three new teammates.

"So, Kakashi-sensei, you're basically leading two teams of Genin now. What I'm curious about is, did your pay go up?"