Tricked Again

"Fourth Hokage... Lord? Why are you here?" Mirai had intended to sound surprised, but realizing it might seem disrespectful, he elongated the title. To anyone else, it would appear as a perfectly natural reaction of shock.

Namikaze Minato smiled and said, "Why can't I be here? I used to come here for ramen quite often, but I've been so busy lately that I rarely find the time."

At this moment, the long-haired redheaded beauty beside Namikaze Minato asked, "Minato, who is this child?"

"Kushina, this is the child I saw at the Ninja Academy today. Isn't today the day the academy opens?"

"Oh, that's right, I almost forgot. It's the first day of school. It's been so long since I've been there; we met at that school, after all," the beauty beside Namikaze Minato remarked.

Hearing the Fourth Hokage's words, Mirai immediately identified the woman. She was Kushina Uzumaki, the mother of the protagonist Naruto Uzumaki and the wife of the Fourth Hokage.

She was also the second Nine-Tails jinchuriki, but fate was cruel; both of them would perish in the disaster when the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha. Hmm, the Nine-Tails attack—how much time was left?

Namikaze Minato smiled and said, "Our child will attend the Ninja Academy in the future, too. By then, you'll be able to pick them up from school."

A child? Then there really wasn't much time left. The Nine-Tails attack on Konoha would likely occur within the year. Talking to these two seemed pointless; if anything, he might just be seen as a freak.

"Ah! That's right, since we've run into you, why don't you help us pick a name for our child, Mirai? We can use it as a reference for when the baby is born." Kushina Uzumaki clapped her hands and smiled at Mirai. She was acting quite eccentric; he had heard that Naruto's mother had a lively personality, but he hadn't expected her to be so spontaneous as to ask a child she'd just met on the street to name her unborn baby.

"Sure, it's fate that we met here. Let Mirai help you think of one," Namikaze Minato said with a radiant smile.

Hey! You don't have to spoil your wife to this extent, do you? Showing off your affection right in front of me? No wonder the ancients said, "Those who flaunt their love die quickly." The ancients never lied to me.

Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki both turned their gazes toward Mirai. Mirai had no choice but to comply. "Then... how about Naruto?" Mirai said hesitantly. He hadn't expected the protagonist's name to suddenly become something he had chosen. Fate really did have a sense of humor.

"Naruto... Naruto, what a wonderful name! I hope our child grows up to be as smart and cute as Mirai!" Kushina Uzumaki placed her hand on Mirai's head, ruffled his hair, and smiled.

Ding--! Nine-Tails connection mission triggered. Optional Mission 1: For the sake of the host's safety, eliminate the Nine-Tails before it attacks Konoha by killing Kushina Uzumaki. Mission Reward: 500 points. Mission Difficulty: SSS-rank!

Mirai's expression froze. Damn it, are you serious? Are you really doing this for my safety, or are you trying to get me killed? Forget the Fourth Hokage, an elite ninja-level fighter; even Kushina herself is at least a jonin. I'm just a brat who just awakened his Sharingan and isn't even a genin yet. How am I supposed to do this? It's a suicide mission. Pass!

Ding--! Nine-Tails connection mission. Optional Mission 2: For the sake of the host's safety, please obtain a portion of the Nine-Tails' chakra during the attack on the village. Mission Reward: 50 points, unlock "Rare Beast Pavilion". Mission Difficulty: A-rank!

Hearing the second optional mission, Mirai paused. The Rare Beast Pavilion—the name suggested it was something like a pet shop. In the world of Naruto, pets were essentially Tailed Beasts or the massive creatures summoned via the Summoning Jutsu, like the Gamabunta summoned by Jiraiya or the Manda summoned by Orochimaru. In a way, it was a method to increase one's combat power.

Summoning Jutsu provided quick results, while becoming a jinchuriki granted access to nearly inexhaustible chakra. In the later stages of Naruto, those without a Tailed Beast were mostly just background characters.

It seemed he had to accept this mission. Although it carried significant risk, it was far more plausible than killing the Fourth Hokage's wife. This system had no intention of looking out for his safety; it was pushing him toward his death.

Ding--! Host has accepted Nine-Tails connection mission 2: Obtain a portion of Nine-Tails chakra during the Nine-Tails attack on Konoha. Mission success rewards the host with 50 points and unlocks the Rare Beast Pavilion. Mission failure deducts 10 points. Abandoning the mission deducts 5 points. If points drop below 0, the host will be erased!

F*ck! You keep issuing mandatory choice missions, and you deduct points for failure or abandonment? And you have the nerve to say you're looking out for my safety? Mirai cursed the Mall System in his heart. This wasn't a Mall System; it was a death-trap system.

It seemed he wouldn't be able to take it easy anymore. He broke into a cold sweat; luckily, he had chosen to accept the mission. Otherwise, with his current 0 points, losing 5 would have left him at -5. His life, which hadn't even truly begun, would have ended right there. Indeed, compared to the Nine-Tails or Ten-Tails, his own Mall System was the most lethal threat.

He had to become stronger. If he kept abandoning missions because he wasn't strong enough, his life would be in danger. Only by becoming powerful could he take his fate into his own hands. A look of determination suddenly filled Mirai's eyes.

Namikaze Minato and Kushina Uzumaki looked at each other, confused as to why a child would suddenly show such an expression. However, they soon sat down beside Mirai and ordered two bowls of ramen as well.

They chatted with Mirai while they ate. Both of them clearly loved children, which left Mirai feeling helpless. Fortunately, he didn't have to pay for his own meal in the end; it was treated as a "naming fee" for their child. Mirai was naturally happy to get a free meal, as his monthly allowance was meager and every bit saved helped.

After returning home, Mirai began to train. The relaxed mood he had felt after activating his Sharingan was swept away. Crisis loomed over him at every moment, and striving to become strong quickly was his only guarantee of survival in this world.