A System That Loved to Screw Him Over

Chapter 5: A System That Loved to Screw Him Over

Mirai took one look and was dumbfounded. He smacked his lips. This was a bit too difficult. He knew his own abilities, and he knew how strong the other guy was. Although Uchiha Itachi was young and the same age as him, he was countless times stronger.

The SS-rank difficulty rating said it all. And Mirai had never killed anyone before. Even if he somehow succeeded, he'd be dead for sure. Pass. Mirai decisively chose to pass. There was no chance of success at all. He had the Mall System because he wanted to get stronger, not because he wanted to die. Let someone else take on that kind of challenge.

Besides, even if Uchiha Itachi went on a killing spree, Mirai could always run to the Third Hokage's house and refuse to leave. He could add a river of snot and tears for good measure. What could anyone do to him then? He was an unawakened, marginal member of the Uchiha Clan. No one should have their eye on him. When Mirai learned that the Uchiha Clan hadn't been wiped out and that he was one of its fringe members, this seemed like the best plan he could come up with. He thought he was incredibly clever.

That route was a no-go. He'd better check the next one.

[Optional Side Quest 2: To prevent the host from being killed, build a good relationship with Uchiha Itachi. Every 10 points of friendliness will grant 1 Point. Quest difficulty: F-rank]

Mirai wore an utterly speechless expression and thought, System, oh, system. Are you sure this is to stop me from getting killed? Why does it feel like either option will get me killed? I'm not good at dating sims with choices. Are you sure I can beat Naruto this way?

Forget it. He'd accept the quest. These were the only two options he had, and he still needed to trade for some things. His own strength was weak, and he wasn't a genius. He couldn't manage without a cheat.

[Ding--! You have accepted Side Quest 2. Your current friendliness with Uchiha Itachi is (5/100). Quest difficulty: F-rank]

Huh! He already had 5 points of friendliness. Had he gained them when they nodded at each other just now? The other guy seemed pretty friendly, then. Or was it because Mirai also carried the Uchiha name? Either way, his first Point didn't seem far off. This was a good start.

Although there were still plenty of items in the Mall System he hadn't checked out, Mirai figured it was about time to head back to class. The mall was open now; he could study the rest carefully when he got home.

Mirai returned to the classroom. The introductions were still going on, but they were almost over. There was only one person left.

At last, everyone had finished introducing themselves. The Fourth Hokage smiled and said, "I've memorized all your names. I hope you'll all study hard. The future of the village belongs to you. Work hard to complete your studies, pass the graduation exam, and become true ninjas. Then you can protect our village!"

[Ding--! Main Quest triggered! For the host's safety, you must graduate from the Ninja Academy with the highest scores in the entire school within three years. Success reward: 10 Points. Failure: termination! Quest difficulty: A-rank!]

"Thud!" Mirai's head hit the desk. What the hell! Are you really sure this is for my safety? Or are you just trying to kill me because I'm useless? Now you're even threatening to terminate me if I fail. So much for looking out for my safety. Fuck! What a piece of crap system.

First place? He should take a look at who else was in his year. Uchiha Itachi, hailed as the greatest genius among ninjas. Mirai knew his own abilities. He wasn't a bottom-of-the-class student, but he definitely wasn't a top one either. He was thoroughly average. Even if he worked hard enough to graduate first in the entire school, some people would probably set their sights on him afterward.

Should he have chosen to kill Uchiha Itachi earlier after all? Uh, actually, he could ask Itachi to let him win. That wasn't a bad idea either. Mirai suddenly thought of a shameless solution.

But Mirai had finally realized that there was no such thing as a free lunch. Having a system seemed great, but he was always at risk of being terminated. It looked just like the online games he used to play: the main quests had to be completed, while the side quests could provide him with plenty of Points to help him complete the main quest.

Although he didn't want to be the center of attention, it looked like he'd really have to study hard. The danger of the ninja world was one thing; the system seemed even more dangerous.

"Everyone, you can begin class. If there's anything you don't understand or anything difficult to deal with, you can come find me at the Hokage Office Building. I'm usually there." Namikaze Minato gave them a bright, sunny smile. He really did look very handsome.

"Yes, Fourth Hokage!" Namikaze Minato was the idol of all the students, so he was naturally very popular. Almost every student in the class answered.

"Then I hope you all have a happy time studying. Goodbye, everyone!" Namikaze Minato waved to them all and left. After all, the Hokage was very busy with work, and class officially began.

"Ahem! Lord Hokage is very busy, and it's all for the sake of protecting the village. So you all need to study hard and finish your homework on time. If you can't pass the assessments, you won't be able to graduate. Every year, 50 percent of students fail to graduate! That means half the people in this class might not become ninjas." As soon as the Fourth Hokage left, their homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hino, straightened up and put on the stern expression of a teacher.

"Fifty percent!" All the students were startled by the figure. They hadn't expected becoming a ninja to be so difficult. It sounded incredibly strict. Everyone looked around at the others, wondering who might be eliminated.

Their homeroom teacher, Nakamura Hino, seemed pleased with their expressions. He continued, "So, starting today, you must work hard, be attentive, and persevere in completing all your studies at the Ninja Academy! If I catch anyone slacking off, sleeping, failing to do their homework, or not paying attention in class, they'll be punished. Is that clear?"

"Understood..." The children were frightened, but that was the only way to make these mischievous kids study hard.