Flame-Flame Fruit

Clearly, the Sasuke of this time was nothing like the one at the start of the original Naruto story.

There was not a trace of that aloof expression on his young face.

Instead, he looked a little shy...

And especially shy around strangers...

"I never imagined Sasuke would be so adorable as a child..."

Looking at Sasuke, who was hiding behind Uchiha Itachi, Yun Xi smiled.

Seeing this, Uchiha Itachi teased, "My little brother is rather shy. He's usually only comfortable around family."

"I see, I see."

Yun Xi nodded, then walked behind Uchiha Sasuke and said warmly, "Make sure you remember my name. It's Yun Xi!"

After all, Sasuke was one of the most important protagonists in Naruto.

Yun Xi certainly had no intention of making an enemy of him.

In this vast Ninja World, talent couldn't compare to having cheats, and having cheats couldn't compare to protagonist power!

Yun Xi understood that much.

"I suppose you could say I'm a friend of your big brother's, too. If you ever run into trouble, you can come to me."

After standing there and thinking for a moment, Yun Xi decided to say what was on his mind.

He couldn't accept the thought that such an adorable little Sasuke would one day be turned into a chuunibyou by Orochimaru...

"Okay."

Six-year-old Uchiha Sasuke didn't really understand what Yun Xi meant.

But seeing the smile on the older boy's face, Sasuke still replied to him very politely.

"All right, time to get back to training!"

After the brief exchange,

Yun Xi didn't continue chatting. He was about to resume practicing Fire Release Ninjutsu.

But just then, Uchiha Itachi spoke up. "Wait, Yun Xi..."

"What is it?"

Seeing Uchiha Itachi hesitate, Yun Xi stopped and walked over to him, looking suspiciously at the conflicted expression on his face...

"If..."

"If one day I really left Konoha, and Sasuke ran into trouble, would you help him?"

Apparently, he didn't want Uchiha Sasuke to hear what they were discussing.

Uchiha Itachi first led Yun Xi a little farther away, then slowly spoke...

"So that's what this is about!?"

Looking at Uchiha Itachi, Yun Xi's face filled with surprise.

He hadn't expected Uchiha Itachi to trust him this much!

He was even telling him something like this...

If Yun Xi remembered correctly, this was the period before the Uchiha Clan Massacre!

At the moment, Uchiha Itachi was a double agent between the Uchiha Clan and the Konoha High Command!

For him to say something like this at a time like this...

Yun Xi felt conflicted...

He really wanted to help Uchiha Itachi.

But...

He wasn't strong enough!

The Uchiha Clan Massacre involved more than just Danzo, the Third Hokage, and Uchiha Itachi.

Uchiha Obito was involved, too...

Along with the Akatsuki behind him.

Yun Xi couldn't get involved in a clash between so many Kage Level powerhouses!

To be honest,

Yun Xi liked Uchiha Itachi as a character, and judging from what had happened so far, he was definitely someone Yun Xi wanted to befriend...

But...

If Yun Xi dared to get involved in this matter,

he would almost certainly die...

After thinking it over, Yun Xi was about to refuse, but just then...

Ding! Congratulations, host. You have activated the Divine Choice—Uchiha Itachi's Request...

Option One: Politely refuse and stay out of trouble. Reward: Uchiha Itachi's favor -100; obtain the summoning beast Millennium Old Turtle.

Option Two: Agree to Uchiha Itachi's request and take his side during the Uchiha Clan Massacre in half a month. Reward: Flame-Flame Fruit (effect: grants the user the fire-based supernatural ability from One Piece and increases the power of Fire Release Ninjutsu by ten percent).

Option Three: Agree to Uchiha Itachi's request and follow him into the great rogue ninja organization, the Akatsuki. Reward: one random draw.

"Damn system, what exactly are you trying to tell me with these choices?!"

Yun Xi hadn't expected the system to show up just as he was about to refuse Uchiha Itachi!

And from the reward for option one, he could tell...

The system was looking down on him...

A summoning beast...

A Millennium Old Turtle...

Wasn't that just another way of calling Yun Xi a coward?!

"This is called keeping a low profile while I grow stronger. You get that, system?!"

What Yun Xi found even more unacceptable was that the Choice System still wanted him to become a rogue ninja!

Although the reward for the third option was tempting,

there was no way Yun Xi would become a rogue ninja!

He'd never become a rogue ninja. Wasn't it better to coast along in Konoha?!

"Looks like I can only agree to help Uchiha Itachi..."

After weighing his options, Yun Xi finally decided to help Uchiha Itachi.

Getting involved in the Uchiha Clan Massacre would put Yun Xi in great danger...

But looking at the other two options,

this was undoubtedly the safest choice.

And the thing that tempted Yun Xi most was the reward he'd receive: the Flame-Flame Fruit!

For Yun Xi, who was desperate to grow stronger,

there was no way he could turn it down!

Although Yun Xi already possessed the Uchiha Clan's Kekkei Genkai,

and his strength was steadily improving with the tenfold training speed boost,

still...

His overall progress was far too slow.

Yun Xi estimated

that if he relied only on his current abilities to strengthen himself,

then even by the time the original story began,

he would probably only be at the Chunin level.

In this vast Ninja World, someone with that kind of strength would be little more than cannon fodder...

But if he got the Flame-Flame Fruit...

Who knew what might happen...

After all, there was no way Devil Fruits could be inferior to the Kekkei Genkai in Naruto!

And as far as Yun Xi could remember, the Flame-Flame Fruit was a Logia Devil Fruit.

Logia fruits were widely considered the strongest of the three types of Devil Fruit...

"If I combine Fire Release Ninjutsu with the Flame-Flame Fruit..."

Thinking about how the two would work together, Yun Xi felt as if a bright future lay right before him!

Unlike the Kekkei Genkai in Naruto,

the Flame-Flame Fruit's greatest feature was that it let the user turn their body into fire and rendered physical attacks ineffective!

It couldn't negate other Devil Fruit abilities, though...

But Yun Xi was in the Naruto world!

Aside from Yun Xi,

who else could have the power of a Devil Fruit?!

In other words,

as long as Yun Xi ate the Flame-Flame Fruit the system rewarded him...

he would basically be able to ignore most Taijutsu attacks!