Seeking Death with All His Heart

Year 56 of Konoha, Hidden Leaf Village!

A simple arena had been set up in the plaza of the Uchiha Clan, Konoha's largest clan.

A flag stood on either side of the arena, each bearing a message:

I've seen through the world and seek death with all my heart!

Cut me, and you'll receive a reward!

This was the only route in and out of the Uchiha Clan's grounds, so the arena immediately drew the attention of Uchiha clan members coming and going.

A black-haired youth of about fifteen or sixteen sat cross-legged on the arena.

He had handsome features, though he looked a little frail!

"Isn't that Zhou Cheng?"

"Nothing left to live for, seeking death with all his heart?"

"What's gotten into the kid? What could he possibly be so upset about?"

"Could it be because both his parents died on a mission? Did that drive him over the edge?"

More and more Uchiha clan members gathered, pointing at Zhou Cheng on the arena. When they saw the words on the flags, they all looked utterly baffled.

"Who goes around begging to die in broad daylight, in front of everyone?"

"Look, 'Cut me, and you'll receive a reward.' What's that supposed to mean?"

Seeing that a sizable crowd had gathered below the arena, Zhou Cheng brushed off his backside and stood up, calling out to them:

"Uncles, aunts, and everyone else, I'm Zhou Cheng!"

"I've seen through the world, and I find life meaningless. I seek death with all my heart!"

"As members of the same clan, I hope someone will help send me on my way!"

"Of course, I won't leave anyone who helps me empty-handed!"

"As long as you can hurt me, I won't hold it against you. I'll give you different rewards depending on how much damage you deal!"

Zhou Cheng's expression turned detached as he coldly surveyed the crowd.

"But I'm in a hurry to reach the world of the dead, so anyone particularly strong can stop wasting my time!"

His words caused an uproar!

Everyone focused on Zhou Cheng as if he were an idiot.

"The kid's definitely lost his mind!"

"He's begging to die and still acting so arrogant. Is he afraid he won't die fast enough?"

The crowd buzzed with discussion, but no one stepped onto the arena.

Most of them had known Zhou Cheng's parents. None of them would hurt a fellow clan member.

Seeing this, Zhou Cheng sighed and muttered to himself:

Damn system. You're the one with the bug, but I'm the one who has to deal with the consequences!

Zhou Cheng hadn't originally been from the Naruto world. A few days ago, he'd transmigrated here and become a member of the Uchiha Clan. This body had mediocre talent and couldn't even gather chakra.

What's more, it was Year 56 of Konoha, less than a year before Itachi Uchiha wiped out the clan.

Fortunately, he'd awakened a system.

Once he activated it, he could obtain a body and strength equal to those of the Sage of Six Paths!

Just as he was about to bind himself to the system and claim his reward,

the system had encountered a bug. To protect itself, it had placed a shield around itself with a trillion hit points.

He could only activate the system after breaking the shield.

Fortunately, to help Zhou Cheng break it, the system had promised a Blind Box to anyone who managed to damage the shield.

Opening a Blind Box would grant a random reward, and Zhou Cheng would receive a critical bonus reward, with an additional reward of higher quality.

After thinking it over, he'd come up with this whole seeking-death act.

He'd chosen the busy Uchiha Plaza, where shinobi of all different strengths came and went.

As long as he could persuade them to attack him, it was only a matter of time before the shield broke.

"Hey, kid, you've got quite a mouth on you!"

A middle-aged man pushed through the crowd and came to the edge of the arena!

"If you want to die, go do it somewhere else. Don't take up space in my clan's plaza!"

Zhou Cheng stood still, deciding to provoke them a little:

"People who can't even trigger a reward should stop wasting my time!"

The middle-aged man's expression changed. He glared at Zhou Cheng and climbed onto the arena.

"Kid, you're a useless nobody who can't even gather chakra. I could blow your head off with one punch!"

"You can still beg for mercy!"

Zhou Cheng smiled faintly. The fish took the bait!

"If you can blow my head off with one punch, I'll give you a reward you couldn't enjoy in a lifetime. But I bet you're just all talk, bragging for nothing!"

The middle-aged man's eyes nearly blazed with fury. He was clearly at his limit:

"I'll send you to join your dead parents right now!"

He clenched his fist, as big as a sandbag, and swung it hard at Zhou Cheng's face!

Several women in the crowd couldn't bear to watch and shut their eyes.

That man was a bona fide Genin. He wasn't especially strong, but he was still no match for an ordinary person like Zhou Cheng, who couldn't even gather chakra.

Thud!

A muffled sound rang out.

Then came a scream.

The crowd looked over, expecting to see Zhou Cheng beaten black and blue.

But it was the Genin who had screamed!

He knelt on the ground, clutching his hand and crying out in pain, while Zhou Cheng stood upright, his expression unchanged.

Zhou Cheng rolled his neck and smiled faintly:

"Looks like your fist isn't hard enough!"

"You couldn't even trigger a reward!"

"But everyone gets two chances a day. You've still got one left!"

The middle-aged man looked up, wariness in his eyes. His fist had felt like it had struck a steel plate. His skin had split, and his bones had nearly broken!

This guy didn't have the slightest trace of chakra on him. How was this possible?

"A Genin attacked an ordinary person, and the Genin ended up getting hurt."

"Did anyone see what happened?"

"Hmph, he let his guard down. If he'd used chakra in that punch, he wouldn't have gotten hurt like this!"

Feeling hundreds of eyes on him, the middle-aged man couldn't bear the humiliation. He steeled himself, drew a Kunai with his other hand, and charged forward, driving it hard at Zhou Cheng's chest.

The crowd erupted!

If that thing pierced his heart, he'd be dead for sure!

Just as everyone watched in shock, they heard a sharp crack.

The Kunai snapped in the middle. Two numbers appeared above Zhou Cheng's head.

-10!

[Damage dealt: 10 points!]

[Remaining health: 9999999999989!]

[Damage level: White!]

[Reward obtained: White Blind Box!]

The crowd gasped when they saw the broken Kunai.

"Even a Kunai couldn't pierce his skin?"

"Is he really just an ordinary person?"

"How did we never notice he was so strong?"

The middle-aged man stared in disbelief. How could this be?

His left hand trembled slightly, his knuckles split open.

He finally understood. Zhou Cheng had been pretending to be weak all along!

His face turned ashen. He turned around and hurried to get off the arena. If he stayed any longer, he'd lose every last shred of dignity!

"Wait. I said that anyone who deals damage gets a reward!"

"Here, this is your reward!"

A white square box appeared in Zhou Cheng's hand. He tossed it to the middle-aged man!

The man caught it, looking completely bewildered!

"Open it. There's a reward inside for you!"

"Like I said, the greater the damage, the greater the reward!"

Suspicious, the middle-aged man opened the box, wincing through the pain in his hand.

There was only a single piece of paper inside: money from the Naruto world.

"One thousand Ryo!"

[Host received a critical bonus reward: 10,000 Ryo!]

Zhou Cheng's lips curled upward. At least he wasn't broke anymore!

"This is yours!"

"Use it to get your hand treated!"

The middle-aged man stared at him, stunned. Was this for real?

The crowd erupted in chatter. One thousand Ryo wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't a paltry sum either!

It could buy several Kunai. Not a bad deal!

The kid hadn't been bluffing. There really was a reward!

"Me!"

"I'll do it!"

Quite a few people were eager to give it a try!

But a small figure had already appeared on the arena!