Felt "Targeted" by the System

[Treading through thorns, you finally reach the Hidden Leaf Village hospital. Exhausted in body and spirit, your nerves relax slightly after claiming your reward. Just as you are about to collapse, medical staff rush over like angels.]

[Your arrival is like a stone cast into a lake, sending ripples outward and drawing the close attention of the Hidden Leaf Village's darkness—Danzo. He approaches silently, subduing you with lightning speed before ruthlessly dragging you to a secret Root stronghold. You have escaped the wolf's den only to fall into the tiger's lair.]

When Hayato sees this scene, his brows knit together as he ponders to himself: As expected, the richer the reward, the greater the price.

Wood Release is indeed powerful, the best of the three rewards at the time, but the corresponding risks are equally immense.

He sighs inwardly, grateful that the system arrived early. If he had personally experienced everything described on that panel, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

After calming down slightly, Hayato continues to browse.

[Upon waking, the surroundings are no longer familiar. You find yourself imprisoned in a cold cage, seals wrapped around you like shackles. Your chakra is like a bird trapped in a cage, unable to spread its wings or hope to soar.]

[In Danzo's cruel experiments, you become a test subject in his hands, suffering inhuman agony. Your soul struggles in despair, your cries of indignation echoing through the endless darkness.]

[Yet, you do not yield, nor do you give up, for you know deep down that as long as the spark of life within you is not extinguished, the light of hope will always shine ahead. Even in the darkness, you must pursue that glimmer of light until you regain your freedom and let your brilliance bloom.]

[Fate Mission - Phase One: Accumulate strength in this endless darkness. You must find that sliver of survival, ignite the flames of vengeance against Danzo, crush him completely, and destroy the Root organization of the Hidden Leaf Village.]

[Mission Reward: Perfect Sage Body.]

[Accept Mission: Yes/No]

After reading the aftermath of the first choice, Hayato cannot help but heave a long sigh.

With just a little imagination, he can picture himself on the panel enduring that suffering.

He guesses that Danzo must have learned of the Wood Release aura he obtained while at the Hidden Leaf Village hospital, which is why he subjected him to all sorts of experiments.

"Danzo, you really are inhuman."

Originally, when he saw his panel-self wanting to leave the cage, he thought the mission would be to escape his confinement, which would have allowed him to exploit a bug again.

But unfortunately, this mission is to kill Danzo and destroy Root.

The system's difficulty has suddenly spiked, but compared to his panel-self, the current Hayato at least still possesses his freedom.

He knows well that this is not a task that can be accomplished overnight and requires careful planning.

"There is no way to resolve this quickly in the short term."

Although Hayato covets the Perfect Sage Body reward, it is currently impossible to achieve.

It's a pity he can no longer happily exploit bugs.

But regardless, he must accept the system's mission.

With a thought, he accepts the mission, preparing to plot his path forward slowly.

After reviewing the first mission, Hayato opens the next mission interface.

[On the winding path, you stumble but press forward firmly. Guided by vague memories, you traverse mists and thorns, finally reaching the sacred ground of the Ninja Academy.]

[Your arrival is like a shooting star piercing the night sky, casting a stone into a calm lake and stirring up layers of ripples.]

[This news, as if given wings, travels swiftly on the wind, reaching the ears of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, in an instant, sparking his unprecedented attention and contemplation.]

[Though life finds a moment of peace, the shadows of the Anbu are like ghosts, monitoring your every move. Invisible shackles, restrictive and oppressive—this is not what you desire. Your heart yearns for freedom.]

[Yet, between dreams and reality lies an abyss difficult to cross. You know well that making the glory of the Uchiha Clan shine brightly under the sun is not a task for a single day. This path requires you to hack through thorns and thistles, endure hardships, press forward on the path of the ninja, and constantly break through your own limits to achieve greatness.]

[Fate Mission - Phase One: On this path filled with unknowns and challenges, you must, while maintaining your freedom of action, gain the recognition of the Third Hokage and be promoted to Jonin.]

[Mission Reward: Five Bloodline Limits: Scorch Release, Lava Release, Boil Release, Ice Release, and Storm Release.]

[Accept Mission: Yes/No]

In the scenario presented by the system panel, this mission is undeniably difficult. The Uchiha Clan has just launched a coup, and he is one of them; in such a situation, gaining Hiruzen Sarutobi's recognition is extremely hard.

Furthermore, he must be promoted to Jonin, which implies that his panel-self in that scenario is likely only a Chunin or lower.

However, compared to the previous mission, this is already much easier.

The reward is five types of Bloodline Limit ninjutsu, which is quite good—what more could he ask for?

For his current self, gaining Hiruzen Sarutobi's recognition should be relatively simple; the part that will take some time is becoming a Jonin.

"It seems I can't drag out my progress at the Ninja Academy anymore; I must graduate as soon as possible," Hayato mutters to himself, then accepts the mission.

Finally, Hayato opens the aftermath of the last fate choice with great anticipation.

[Staggering as if bearing the weight of the heavens, you turn away in silence, leaving behind the noisy and chaotic Hidden Leaf Village to embark on a lonely journey in search of a sanctuary for your soul.]

[This is both a resolute farewell to the past and a brave declaration of a brand-new self.]

[The wheel of fate never ceases its rotation. The news of your departure from the village, like a whisper in the wind, eventually reaches the deep ears of Itachi Uchiha. To fulfill his secret vow to the Hidden Leaf, he embarks on a journey to find you, like a faint shadow, approaching you silently and unnoticed.]

[Waking leisurely from your slumber, the sight before you leaves your heart unsettled. Itachi Uchiha, the existence you once looked up to and feared, stands quietly before you, his gaze as deep as an abyss, making it impossible to glimpse his true inner thoughts.]

[You once thought that by slipping into the darkness, you could break free from all shackles, never imagining that this path would be so rugged and filled with unknowns and crises.]

[Fate Mission - Phase One: In this vast and abyssal moment, you must use your own wisdom and fearless courage to change Itachi Uchiha's mind and gain his sincere recognition.]

[Mission Reward: Mangekyo Sharingan.]

[Accept Mission: Yes/No]

After reading the final mission, Hayato feels a complex mix of emotions.

What was going on? It had been promised as a turning point of fate, yet none of these three choices offered a good outcome.

One led to capture, one to surveillance, and one directly into a life-or-death crisis.

He couldn't help but lament how cruel fate could be.

The rewards were not easy to claim, that much was certain.

Hayato carefully analyzed the third mission, fully aware of its immense difficulty.

In that situation, it was hell within hell; how could Itachi's mindset have been easily swayed back then?

Fortunately, there was a way to exploit a bug.

But it was a pity that, calculating the time, Itachi wouldn't be born for another six years according to his memory.

This meant he still had a long, arduous wait ahead of him.

This system update seemed to have patched some loopholes, making Hayato feel like the system was "targeting" him.

Could they not just play nicely together anymore?

The system seemed determined not to let him complete the missions too easily.

However, he was not discouraged; instead, he decided to complete the second mission first and take his time with the others.

With his mind made up, Hayato accepted the mission and then shifted his attention to the scroll in his hand.

"A Jonin, huh? I'll take it one step at a time," he whispered to himself, a flicker of determination shining in his eyes.