Fate Choice Mission?

"Today's events are without a doubt the most joyous occasion our Uchiha Clan has seen in years!" the Grand Elder declared cheerfully after stepping out of the room with Shota.

Another outstanding prodigy had emerged from their Uchiha Clan.

The Grand Elder already had a plan in mind. He intended to start giving Hayato a meticulous upbringing ahead of schedule.

Anyone could tell at a glance that Hayato was no ordinary child.

Tell me, what child in the Uchiha Clan had ever awakened the Sharingan at birth?

Time flew by, and before long, two days had passed.

The news that Hayato had awakened the Sharingan at birth spread through the Uchiha Clan like wildfire.

Though many of the clan's warriors were still fighting bloodily on the front lines, the news still sent shock waves through the clan.

"As expected of our Grand Elder's grandson, as expected of a child of the Uchiha Clan!" The praise was endless.

The Uchiha were always frank and forthright, and the news soon spread throughout Konoha as well.

Everyone learned that the Uchiha Clan had produced another peerless genius.

Some were full of admiration, while others grew wary.

Hayato, however, was completely unaware of all the commotion.

He wasn't worried that anyone in the Naruto world would target him out of fear of his potential.

From the moment he decided to show the Sharingan to the Grand Elder, he had been ready to stand in the eye of the storm.

He knew that only by becoming a true genius and gaining formidable strength could he have more of a say in this world.

What occupied Hayato's thoughts more at the moment was his system.

Ever since his last mission, the system had fallen silent.

Could the system have discovered the time bug and be working on fixing it? Hayato wondered.

Just as Hayato was growing worried, a surprising pop-up suddenly appeared on the system's mission screen.

[First, congratulations on escaping the shadow of death at the Uchiha Clan Compound through sheer perseverance. However, you must understand that the true danger has not passed.]

[The enemy's blades are still lurking in the shadows, eager to devour you. Simply escaping is only the first step on a long journey. You must save yourself and find a true way to survive.]

[The wheel of fate has begun to turn. A Fate Choice mission has arrived.]

[Choice One: Take refuge in Konoha Hospital. As one of the relatively safe facilities within Konoha, Konoha Hospital can offer you shelter. The truth behind the Uchiha Clan's tragic extermination is like a candle in the darkest night; it must not be exposed to the light of day. If you choose this place, you may find a chance to survive the enemy's pursuit and regain your freedom.]

[Choice One Reward: Wood Release Kekkei Genkai]

[Choice Two: Hide in the Ninja Academy. The Ninja Academy is a cradle of hope and a safe haven. If you go there, you'll have a chance to grow quietly beyond the enemy's sight and build up strength for the road to revenge.]

[Choice Two Reward: All-Nature Chakra]

[Choice Three: Leave Konoha and disappear into the darkness. Because of certain unspoken deals, Konoha is no longer a place of peace. You can leave this former home behind, conceal your identity, and struggle to survive in these troubled times.]

[Choice Three Reward: Three-Tomoe Sharingan]

[Please consider carefully, host, and make a choice you won't regret.]

Now that's more like it. It seemed the system was still the same one as before.

But this mission had multiple choices instead of just one? Hayato couldn't help feeling a little surprised.

The previous two missions had each had only one possible choice, but this time he had to pick from several.

Hayato took a quick look at the rewards. The one he wanted most was undoubtedly the Wood Release Kekkei Genkai.

But All-Nature Chakra was also an extremely appealing choice.

As for the Three-Tomoe Sharingan, it wasn't bad, but it was clearly a cut below the first two. He could awaken the Three-Tomoe Sharingan himself, anyway.

Of course, Wood Release wasn't invincible. Its strength depended on the user. Just look at how Senju Hashirama's Wood Release could reshape the world, while Yamato's Wood Release was good for landscaping.

Once he mastered Wood Release, the feat of Susanoo-Clad Kurama would no longer be an unattainable dream.

It'd be great if I could get all these rewards, Hayato mused.

Wait, could he exploit another bug this time?

The system had only told him to make a choice. It hadn't said he could only pick one.

In the scenario simulated by the system, he really could choose only one option.

Otherwise, the version of him in the scenario would surely die.

But that didn't mean he could choose only one option in the real world.

The more he considered the idea, the more feasible it seemed. Still, the cautious Hayato decided to secure the best reward first.

He could try for the other two later.

He'd have to find a way to go to Konoha Hospital.

But there was no need to rush. The first mission seemed fairly simple, while the other two looked much more complicated.

He had tried standing the day before. Though he could manage it with a bit of wobbling, there was no way he could run around just yet.

Leaving Konoha of his own accord was even more ridiculous.

His frail infant body simply wouldn't allow it.

But his parents could take him to Konoha Hospital. All he needed to do was catch a slight cold.

Once he'd worked it out, Hayato focused on taking in nourishment. After all, nothing mattered more than growing up healthy.

Gurgle, gurgle...

A week later, one afternoon, Hayato decided the time was right. While Misaki was napping with him, he deliberately kicked off the blanket covering him.

In an instant, a bone-chilling cold swept over his body.

An infant's body was very fragile. He only had to get a little cold for a short while to feel unwell.

"Achoo!" Hayato couldn't help sneezing. He also rubbed his right hand against Misaki, who was still asleep.

That little rub woke Misaki. She immediately noticed the snot running from Hayato's right nostril.

She realized at once that he'd caught a chill. Hurriedly, she pulled the blanket back over him and felt his forehead.

"At least he doesn't have a fever." Misaki breathed a sigh of relief.

Still, he was so little. She had to be careful and make sure he didn't suffer any lasting effects.

"Shota!" Misaki called out in a hurry.

With a swish, Shota hurried over from the next room, where he'd been reading. "What's wrong, Misaki?"

"Hayato might have caught a little chill. It's my fault for not taking better care of him. Take him to the hospital to get checked out. He's still so little; we can't let this turn into something worse," she explained.

Misaki was still recovering after giving birth, so she couldn't take Hayato to the hospital herself. She wanted Shota to take him instead.

This was the moment Hayato had been waiting for. Shota hadn't been home for the past few days, but today he had the day off, so Hayato had decided to make himself a little sick.

Meanwhile, as soon as Shota heard that his precious son was ill, he rushed to Hayato and scooped him up.

"I understand, Misaki. Get some rest. I'll take care of Hayato; he'll be fine." After saying that, Shota wrapped Hayato in a thick padded coat and hurried out of the house.

Seeing this, Misaki slowly lay back down, secretly relieved that Shota was home today. Otherwise, they might really have delayed getting the child treated.

Meanwhile, held in his father's arms, Hayato's lips curled into a slight smile.

Plan successful.

It was just that this little "price" left him feeling a bit uncomfortable.