Proof of a Protagonist

After another intense afternoon of tailing them, Lin Chongshu's Sharingan and Fire Release proficiency had risen quite a bit.

But he still hadn't found Naruto all day. He had sent his three underlings to stake out the area below Naruto's apartment several times, but they hadn't seen him.

After seeing the Uchiha Clan members back to the police lounge, Lin Chongshu wandered around the Ninja Academy, which was still under renovation, and checked on the construction crew's progress. Though he had successfully infiltrated the Hidden Leaf Village, he had no intention of staying for long.

Even though he had altered his appearance, he was still a rogue ninja from the Land of Wind. Every extra day he stayed meant more risk.

He planned to leave with the construction crew once they finished. He had come in with them, and he would leave with them. The entry and exit procedures and inspections would be much simpler that way.

With Orochimaru's intelligence network, it wouldn't be difficult for him to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf Village again if anything happened in the future.

He also glanced from afar at Rock Lee, who was running laps on the training field.

But he didn't approach him. There was nothing worth extracting from Rock Lee right now, so it wasn't worth wasting time.

That evening, he returned to the inn, shut the door, and opened the panel.

[Name: Lin Chongshu]

[Strength: 36.3]

[Mental: 19.1]

[Agility: 27.6]

[Constitution: 53.8]

[Speed: 24.1]

[Chakra (Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth, Water): 36]

[Fire Release/Wind Release/Lightning Release/Earth Release/Water Release: 18 / 10 / 12 / 11 / 32]

[Shukaku's Power: Sand Manipulation (Proficiency 45)]

[Bloodline Limit: Magnet Release—Gold Dust / Bloodline Limit: Shikotsumyaku (Proficiency 31 / 17)]

[Mystical Palm Technique / Chakra Scalpel / Genjutsu: Demon Flute / Ninja Tool Manipulation (Proficiency 35 / 41 / 6 / 18)]

[Sage Body: Uzumaki Lineage / Sage Body: Natural Energy (19% / 36.7%)]

[Sharingan/Byakugan (13% / 2%)]

Both his Sharingan and Fire Release proficiency had improved considerably today. His Shikotsumyaku had also passively gained several points lately due to Kimimaro's continued hatred and jealousy.

But Lin Chongshu had yet to feel any discomfort from the Shikotsumyaku. Once he returned to Orochimaru's base, he would need to study it properly.

The next day, Lin Chongshu got up before dawn.

The Uchiha Clan's patrol route hadn't changed, nor had the schedule. Everything was as usual.

He followed the crowd from one end of the street to the other, cursing them all the way. From nine to twelve, he didn't even take a sip of water, his eyes never drying as the system notifications chimed nonstop.

At noon, he headed to the Hyuga Main House as usual.

Hinata was indeed waiting there, though another group of children had gathered around her and were bullying her. Lin Chongshu went over and drove them all off with a few punches and kicks.

Hinata looked up at him. There was less fear on her face than yesterday, replaced by something she couldn't quite put into words. Maybe she felt that although he teased her every time, he also drove away everyone who bullied her.

As usual, Lin Chongshu teased her for two hours, and his Byakugan points came in steadily.

That afternoon, he continued following the Uchiha Clan on patrol, cursing them from one end of the street to the other.

His luck was good that afternoon. There were two more Uchiha Clan members on patrol than yesterday, and the hatred was much stronger too.

By evening, he was planning to stake out Naruto's home. As he passed the entrance to the Ninja Academy, he spotted Naruto sitting on a swing.

His toes lightly tapped against the ground as he leaned forward slightly, watching a group of children playing noisily at the academy entrance.

Lin Chongshu stood not far from the swing and didn't approach right away.

He leaned against a tree by the Ninja Academy entrance and watched Naruto for a while before slowly walking behind him. He had something big in mind!

The swing suddenly moved.

Naruto jumped in fright. His first reaction was that someone was trying to mess with him, and he instinctively wanted to jump off. But when the swing swung back into Lin Chongshu's hands, he didn't shove it sideways or push it faster to throw Naruto off. He simply gave it a normal push.

Naruto looked back once. The swing came back and was pushed out again.

Once, twice, three times. Naruto turned forward and stopped looking back.

The corners of his mouth slowly lifted, and then he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

He sat on the swing, going higher and higher as he shouted, "Higher! Higher!" His face bloomed with joy.

Finally, someone was willing to play with him.

After playing for quite a while, Naruto jumped off the swing. He staggered when he landed and nearly fell, then started laughing before anyone else could.

Lin Chongshu suggested going to Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto didn't even ask who he was. He followed at Lin Chongshu's side, gesturing excitedly and talking nonstop the entire way.

He said his name was Uzumaki Naruto, that ramen was his favorite food, and that he would become Hokage someday and make everyone in the village acknowledge him.

He spoke quickly because no one had ever been willing to listen to him talk about these things.

Lin Chongshu walked beside him, occasionally responding, occasionally nodding, occasionally smiling.

After they finished their ramen, Lin Chongshu bought a popsicle and handed it to him.

Naruto took the popsicle and looked up at Lin Chongshu. "Today was the happiest day of my life! You're my first friend!"

Then he paused, as though he had suddenly remembered something very important. "Oh, right. What's your name?"

Lin Chongshu looked down at Naruto, then suddenly reached out and knocked the popsicle from his hand. "Who wants to be friends with you, you little Demon Fox?"

"I've been playing you the whole time. Couldn't you tell? I can't believe you have such a ridiculous dream! Hahaha! Hokage? Do you really think you can pull that off?"

Naruto froze in place. His mouth hung open as he looked at the popsicle broken into two pieces on the ground, then shifted his gaze to Lin Chongshu's face. His eyes reddened.

He desperately tried to hold it back, but he couldn't. His whole body stiffened beneath the streetlamp.

[Detected intense negative emotions toward the host from Uzumaki Naruto: pain, betrayal, despair. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Asura Chakra +1.]

Lin Chongshu was stunned too. Asura Chakra!

He had thought the best he could get would be something like the Sage Body: Uzumaki Lineage or Nine-Tails Chakra. He hadn't expected to strike gold immediately and extract the chakra of Asura's reincarnation.

Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura Chakra. Aside from becoming the Ten-Tails' jinchuriki, possessing Asura or Indra Chakra and being granted power by the Sage of Six Paths' soul were the only ways to obtain Six Paths Power.

This was proof of a protagonist!

Naruto had already run away crying.

Lin Chongshu withdrew his gaze, and another thought immediately surfaced in his mind: If Asura works, then could Indra work too?

For the next week, Lin Chongshu lived like a local of the Hidden Leaf Village.

Every morning, the moment he opened his eyes, he went to curse the Uchiha Clan. At noon, he went to the Hyuga Clan to bully Hinata.

Hinata's short hair grew longer and longer.

One day, Lin Chongshu arrived late. When he reached the area near the main house, he saw from afar a group of children surrounding Hinata. Before he could rush over—

Neji suddenly appeared and drove the children away.

Lin Chongshu didn't approach that day. Neji's nature was similar to Temari's; using his fists would only make him more stubborn. Nor did he want to reveal that he was different.

Ever since he had traumatized Naruto that night, Naruto would reflexively feel negative emotions whenever he saw Lin Chongshu.

Lin Chongshu didn't have to do anything. As long as he entered Naruto's field of vision, the system would chime.

But he never extracted Asura Chakra again. All he got was Nine-Tails Chakra.

[Detected intense negative emotions toward the host from Uzumaki Naruto: pain, anger. Reward extraction complete.]

[Obtained: Nine-Tails Power: Nine-Tails Chakra +1.]