Proof of a Protagonist

Another afternoon of intense tailing had passed, and Lin Chongshu's Sharingan and Fire Release proficiency had risen quite a bit again.

But he hadn't found Naruto all day. He had sent his three lackeys to stake out the downstairs area of Naruto's home several times, but they hadn't seen him.

After sending the Uchiha Clan members back to the police rest area, Lin Chongshu took another walk around the Ninja Academy, which was undergoing renovations, and checked the construction crew's progress. Though he had successfully infiltrated the Hidden Leaf Village, he had no plans to stay there long.

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 entered with them and would leave with them, making the entry and exit procedures and inspections much simpler.

Now that he had Orochimaru's intelligence network, it wouldn't be difficult to infiltrate the Hidden Leaf Village again if anything happened in the future.

He also took a distant glance at Rock Lee, who was running laps on the field.

But he didn't go over. Rock Lee had nothing worth extracting points from right now, so he wasn't worth wasting time on.

That evening, he returned to the inn, shut his 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%)]

His Sharingan and Fire Release proficiency had both increased significantly today. Meanwhile, his Shikotsumyaku had passively gained several points lately because of Kimimaro's constant hatred and jealousy.

But Lin Chongshu still hadn't felt 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 time. Everything was as usual.

He followed the crowd, cursing from one end of the street to the other. He tailed them from nine until noon without drinking a drop of water, and his eyes didn't even feel dry. The system notifications kept ringing without pause.

At noon, he headed toward the Hyuga Main House again, following the familiar route.

Hinata was indeed waiting there, but another group of children had gathered around to bully her. Lin Chongshu stepped in and drove them all away with a few punches and kicks.

Hinata looked up at him. There was less fear in her expression than yesterday, replaced by something indescribable. Perhaps she felt that although this person teased her every time, he also chased away everyone who bullied her.

As usual, Lin Chongshu teased her for two hours, steadily collecting Byakugan points.

That afternoon, he continued following the Uchiha Clan on patrol, cursing 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 concentration of hatred was much higher.

Toward evening, he prepared to stake out Naruto's home. As he passed the entrance to the Ninja Academy, he saw Naruto sitting on a swing.

His toes lightly tapped 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 immediately.

He leaned against a tree by the Ninja Academy entrance and watched Naruto for quite some time before slowly walking behind him. I've got a big one in mind!

The swing suddenly moved.

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

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

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

The corners of his lips gradually rose, then he suddenly burst into loud laughter.

Sitting on the swing, he went higher and higher, shouting, "Higher! Higher!" His face bloomed with a smile.

Finally, someone was willing to play with him.

After playing for quite a while, Naruto jumped off the swing. He staggered upon landing and nearly fell, then laughed first himself.

Lin Chongshu suggested going to Ichiraku Ramen. Naruto didn't even ask who he was, following beside him with animated gestures and chattering nonstop along the way.

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

He spoke very 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 eating ramen, Lin Chongshu bought him a popsicle and handed it over.

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 if he had suddenly remembered something 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 Demon Fox brat?"

"I've been playing you the whole time. Couldn't you tell? I didn't think you'd have such a laughable dream! Hahaha! Becoming Naruto? Do you really think you can achieve that?"

Naruto froze in place. His mouth was still 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 assumed that at most he would extract something like an Uzumaki Clan member's Sage Body 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. Apart from becoming the Ten-Tails' Jinchūriki, possessing Asura or Indra Chakra and being bestowed power by the Sage of Six Paths' soul was the only way 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 worked, then could Indra work too?

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

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

Hinata's short hair grew longer and longer as well.

One day, Lin Chongshu arrived late. Near the main house, he saw a group of children surrounding Hinata in the distance, but before he could rush over at full speed—

That group of children was driven away by Neji, who suddenly appeared.

Lin Chongshu didn't approach that day. Neji had a temperament similar to Temari's; using his fists would only make him more stubborn. He also didn't want to expose how different he was.

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

Lin Chongshu didn't need to do anything. As long as he appeared within Naruto's line of sight, the system would chime.

He simply never extracted Asura Chakra again. Everything 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.]