The first ten-pull

Kiyoshi had barely sat down when the glowing screen popped up.

[System settlement: positive feedback from 3 people, Face Value +300; negative feedback from 15 people, Awkwardness Value +1500 (beginner bonus ×10).]

[Beginner bonus: ×10 multiplier on first Awkwardness Value gain: expired.]

[Sufficient currency detected. Perform a ten-pull?]

Kiyoshi glanced at the numbers.

Awkwardness Value: 1500. Face Value: 300.

An Awkwardness Value ten-pull only costs 1000, but a Face Value one costs 1600? Did this thing take lessons from Genshin Impact?

A thought popped into his head: Face Value was positive word of mouth, while Awkwardness Value was negative publicity.

The corner of his mouth twitched. Why hadn't he used this knack for making connections to write proposals in his previous life?

Enough random thoughts. It was time to pull.

[Ten-pull activating... Consuming 1000 Awkwardness Value.]

Light effects burst across the screen, and cards flew past his eyes.

[SR · Awkwardness Release · Embarrassment Wall: active skill: releases an "Embarrassment Wall" with a projection-screen effect in front of the user, locks onto a target, and plays embarrassing videos.

(These may feature his embarrassing past or face-swapped meme remixes.)]

[R · Jiahao Bracelet · Black iron: equipment-type gear, equipment coefficient +0.2. Engraved inside: "Don't panic."]

[SSR · Awkwardness Release · Primordial Power Fragment (1/10): collect ten fragments to unlock the complete ability. Effect: unknown.]

[R · Instinct Soldier Pill ×3: after consumption, the user involuntarily performs an improvised action matching their current state of mind. Base 20% chance of triggering a slight permanent improvement in physique.]

[R · Mentality Band ×1: tie around the forehead or wrist to increase mental energy recovery speed.]

[R-rank · Colorful Soldier Pill, Echo Kunai, Automatic Page-Turning Pen, etc. ×5: all single-use entertainment props with no practical effects.]

The corners of Kiyoshi's mouth rose despite himself, and his embarrassment and dissatisfaction with the system vanished.

A ten-pull, two cards above R rank, including an SSR fragment, plus a bunch of R-rank items.

By gacha game standards, that was pretty good luck.

But what the hell are the Colorful Soldier Pill and Echo Kunai?

And an Automatic Page-Turning Pen? System, are you hinting that I shouldn't pay attention in class?

He stared at the panel for a few seconds, then suddenly let out a brief laugh before suppressing it.

He didn't even know what he was laughing at. Afterward, he found it inexplicable himself.

[System notification: equipment coefficient updated. Current value: 1.2 (base 1.0 + black iron bracelet 0.2). Recognition from stronger individuals yields greater rewards.]

Kiyoshi lowered his head.

A black iron bracelet had appeared on his wrist. He had no idea when it had been put on, but it fit perfectly, neither loose nor tight.

Two words were engraved inside: "Don't panic."

He stared at those words for two seconds, rubbing the engraving with his fingertips. The edges of the strokes were a little rough.

Meanwhile, in the very front row of the classroom.

Sasuke glanced toward the back out of the corner of his eye.

That guy named Uchiha Kiyoshi was looking down at his wrist, his expression twisted as he tried to hold back a smile.

Sasuke tapped his index finger against his desk once, froze, then quickly stopped.

What was this guy's deal?

Earlier, when Kiyoshi had stood at the front and said, "My name is Uchiha Kiyoshi. I was born to stand at the top," Sasuke had genuinely been taken aback.

That tone, that look in his eyes-he hadn't seemed to be bluffing. At least not during the first part.

But then his words had gotten ridiculous.

"I'll do you all a favor. Just call me Big Bro Hao."

The whole class had laughed. That idiot Naruto had laughed the loudest, and even Iruka-sensei had struggled to keep a straight face.

Kiyoshi had walked back to his seat without his expression changing, as though nothing had happened.

Sasuke furrowed his brow, two vertical creases forming between his eyebrows.

Among the Uchiha, strength commanded respect. He had been taught that since childhood.

His father was the clan head, and his brother was a genius.

But what the hell did Kiyoshi have to do with strength?

Sasuke remembered last night, his father sitting in the living room with steam rising from the teacup in his hand.

"Sasuke, your brother Itachi graduated from the Ninja Academy at seven. You're his younger brother. Don't disgrace the Uchiha."

He clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. His nails dug into his palms, sending a stab of pain through them, but he didn't loosen his grip.

Graduated at seven. How was he supposed to compete with that?

Yet that Kiyoshi, some branch-family kid whose name he had never even heard, had actually stood at the front of the classroom and said he was "born to stand at the top."

What gave him the right?

Sasuke looked away.

Forget it. It wasn't his business anyway.

But he had to learn from this. Something that embarrassing could never happen to him! Never!

The first day of school passed quickly, without anything particularly eventful-aside from Kiyoshi's introduction...

After school.

On the streets of Konoha, the setting sun stretched the shadows long.

Sasuke walked out of the school gates and immediately spotted the woman waiting by the roadside.

Mikoto had long black hair and a smile on her lips. The fan-shaped clan crest was embroidered on her Uchiha attire.

"Sasuke."

"Mom."

Mikoto took his schoolbag and asked casually, "How was your day?"

"Fine."

"I heard someone in your class gave a pretty interesting introduction today?"

Sasuke faltered midstep, his expression darkening.

"How did you know?"

Mikoto smiled. "All the parents in your class are talking about it. Apparently, an Uchiha boy went up and declared he would stand at the top, then told everyone to call him Big Bro Hao."

The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched.

Word traveled that fast? How did his mom know everything?

He felt a little irritated, though he couldn't put his finger on why.

"Kiyoshi... is Kazuhiko's son," Mikoto said as they walked. "I remember him being a fairly quiet child. He certainly made things interesting today."

Sasuke stayed silent for a moment before asking, "Mom, do you know him?"

"Not really. I've seen him a few times. His mother, Misa, told me he's always been sensible, even as a little boy. Not as rowdy as other children."

Sensible?

The scene of Kiyoshi saying, "Do me a favor and call me Big Bro Hao," surfaced in Sasuke's mind.

What did that have to do with being sensible? He didn't think it had anything to do with it, but he said nothing more.

At the same time, on another street in Konoha.

Kiyoshi walked alone, his schoolbag slung over one shoulder.

Halfway home, he paused, took the bracelet off, put it back on, took it off, and put it back on again. He repeated this three times, making sure he really could remove it and put it on before continuing.

The setting sun stretched his shadow long, and the black iron bracelet on his wrist gleamed darkly in the light.

He looked down at the engraving inside.

"Don't panic."

He repeated it silently.

Then he quickened his pace. Two steps later, he remembered something, slowed down, and kept walking.

His silhouette bobbed along in the sunset, with no particular rhythm.

Kiyoshi pushed open the front door. The entryway light was on, and the sounds of cooking and the aroma of miso soup drifted from the kitchen.

"You're back?" Misa poked her head out of the kitchen, water stains on her apron and a spatula still in her hand.

"How was your first day of school?" Kiyoshi changed his shoes and answered casually, "Fine."

Fine?

He opened his mouth, then closed it again. His throat shifted, but no sound came out.

So much had happened today, and all he had was "fine"? It was like his mouth was borrowed-it never worked when he needed it.

But he hadn't figured out what to say either. He could hardly tell her, "Mom, I got linked to a system today. Everything that happened was its fault."

Misa didn't press him. She smiled and turned back to the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready soon. Go wash your hands."

Kiyoshi answered and headed toward his room.

As he passed the living room, he saw his father, Kazuhiko, sitting on the sofa with a mission report in his hand. He worked as a clerk in Konoha's logistics department, handling supply allocation.

A pile of forms lay spread across the coffee table. Beside them sat a cup of tea that had gone completely cold, a single tea leaf floating on its surface.

He glanced at the cup and wanted to say, "Your tea's cold." His mouth opened, then closed again.

Never mind. It wasn't a big deal. He could still drink it cold.

His gaze swept over a line on one of the forms: "Konoha Military Police Force third-quarter equipment quota request." Beside it, "reduce" had been written in red pen.

"You're back?" Kazuhiko looked up at him, his gaze lingering on his face for a second.

"I hear you made quite a name for yourself at school today, kiddo!"