Daily coin farming

Kiyoshi opened his eyes. The ceiling looked a little gray. Today wasn't a day off; he had school.

He sat up and opened the panel for a look.

[Awkwardness Value: 820. Face Value: 452.]

Those had been the numbers before bed last night, and they were still the same when he woke up.

Couldn't someone think back on me and feel more embarrassed the longer they thought about it?

After staring at the two numbers for a few seconds, Kiyoshi sighed.

At this rate, how long would it take to reach a thousand?

A ten-pull cost either a thousand or sixteen hundred.

Single pulls were cheaper, but experience from his previous life told him their drop rates were low.

He had to find time to farm coins. Right now, system rewards were his only way out of this rut.

He sat on the edge of his bed, dangling his feet and swinging them a little.

Then I'll just go out and make a fool of myself.

Once he'd settled on that, he actually felt relieved.

He'd already embarrassed himself. A little more wouldn't hurt.

Besides, this body was only six years old. It was perfectly normal for a six-year-old to do stupid things.

After breakfast, he told Misa, "I'm heading out," slung on his schoolbag, and left.

He'd left early this morning, with some time still to go before class. He decided to take a detour through the shopping street.

Konoha's shopping street wasn't crowded in the early morning. Half the shops were open; some were taking down their door panels, while others were sweeping their entrances.

The faint scents of baked flatbread and dew mingled in the air.

Kiyoshi walked slowly, scanning the shops on either side.

There wasn't really anything he particularly wanted to buy, but his goal was to farm coins.

Farming coins required a setting, a setting required people, and only people could generate awkwardness value or face value.

He ran through the options in his head: where were there plenty of people, where would it be easy to interact, and where could he put his deadpan face to use?

A ninja tool shop.

He stopped outside a ninja tool shop called the Iron Blade Hall, stood there for two seconds, then pushed the door open.

The bell over the door rang. The shop was small, with Kunai and Shuriken covering all four walls, several ninja tool scrolls in a glass case, and a few short swords in the corner.

A middle-aged man sat behind the counter. He was bald, had a scar on his face, and didn't look particularly welcoming.

Kiyoshi walked up to the counter. "Sir, show me your best Kunai."

The bald shopkeeper sized him up without a word, then took a Kunai from beneath the counter and set it down.

"Top quality. Imported from the Land of Iron."

Kiyoshi picked it up and tested its weight.

Honestly, he couldn't tell good from bad. He'd never handled real weapons in his previous life, and he'd barely attended a few days of class in this one. But he knew he couldn't let his uncertainty show.

He frowned, turned it over to inspect it, weighed it again, and set it down.

"A little light."

The shopkeeper froze, his expression shifting from looking at a child to looking at an idiot.

"You're just a kid, and you're complaining it's too light?"

"Weight has nothing to do with age. It's about strength."

He didn't know whether that was right, but his tone was utterly confident.

The shopkeeper gave a helpless smile.

"All right, then. Come back when you're weaker."

"..."

Kiyoshi silently turned and walked out.

The bell rang once.

As soon as the door closed, he let out a breath.

The panel flickered.

[Awkwardness Value +24]

So talking like one of those wannabe alphas really is this cringe. I've even embarrassed myself along with it...

He continued down the street.

As he passed the vegetable market, he could hear the vendors calling from half a street away.

"Fresh vegetables! Picked this morning!"

"Fish! Caught in the Konoha River!"

"Going cheap, going cheap! Last bunch!"

He'd planned to walk straight past.

But the vegetable market was crowded-a good place to farm coins.

He turned into it.

The ground was wet, and the smells of vegetable leaves and puddles mingled together.

One vegetable-selling woman had the loudest voice of all. He heard her calling from far away, "Come on over! Take a look at today's vegetables! Couldn't be fresher!"

Kiyoshi crouched down, picked up a cabbage, and turned it over to inspect it.

"Ma'am, your vegetables are wilted."

The woman's smile stiffened. Then she exploded.

"Wilted?! What does a little brat like you know about vegetables? These were picked this morning! Look at these leaves-"

Several passersby laughed and turned to look.

Without a change in expression, Kiyoshi put the cabbage back.

"I'm a vegetable appraiser. I know much more than you!"

"Fine, then. I picked this cabbage at four in the morning. Where is it wilted? Tell me!"

"Hmm..." Kiyoshi began putting on a thoughtful air, rubbing his chin in contemplation.

The people around them took notice too, unable to hold back their laughter at this child pretending to be so serious.

The woman was being unfairly accused. Reputation was everything when selling vegetables, and being told her produce was wilted was no small matter. She hurried to explain.

"Look how tender and green these leaves are. Even the dirt on the roots is fresh..."

The surrounding people chimed in, pointing at Kiyoshi and commenting...

"Why is this kid making things up about her?"

"And get this-he calls himself an appraiser!"

"An appraiser? Pfft, hahahaha!"

Kiyoshi coughed to hide his embarrassment. "Hmm, yes. Your cabbages are reasonably fresh."

With that, he stood and walked away.

The panel appeared.

[Awkwardness Value +192]

More than at the ninja tool shop.

Sure enough, the vegetable market was a great place to farm awkwardness value.

But once he'd walked some distance away, he belatedly began to feel a little guilty.

The woman had gotten up at four to pick her vegetables, and he'd immediately called them wilted. Even if it was to farm awkwardness value, that was pretty rotten of him.

He thought it over, then went back.

The woman glanced at him. "Back again, young man? Pick whichever one you like. It's on the house."

Kiyoshi swallowed the apology he'd been about to make and asked in confusion, "Huh? You don't have to, do you?"

The woman pointed at the cabbages on the ground with a broad smile. "I should be thanking you! You drew such a big crowd that I got to pitch my vegetables to everyone. Sales went through the roof!"

Kiyoshi left carrying a cabbage. It was quite heavy. He switched arms.

The panel flickered again.

[Face Value +12, Awkwardness Value +12]

He glanced down, paused, then understood.

He'd somehow helped her out, but he still felt pretty embarrassed.

Carrying the cabbage, he left the vegetable market and turned into an alley.

The alley was much quieter than the street, with only faint vendor calls drifting in from the distance.

Kiyoshi looked down at the cabbage in his arms, feeling a little troubled.

I'm supposed to be going to school, and now I'm carrying a cabbage...

Maybe I could farm awkwardness value with it!

Just then, he heard a sound from deep inside the alley.

It sounded a little like quiet sobbing, broken and intermittent.

He straightened and peered over. A little girl, four or five years old, was crouched against the wall at the far end of the alley, hugging her knees, her shoulders trembling.

There were no adults nearby.

He hesitated.

He wanted to leave, but his feet didn't move.

He muttered a curse so quietly that even he couldn't make out what he'd said, then walked over.

Hearing his footsteps, the little girl looked up. Her eyes were full of tears, her face was dirty, and clear mucus hung beneath her nose.

"Where are your parents?" Kiyoshi crouched down.

"Uu... I-I don't know..."

"Are you lost?"

She nodded.

She wanted to cry but held it in, making her shoulders jerk with the effort.

Kiyoshi crouched there and watched her for two seconds.

He'd never comforted a child in his previous life. Nor had he in this one.

"Stand up."

The little girl froze for a moment.

"Stand up. I'll take you to find your parents."

She wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood, but didn't move.

She twisted her hands together, keeping her head lowered, afraid to look at him.

Kiyoshi sighed and held out his hand.

"Let's go."

The little girl looked at his hand, then his face. After a moment's hesitation, she took it.

Her hand was tiny, icy cold, and wet with tears.

He led her out of the alley and onto the shopping street. After finding out roughly which direction her home was in, he took her all the way back.

Neither of them spoke along the way. Halfway there, the little girl suddenly said something.

"Big brother, your hand is so cold."

Kiyoshi didn't answer and kept walking.

Her parents were surprised and delighted to see their child return, thanking him over and over.

"Thank you! Thank you so much! What's your name?"

Kiyoshi shook his head.

"Mom says not to leave your name when you do a good deed."

Her parents insisted on giving him a package of snacks. He tried refusing twice, but couldn't turn them down and accepted it.

The panel appeared.

[Face Value +36]

Holding the snacks, he walked out of the residential complex and glanced down at the box in his hand.

It was quite heavy, just like that cabbage.

After some thought, he set the snack box beside a flower bed too, next to the cabbage, planning to come back for them after school.

By the time he reached the school gates, the sun was already up.

Kiyoshi stood at the entrance and patted his pockets, though there wasn't really anything to check.

He'd had quite a haul this morning: 228 more awkwardness value and 48 more face value.

So today's gains all came from drawing crowds? Is this the real way to do it?

He stood at the school gates, wondering whether he should head back again.

But the bell was about to ring.

He pushed open the door and entered the classroom.

More than half the class was already seated.

Sasuke sat by the window, surrounded by several classmates who seemed to be talking about something.

Kiyoshi glanced over, then went to his own seat and sat down.

He put his schoolbag away and slumped over his desk, a little tired.

A trip through the shopping street, pretending to be an expert, running his mouth, comforting a child-the mental strain was worse than doing a whole set of punches.

He closed his eyes for a while, then felt someone watching him.

When he opened them, Naruto was sitting diagonally ahead of him, looking back.

"What were you up to this morning?"

"How did you know?"

"You've got dust on your face."

Kiyoshi reached up and rubbed his face. Sure enough, a little dust came away on his fingers.

"It's nothing. I went out for a walk."

"But you don't live in that direction, do you?"

Kiyoshi paused. Naruto had actually noticed which direction he lived in.

"Yeah, I took a detour."

"Oh." Naruto didn't ask any more questions and turned away.

Kiyoshi looked at the back of Naruto's head, a little surprised.

He looked away and glanced out the window. Sunlight fell across the schoolyard, casting long shadows.

The next class was theory. He leaned back in his chair, numbers turning over in his mind.