Uzumaki Shixia strolled unhurriedly through a lush mountain forest.
As he walked, he opened the system.
"Give me a ten-pull first!"
[Deducted 1,000 commission points from the host! Remaining commission points: 21.] [Drawing...] [Congratulations! The host has obtained:] [Shuriken ×10] [Kunai ×2] [Military Rations Pills ×20] [Earth release chakra level +1] [Lightning release chakra level +1] [Explosive Tags ×10] [Chakra reserves +2 Kakashi units] [New ninjutsu: Lightning Release: Lightning Burial] [Shuriken ×5] [Kunai ×1]
Sixia frowned at the results. What a rip-off. What was all this garbage?
Are you kidding me?
Even a suicide technique like Lightning Burial is in the draw pool?
Fuck!
Give me my money back!
Sixia shook his head and turned his attention to the little girl slung over his shoulder.
He considered how to arrange things for Karin.
Karin looked only about ten years old now, not yet the cool, confident young woman she would become.
Despite her age, Karin was already quite clever.
Sixia could tell.
The little girl was actually awake. Perhaps because she was unsure of her situation, she had remained silent.
Of course, against a ninja of Uzumaki Shixia's caliber, her little tricks were useless.
After walking for a while, Uzumaki Shixia stopped.
He smiled faintly and spoke in a lazy, casual tone.
"Little Karin, how much longer are you going to pretend to be asleep?"
Karin was startled by his words.
Without much hesitation, she quickly pushed herself upright, shoving hard against Uzumaki Shixia's shoulder with both hands in an attempt to escape his grasp.
Unfortunately, the next moment, Uzumaki Shixia caught her by the back of her clothes and held her in the air like a kitten.
Karin instantly realized just how vast the gap in strength was between her and this human-shaped tailed beast!
Karin did not struggle. Instead, she obediently let Uzumaki Shixia hold her in midair.
Seeing how well she behaved, Sixia set her down.
Sixia narrowed his eyes at Karin and asked, "What do you plan to do?"
Karin simply turned her little head aside, refusing to speak to Uzumaki Shixia.
Her expression left Uzumaki Shixia unsure whether to laugh or cry.
He also understood that Karin probably had nowhere to go right now.
Karin did have a home, but her mother had already passed away, leaving her alone there.
So whether she stayed home or somewhere else hardly seemed to make a difference.
Besides, Karin vaguely remembered being kidnapped by a group of people.
Even if she wanted to return, they probably would not let her.
However, Uzumaki Shixia did not seem to be one of her kidnappers.
As for who Uzumaki Shixia was, she had no idea.
When Uzumaki Shixia continued toward Amegakure, Karin followed behind him.
Sixia had thought the pretty girl would at least ask where he was going.
But interestingly enough, Karin did not ask a single question along the way.
After walking for a long time, Sixia checked the sky. Seeing that the sun was about to set, he began looking for a campsite.
Throughout the journey, Karin had been secretly observing Uzumaki Shixia.
His striking red hair and familiar chakra stood out to her.
She knew he was almost certainly another descendant of the Uzumaki Clan.
Still, she would not trust Uzumaki Shixia completely just because he was descended from the Uzumaki Clan.
As she watched Uzumaki Shixia look around, Karin thought to herself.
Is he looking for somewhere to stay?
There doesn't seem to be a suitable campsite in this mountain forest.
Karin had been clever since childhood, and her powers of observation and perception were exceptional.
With a little thought, she figured out what Sixia intended to do.
When Sixia headed toward a patch of woods, Karin hurried after him.
They were out in the wilderness, after all. What if a bear appeared?
If Sixia's arrival had not triggered a butterfly effect in the Shinobi World, Karin really would encounter a bear during an exam.
Karin followed Sixia through the woods for a while.
Then she discovered that Sixia had found a small stream with practiced ease, where fish and shrimp darted about.
There was plenty of dry wood nearby, which could be used to build a safe house or burned as fuel.
They had fresh water, food, and firewood.
Once they built a temporary shelter, they could camp here in comfort.
While Karin was marveling at all this, a Ninja Blade had already appeared in Sixia's hand.
He did not have the Kamui Dimension, but he did have system space.
Naturally, he had taken this Ninja Blade out of system space.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Uzumaki Shixia entered the nearby woods, repeatedly raising and lowering his blade as he strolled along.
Karin had no idea what he was doing.
But she soon understood!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Section after section of timber fell neatly to the forest floor.
Some were long and others short, each seemingly intended for a particular purpose.
Next, Sixia deftly began weaving rope from tree bark.
After skillfully weaving the bark into rope, Sixia began securing the timber he had cut in place around the site.
His movements flowed smoothly, without a single pause.
In no time, Uzumaki Shixia had built a respectable-looking safe house entirely by hand!
Karin was utterly stunned by the sight!
With nothing but a Ninja Blade, Uzumaki Shixia had built a wooden cabin!
It even had two rooms, one large and one small!
He also made two beds from dry branches and grass.
Sixia had no idea that his casual display of survival skills had stunned the pretty girl.
As he walked toward the stream, he sighed inwardly.
If only the system would reward me with a Wood Release technique sometime.
Then I could clap my hands together, and out would come a Wood Release villa!
Although he possessed many ninjutsu now, he had yet to obtain a Wood Release technique.
When he reached the stream, he neither fished nor tried catching fish with his bare hands.
First, he carefully examined the streamside. Then he quickly formed hand seals and slapped both hands onto the ground!
"Lightning Release: Earth Flow!"
No one would arrest him for electrofishing in the Shinobi World, so he could do it without a care!
Bzzzt!
Blue arcs of electricity instantly spread through the water.
One fish after another was shocked into floating to the surface.
This time, Karin covered her little mouth in shock. Was this really how Lightning Release was supposed to be used?
Sixia brought all the floating fish ashore, then began deftly cleaning them.
Since the system he had awakened was a mercenary system, he frequently needed to travel far and wide on missions.
Camping in the wilderness was practically routine for him.
While Karin continued to marvel, Sixia had already collected some dry firewood and lit a campfire.
He set the fish he had just cleaned over the fire to roast.
Uzumaki Shixia soon took a small bottle out of his ninja tool pouch.
Of course, that was merely for show. He had actually taken it out of system space.
The little bottle contained salt and other seasonings for grilling.
Whether grilling fish or chicken, the result would not taste very good without seasoning.
As the sky gradually darkened, Karin came over and sat beside the campfire.
After observing him throughout their journey, she was fairly certain that Uzumaki Shixia meant her no harm.
Not long after Karin sat down, Uzumaki Shixia handed her a grilled fish.
"Eat up. You won't be worth much if you starve."
Karin swallowed.
Is this guy planning to sell me?
The grilled fish smelled delicious. He even seemed to have used some secret recipe while cooking it!
After a moment's hesitation, Karin accepted the fish.
It had been a long time since she had eaten meat that smelled this good.
With her very first bite, Karin was stunned to discover that this grilled fish was the most delicious food she had ever eaten.
Even under such crude conditions, Uzumaki Shixia had managed to make something truly tasty.
The grilled fish was crisp outside and tender inside, its fragrance mouthwatering.
Every bite was a treat for her taste buds!
Uzumaki Shixia had no idea how many thoughts were running through Karin's mind.
As Karin feasted, Sixia teased her.
"I rescued you from your kidnappers and have looked after you all this time."
"It's only fair that you pay me, isn't it?"
Karin had been very quiet throughout their journey.
He wondered whether the experience had left her traumatized.
Karin paused at his words, then gave a little snort.
"Hmph!"
"I never asked you to rescue me!"
"Besides, whatever those people kidnapped me for..."
"They would've made sure I was well fed until they got what they wanted!"
"Since you rescued me from them, you'll just have to take care of that for now!"
Despite her fierce words, Karin felt terribly uneasy.
Where was she supposed to find the money to pay Uzumaki Shixia?
Besides, how could she ever afford to hire a ninja of Uzumaki Shixia's caliber?
She was also worried that Uzumaki Shixia really would abandon her.
After all, they were deep in the wilderness. On her own, she would struggle to get out of this dangerous place.
To her surprise, as soon as she finished speaking, Uzumaki Shixia suddenly laughed.
"Hahahaha..."
"I think you're saying all that because you don't have any money."
Sixia finished speaking.
With her thoughts laid bare, Karin's pretty face flushed in embarrassment.
Before you continue