Kenji felt his legs get a little lighter with the new stat boost.
"This," he said, patting his pocket where the stolen ryo sat heavy and comforting. "This is going to be fun."
But as he walked out of the dark alley, wiping the imaginary dust off his hands, he saw something that stopped him dead in his tracks.
Sitting on the lonely swing set in the empty park, bathed in the pale moonlight, was Naruto Uzumaki. He wasn't training. He wasn't pulling pranks or painting the Hokage monument. He was just sitting there, swinging back and forth, staring at his worn-out sandals.
He looked incredibly small.
Dammit, Kenji thought, his good mood evaporating instantly. Fuck you, Sarutobi. Look at the 'good thing' you have done.
At an age where a kid should be sleeping, or playing, or dreaming about cool ninja moves, the "Hero's Son" was rotting on a swing set because he didn't have a home to go back to—not a real one, anyway.
Kenji doubted if Naruto had even eaten anything. He knew the stats. The orphan allowance for Naruto was pitiful—even less than what Kenji got. And that was assuming he could spend it. Most shopkeepers wouldn't let the "Demon Brat" inside their stores, or they'd sell him expired milk and moldy bread at triple the price just to spite him.
Sigh... what should I do? Kenji hesitated, leaning against the brick wall of the alley. If I approach him now, outside of school, an ANBU might get attached to me full-time. I'll be flagged as a 'Sympathizer'.
He looked at the boy again. Naruto kicked the dirt, his shoulders slumped in defeat.
Kenji clenched his fist.
Fuck it. Since when does a transmigrator live in fear? I have a System. I have explosive tags. I have a Max-Level Henge. If I can't even buy a kid a bowl of noodles, I should just go hang myself.
Besides... even a villain needs a right-hand man, right?
Just then, as if on cue, a blue screen flickered into existence.
[DING!]
[Chain Mission Triggered: The Apostle of Culture]
[System Note:] You cannot spread the 'Art' to the world on your own. A true sect leader needs a loyal follower. A disciple who will walk the path of degeneracy by your side.
Objective: Recruit your first Disciple. Raise their Loyalty level.
Current Target: Naruto Uzumaki.
Progress: 1% (Acquaintance).
Completion Reward: Chakra Control Manual: Tree Climbing Practice (Rare).
Note: This is a long-term mission. Reward will be dispensed upon reaching 10% Loyalty.
Kenji's determination hardened. Tree Climbing Practice? That was essential. That was the key to Taijutsu and movement. Most Genin didn't learn that until after graduation.
"Alright," Kenji straightened his shirt. "Time to work."
He stepped out of the shadows and sped forward.
"Yo! Future Hokage!" Kenji called out, his voice cutting through the silence of the park.
Naruto jumped, nearly falling off the swing. He scrambled to wipe his face, looking around frantically before spotting Kenji.
"What are you doing here?!"
"K-Kenji?" Naruto blinked, putting on his usual loud mask. "I was just... uh... meditating! Yeah! Special night training! To be the best, you gotta train when everyone sleeps!"
Kenji walked up to the swing, leaning casually against the metal pole. "Meditating, huh? Is that a new jutsu?"
"Yeah! It's super secret!" Naruto grinned, though his eyes were red and puffy.
Grrowwwwl.
A sound like a dying bear erupted from Naruto's stomach. It echoed loudly in the empty park.
Naruto froze. His face turned beet red. He clutched his stomach, trying to silence it, but it growled again, louder this time. The "secret training" excuse shattered instantly.
He looked down, shame burning his cheeks. He expected Kenji to laugh. Or to make a face. Everyone always made a face.
"Man," Kenji sighed loudly, rubbing his own stomach. "That sounded intense."
Naruto flinched. "I... I just..."
"You haven't had dinner yet, right?" Kenji interrupted smoothly, not poking the wound. "Good. Me neither. I was actually looking for someone to help me eat."
Naruto looked up, confused. "Help you... eat?"
"Yeah," Kenji patted his pocket. "I came into some extra cash today. A 'donation' from a very generous Chunin. But I hate eating alone. Food tastes like cardboard when you eat by yourself."
Kenji kicked off the pole and jerked his thumb over his shoulder.
"Let's go. Ichiraku Ramen. My treat."
Naruto sat there, stunned. "Your... treat? You mean... you're paying? For me?"
"To celebrate our friendship," Kenji said with a grin. "We are friends, right?"
Naruto's lower lip trembled. His blue eyes shimmered, filling with water. He had eaten at Ichiraku before, but usually because the Old Man Teuchi took pity on him. No peer, no classmate, had ever invited him.
"Why are you crying?" Kenji asked, though his tone was soft.
"I'm not crying!" Naruto shouted, furiously scrubbing his eyes with his sleeve, sniffing loudly. "There was just... dust! A lot of dust in the wind!"
"Right. Dust," Kenji chuckled, turning around. "Come on, Dust Boy. I'm getting the pork cutlet topping. If you're slow, I'm eating yours too."
"No way! Wait for me!" Naruto leaped off the swing, stumbling a bit before running to catch up to Kenji's side.
As the two boys walked away under the streetlights—one scheming transmigrator and one loud knucklehead—the shadows behind them shifted.
****
High up in a dense oak tree, two figures masked in porcelain crouched on a branch, blending perfectly with the darkness.
"Target A has made contact with the Jinchuriki," one ANBU whispered, his voice void of emotion. "It appears they are... socializing."
"He bought him dinner," the second ANBU noted, shifting slightly. "Target A comes from the civilian sector. His file shows no contact with foreign agents. He's just a classmate."
"It is suspicious," the first insisted. "Why approach the boy now? Didn't his parents tell him not to associate with the demon fox?"
"He's an orphan, Tenzo. No one is there to tell him what not to do," the second ANBU murmured, a hint of humanity slipping into his tone. "Maybe it's good. I feel bad for the kid. It's just two classmates getting along, nothing suspicious."
"It is not our job to decide what it is," the first ANBU snapped back to protocol. "We observe. We report."
He pulled out a small scroll, jotting down the interaction.
"Report to Hokage-sama: Subject Kenji Sato has established a bond with the Jinchuriki. Threat level currently low, but influence requires monitoring."