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"You and I, hand in hand… in this ninja land…"
"For a dream, we take a stand… across this ninja land…"
Heshù poured his heart and soul into a song he'd modified himself.
If the system had a physical form, Heshù would have enthusiastically grabbed its hand.
The system was now seriously questioning its host's mental state.
After cross-referencing its databases, it concluded Heshù's current condition bore a striking resemblance to a character from a classic human story titled Fan Jin Passes the Imperial Exam.
"Does the host require a physical and psychological status scan?" the system offered politely.
"What are you talking about? I'm perfectly healthy. Thanks for the concern, though, my dude."
Heshù smiled, touched.
"…"
The system paused.
Normally, Heshù would have already started complaining or firing back with something like, "You're the one with mental problems!"
Confirmed. The host was acting abnormally.
The system felt a flicker of worry. How could it snap him back to his usual self?
[Host has exceeded 60 Affection with targets: Minato Namikaze, Shikaku Nara, Jiraiya, and Chōza Akimichi. Please choose to fuse/allocate skills or enhance existing skills.]
Heshù considered this carefully. "Fuse the affection from Shikaku and Chōza to enhance an existing skill. Use Minato's to allocate a new one. I'll keep Jiraiya's in reserve, just in case."
He nodded, quite pleased with his own arrangement.
"…"
The system hadn't expected Heshù to create a savings account for affection points. It proceeded as instructed.
[Enhancing host's existing skill—Hie Hie no Mi... Enhancement in progress...]
[...1... Enhancement complete.]
[All Hie Hie no Mi abilities unlocked.]
Heshù's expression went from thrilled to utterly lifeless.
"Give me one good reason!" His face twisted into a snarl. "I have so many skills that are barely leveled, and you max out the one that only had 'Ice Age' left to unlock! WHY?! WHY?!"
"Why would you do this to me?!"
"That was the fused affection from Shikaku and Chōza!"
"AAAAARGH!"
"…"
The system, which had thought this would cool Heshù down from his [Limitless]-induced high, was stunned.
This seemed… significantly worse.
Did it backfire?
"Why… why?" Heshù clung to a tree trunk, tears streaming down his face.
Just when he thought it was his lucky day, the system delivered a critical hit.
Forcing him to accept his gacha-cursed fate!
Waaaaah…
Watching his host sob while hugging a tree, the system felt a rare flicker of guilt.
"There's still Minato's affection. Want to try that?" it offered.
It resolved internally to assign a decent skill this time. A little compensation was in order.
"Huh?" Heshù turned his head, peeling himself away from the trunk. "You think you have any credibility left? I treated you like a brother! I shared everything with you! We've been through so much together! And you… you just…" His voice choked with emotion. "I thought, in this entire shinobi world, you were the only one I could truly trust. But it turns out…"
He wiped his tears, covering half his face. "I was just deluding myself."
Seeing his host so heartbroken, the system felt a pang of something uncomfortable.
It never expected that it, a system, could experience such a sentiment.
"Try it," the system insisted. "I will give you a satisfactory answer."
Heshù gave a bitter, helpless laugh. He shook his head, angry at his own weakness. "This is just like me. Always holding out hope for you, even after you've screwed me over countless times."
The system felt an inexplicable weight in its non-existent core.
[Ding! System-allocated skill delivered. Does the host wish to accept?]
[Yes] / [No]
Tear-streaked, Heshù pressed [Yes].
[Cursed Technique Reversal: Red]
[Description: A primary offensive technique of Satoru Gojo. Infuses the positive energy generated by Reverse Cursed Technique into the Limitless, creating a new technique manifesting as a powerful repulsive force centered on "Red." Its minimum output is twice that of "Blue," with a maximum output approaching positive infinity, akin to a miniature supernova. Requires no hand seals and can be deployed multiple times.]
[Hollow Technique: Purple]
[Description: A secret technique known to few even within the Gojo clan. Merges the Lapse Technique "Blue" and the Reversal Technique "Red" to generate and launch a virtual mass. It manifests as an energy wave that erases whatever it touches, leaving behind a clean, circular void. One of the most destructive techniques in Jujutsu Kaisen, possessing immense range and diameter, annihilating everything in its path. Activated with a finger snap.]
"T-Two of them…?" Heshù stared, dumbfounded.
"Correct," the system replied coolly.
This was its compensation. For Minato's 60 Affection, it had given him two of Gojo's signature techniques. They were at their initial level, of course, but practice makes perfect.
Heshù fought to keep the corners of his mouth from twitching upward.
Looks like that performance wasn't in vain.
"System…" Heshù was filled with emotion. "I knew it… Given our bond, you'd never really screw me over."
He declared solemnly, "You're my brother!"
"…"
For some reason, the system felt something was off. Strange. Weird. But it couldn't pinpoint the cause.
The Land of Lightning lay northeast of the Land of Fire. Between them sat two smaller nations: the Land of Rice Fields and the Land of Frost.
After crossing the Land of Fire, Heshù reached a border town in the Land of Rice Fields.
The town was sparsely populated. Even in broad daylight, people stayed indoors—a likely consequence of the war.
The terrain was a series of rolling hills, with terraced paddies climbing their slopes. The waterlogged fields mirrored the blue sky, shrouded in a beautiful, picturesque mist.
"Heard the Daimyō plans to take refuge in another country," a low voice said.
Heshù, pretending to browse a street vendor's stall, perked up his ears. Two nearby peddlers were gossiping in hushed tones.
"Move? Why?"
"Are you stupid? The war, of course!"
"The war? What's that got to do with our Land of Rice Fields?"
"We're sandwiched between the Land of Fire and the Land of Lightning! We'll end up just like the Land of Grass! When shinobi fight, even a Daimyō gets scared. He's leaving. He's in our town today, sets off tomorrow!"
"You mean… Fire and Lightning are going to war?"
"Yep."
"How do you know the Daimyō's here?"
"Because he's staying at my sister's place!"
"Oh! No wonder! Her house is the fanciest in town!"
…
Heshù stood frozen, a piece of preserved fruit still in his hand.
"Are you buying that or not?" The vendor, seeing Heshù stare silently at the fruit, assumed he was broke. "If you don't have money, scram! Don't block my business!"
"…"
Heshù had actually been considering a purchase. Hearing that, he decisively put the fruit down.
He wasn't about to give his business to a rude merchant.
A plan began to form in his mind.
Afternoon faded into evening.
From the two gossips, Heshù had learned the Daimyō's location.
His figure flickered and vanished.
A blade of grass growing from a crack in the cobblestones swayed gently, as if no one had ever been there.
Deep within a luxurious mansion, the Daimyō of the Land of Rice Fields soaked in a hot spring. Silver cups and delicate pastries rested on the stone edge.
He leaned back and closed his eyes, completely at ease.
The next moment, an icy sensation spread from his neck down his spine.
The Daimyō's blood ran cold.
"W-Who… who's there?" he stammered, not daring to turn around.
Heshù rested the edge of his blade, Shinsō, against the Daimyō's neck and offered a friendly smile. He spoke slowly and clearly. "I am your most, most, most, most beloved daughter, the Princess of the Land of Rice Fields. You are to hire the strongest shinobi from Kumogakure to escort me to their village so I may escape the war."
"What nonsense are you spouting?! I don't have a daughter!" the Daimyō replied, his voice trembling with a mixture of fear and rage.
Heshù withdrew Shinsō.
He opened his mouth and declared, "A lie, told again and again… becomes the truth."
"Daughter…?"
"Yes! My daughter! My precious, darling daughter!" The Daimyō snapped to his senses as if bewitched, turning to look at Heshù with eyes full of pure adoration.
"…"
The look was… a lot, but Heshù could tolerate it for the sake of the mission.
"Daughter, your father will send for the shinobi immediately! I'll hire the absolute strongest from Kumo! Only then can I rest easy about your journey!"
"Good." Heshù nodded. "Go now. I'll wait here."
The Daimyō climbed out of the spring, dripping wet in his trousers. He threw on an outer robe and hurried outside. "Attendants! At once!"
Heshù could clearly hear his shouts.
A Daimyō wanted for nothing, least of all money. Shinobi during wartime, however, wanted for everything—especially money and supplies.
Kumo would definitely send someone. And they would be strong.
After all, he'd specifically requested the strongest.
Enjoying the full princess treatment, Heshù was settled into a lavish room.
Lying on the tatami, he remembered he still had one more batch of affection to process, aside from the amount he'd reserved from Jiraiya.
It was 60 Affection from Mikoto Uchiha.
He must have been so excited about getting Itachi's affection that he'd completely forgotten about Mikoto's.
He was curious what kind of skill Mikoto's affection would grant him.
[System-allocated skill delivered. Does the host wish to accept?]
[Yes] / [No]
He didn't hesitate.
[Noble Demeanor]
"Huh?" Heshù blinked. "Noble Demeanor? Is that it, literally?"
[Skill Description: Noble Demeanor. The user will possess the bearing of true nobility. Every action and gesture will conform to the highest standards of aristocracy—elegant, dignified, charming, and captivating. (Note: You will be the most dazzling person in any crowd.)]
[A System Product of Guaranteed Quality.]
Heshù's face was a blank mask. "How… timely."
Just as he was about to play a princess, he gets [Noble Demeanor].
Such precision could only be the product of the system's flawless data analysis.
The next day, heavily adorned and made up, Heshù was personally presented by the Daimyō to the shinobi from Kumogakure.
"Frankly, I care not for the cost in wealth or supplies. As long as my precious daughter is safe, you will receive every coin promised!" The pot-bellied Daimyō spoke with uncharacteristic gravity.
"No worries!" A Kumo ninja made a hand sign. "You can count on us, ya fool! Yeah!"
"…"
The Daimyō eyed the ninja uneasily. "Are you certain… he is capable?"
The object of his distrust was none other than the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee.
For this mission, Kumo had also sent two other shinobi, both Jonin. To the Daimyō, they seemed far more reliable than Bee, yet they showed him the greatest deference.
The Daimyō frowned. He would never understand these ninja.
"Please rest assured, Your Excellency," said a dark-skinned, white-haired kunoichi in a form-fitting black suit.
"Very well. Then I entrust my daughter to you!" The Daimyō gave Heshù a look brimming with tender reluctance.
"…"
Heshù simply smiled, his entire being radiating elegance and nobility.
"Princess, this way, please." The dark-skinned kunoichi respectfully offered her hand.
Heshù was helped into a palanquin. The Daimyō, fearing his daughter might suffer any hardship, had ordered guards to accompany the procession with treasure and the palanquin itself.
"Princess, I am Tōroi. This is Lady Yugito, and this is Lord Killer Bee," Tōroi introduced.
Heshù's gaze swept over Yugito and Bee before he gave a reserved nod. "A pleasure."
Well, well.
Just how much did the Rice Fields Daimyō fork over?
Enough to deploy both the Two-Tails Jinchūriki, Yugito Nii, and the Eight-Tails Jinchūriki, Killer Bee.
This was truly Kumo's top-tier fighting force.
The Daimyō was an honest man, indeed.
Heshù sat primly in the palanquin, his regal posture so convincing it would make anyone believe in his royal identity.
The moment the curtain fell, he slumped bonelessly against the cushions.
"Being a princess is not a job fit for humans!" He fiddled with his elaborately styled hair, tugged uncomfortably at the intricate kimono, and kicked off his geta sandals.
He then grabbed a handful of pastries from the small table and began wolfing them down.
Bee guarded the left side of the palanquin, Yugito the right. Tōroi led the procession from the front.
After a moment's thought, Heshù slipped his geta back on.
He gently lifted the left curtain and offered Killer Bee a gentle, graceful smile.
He held out an exquisite porcelain plate. "Lord Shinobi, please, have some refreshments."
"Yeah!"
"Such a kind princess, can't be beat!"
Bee rapped and bounced, shoving the entire plate of pastries into his mouth at once. His cheeks puffed out like a bullfrog's.
"…"
Heshù elegantly retracted his hand, chuckling lightly. "It seems the lord shinobi was quite hungry. Perhaps we should pause here for a brief rest?"
"Agreed." Yugito, on the other side, overheard and relayed the order to halt to Tōroi up ahead.
[Ding! Affection from target Killer Bee +20!]
The smile on Heshù's face grew even more sincere.
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