Naruto: SSS-Rank Romance System

"Alright, Naruto, stop fooling around."

Kakashi glanced at Naruto, who was currently punching and kicking at two ninjas while muttering to himself.

"I have something to ask those two."

Hearing this, Naruto reluctantly stopped his actions.

He was sure that the glitch in the system just now was caused by the system itself, but strangely, the system options didn't pop up immediately.

The momentary ripple that appeared and disappeared was as if the system had experienced some terrible lag. Naruto didn't know what happened, which caused the system to appear and then retract so quickly.

Had it been broken?

Naruto felt uneasy. During the bell-stealing option last time, he chose to try his best to grab the bell instead of giving up and lying flat.

That option had seemed a bit unreasonable—doing nothing? Wasn't that harmful to both himself and others? Even if he obtained Wood Style, the Seventh Squad might no longer exist.

At the same time, Naruto realized something.

The options given by the system were not equal—they seemed random. The system had no emotions; it just randomly triggered options.

Whether it was an active option or a lying-flat option, neither was perfect. Once a choice was made, there was always an opportunity cost.

For example, when Mizuki invited him, Naruto chose to decline and gained max-level fishing skills. At the same time, Naruto lost the opportunity to gain Shadow Clone Jutsu.

However, Naruto didn't regret it afterward. Not many people could use Shadow Clones, and he would eventually get it on his own.

But if he had agreed to Mizuki, he would have had to step into the emotional trap set by the Third Hokage's high-ups, suppressing his disgust while claiming loyalty to the village.

After some reflection, Naruto also realized that the system was just an aid. Whatever option he picked was only to improve his situation.

Because of the system, Naruto didn't need to rely on anyone to gain jutsu and didn't even need to form any bond with the Nine-Tails to extract its power.

That was the true meaning of the system's existence: to save Naruto a lot of trouble. He could refuse things he didn't want to do and get what he wanted.

Naruto silently thought, this was probably the real purpose of the "lying-flat system."

"Are you alright?" Sakura asked worriedly.

"I'm fine," Naruto waved his hand, signaling that he was really okay.

Sakura was slightly reassured but quickly seemed to remember something and asked hesitantly,

"Naruto, why did you just stand there without moving?"

"It was my first real battle, so I was a bit flustered."

"Really?" Sakura sighed in relief and comforted him, "I was also startled earlier, my whole body stiffened."

Rather than comforting Naruto, it seemed Sakura was comforting herself. When Kakashi was sliced into five or six parts by the two Mist Ninjas, Sakura's face turned as white as paper.

Naruto nodded and didn't say anything else.

Meanwhile, Kakashi's interrogation was making progress. The two Mist Ninjas were part of the "Brotherhood of Ghosts" and had come after Dazna.

But when they asked about Dazna, he refused to speak.

Since the mission was already accepted, even if Kakashi sensed something was wrong, abandoning the client wasn't an option. After a brief moment of thought, Kakashi decided to press on and complete the mission with the Seventh Squad.

It wasn't until the Seventh Squad reached the shores of the Land of Waves, on a boat heading to the island, that Dazna finally revealed the truth.

"The person who wants to kill me is a wealthy tycoon from the shipping industry. You must have heard of him," Dazna said, revealing an expression of helplessness.

...

As Dazna explained, the situation became clearer.

Kado was the owner of a shipping company, a big player in both legal and illegal dealings. On the surface, he ran a legitimate company, but behind the scenes, he used money to hire ninjas for criminal activities.

It was Kado who had set his sights on the island nation of the Land of Waves, wanting to control the sea routes to expand his influence and eventually fully control the country.

The only major bridge on the island was under construction, and the old man in front of them was the only one who knew how to build sea bridges. If Kado killed him, the bridge would never be completed.

Naruto leaned back against the ship, his hand hanging down, skimming the flowing seawater as he thought about how to take advantage of Kado's situation.

The Land of Waves was a poor island nation, but Kado was a genuine tycoon. Since Kado was going to die anyway, why not seize the opportunity for some profit?

After all, becoming a ninja was all about earning a living. If he kept doing missions, there wasn't much money in it, and he couldn't work forever.

Ninjas also had their golden years. Ninjas from large clans usually only trained when they were young, then switched to a more settled lifestyle of working nine-to-five, burning incense and sipping tea.

Since Naruto had decided not to pursue becoming Hokage anymore, his future would have to be self-sustained, and there would be many opportunities to spend money.

Dating, buying a house, traveling.

Now that he thought about it, Jiraiya's lifestyle didn't seem bad. Traveling everywhere, visiting different places, and meeting different women.

Even in his fifties or sixties, living so comfortably.

Just as Naruto was lost in thought, the boat had reached the shore.

Dazna's lie had given Kakashi a headache. He could choose to give up, but the purpose of this mission was also to train the Seventh Squad. He made up his mind to proceed with the plan.

They just needed to get Dazna safely home, and that would mark the end of the mission.

"What should we do after this mission ends?" Kakashi asked casually as they walked. "How about we give the Seventh Squad a couple of days off?"

"That sounds good," Naruto immediately agreed.

"Great," Sakura smiled.

Sasuke didn't say anything, his eyes scanning the surroundings. As the mission neared its end, hearing the others discussing their plans for after the mission, he furrowed his brow slightly.

If all ninjas were like this, they probably wouldn't survive to the end.

"Hey, how much longer?" Naruto turned and asked Dazna, looking annoyed. "Old man, speak up!"

Compared to Sasuke, Naruto wasn't worried at all about Zabuza's sudden appearance. There was a 50-50 chance... oh no, with Kakashi here, there was absolutely no problem.

Even if Uchiha Madara showed up, Kakashi could still handle him for a couple of moves. Kakashi, the world-renowned ninja, could hold his own against anyone.

With such strong backup, Zabuza's sneak attack would just be a joke.

And the only ones capable of fighting here were Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto. Three against one, with the advantage on the Seventh Squad. Naruto wasn't concerned about Zabuza, as his thoughts were still focused on the mastermind behind Zabuza—Kado.

"System, system, come out!" Naruto thought to himself, "I can't pull off something like robbing the rich to feed the poor without you."

System?

System daddy?

[Ding!]

The familiar mechanical sound rang out, and Naruto couldn't help but take a sharp breath. At that moment, the sound was like music to his ears.

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