In the world of Naruto, life for a civilian was fundamentally precarious. Their power—limited to Ryo, labor, and supplies—was ultimately subservient to the absolute authority of the shinobi. Even the most powerful noble was a mere tool, constantly at risk of being consumed by the wars of the ninja villages.
Yuuki Kitahara, an ordinary man, had seen the chasm of power and was determined to bridge it with the jars. He was now fueled by an ambitious desperation that Shen Mo had unwittingly created.
Shen Mo, however, was blissfully oblivious to the turmoil he'd sown. After a long, comfortable sleep in his extra-dimensional apartment, he splurged, purchasing "Erina Nakiri's Love Breakfast" from the system for a staggering three hundred Transaction Points.
"Expensive!" Even the wealthy merchant complained, but one bite silenced him.
So delicious!
The happiness of the rich was unimaginable, and the happiness of a rich man with a system was exponentially greater.
As he savored his exquisite breakfast, a simple thought occurred to him: Could this powerful system be used to directly purchase the beautiful chef herself?
He had previously searched for Ikaros (expensive, but the original). Now, he searched for Erina Nakiri, the genius chef.
The product appeared, but with a crucial modifier: [Replica] Erina Nakiri.
The description was detailed: "A 100% faithful replica of the Food Wars heroine, possessing all memories, abilities, personality, and self-awareness of the original."
So, buying means not extracting the original character, but having the system create a copy? Shen Mo's eyes narrowed.
He quickly re-checked Ikaros, whose entry still specified [Original] and included the phrase: "will disappear from the original world and automatically recognize her Master. Initial loyalty is 90%."
He searched for other fantasy characters—Misaka Mikoto, Tokisaki Kurumi, Black Widow—all of whom were listed as [Replica].
Shen Mo quickly deduced the pattern. The key difference must be "Master Recognition."
To test his hypothesis, he searched for a character whose allegiance changed over time: Violet Evergarden.
Two entries appeared:
Violet (Childhood) [Original]
Violet (Adult) [Replica]
"As expected," Shen Mo murmured, a flicker of excitement in his eyes. He had found the system's hidden rule.
The system could only extract the Original character if that character possessed a pre-existing disposition or inherent quality of master recognition or absolute loyalty (like Ikaros or a pre-awakened, weaponized Violet). Characters whose personality ensured independent will or evolving loyalty could only be purchased as a Replica.
Further investigation confirmed his theory. The system could sell advanced powers like Dr. X's telepathy or Obito's memory manipulation jutsu, but it could not perform a custom service that involved the direct, complete enslavement of a person's free will.
"It's a 'Universal' system, not an 'Omnipotent' one, after all," Shen Mo concluded, finishing his delicious meal.
The system had limits, unspoken rules that defined its vast, yet finite, power. There was no need to rush into exploring these boundaries.
For now, he needed to address his loneliness. He needed a pet.
With a small fortune in hand, Shen Mo laughed aloud in his secure, private space—a rare moment of unbridled joy. He searched the system for the perfect companion.
He settled on a specific prototype kitten: the child version of Himari, the cat demon protagonist of Catgirl Himari.
Value: 3.3 Million Transaction Points.
"Bought!"
A tiny figure materialized instantly on the table before him.
"Mew—" a soft, delicate cry, like a gentle chime.
"Oh, you are adorable," Shen Mo cooed, reaching out to gently stroke her pristine, pure white fur.
"Meow." The kitten, with eyes like large purple gemstones, immediately purred, rubbing her little head affectionately against Shen Mo's arm. She had impossibly soft pink paw pads and a slightly chubby, plush belly.
This was Himari (Hiju), purchased in her childhood prototype form. Due to the inherent cat demon blood and loyalty trait in her young, unawakened state, the system allowed the purchase of the Original—ensuring absolute loyalty to her new Master.
Shen Mo, who had long wished for a pet but never had the security or time, was thrilled. A meme he'd once seen flashed in his mind, and he couldn't help but grin.
I just bought a cat that can turn into a beautiful cat girl. What about yours?
"Come on, Hiju," Shen Mo said, rising from the sofa, suddenly energized. "Let's go out and earn some money. We need to buy you the best dried fish."
"Mew—"
Though the kitten couldn't fully comprehend the words, she understood the intent. She gracefully extended her small paws, slid down his arm, and nimbly clambered onto his shoulder. She settled there like a plush, white stole, gently nuzzling his neck, drawing warmth and comfort from her new Master.
Since her young form possessed the physical agility of an average cat, Shen Mo didn't worry about her balance as he prepared to leave his pocket dimension. The merchant was ready for his next market.