Hyūga Ayato munched on a candied hawthorn and muttered to himself, "All I want is to slack off in style, but this system wants to make me invincible?"
"Attribute panel." Ayato murmured inside his mind.
Whoom.
A pale-blue status panel projected before his eyes like a hologram — invisible to everyone else, visible only to him.
Status Panel
[Name: Hyūga Ayato]
[Gender: Male]
[Height: 185 cm]
[Clan: Hyūga]
[Ocular Power: Transmigration Eye]
[Chakra Nature: All natures — Six-Path attribute chakra]
[Chakra Reserves: Nine-Tails class]
[Level: Six-Path threshold]
[Overall Strength Estimate: Comparable to Dual Rinnegan Madara Uchiha]
[Master–Disciple Task: All members of Team 7 must pass the test. Reward: Rookie Gift Pack. Time limit: 1 month.]
[Rewards are granted upon task completion; failure has no punishment.]
[If the task is not completed within the time limit it will be marked failed and the system will enter a one-month cooldown before issuing a new task.]
"So the test is tomorrow's exercise." Ayato tossed the empty skewer aside, lay back on the rooftop, and watched the crimson sunset. He stretched and yawned lazily. "You brats better try your best. Your teacher's rookie gift depends on you."
Whoosh.
A figure flashed into being beside him.
"Kakashi." Ayato nodded.
Kakashi Hatake stood in his flak jacket, his mouth and face veiled by his mask, one eye hidden beneath his forehead protector. He gave a lazy wave and, as always, held his copy of Make-Out Paradise in one hand. "Ayato—how's Team 7 doing?"
Ayato shrugged in the same languid tone. "Naruto's sunny, Sasuke's handsome, Sakura's cute."
"Be honest?" Kakashi asked, knowing full well Ayato's first answer was surface-level courtesy.
Ayato gave a dry chuckle. "Honestly? Truth can be cruel. Naruto's stupid, Sasuke's all show, Sakura's a little witch. Still, Naruto's got surprising resilience—one tough little brat."
"If I were Naruto, I might turn rogue—and then… destroy the village. Kill all the people who whisper behind my back and call me a monster," Ayato said with a faint smile that made it impossible to tell whether he was joking.
He truly admired Naruto's pressure-bearing will. To be bullied all his life and still keep that sunny heart—that was astonishing.
Ayato propped himself up, stroked his chin, and pretended to ponder. After a moment he raised a finger, smiling. "If Naruto really snapped, the first to lose his head would probably be the Third Hokage. That old fox is awful annoying."
"Kakashi's forehead twitched. He didn't know how to answer—the topic was dangerous in the village. Words like that could get a shinobi dragged off by the Anbu. Only someone like Ayato, with his strength and audacity, could speak so freely."
Ayato popped a tri-colored dango into his mouth and spoke lightly. "The Fourth and his wife hoped the village would see Naruto as the hero who sealed the Nine-Tails. But the elders? Those stubborn old men wanted to mold Naruto into a tool—a living weapon to fight for the village."
"Who at the seal was actually present?" Ayato paused, letting the question hang.
He poked the kebab toward Kakashi and asked, "If only a few people were at that sealing, how did the whole village come to know Naruto was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki?"
Kakashi frowned slightly but said nothing. He had seen much and felt the unsettled tug of suspicion.
"You thought that, didn't you?" Ayato rose and jabbed a skewer at Kakashi's chest teasingly.
Whoom.
Hiruzen Sarutobi appeared in an instant.
The Third Hokage stood with one hand behind his back, the other holding a cigarette between slender fingers. His smile was gentle, but his eyes carried a warning.
"Now, boys—this chatter ends here. You've said quite enough," Hiruzen scolded, mild in tone but heavy in implication.
"Old man, you've lived long enough—do you not understand etiquette? Interrupting makes you impolite," Ayato retorted with a smirk. He wasn't surprised Hiruzen had been listening; he'd half-expected it.
"Kakashi," Hiruzen commanded. Kakashi dropped to one knee in a show of respect, though his gaze stayed that same deadpan.
"You little fox, your tongue is still sharp," Hiruzen said as he drew on his cigarette and exhaled a pale cloud. "Ayato, I know what you mean to say. But remember—this village is the root; shinobi are its leaves; the will of fire is the flame."
"The Will of Fire must be kept alive. Wherever leaves flutter, the flame burns. The shadow of fire protects the village, and new leaves will sprout." Hiruzen turned to watch the busy street, a soft smile creasing his aged face.
"Indeed—the Will of Fire," Ayato agreed, popping another dango into his mouth.
Those present exchanged puzzled looks—what was Ayato driving at?
After swallowing, Ayato continued plainly, "You were the one who spread the word that Naruto was the jinchūriki, weren't you?"
"You brat…" Hiruzen began, indignant, but Ayato waved a hand and teased, "No need to rush to deny it—we know each other too well. I even know you wear dark shorts under that robe."
"It's gray!" Hiruzen's eyes flashed with a trace of anger.