The civil war in the Land of Rain erupted overnight.
Following the ambush at the canyon, Hanzō of the Salamander declared the Akatsuki a terrorist organization and ordered a total purge. However, the Akatsuki, now under the leadership of "Pain," was no longer a group of pacifists handing out flyers.
They were a paramilitary force armed with divine power.
Inside the steel tower, the atmosphere was tense. Teams of Akatsuki members were being deployed to secure key districts of Amegakure.
"Naraku," Konan stood by a map of the village, her finger tracing a sector in the industrial district. "Your mission is to scout this area. It is Sector 4. Intelligence suggests Hanzō has a supply depot there."
"Scout only?" Uehara asked, adjusting his ninja pouch.
"Scout only," Konan emphasized. "If you encounter resistance, retreat and signal for backup. You are still a Genin. Do not engage Chunin-level squads alone."
Uehara nodded obediently. "Understood, Teacher. I will be the eyes of the organization."
On the surface: The obedient disciple.
Internally: "Finally, a farming route."
Uehara left the tower and immediately headed for Sector 4. The rain was torrential, reducing visibility to less than ten meters. It was the perfect weather for an assassin.
He leaped across the slick metal pipes that connected the buildings, moving with the agility granted by his [Boots of Speed].
"System, open mission log."
[Main Mission: The Ruler of the Rain]
Description: Assist Nagato in conquering Amegakure and eliminating Hanzō.
Current Progress: 1%
Reward: ???
[Side Mission: The Cleaner]
Description: Eliminate hostile forces in Sector 4.
Objective: Kill 0/20 Enemy Ninja.
Reward: 200 Gold Coins.
"Twenty enemies," Uehara licked his lips. "That's 200 gold from the mission, plus the drop gold from each kill. If they are Genin, that's roughly 10-20 gold each. If there are Chunin... jackpot."
He arrived at the edge of Sector 4. It was a cluster of warehouses guarded by ninjas wearing the breathing masks of Hanzō's faction.
Uehara crouched on a rooftop, observing them.
"Three patrols. Four men each. Two guards at the gate. That's fourteen visible targets."
He needed to be quiet. If he alerted the whole base, he might get overwhelmed by numbers. He wasn't invincible yet.
Uehara raised his hand.
Destiny.
The cards shuffled silently. The hum of the skill was masked by the thunder overhead.
"Blue Card."
He didn't choose the explosive Red Card or the stunning Gold Card. He chose the single-target, high-damage Blue Card. It was the quietest option.
He flicked his wrist.
The Blue Card sliced through the rain, a streak of azure light. It hit the rearmost guard of a patrol in the back of the neck.
Thwack.
The guard collapsed instantly, his spine severed. The Blue Card dissolved into energy and returned to Uehara, topping off his chakra.
"One."
The other three guards turned around, hearing the body fall.
"What happened?"
"Sniper!"
Before they could look up, Uehara had already jumped down. He didn't use cards this time. He wanted to test his Taijutsu enhanced by the [Ruby Crystal] (Health) and his massive chakra reserves.
He channeled chakra into his feet for a burst of speed.
Shunshin (Body Flicker).
He appeared behind the second guard, driving a kunai into his kidney.
[+15 Gold]
The remaining two guards drew their swords and slashed at him. Uehara didn't dodge. He trusted his increased health pool.
Clang!
A sword struck his arm. It cut the sleeve and drew blood, but the wound was shallow. The Ruby Crystal made his skin and muscle denser than a normal child's.
"He's tough!" the guard shouted.
"And you're slow," Uehara retorted.
He slammed his palm into the guard's chest.
Wild Card (Q Ability).
Three cards shot out from his hand in a cone formation. At point-blank range, all three cards hit the two guards.
Boom!
The force blasted them backward into the wet mud. They didn't get up.
[+18 Gold]
[+16 Gold]
"Four down," Uehara checked his arm. The cut was already clotting. His regeneration wasn't Wolverine-level, but his high vitality accelerated the healing process.
"Intruder!"
The shout came from the gate. The other patrols had noticed the commotion.
"Well, so much for stealth," Uehara sighed. "Plan B: Kite them to death."
Ten ninjas rushed toward him. Among them was a man wearing a Chunin flak jacket.
"Don't let him use ninjutsu! Close the distance!" the Chunin captain ordered.
They threw a volley of shuriken.
Uehara retreated, running backward along the warehouse roof. He wove hand signs—fake ones, just to confuse them—and then activated his skill.
Destiny.
Red Card.
"Catch!"
He threw the crimson card into the center of the chasing group.
BOOM!
The explosion slowed the front line. The mud turned into a sticky trap due to the magical slow effect.
"Wind Style: Gale Palm!" Uehara clapped his hands.
He used a standard jutsu he had learned from Konan. A blast of wind accelerated the shuriken he threw into the slowed enemies.
Screams echoed in the rain.
The Chunin captain, however, was experienced. He leaped over the explosion, bypassing the slow zone. He moved fast, closing the gap to Uehara in seconds.
"Die, brat!" The captain's sword glowed with water chakra.
Uehara stopped running. He turned to face the captain.
"You're fast," Uehara admitted. "But can you dodge this?"
Destiny.
Gold Card.
The captain saw the gold light. He sneered. "A projectile? I can deflect it!"
He swung his sword to parry the card.
Ding!
The moment the sword touched the card, the stun applied. The captain's body froze mid-air, his momentum carrying him forward like a stiff board. He crashed face-first into the metal roof at Uehara's feet.
"An opening!"
Uehara stomped on the captain's back to keep him pinned (even though he was stunned) and drove a kunai into the base of his skull.
[Enemy Killed (Chunin). +50 Gold.]
The remaining Genin, seeing their captain instant-killed by a child, froze in terror.
"M-Monster..."
"Run!"
"No running," Uehara smiled, raising another hand of cards. "I need the gold."
Twenty minutes later.
Uehara stood amidst a field of bodies. The rain washed the blood off his raincoat.
[Side Mission Complete: The Cleaner.]
Reward: 200 Gold Coins.
[Total Loot Gold: 320 Gold.]**
He had made over 500 Gold in less than half an hour.
"This is efficient," Uehara nodded in satisfaction. "War is terrible for civilians, but it's paradise for a gamer."
He checked his total balance. He was nearing 1000 Gold.
"I can buy the [Tear of the Goddess] soon," Uehara planned. "It stacks mana (chakra) every time I use a skill. With my low cooldowns, I can stack it to max in no time. Once it upgrades to [Archangel's Staff]..."
He imagined the power. Massive Ability Power based on his maximum chakra. Since he had the Uzumaki-level reserves, the synergy would be broken.
"Naraku!"
A voice called out from the darkness.
Uehara quickly adjusted his face. He wiped the greedy grin off his lips and replaced it with a look of exhaustion and grim determination.
A team of Akatsuki reinforcements arrived, led by a tall man named Kyūsuke (one of the original members who was not present at the ambush).
Kyūsuke looked at the carnage. He looked at the dead Chunin captain. Then he looked at the small, panting boy.
"You... you did this alone?" Kyūsuke asked, shocked.
"They ambushed me," Uehara panted, feigning weakness. "I had to fight... I used all my traps... I barely survived."
He held his slightly injured arm.
"I... I killed them, Kyūsuke-san. I had no choice."
Kyūsuke's expression softened into pity and respect. He walked over and patted Uehara's shoulder.
"You did well, Naraku. You defended the organization. Konan-sama will be proud, but... don't push yourself so hard. You're still a child."
"I have to grow up," Uehara said, looking at the sky. "For the sake of the new Akatsuki."
Kyūsuke nodded solemnly. "Come on. Let's secure the supplies. I'll treat your wound."
As Uehara walked away with the team, he glanced back at the bodies one last time.
Thanks for the feed, guys.
The legend of the "Child of the Paper Angel" was beginning to spread in the Rain. But no one knew that the angel was actually a demon counting coins.