Chapter 2 — The Uzumaki Sage Body
The constant ding ding sounds echoing in his mind didn't annoy Namikaze Yami in the slightest.
On the contrary—watching the system points climb higher and higher felt like staring at the legendary bull market of the A-shares he'd once fantasized about in his previous life.
As he crept ever closer to the heart of the battlefield, those pleasant system notifications became downright addictive. He even grew bolder, discreetly collecting Uzumaki corpses whenever the opportunity arose.
When he checked the system panel again, it was no longer just the steadily rising point total—
A full list of redeemable items had appeared.
---
[Current Pawn Points: 1240]
[Redeemable Items:]
Uzumaki Clan – Basic Bloodline
Cost: 100 points
Uzumaki Clan – Dense Bloodline
Cost: 600 points
Uzumaki Clan – Sage Body (Senju-style Physique)
Cost: 2600 points
Yuki Clan Bloodline
Cost: 600 points
Kaguya Clan – Basic Bloodline
Cost: 100 points
Extreme Bodily Regeneration
Cost: 500 points per use
[Note: All bloodlines have been purified and can be absorbed perfectly.]
---
As a certified nine-leak novice, Namikaze Yami could only sigh in admiration.
"Now this is what I call consumer-friendly."
"Redeem: Uzumaki Clan — Dense Bloodline."
With a thought, 600 points vanished from the panel.
At the same moment, a warm current surged through his body.
In just three to five seconds, Yami felt lighter—as if his body had been reforged from the ground up. Strength flooded his limbs endlessly, and his chakra reserves multiplied several times over.
"Yami, hide here and wait," Itō Makoto said quietly.
"The village's mission requires us to retrieve as many Uzumaki sealing techniques as possible. Once I succeed, you'll take the scrolls and return to Konoha immediately."
Hearing this, Yami almost laughed.
Professional. Truly professional.
Good grief—no wonder Sarutobi Hiruzen was hailed as a legendary Hokage. The man really knew how to do business.
Not only did Konoha refuse to properly reinforce its ally, it even planned to loot Uzushiogakure on the way out.
And this wasn't some routine scouting mission either—it was a suicide job snatching food from a tiger's mouth, yet they dared assign it to a rookie squad.
I'll remember this.
When my little bro Minato becomes Hokage, I'll be the first one leading the charge against you.
Itō Makoto finished speaking. Yami didn't reply—he simply nodded calmly, while running his own calculations in his head.
Seeing this, Itō Makoto said no more. He formed seals and activated:
Earth Release: Hiding Like a Mole Technique.
His body swiftly sank into the ground, continuing the infiltration toward the core battlefield.
Watching Itō Makoto disappear, Yami couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy.
He still hadn't mastered any Earth Release techniques.
Even though he now possessed massive chakra reserves thanks to the Uzumaki bloodline, he only knew the Three Basic Techniques and a single Fire Release jutsu.
If he could burrow underground right now, looting this battlefield would be far easier.
As this thought crossed his mind—
He suddenly spotted an Uzumaki ninja, his entire body drenched in blood, being hunted down by Mist ninja. The man rushed toward the building Yami was hiding in—
Then abruptly veered, leaping toward the neighboring house.
Bang—!
A violent explosion erupted from the house next door, instantly reducing the small building to rubble.
Cold sweat ran down Namikaze Yami's back.
He had almost been wiped out by a stray ninjutsu.
Looking over, he saw an Uzumaki ninja locked in fierce combat with a shinobi wielding the Executioner's Blade.
"Water Release: Water Turbulent Wave!"
The Mist ninja spewed a torrent of water from his mouth, blasting it straight toward the Uzumaki.
"Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"
The Uzumaki ninja formed seals at lightning speed, attempting to raise a defensive wall.
But the gap in strength was simply too great.
Though both techniques were C-rank, the Earth Wall shattered the moment it made contact. The surging water slammed into the Uzumaki, knocking him unconscious on the spot.
The Mist ninja flashed forward and brutally shattered the Uzumaki's arms and legs.
The intense pain jolted the Uzumaki awake—but the sight before him drained all color from his face.
The Mist ninja didn't finish him off. After confirming he could no longer resist, the attacker vanished again, resuming the hunt for other Uzumaki.
It was clear he intended to take prisoners.
After all, aside from the still-unborn White Zetsu, few possessed vitality as terrifying as the Uzumaki clan. As experimental material, they were unmatched.
Watching from the shadows, Yami hesitated.
Should he intervene?
In a battlefield like this, even survival was uncertain.
At that moment, the Uzumaki suddenly spoke, his voice directed precisely at Yami's hiding place:
"Friend of the clan… please, give me a clean end. Then leave at once."
Yami's heart sank.
He didn't know how he'd been discovered, but now it made sense—the sudden turn earlier, right in front of this house, hadn't been a coincidence.
The Uzumaki had noticed him long ago.
Gripping his kunai tightly, Yami stepped out from the shadows, eyes locked on the injured ninja, alert for any sudden movement.
When he saw Yami clearly, the Uzumaki froze.
Based on what he'd sensed, the person hiding nearby should have carried Uzumaki blood. Yet the man before him—his appearance and clothing—clearly marked him as an outsider.
---
[Scan complete. High-value pawnable items detected:]
Dying Uzumaki clan member ×1
Valuation: 300 points
Sealing Technique Scroll ×1
Valuation: 2000 points
---
"...?"
Setting aside why this Uzumaki was worth so much on his own, that 2000-point sealing scroll was downright terrifying.
How had something this valuable ended up in his hands?
That single scroll alone was enough to redeem a Sage Body.
Yami seriously began to suspect that the luck suppressed for twelve long years had finally rebounded in full force.
"Konoha…?"
The Uzumaki seemed to confirm something, his eyes lighting up with urgency.
"Are you reinforcements? How many of you are there?"
"We're just a Konoha reconnaissance squad," Yami replied honestly.
"That's all I know. I don't have information on any further deployments."
The light in the Uzumaki's eyes faded.
All his strength seemed to leave him as he whispered:
"Then… give me a clean end."
A single slash of the kunai cut across his throat.
Blood poured out, smothering the choking sounds, yet the legendary vitality of the Uzumaki clan stubbornly kept his heart beating.
"Pawn."
---
[Ding! Successfully pawned a dying Uzumaki clan member. Points acquired: 250]
[Ding! Successfully pawned a sealing technique scroll. Points acquired: 2000]
---
"Redeem: Uzumaki Clan — Sage Body."
[Redemption successful! Current pawn points: 890]
The moment the exchange completed, Yami sensed something was off.
By his earlier calculations, he shouldn't have had this many points left.
Only then did he realize—upgradable bloodlines could stack and offset previous purchases.
That alone had saved him a massive amount.
A surging, boundless vitality overflowed from within him. Minor wounds—and even old, hidden injuries left from training—healed naturally.
He could feel it.
Given time, bloodline techniques like Adamantine Sealing Chains would awaken on their own.
And he wasn't even close to his physical prime yet.
There was still enormous room for growth.
Clenching his newly strengthened fists, Yami knew—
He now possessed the bare minimum capital needed to stand tall in the ninja world.
This place was no longer safe to linger.
Just as he turned to leave, a sharp whistling sound tore through the air.
Then came a voice, tinged with mockery:
"Heh… so even Konoha wants a slice of the pie?"