The reflection in the stream wasn't mine. Not the one I remembered, anyway.
Black hair that fell in sharp, unkempt spikes over a forehead protector that felt too heavy. Eyes that were dark, intelligent, and currently narrowed in irritation. I was Ren. A "mob character." A background extra in the grand saga of Konoha.
Three days ago, I was a college student drowning in debt. Today, I was a Genin with average chakra reserves and a life expectancy of maybe two arcs if I was lucky.
"Pathetic," I muttered, splashing cold water on my face.
I stood up, wiping my face with a rough towel. The sun was setting over the Hokage Rock, casting long, orange shadows across the training grounds. I should have been panicked. I should have been screaming. But I wasn't.
Because floating right in front of my face, translucent and glowing with a soft blue hue, was a box.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[WELCOME, HOST.]
[THE 'CONQUEST' MODULE IS ONLINE.]
I smirked. The cheat code. The equalizer.
I tapped the air. The menu expanded.
[CURRENT STATUS]
Name: Ren
Rank: Genin
Chakra: E-Rank (Average)
Charisma: S-Rank (Hidden Trait)
Current Points: 0
[MAIN QUEST: FIRST CONTACT]
Objective: Initiate a significant interaction with a "Key Heroine."
Reward: 500 System Points, "Observation Haki" (Level 1).
Failure: Remain a virgin mob character forever.
"Key Heroine, huh?" I adjusted my gloves. I knew exactly where to look.
I left the stream and headed toward the Third Training Ground. Most students had gone home hours ago, but I knew the canon. I knew her habits.
The sound of soft impacts against wood reached my ears before I saw her.
Thud. Thud. Whack.
There she was. Hyuga Hinata.
She was struggling. Her breathing was ragged, her pale lavender eyes wide with frustration. She was striking a wooden training post, trying to perfect the Gentle Fist, but her form was shaky. She was exhausted, pushing herself beyond her limits to prove she wasn't a failure to her clan.
She wound up for another strike, her footwork sloppy.
"Your center of gravity is too high," I said, my voice cutting through the evening air.
Hinata gasped, startled. Her foot slipped on the loose gravel. She pitched forward, gravity taking hold.
I moved. Not with chakra, but with reflex.
I stepped in, my arm shooting out to catch her around the waist before she could hit the ground. It was smooth—almost cinematic. I pulled her up, but didn't let go immediately.
She froze. She was looking up at me, her face inches from mine. The sweat on her skin glistened in the dying sunlight, and a heavy blush instantly violently claimed her cheeks.
"R-Ren-kun?" she squeaked, her voice trembling.
"You're overthinking the strike, Hinata," I said, keeping my voice low, calm. I looked directly into those Byakugan eyes, ignoring the way she was trembling in my hold. "The Gentle Fist is about flow, not force. You're trying too hard to be strong."
I slowly helped her stand upright, letting my hand linger on her shoulder for a second longer than necessary.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
[TARGET DETECTED: HYUGA HINATA]
[HEART RATE: ELEVATED]
[QUEST PROGRESS: 50%]
She looked down, her fingers fiddling together. "I... I just wanted to get it right. Father says..."
"Forget what he says," I interrupted. I stepped closer, encroaching on her personal space just enough to make her breath hitch. "Show me the stance again. I'll help you."
Hinata looked up, surprise and something else—hope?—flashing in her eyes. "You... you will?"
I smirked, the expression arrogant but inviting. "Yeah. But you owe me one."
[QUEST COMPLETED: FIRST CONTACT]
[REWARD: 500 POINTS RECEIVED]
[SHOP UNLOCKED]
The game was on.