---
Harper didn't hesitate. He dumped his remaining XP into unlocking the [Craft Basic Paper Bomb] skill.
"Now I just need to head back to the village, grab some materials, and start crafting."
He turned and started walking back toward the Hidden Leaf Village.
By now, the Level 1 Wolf Zone just outside the village was crawling with players. Most were in groups of two or three, grinding together.
But one specific group caught Harper's eye.
Unlike the others, this was a full five-man squad. They would gang up on a wolf, beat it down to critical HP, and then stop attacking—letting just one specific guy land the killing blow.
Harper had to hand it to them; they knew how to game the system. In Naruto World, the person who lands the first hit and the person who lands the final killing blow get bonus XP. Plus, the loot drops always belong to the killer.
It was a mechanic designed to encourage competition, kill-stealing, and general chaos.
But hey, that adrenaline rush was the whole point of the game.
"Hahaha! I leveled up!"
A flash of white light erupted from the group. Sure enough, the guy taking all the last hits had leveled up.
"Congrats, Boss!"
"Nice one, Boss!"
"With this speed, you're gonna be the number one player in Konoha, no doubt!"
The minions were laying it on thick.
The "Boss" was soaking up the praise, feeling like a king, when he noticed Harper walking out of the high-level jungle. He sneered, a look of mockery crossing his face.
"See that guy? That's what happens when you try too hard. You gotta keep your feet on the ground. People who bite off more than they can chew end up with nothing."
His lackeys followed his gaze and immediately chimed in.
"Boss is right."
"Yeah, fighting high-level mobs takes actual skill."
"Try to run before you can walk and you'll just trip over your own feet."
Harper ignored them. He was on a mission to craft Paper Bombs and didn't have time for trash talk.
"Hey, kid!" The guy called out to him. "I'm ShadowSlayer from the Shadow Clan. Be my lackey and I'll power-level you."
ShadowSlayer looked at Harper with his nose in the air, acting like he was offering the deal of a lifetime. He was probably imagining Harper falling to his knees in gratitude.
"Not interested," Harper said without even breaking stride.
"Damn. Kid, don't be ungrateful."
"Yeah, do you know who Boss ShadowSlayer is?"
"He's the third son of the Sanmu Group!"
The lackeys started barking like trained dogs.
ShadowSlayer smirked arrogantly. "Kid, once the cash shop opens, I can buy whatever gear or jutsu I want. Stick with me, and I won't treat you badly."
What a clown, Harper thought, rolling his eyes internally as he walked away.
Back in the village, Harper headed straight for the General Store to buy crafting materials.
"Welcome! How can I help you today?"
The NPC behind the counter was a stunning beauty. Her voice was sweet and welcoming.
"Hi. I need to buy some materials for crafting Paper Bombs," Harper replied politely.
As soon as he said "Paper Bombs," he swore he saw the NPC's eyes light up for a split second.
But it was gone in an instant.
Was I hallucinating? Harper wondered.
"Of course, of course." The NPC waved her hand gracefully, and a list of materials appeared on the counter.
Harper looked at the prices and his face twitched.
One set of materials cost a whopping 2 Silver Coins.
He checked his inventory. He had painstakingly scraped together 7 Silver Coins. With a heavy heart, he bought 3 sets.
"We also have Basic Red Food Pills and Basic Blue Food Pills on sale! Great quality, low price. Only 5 Silver Coins each! Would you like some?"
The beautiful NPC looked at him with big, expectant eyes.
"No. No thanks," Harper said, backing away.
Five Silver Coins for a potion? That was robbery. He'd bet money no player under Level 10 would be shopping here. The inflation was insane.
Harper paid and practically ran out of the shop.
"Please come again!"
To his shock, the NPC actually walked him to the door. That freaked him out even more, and he sped up.
Watching him flee like a scared rabbit, the beautiful NPC covered her mouth and let out a soft giggle.
If Harper had seen that, he probably would have been too terrified to ever step foot in the village again.
NPCs were just code. They weren't supposed to have emotions.
After Harper left, another male player walked into the shop. The NPC's face instantly reset to a blank, mechanical expression. "Greetings, player. Would you like to purchase an item?"
---
Harper found a quiet corner and looked at the expensive materials in his bag. "I just blew my life savings. This better be worth it."
He activated the skill.
Ding!
[System]: Successfully crafted [Basic Paper Bomb].
[Basic Paper Bomb]
Effect: Ignores defense. Deals damage equal to 2x User's Ninjutsu stat to target unit. (Note: A single unit can only take Paper Bomb damage 5 times per hour).
Harper checked his stats.
Character: Harper the Great
Level: 2 (2%)
HP: 120
Chakra: 0
Strength: 12
Agility: 12
Constitution: 12
Ninjutsu: 12
So, one Paper Bomb would deal 24 damage. Trying to kill a boss with just that was impossible.
But Harper wasn't planning to throw them at the boss.
With three Paper Bombs in his pocket, he hurried back out of the village.
As he passed the Level 2 Snake Zone, ShadowSlayer and his crew spotted him again.
"Is he rushing off to die again?" one of the lackeys asked, confused.
But ShadowSlayer frowned. Something felt off.
"Maybe he found a hidden grinding spot?" ShadowSlayer narrowed his eyes. "Follow him."
---
Harper arrived back at the Bandit Zone. He didn't engage the boss immediately. Instead, he started scouting the terrain around the boss's aggro range.
Trying to kill the Bandit Leader with just three bombs and Level 2 stats was a pipe dream.
But that didn't mean he couldn't kill it.
Naruto World claimed to be bug-free, especially regarding terrain glitches. You weren't supposed to be able to get a mob stuck on a rock and cheese it.
But there was one kind of terrain bug they couldn't patch out: Terraforming.
Harper's plan was simple. He was going to use the explosive power of the Paper Bombs to create a bugged terrain spot, and then use that spot to trap and kill the boss.
He spotted a narrow canyon entrance nearby.
It was perfect. The valley was shaped like a gourd, with a bottleneck entrance so narrow only three people could stand shoulder-to-shoulder.
He eyed the distance to the Bandit Leader. It was just inside the aggro range.
Harper pulled out a Paper Bomb, slapped it onto the rock wall, and jumped away.
"Detonate!"