The version of Naruto Mobile in the ninja world differed slightly from the one in Ryuma's previous life. In the original story, the main plot spanned only a few years; if they released ninjas according to the original timeline, progress would be far too slow.
Thus, features related to ninjas, Summons, and Secret Scrolls were designed to unlock much earlier and faster.
After completing the first chapter of the story, all of the Leaf's "Ten Genin" (excluding Neji and Lee) were unlocked.
Combined with the limited-time Summons and Secret Scrolls claimed for free after unlocking the Duel Arena, players had more than enough to start battling.
"Every function is different," Naruto muttered. He was already messing around in the Practice Mode but felt conflicted—he didn't know which Summon was the strongest.
I have to test out the best combination of Scrolls and Summons! Then I'll crush the coffee shop boss! Naruto thought determinedly.
In contrast, while Kakashi was surprised by Summons like the Giant Shell and Salamander, he was more focused on the ninjas.
"I'm in here, but I can't use myself yet?" Kakashi tapped on [Hatake Kakashi] in the ninja menu, but the icon remained grey.
"I checked; that one requires a top-up," Ryuma said, tapping the "Vip Privileges" on his own phone.
Kakashi looked. It stated that topping up 10,000 Gold Coins would upgrade him to V14, allowing him to recruit [Hatake Kakashi] for free.
(1 Ryo = 10 Yen = 0.5 RMB) (2 Ryo = 1 RMB = 1 Gold Coin)
"Topping up..." Kakashi blinked.
How could something capable of simulating the future and possessing the divine power to revive the dead have a "top-up" function?
Truth be told, the phone possessed a divine power of its own. The moment the thought of topping up crossed Kakashi's mind, he instinctively knew how to do it.
Under the watchful eyes of Ryuma and Naruto, Kakashi pulled out 20,000 Ryo from his pouch.
He placed the paper bills over the phone screen; a few seconds later, an invisible vortex sucked the money in, making it vanish without a trace.
No, it hadn't vanished. Kakashi looked at the 10,000 Gold Coins now credited to his account. His lip twitched, unsure of what to say.
He recruited [Hatake Kakashi] and unlocked the First Recharge rewards. Notably, he got Rock Lee on the first day and the One-Tailed Shukaku on the third.
Wait... this thing is a Summon now? Kakashi remained expressionless. At this point, nothing could truly surprise him anymore.
"Eh? Kakashi-sensei is an A-rank ninja?!" Naruto said, eyes full of envy. "I'm only a C-rank. That's two levels apart!"
"Don't worry. The ninja description says the ranking only represents the difficulty of acquisition," Ryuma comforted him outwardly, while inwardly thinking, Yeah, right.
If that were true, it would mirror the ninja world's ranking system where rank denoted the difficulty of learning a jutsu. But... how would one explain the difference in Substitute distance then?
"Naruto, what's your in-game name? I'll add you," Ryuma asked casually.
"Oh, it's Invincible Hokage King," Naruto said.
Ryuma: "..."
In-game nicknames were chosen by players upon entering the server. No duplicates were allowed in the entire ninja world; if you were slow, you lost the name.
Ryuma had set this rule because he hated duplicate names, but he hadn't expected to encounter this—a name so familiar yet so cringe-inducing it made him lose his composure!
What was this? Fate?
"Nice, nice. I bet no one else in the world could think of that. Very unique," Ryuma praised.
"Hehe! Right?" Naruto laughed proudly, but his expression suddenly froze. Looking at the friend request that popped up, he gaped. "Wind God and Fire God Help Me? Boss, is that you?"
"Mm-hmm," Ryuma nodded slightly. If people in this world could understand the reference, he would have definitely used his old handle: 'Hitting Super Shadow is Harder than Her!'
"Forget it. Come on, Boss! Friends added. Now accept the duel invite!"
"OJBK." (No problem).
Beside them, Kakashi listened to their abstract nicknames and was rendered speechless. Can't anyone pick a normal name? I know it's not a real-name game, but at least pick something interesting.
Kakashi looked at the top left corner of his screen. He had spent a long time thinking of his name, and the more he looked at it, the more he liked it.
[Bringing Rin]
"BATTLE START!"
Once the characters were under control, Naruto became extremely nervous. He didn't attack immediately but instead retreated to the edge of the screen. For his team, Naruto had chosen the three members of Team 7, with himself in the first slot.
Out of his field of vision, Sasuke—controlled by Ryuma—moved in a series of stops and starts, approaching with a bizarre, glitchy-looking gait. Naruto's lip twitched. Not only had the boss chosen the exact same team as him, but he was also a total troll.
"What's wrong, Naruto? Not going to hit me?" Ryuma teased.
Naruto didn't answer with words. A giant rock fell from the sky and rolled forward—the Secret Scroll: Rock Fall. Naruto had stuck with his favorite.
But with a flick of Ryuma's finger, Sasuke moved vertically upward, easily dodging it. Naruto's eyes widened. Crap.
"No, Naruto, I told you to hit me, so you actually hit me?" Ryuma joked as he moved Sasuke right into Naruto's face.
Terrified, Naruto released a Rasengan on the spot, but Sasuke turned and dodged it effortlessly.
"The pressure is immense, kid... Wait, no, you're dropping the Summon already? I'm baiting it!"
"Hahahaha! Do you like it, Naruto?"
"Wait, you have no skills, no Scrolls, no Summons—you just substitute and start basic attacking? Are you that desperate?!"
"Whoa! Ninja Hounds! You're just dumping everything for damage? You left yourself wide open, kid!"
"Here it comes. Have a fireball for breakfast!"
"Substitute to create distance... wait, you really thought I was backing off? Basic attack interception! Do you like my single-tap start?"
"Do you like my vertical movement? THREE SUMMONS?! You used three Summons on one ninja? Does your family run a zoo? You're invincible, kid!"
[ROUND 1 OVER!]
"Just tell me... did I take out your Sasuke or not!" Naruto's hands were shaking, but he refused to back down.
"Fine, fine. So you want to play like that." Ryuma was "annoyed." It must be because he hadn't adapted to the climate of the ninja world yet; otherwise, how could he lose a ninja to an opponent like this?
Kakashi didn't rush to study his newly acquired [Hatake Kakashi]. Instead, he was spectating. He glanced at Ryuma, who looked deadly serious, as if he were actually going to try now. Kakashi was bewildered.
Seriously? Why does he talk so much during a game? It's like he's a completely different person!
[ROUND 2, START!]
Ryuma went silent. He looked like a college student in a dorm room taking over a BO3 match after his roommates had all died—deadly serious.
For Naruto, the pressure was monumental. He was being baited into using skills constantly; Ryuma's movements were making him dizzy. Heaven have mercy! A newbie who had touched the game for only two days was facing an "old player."
As everyone knows, Naruto players are the most "friendly" to new players—whenever they meet one, they make sure to give them a very thorough "lesson."
[GAME OVER!]
Ryuma let out a long breath and put his phone down, wearing an expression of pure bliss, like he'd just finished a spa session. He had successfully performed a "Reverse 3-Stock" on Naruto using Sakura... or rather, a "Mid-3-Stock."
Of course, the "comforting" head-pat was mandatory.
"You still need practice." Ryuma's face shifted back to a look of concern as he patted Naruto's head. He turned and walked away, humming a tune.
Naruto's hands hung limp. His phone dropped to the side. He slumped onto the table like he had no bones left in his body. His eyes were lifeless; in just a few minutes, he had suffered a dual strike to both his spirit and his pride.
Kakashi couldn't bear to watch and looked away.
Naruto remained in a daze for a long, long time. Only after the coffee on the table had gone cold did he slowly mutter a single sentence.
"It felt like the suffocating grip of a python..."
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