· “So this is Charmander?
He looks incredibly cute.” Mikoto stepped across the clearing and settled onto the grass opposite Hideki Sato, her gaze locked onto the sleeping creature.
“You and Charmander are going to get along just fine,” Hideki replied, gently running a thumb over the Pokémon’s warm cheek.
“Mainly because you’re the first person who actually bothered to remember his name.
Everyone else just dismisses him as a random summoning beast.” “If you don’t mind me asking…
how exactly did you encounter him?” Mikoto asked softly, tilting her head.
“But if it’s too personal, just pretend I never asked.” Though they were officially comrades in the same cell, the specific origins of a shinobi’s combat assets were usually fiercely guarded secrets.
A prime example was Hanzo of the Salamander, the man heralded as a Demi-God; if the precise operational metrics of his signature summon were ever leaked to the public, his strategic efficacy would be cut in half.
However, Hideki had absolutely zero intention of being evasive.
In this entire reality, Charmander was a singular existence.
There was no data to weaponize against him.
“His origin is actually pretty wild,” Hideki began with a faint smile.
“A few months back, during a full moon, I was fast asleep when a sudden, deafening crash rattled the entire estate.
I ran out into the courtyard and found a massive crater slammed right into the center of the grass.” “My initial instinct was that a rogue meteorite had drifted off course, but when I cleared the debris, I found an object that looked exactly like a dense egg.
I brought it inside, kept it warm, and eventually, this little guy cracked his way out.” Listening to the narrative, Mikoto scrutinized his expression with a look of quiet skepticism.
The sequence of events sounded entirely too theatrical to be grounded in reality.
Yet, considering Charmander’s utterly bizarre, non-chakra-based elemental capabilities, a celestial origin felt like the only explanation that made logical sense.
Seizing the momentum, Hideki smoothly shifted the focus back toward her.
“Since I shared my secret, how about you give me a glimpse behind the curtain?
If our old classmates found out I was pulling midnight watch duty with the Academy’s choice beauty, they’d be green with envy.” A faint rosy tint rapidly crept up Mikoto’s cheeks, and she lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
“That choice beauty title was just a rumor circulated by bored students.
Besides, my history is thoroughly uninteresting.
Before our cell was formed, I didn’t possess a single friend I could truly confide in.” Hideki glanced at her, his eyebrows raising in genuine surprise.
“That doesn’t track.
You possessed unrivaled popularity and an incredibly pleasant demeanor.
How could you possibly be isolated?” Mikoto buried her face into her knees, remaining quiet for a long stretch before her muffled voice drifted out into the dark.
“The people who approached me were either calculating the political leverage of my lineage or simply captivated by my physical aesthetics.
None of them were seeking an authentic connection.
Furthermore, individuals who acted exceptionally pleasant to my face would routinely slander my character the moment my back was turned.
You know…
I’ve spent years harboring a deep envy of the absolute, unshakeable bond you share with Kushina.” Faced with Mikoto’s sudden vulnerability, Hideki found himself briefly at a loss for words.
Kushina’s emotional radar was historically loud and unrefined, meaning she rarely picked up on the quiet loneliness of others.
After a long pause, Hideki offered a soft, reassuring smile.
“Well, the good news is you don’t have to look from a distance anymore.
Kushina and I are officially your friends.
Plus, Tsunade-sensei is a fantastic mentor—just make sure you never, under any circumstances, advance her a loan.” Mikoto raised her head, her dark eyes blinking in confusion.
“But isn’t Tsunade-sensei the absolute princess of the Senju clan?
Why would she ever require a financial advance from Genin?” “Heh, that’s because you are drastically overestimating the moral baseline of a chronic gambler,” Hideki chucked.
“Especially a gambler who loses so consistently that the underground circuits officially dubbed her ‘The Legendary Sucker.’ If the First Hokage could see what his lineage has devolved into—” Whoosh!
A swift, blurred object cut through the air with terrifying velocity, striking Hideki dead on the forehead and instantly derailing his monologue.
He collapsed into the grass, groaning as he pushed himself up to inspect the projectile that had just assaulted him.
It was a standard shinobi sandal.
Judging by the trajectory and the exact foot size, the culprit required zero deduction.
Sure enough, Tsunade’s voice boomed dangerously from within the main tent.
“You impudent little brat!
You harbor absolute zero reverence for your mentor, don’t you?
Sitting out there dragging my reputation through the mud.
If I hear another syllable, the next object connecting with your skull won’t be made of leather!” Hideki shook his head, offering Mikoto a long-suffering, helpless look before retrieving the footwear and quietly placing it back near the entrance of Tsunade’s tent.
In truth, had Mikoto not been sitting right beside him acting as a witness, Hideki might have engaged in some classic, deeply illegal fanfiction behavior with that sandal.
However, his misfortune worked wonders for Mikoto’s mood.
The sheer absurdity of the sequence completely shattered her melancholy, causing a brilliant, bell-like laugh to escape her lips.
Emerging back into the firelight, Hideki caught the sight of her genuine smile and spoke entirely without thinking.
“You look incredible when you smile like that.
If it were up to me, I’d have voted for you as the choice beauty every single time.” Mikoto’s laughter softened, a lingering warmth in her eyes.
“Aren’t you worried Kushina will throw a fit if she hears you spouting such flattery?” Hideki brushed the dirt off his trousers and reclaimed his seat opposite her.
“Kushina is the easiest puzzle in the world to solve.
The moment she gets irritated, you just have to look her in the eye and repeatedly declare that she is the future Hokage.
Her anger dissolves instantly.” The remainder of the watch transpired in a series of quiet, comfortable conversations until the celestial alignment marked the transition to the second shift.
However, before Hideki could officially clear his post, Tsunade manifested behind him, delivering a sharp, physical knuckle-knock directly to the crown of his head, leaving a massive, throbbing bump as a formal penalty for his earlier insolence.
Watching Hideki wince as he cradled his skull, Mikoto couldn’t suppress another soft chuckle.
Meanwhile, a thoroughly groggy Kushina stumbled out of her tent, blinking sleepily at the scene.
Spotting the prominent welt rising from Hideki’s hair, her eyes widened in pure awe as she reached out to prod it with a finger.
“Whoa, Hideki!
You’re actually growing a horn!
That’s so cool!” The sheer absurdity of the comment forced even Tsunade to break character, a burst of laughter escaping the legendary ninja.
It appeared the rule of the universe held true: joy was a constant, it simply transferred from one victim to another.
Faced with collective betrayal, Hideki could only maintain a thoroughly black expression as he retreated into his tent.
Channeling a precise loop of Mystical Palm Technique to clear the swelling from his forehead, Hideki suddenly recalled that the timeline had officially crossed midnight.
His monthly cosmic wheel lottery allocation had refreshed.
His deep conversation with Mikoto had completely derailed his schedule—a stark reminder that women were ultimately a distraction on his path to absolute power.
Focusing his awareness inward, Hideki triggered the sequence.
As the ethereal matrix spun violently, a distinct, vivid blue luminescence erupted within his mind’s eye.
This marked the very first instance Hideki had extracted a Rare-tier item.
While the visual signature lacked the absolute majesty of a legendary golden payout, it was miles ahead of the mundane white junk he usually pulled.
The moment the item’s specific metrics registered, the corners of Hideki’s mouth stretched into a wide, triumphant grin.
Item Acquired: The Dark Gold Die (Rare) — Upon activation, the user’s hidden fortune metric is augmented exponentially for a duration of one hour.
The magnitude of the luck multiplier scales dynamically with the value of the rolled face (1 through 6).
It was a volatile, high-utility tool anchored directly to the absolute fabric of luck.
For a reincarnator reliant on a monthly lottery system, its strategic value was astronomical.
If he could manage to secure a perfect roll of six immediately prior to his next monthly lottery reset, the probability of pulling a legendary master-tier reward would jump exponentially.
Though it was merely a blue-tier utility item, Hideki was profoundly satisfied with the payout.
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