Koga was snoring peacefully.
The room was dark, with only a faint line of moonlight slipping through the window. His blanket had been kicked halfway down his legs, one arm hanging lazily over the side of the bed. For the first time in what felt like forever, his mind was completely quiet.
Beside the bed, two wolves rested on the floor.
Ignilion had transformed himself into the appearance of a slightly larger Inuzuza wolf, his body curled comfortably against the wall. Fenfyr had chosen the form of a younger wolf cub and was lying near the doorway, his ears twitching every now and then.
Koga had given them a simple order before sleeping.
"If you sense anyone coming toward me, wake me up."
Both beasts had understood so Koga slept without worry.
Nothing could happen. At least, that was what he thought. Then the entire night suddenly exploded with sound.
OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH! OH!
The enormous Sky Screen flashed into existence above Koyagakure.
Its voice thundered across the entire village, shaking windows and startling sleeping birds from rooftops.
WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED THAT ONE OF THE ULTIMATE MISSIONS WOULD BE COMPLETED THIS FAST! AN INCREDIENT! AN ASTOUNDING ANSWER! AN ANSWER SO PRECISED THAT EVEN I, THE SYSTEM ITSELF IS IMPRESSED!
THE ULTIMATE MISSION CONCERNING THE LOVE OF THE INUZUZA CLAN HEAD, INUZUZA KIZA, HAS BEEN COMPLETED!
THE ANSWER IS CORRECT!
THE ANSWERER HAS SUCCESSFULLY DISCOVERED WHO INUZUZA KIZA LOVES! WHAT A REMARKABLE ACHIEVEMENT! WHAT A BRILLIANT HONORARY MEMBER OF THE INUZUZA CLAN! THE SYSTEM COMMENDS THIS PERSON! THE SYSTEM PRAISES THIS PERSON!
THE SYSTEM ACKNOWLEDGES THIS PERSON AS THE FIRST TO COMPLETE AN ULTIMATE MISSION!
CONGRATULATIONS!
For several seconds, nobody in the village spoke.
People had been watching the Sky Screen for so long that many had become accustomed to its strange messages. But this was different. An Ultimate Mission had actually been completed. And it was the mission everyone had been laughing about.
The mission concerning Kiza.
A confused villager finally typed into the Villager Chat.
"WHAT?"
Another message immediately appeared.
"WAIT, SOMEONE ACTUALLY ANSWERED IT?"
"WHO?"
"WHO IS KIZA IN LOVE WITH?"
"THE SYSTEM HAS TO TELL US!"
"YES! SHOW US!"
The Sky Screen flashed.
THE ANSWERER HAS CHOSEN NOT TO REVEAL THEMSELVES!
The village immediately became even louder.
"WHAT?"
"WHY?"
"THAT MAKES IT WORSE!"
"WHO WOULD GO THROUGH ALL THAT TROUBLE AND THEN HIDE?"
"THEY KNOW SOMETHING!"
"THEY MUST KNOW SOMETHING!"
Then another line appeared.
THE ANSWERER IS AN HONORARY MEMBER OF THE INUZUZA CLAN!
The Villager Chat exploded.
"AN HONORARY MEMBER?"
"THE INUZUZA CLAN HAD AN HONORARY MEMBER THIS WHOLE TIME?"
"WHO?"
"WAIT!"
"ISN’T THE MISSION RULED TO SAY INUZUZA CLAN MEMBERS CANNOT PARTICIPATE?"
"YES!"
"THE SYSTEM SAID THAT!"
"IT SPECIFICALLY SAID NO INUZUZA CLAN MEMBERS!"
The Ninja Chat became just as chaotic.
"Unfair. Did the System make a mistake?"
"I remember the rule clearly."
"It said Clan members cannot participate."
"Then how did an honorary member answer?"
"Is this some loophole?"
"System, explain yourself!"
The Sky Screen suddenly flashed again.
THE SYSTEM DID NOT MAKE A MISTAKE! THE RULE WAS THAT FULL FLEDGED INUZUZA CLAN NINJAS COULD NOT PARTICIPATE!
THE ANSWERER IS NOT A FULL FLEDGED INUZUZA NINJA! THE ANSWERER IS AN HONORARY MEMBER!
THE ANSWERER DOES NOT HOLD THE STATUS OF A FULL FLEDGED INUZUZA NINJA!
THEREFORE, THE ANSWER IS VALID!
Silence. Then in the sky screen villager chat section, the Villager erupted again.
"THAT IS SUCH A LOOPHOLE!"
"YOU NEVER SAID HONORARY MEMBERS WERE ALLOWED!"
"THE RULE WAS CLEAR!"
"NO, IT WASN’T!"
"THE SYSTEM IS CHEATING!"
"THE SYSTEM IS NOT CHEATING!"
"THEN WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY THAT HONORARY MEMBERS WERE ALLOWED?"
The Sky Screen responded immediately.
BECAUSE THE SYSTEM DID NOT NEED TO! THE RULES WERE CLEAR! FULL FLEDGED NINJAS WERE PROHIBITED! THE HONORARY MEMBER WAS NOT A FULL FLEDGED NINJA! THEREFORE, THE HONORARY MEMBER WAS ALLOWED!
The villagers stared upward.
Nobody knew how to argue with that.
Someone eventually typed.
"That is technically correct."
Another replied.
"I hate that it is technically correct."
The Inuzuza Clan was especially lively.
"Our honorary members are amazing!"
"Who was it?"
"Which one of them knew about Kiza’s lover?"
"How did they find out?"
"Did they investigate?"
"Maybe they have been secretly watching the Clan Head!"
"Don’t say that!"
"Still, whoever it was deserves praise!"
"We should reward them ourselves!"
The members of the other clans were not nearly as amused.
Kuma Clan members filled the Ninja Chat.
"This is ridiculous!"
"Why did we never make honorary members?"
"We have many civilians who have served our Clan for years!"
"Why did we not think of this?"
The Karasu Clan followed.
"This is a loophole we could have used."
"We should have honorary members too."
"Imagine how many missions we could complete."
The Yukiju Clan was equally annoyed.
"We should establish honorary membership immediately."
"Agreed."
"Does honorary membership provide any benefits?"
"I have no idea."
"Then we should find out."
Above them all, the Overlord Chat remained calmer.
Karasu Moira laughed softly.
"If I had known this would happen, I would have created honorary members in the Karasu Clan long ago."
Kuma Rai crossed his huge arms.
"I agree. We have people who have helped the Kuma Clan for generations. We could have given them honorary status."
Yukiju Ken smiled.
"Then the Inuzuza Clan has unintentionally shown us something useful."
Kuma Rai grunted.
"Useful and irritating."
Moira laughed.
"That is usually how the best ideas begin."
All three of them looked toward the silent name among the Overlords.
Inuzuza Kiza.
She had not written a single message.
Not one.
Her name remained visible at the top of the Overlord Chat, but there was no response from her.
Nobody knew what she was thinking and of course, nobody dared ask. But some of the villagers in the chat began speculating.
"Why isn’t Kiza saying anything?"
"She must be embarrassed."
"Maybe she’s angry."
"Maybe she’s happy."
"Maybe she knows who answered."
"Of course she knows. The answer was about her."
"That doesn’t mean she knows who submitted it."
The Inuzuza Clan members became increasingly curious.
"Forget Kiza for a moment. What reward did the answerer receive?"
"Yes!"
"The mission was completed. There must be a reward."
"What did the System give them?"
The Sky Screen remained silent for a moment.
Then another enormous message appeared.
THE REWARD WILL BE GIVEN TO THE SUCCESSFUL ANSWERER! THE REWARD IS SPECIAL! THE REWARD HAS BEEN SELECTED ACCORDING TO THE ACHIEVEMENT! HOWEVER! THE ANSWERER HAS CHOSEN TO REMAIN SILENT! THEREFORE, THE SYSTEM WILL RESPECT THEIR WISH!
The village became restless again.
"What does that mean?"
"Can the System give a reward without revealing the person?"
"Apparently."
"Whoever they are, they are incredibly lucky."
"Maybe they received something powerful!"
"Maybe they received a bloodline!"
"Maybe they received a Ninja Art!"
"Maybe they received a legendary beast!"
"Stop guessing!"
"Why? It’s fun!"
While the entire village continued staring at the Sky Screen, one person remained completely unaware of what was happening.
Koga.
He was still asleep.
"Zzzzz..."
The enormous sound outside did not wake him. His breathing remained slow. His face was buried halfway into his pillow. But his two beasts were not sleeping anymore.
Fenyfr’s ears suddenly stood upright. Ignilion lifted his head. Both stared ahead. Something was happening. Fenyfr quietly stood. Ignilion rose beside him.bTheir transformed bodies looked like ordinary Inuzuza wolves, but their eyes were alert.
Koga had told them to wake him if anyone approached and something happened so Fenfyr walked to his bed.
He began barking.
"Woof!"
Koga did not move.
Fenfyr barked louder.
"Woof! Woof!"
Koga groaned.
"Shut up..."
Fenfyr grabbed the edge of Koga’s clothes with his teeth and pulled.
Koga’s eyes remained closed.
"What is it?"
Fenfyr pulled harder.
Koga finally opened one eye.
"What?"
The wolf barked again.
Koga slowly sat up.
"What happened?"
Fenfyr looked toward the window.
Ignilion was staring in the same direction.
Koga rubbed his eyes.
"Did someone come?"
Both wolves barked.
Koga’s sleepy expression disappeared.
He immediately became alert; he could sense something was glowing.
"What?"
He looked toward the light, and what greeted him made his eyes widen so wide he was in horror.