Uchiha Akira regretted it, feeling like the biggest fool in existence!
This mission to the border was supposed to be about showcasing Konoha's strength and deterring other ninja villages from making any reckless moves. Yet, he had foolishly brought along Akimichi Choza. Granted, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio is one of Konoha's top combinations—when the three of them team up, their synergy is so strong that it's not an exaggeration to say they could rival a Kage-level opponent.
But Choza's appetite? That was truly terrifying! This guy could easily eat enough for ten people on his own!
And as if bringing Choza wasn't enough, he had also foolishly brought Uzumaki Naruto along. Even though Naruto was just a seven-year-old kid, his appetite might be even scarier than Choza's!
"That will be 13,000 ryo," the young woman selling rice balls said cheerfully, holding out her hand to Uchiha Akira.
One meal cost 13,000 ryo! Uchiha Akira thought, grumbling internally as he handed over the money, his heart bleeding as he silently cursed Choza and Naruto for their monstrous appetites.
"Hm, only 13,000 ryo for that meal? That's pretty cheap, actually," Kakashi remarked, turning his head slightly to glance at Uchiha Akira, deliberately trying to provoke him.
But Kakashi wasn't just teasing Uchiha Akira—he was making a point. The quality of their meals had been somewhat lacking. There were eight of them, and both Naruto and Choza could each eat as much as ten people. So, in total, their meal had been equivalent to what thirty people would consume. And yet, the total bill was only 13,000 ryo, averaging out to just over 400 ryo per person.
What can 400 ryo even buy? If you convert that into the currency from his previous life, it would only be around 40 yuan.
Imagine a group of high-ranking jonin, clan leaders, and elite shinobi, gathering for a meal that cost 40 yuan per person. It was like a group of corporate CEOs sitting down to eat at a street food stall.
"Cough, cough. Alright, everyone full? Let's get moving…" Uchiha Akira said after a moment, realizing that maybe it wasn't as bad as he initially thought. Clearing his throat, he gave the order to continue their journey.
That night, the eight men didn't bother with formalities. Instead of renting eight rooms, Uchiha Akira rented four, saying it was so they could look out for each other. After all, who knows what dangers we might encounter out here?
But honestly, the idea that a group of elite jonin would be afraid to sleep alone because it might be dangerous was laughable.
Those four rooms cost over 10,000 ryo for one night's stay.
"This isn't going to work. Maybe we should consider camping out in the wild to save money," Uchiha Akira mused. "Too bad Yamato isn't here. If he were, he could use his Wood Release to build a house, and we could even sell it when we leave."
Speaking of which, Uchiha Akira thought, there's also the matter of Orochimaru and Sasori. The simulator said they would use poison, but it didn't show exactly how. That could be troublesome.
He reflected on how Naruto had appreciated his confidence in their bet with Hiashi, feeling a growing sense of loyalty from the boy. If it were the night of the Uchiha Massacre, Naruto might have ended up on the opposing side. But now, with the Uchiha clan holding power, Naruto's strength is effectively Konoha's strength, and by extension, the Uchiha's strength. It's only right to invest in his growth.
Lying in a two-person room, Uchiha Akira was already in bed, while Naruto was still outside, likely continuing his relentless training with the Rasengan. Uchiha Akira felt a sense of pride in the boy's determination. His thoughts were a jumble as he gradually drifted off to sleep.
In the middle of the night, Uchiha Akira noticed Naruto returning to the room but didn't pay it much mind. Then, early the next morning, Naruto proudly announced that he had managed to burst the balloon, surprising Uchiha Akira with his rapid progress and natural talent for ninjutsu.
Kakashi and the others were equally stunned. He managed to pop the balloon so quickly? It was an impressive rate of progress.
Having anticipated this, Uchiha Akira handed Naruto a rubber ball as the next step in his training.
And so, the group from Konoha continued on their journey, with Naruto practicing the Rasengan during every break they took.
A week passed in a flash.
One night, the group camped out in the wild, with Kakashi using Earth Release to construct makeshift shelters to keep the rain off. Naruto's training had hit a bottleneck in the final stage of mastering the Rasengan—maintaining its power while also controlling its stability, a challenging feat. In the original story, Naruto mastered this within a week, but now, due to the constant travel, he had less time to dedicate to training.
Thankfully, Naruto had the advantage of training with his Shadow Clones, so his progress wasn't too far off.
As he lay on the ground to rest, Uchiha Akira finally gave in to temptation and started his second life simulation. They were nearing the Land of Wind's border, and who knew what dangers awaited them there? The Chakra Extraction feature in the Life Simulator could effectively serve as a cheat, instantly restoring him to full health and chakra reserves, so Uchiha Akira decided to prepare in advance.
Unfortunately, Orochimaru and Sasori's attack would primarily involve poison, and while the Life Simulator could restore health and chakra, it couldn't cure poisoning.
Sighing, Uchiha Akira selected his options, watching as another 1 million ryo vanished into thin air as the new simulation began.
[Three days later, you reach the Land of Wind's border. Uzumaki Naruto has mastered the basics of the Rasengan!]
[Eight days later, your group encounters a squad of elite Sand Village shinobi. After a fierce battle, you repel them with only minor injuries, successfully deterring the Sand Village forces!]
[Ten days later, your group is ambushed by Orochimaru and Sasori. Both sides suffer heavy injuries, and the two villains retreat!]
[Half a month later, your entire squad is wounded. You realize that going to the Land of Earth for further deterrence is no longer feasible. After a discussion, you prepare to retreat but encounter one of the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya!]
[Jiraiya joins your team, and you set off for the Land of Earth's border!]
[At the Land of Earth's border, you engage in a prolonged battle with the elite forces of the Stone Village. The conflict drags on for ten days, with neither side able to gain the upper hand!]
[A month later, you engage the Stone Village forces again. This time, the Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, appears on the battlefield!]
[You are caught off guard by a Dust Release sneak attack and die!]
[Please choose a reward from the simulation:]
[Option 1: All learned knowledge, skills, and combat experience!]
[Option 2: An increase in Chakra reserves!]
[Option 3: Bloodline awakening status!]
"What the hell?" Uchiha Akira cursed internally as he reviewed the simulation results.
He had initially thought that reaching Kage level would significantly improve his chances of survival. Yet, in two consecutive simulations, he had died within a month each time.
So, the stronger I get, the faster I die?
During the Uchiha Massacre, if I had just laid low and left the village, I might have lived a few more years…
But now, as a Kage-level ninja, I'm dying even faster!?
The first time, he had been poisoned while injured, facing two Kage-level opponents, Orochimaru and Sasori, which was understandable.
But this time?
Are you kidding me? Uchiha Akira thought, After a few skirmishes, Onoki himself decides to intervene?
And on top of that, I died from a Dust Release sneak attack?
The Third Tsuchikage, Onoki, resorted to ambushing a seven-year-old kid?
At this moment, Uchiha Akira realized he might have misjudged the Third Hokage. It wasn't just Hiruzen Sarutobi—all the older, long-lived shinobi seemed to be this shameless.
Still, he needed to analyze the situation despite his frustration.
So, we'll run into Jiraiya soon? Uchiha Akira mused, looking forward to it. With his Sage Mode, Jiraiya's strength was among the top even within the Kage level.
But Onoki resorting to such underhanded tactics to eliminate him? It seemed the old Tsuchikage was determined to take him out.
Could it be because he once faced Uchiha Madara and was left with deep psychological scars?
And now that rumors are spreading that I might reach Madara's level, he feels compelled to kill me before I can fully develop?
Although my current strength is Kage-level, compared to someone like Madara, I'm still just in the budding stage.
This life simulation was meant to prepare him by exploiting the full-heal bug, so he didn't extract the chakra reward yet, saving it for later when it might be more critical.
This Life Simulator is really turning out to be like the Senzu Beans from Dragon Ball, Uchiha Akira thought.
After three more days of travel, Uchiha Akira and his group finally reached the border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind.
"Uchiha Akira, looks like you've lost the bet," Hiashi Hyuga said, finally relaxing after days of tension, smiling at Uchiha Akira.
"Naruto, show him your Rasengan. I know you've already mastered it," Uchiha Akira responded calmly, looking at Uzumaki Naruto.
The Life Simulator had predicted that Naruto would fully master the Rasengan by the time they reached the border, so Uchiha Akira was confident in his response.
*************
So, are you ready to work your magic again this week and help me reach number one? If we succeed, I'll release 10 chapters! If we make it to the top 5, it'll be 5 chapters; for the top 10, I'll add 2 chapters. Good luck! And don't forget to support me on patreon.com/Emik01 to motivate me to keep going!