Chapter 7: Gacha, Thunderstorms, and Foolish Hearts
"There are two truly dangerous moments in a shinobi's life: opening a chest and talking to a beautiful girl."
Morning. Inside Hirito's head
🌀 Detected: Another system cycle is active. Gacha time!
🌀 Conditions: Once a year - 10 random prizes. 1 of them (sometimes) is actually useful.
- Great... another festival of stupid goodies begins. I hope this time it won't be a "cloak that smells like victory" that scares off dogs.
🎲 Gacha giveaway:
1🧦 Shinobi Socks - increases stealth by 1% (if unwashed for more than a week).
2🐸 Frog Amulet - croaks if you lie within a 2 meter radius.
3🥢 Bamboo Lucky Stick — "improves the taste of noodles."
4Ancient scroll with a joke from the Second Hokage's era (incomprehensible).
5 A ruler of combat calculation. Can be useful if you have a mania for control.
6 A balloon that doesn't burst. Ever.
7 A pocket mirror of self-admiration. Increases self-confidence. For 2 seconds.
8 Cat bait. For some reason.
9 The remains of a dried octopus. Recognized as a weapon of mass olfactory perception.
10 Useful drop!
Technique: "Shadow Reverse Echo"
— Allows you to intuitively sense lies during a conversation and psychologically lead the interlocutor to another topic, even if he does not realize it.
— Oh-oh-oh. Now that's closer to the point. Especially with Ino...
A field near the village. Training
A team of senior students goes on an away training: exercises in joint attack and coordination.
The weather is cloudy, a thunderstorm is approaching. Hirito, Hinata, Ino, Sasuke and Naruto in one group.
Training begins
The task: attack a simulated enemy and at the same time protect an ally from a counter attack.
"I'm with Hinata," Hirito says calmly.
"HA?!" Naruto was already reaching for her.
"You can't pick up signals, brother."
Hinata + Hirito
She's nervous, but not as much as before.
They train in pairs: she's close combat, he's long-range distraction and traps.
Hirito nods:
"You hit quietly. But accurately. That's a plus.
"I'm... trying..."
"Don't try. Hit. I'll back you up.
She suddenly blushes, but starts working harder.
🎯 [✓] Hinata's trust level: increased.
🎯 Progress towards "emotional attachment": 32%
Aside. Ino
Ino watches. She approaches Hirito during a break.
- You're so... mysterious. Dark eyes, eternal calm, that phrase of yours "I'll back you up"... Are you the main character of a fanfic?
- If only. At least I'd be fed by a sense of meaning.
- Sarcasm. Nice. But you're still weird. I'm curious.
- It's dangerous. Being interested in dangerous people is a bad habit.
- Smile. I have a lot of bad habits.
🎯 [✓] Ino: first real attempt at flirting.
🎯 Hirito: Shadow Reverse Echo skill activated.
- Test: is her interest a lie?
- No. She's genuinely intrigued. And it seems that it's because you don't fit her usual pattern.
Evening. Returning home
The elements are getting stronger. A thunderstorm is raging over the village.
Iruka:
- Good job, kids. Tomorrow is a rest day. Well, except for those who got too many "F's" in social skills... looks at Naruto.
- HEY!!
Gacha has proven once again that she can be both absurd and surprisingly useful.
Hinata opens up - she's no longer just a "timid girl".
Ino starts the game - and Hirito is playing on equal terms.