Chapter 87: A Conversation with the System

The border between the Land of Fire and the Land of Grass.

In a vast underground palace, Madara sat on a stone throne with his eyes closed, listening to Black Zetsu recount the events of the recent mission. His hand rhythmically tapped against his thigh, but his face betrayed no emotion.

After a long pause, Madara opened his eyes, a glint of sharp light flashing through them.

"So, you're saying that an unknown individual rescued Nagato and the others from the hands of Amegakure and Konoha?"

Black Zetsu bowed slightly, answering with respect, "Yes, Madara-sama. This individual's origins are unclear. As far as I can tell, no one of this caliber exists in the current shinobi world."

Madara snorted, his tone filled with disdain. "I, Uchiha Madara, have always looked down on those who skulk in the shadows, afraid to reveal their true selves."

Black Zetsu glanced at Madara but kept his thoughts to himself: And yet, isn't that exactly what you're doing now?

Madara frowned and fell silent. The vast palace sank into an oppressive quiet.

The failure of the plan weighed on his mind. He couldn't move freely in the shinobi world in his current state, and that realization gnawed at him. Pressing his fingers to his temple, Madara rubbed it as if to soothe a growing headache.

After a moment, he dropped his hand and cast a piercing gaze at Black Zetsu.

"If this piece has been lost, then we'll replace it with another. Black Zetsu, go find me a child from the Uchiha clan—someone with the potential to carry the burden of our grand ambitions."

Black Zetsu nodded with a sly smile. "Understood, Madara-sama."

With the Third Shinobi War still raging, finding a suitable candidate shouldn't be too difficult. With that thought, Black Zetsu sank into the ground and vanished into the distance.

...

Amegakure

The base of the Akatsuki.

Obito stood watching Nagato train diligently not far away, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.

The weakened version of the Rinnegan Nagato had been given wasn't too difficult for him to control. The strain it placed on his body had also been significantly reduced.

Moreover, while the power of the ocular techniques had decreased, the cooldown times were also much shorter. From a certain perspective, it was hard to say whether Nagato had been weakened or strengthened. (It really depended on how the "developers" spun it.)

Obito withdrew his attention from the scene and delved into his mind, addressing the system.

"System, I've been thinking about something lately. I want to ask you directly."

(The following contains some system-related explanations. If it's not your cup of tea, feel free to skip ahead!)

The system shivered slightly, an ominous feeling washing over it, though it tried to maintain a calm front.

"Ask away, host."

Obito adjusted his nonexistent glasses and spoke.

"If I can't obtain Nagato's ocular powers, wouldn't that make the rewards for the missions a joke? Yet, you included them, which means you predicted I'd encounter Nagato. Or rather, you've been steering me toward this outcome through the choices you've provided."

The system silently cursed: Damn it, since when did this brat get so sharp?

"Ding! Everything this system does is for your benefit, host! Unlike those shady, exploitative systems, I genuinely care about you, giegie~!"

Obito let out a cold laugh, his eyes narrowing dangerously.

"I get the reasoning, but I want to know one thing. Did you already anticipate that Mount Myoboku would approach me and that I'd eventually choose to align with them?"

Uh-oh. The system's metaphorical data streams nearly crashed from the pressure.

Seeing the system's silence, Obito's suspicions deepened.

"So that snake-crawling mission you assigned me earlier—was that just a ploy to mess with me?"

The system stiffened but forced itself to respond. "Host, that's not entirely fair. At the very least… it'll make your future life with Rin more harmonious!"

Obito's face darkened. "Harmonious? Is that really what I should be worrying about at my age?!"

The system hesitated, then reluctantly admitted, "You do have a point there. Fine, I'll let it slide this time."

Obito paused, then asked, "But why? As a system, aren't you supposed to be omnipotent? Why do some choices require specific conditions to be met before they can be triggered?"

The system steadied itself and began explaining.

"Host, have you read any system-based novels in your past life?"

Obito nodded proudly. "If it wasn't related to studying, I read it—day and night!"

The system was speechless, unsure why he seemed so pleased with himself.

"Well, that simplifies things. Every world has its own independent will, often referred to in literature as the 'Heavens' or 'Heavenly Way.' This force dictates the natural order, ensuring everything runs according to its predetermined course.

"To defy this order, one must pay a price—a bribe, if you will."

Obito nodded slightly, signaling the system to continue.

"Uchiha Obito, you are a pivotal character in the Naruto storyline. With my assistance, you can alter the course of events to some extent.

"However, each change causes ripples, disturbing the natural order. This allows me, your system, to extract certain benefits during the upheaval."

Obito frowned. "So you can't just hand out rewards willy-nilly. You need to balance?"

The system sent a simple emoji to Obito's mind: (๑•̀ㅂ•́)و✧ Bingo!

"For instance, when you formed a contract with Mount Myoboku and learned their Sage Techniques, the 'Heavens' deemed this a logical progression.

"In turn, extracting some power from the Rinnegan to awaken your own in the future was also considered 'reasonable.'"

Obito rubbed his chin in thought. "So as long as my actions seem plausible, you can reduce the cost of bending the rules?"

"Exactly, host! These days, systems are everywhere. Competition is fierce, and saving resources is no easy task. You understand, right?"

Obito rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. I already said I forgive you. But you're the first system I've seen that plays the pity card with its host."

The conversation with the system answered many of Obito's lingering doubts.

No wonder his growth always seemed capped within certain limits. No wonder some events seemed inevitable, no matter how hard he tried to change them.

Still…

A sly smile crept onto Obito's face.

As long as he kept getting stronger, he'd make his goals "reasonable" enough to achieve.

Nagato's excited voice broke his train of thought. "Yahiko! Konan! You're back!"

Obito turned to see Yahiko and Konan returning, accompanied by a group of 30 to 40 people.

The smile on Obito's face widened.

Even without the protagonist's halo or the system's assistance, there would always be those willing to step forward and change the world.

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Pls Drop some Power Stones

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