Naruto: Troublesome Ninja Haruta

Chapter 3: Senpai, This Is the Second Time...

"You know… you're actually a pretty nice guy…"

Watching Orochimaru's figure disappear into the distance, Haruta couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.

At the same time, he let out a long sigh of relief.

The pressure that Orochimaru exerted was immense—even for someone like Haruta, who had a system cheat, it was almost unbearable.

But this was understandable. Despite how flashy his status panel looked, Haruta's strength, strictly speaking, was only at Jōnin level.

That said, looking at it from another perspective…

"Kabuto and I both joined Root at around the same age—seven. But unlike him, I never had to take on foreign infiltration missions. I only completed internal village assignments… and I still managed to level up this much?"

Thinking about it, Haruta couldn't help but feel that something was seriously off.

"Just how badly was Danzo exploiting child labor?!"

Then again, in hindsight, he supposed he was lucky.

Compared to Kabuto and those unfortunate kids forced onto the battlefield during the Third Shinobi War, what he went through was practically nothing.

—

[New Mission Acquired]

[Rescue the Anbu Operatives]

Haruta wasn't surprised by the new mission. If anything, having a mission was a good thing.

Without missions, how was he supposed to break free from Danzo? How was he supposed to stab his boss in the back and escape his current predicament?

Besides, being a Konoha ninja meant having a stable government job in one of the Five Great Shinobi Villages—and the end goal of all things was job security.

He had no intention of throwing away that position.

But even a veteran slacker like him had ambitions.

The key to career advancement was waiting for your boss to get promoted first.

And if they couldn't get promoted… well, then you had to wait for them to "ascend to heaven."

As an experienced corporate survivor, Haruta knew how to navigate the workplace.

While putting his mask back on, he glanced at his status panel again.

With 5 free attribute points, he had plenty of options for upgrades—any skill at Lv5 or below could be enhanced.

But right now, what interested him the most was his newly acquired [Unclaimed Cursed Seal]!

—

[Unclaimed Cursed Seal]

A product of sealing natural energy into a curse mark. Can be bound to the user, preventing the chaotic effects of nature energy. Activating it enhances abilities based on level.

—

Haruta fully understood the pros and cons of the Cursed Seal.

While he was excited, he also needed to be cautious.

The last thing he wanted was to end up like Jūgo or Sasuke—losing control of his mind.

However, his system's version of the Cursed Seal seemed different.

For once, his system, which had never given him any truly broken rewards, actually provided something useful!

"I just wonder how strong the low-level seal is… And why do all my rewards seem to be pushing me toward becoming a 'stat monster'?"

Haruta couldn't help but complain.

But then again, being a stat monster wasn't necessarily a bad thing.

Technically speaking, wasn't the First Hokage himself just a stat monster?

—

"Bind the Cursed Seal and enhance it."

Haruta silently issued the command.

Almost instantly, he felt a burning sensation on the back of his hand.

He quickly pulled off his glove and looked down—

A black, three-tomoe-shaped seal had appeared on the back of his hand.

At the same time, his status panel updated:

—

[Cursed Seal Bound. Current Level: Lv1]

[Cursed Seal Upgraded to Lv3]

[Remaining Free Points: 2]

—

Processing the influx of information in his mind, Haruta nodded in satisfaction.

Then, focusing on his surroundings, he immediately assessed the situation.

It was strange—his [Overall Physical Attributes] stat enhanced everything, including his perception skills.

"So this is one of the benefits of being an all-rounder stat monster, huh?"

To be honest, if combat efficiency wasn't a priority, he would have dumped all his free points into this stat.

—

"Alright, time to move. This is also a good opportunity to test out the Cursed Seal's abilities."

—

Meanwhile—

Uzuki Yuugao's face was grim as she stood before several deranged yet incredibly strong enemy shinobi.

Following Haruta's advice, she had temporarily withdrawn from the confrontation with Orochimaru to seek reinforcements.

But she hadn't expected to run into enemies like these.

"As expected of Orochimaru… even after leaving Konoha, he still has this many loyal followers."

While fending off her attackers, Yuugao analyzed the situation.

Normally, a mission targeting Orochimaru wouldn't have fallen to a small team like hers.

However, the mission was issued suddenly, and since they were the closest unit available, they had been deployed on short notice.

Even though they had mentally prepared for the mission's difficulty and taken every precaution, they still ended up in this dire situation—which frustrated her greatly.

"No… I need to move faster. That kid…"

Dodging a deadly blade, Yuugao gritted her teeth.

Especially when she thought about Haruta choosing to stay behind and face Orochimaru alone—her determination hardened even further.

As she fought off the fearless, mindless enemies surrounding her, she suddenly leapt into the air, spinning her ninjatō mid-flight.

This was her own, self-created kenjutsu technique.

Though still in its early stages, it was more than sufficient for fighting to the death!

"Konoha-ryu: Hazy Moon!"

Her blade blurred into a mirage as she slashed downward at her enemies.

But those enemies merely screamed and charged forward without hesitation!

There was madness in their eyes—pure insanity.

In just the blink of an eye, they were right in front of her.

Ignoring her blade entirely, they swung their own weapons directly at her!

—

These weren't ordinary shinobi.

They were Orochimaru's experimental subjects—but their loyalty to him was absolute.

Anyone who came to challenge Orochimaru was an enemy.

Even if it meant dying in the process, they were willing to take their foes down with them!

—

"Damn it…!"

Yuugao realized their insanity, but there was no backing down now.

Her resolve was just as unshakable.

She had to win.

She had to find the rest of her team.

She had to save Haruta!

The two sides drew closer—their blades already slicing through each other's clothing.

And just before their weapons clashed—

Their expressions suddenly changed.

Because at that moment—

The ground trembled.

"Doton: Earth-Style Wall!"

A massive earthen wall erupted from the ground, forcing both sides apart!

—

Boom!

—

The wall's durability exceeded all expectations.

Neither Yuugao's attacks nor the enemy's strikes could immediately break through!

Dust and debris filled the air, and with the wall acting as a barrier, both sides were repelled backward.

Yuugao stumbled slightly as she landed—

And before she could fully regain her balance, she felt someone catch her.

Startled, she whipped her head around—

Through the swirling smoke and dust, she saw a disheveled but resolute figure standing before her.

And then, she heard a familiar voice, tinged with amusement.

"Senpai, this is the second time. You really should be more careful from now on..."