Some cheered. Others despaired.What should they pick? The guaranteed 300,000 gold coins or a shot at the prize draw? What if they got lucky and landed that 1% jackpot?
In the meantime, some just sulked. Madara included.
With yesterday's penalty combined with today's, he was now stuck with eight full days of nonstop debuffs. Fifteen days of hand-seal restrictions. A week of forced femininity. His once-glorious image... ruined by a buggy system.
Hashirama crouched in a dark corner, drawing tiny circles on the floor."My buffs... I didn't even extend them," he whispered pitifully.
Tobirama covered his face, trying not to laugh.Only a few people had dared pick the gold. And they quickly realized almost everyone else drew a "thanks for playing."
Danzo's lone Sharingan flickered open."A Mangekyō Sharingan for only 100,000 gold? What a joke," he muttered.
Ding! This livestream lasted eight hours. Half of it was just you all whining instead of answering!Ding! Next stream starts tomorrow at 9 AM. Be ready. Bye!
And with that, the system vanished.
No explanation. No dramatic exit. Just gone. Leaving behind a quiet chat window and a sea of stunned faces.
It had handed out an avalanche of buffs and rewards… only to dip. See you tomorrow?
Kakashi blinked at his screen."Kakashi's Kamui, weakened version, no Sharingan required?"
He blinked again."What? A one percent chance and I actually pulled it? No Sharingan needed? So Kamui really is a derivative of the Mangekyō... Guess I get to learn it ahead of schedule. Not bad!"
Far below, in the real world, each Hidden Village was already scrambling.Emergency meetings. Hasty plans. Strategic deployments.
The goal was simple: grow stronger, get camera time, and hope the system notices.
Even after some careful exploration, no new secrets had been revealed. Just more questions. And so, the "half-day tour" came to an end. A blur in and a blur out.
As night blanketed the sky, they returned to the real world.
Inside Konoha Hospital, Naruto opened his eyes.
"Sakura…"
He blinked in disbelief. She was sitting beside his bed. Shikamaru stood nearby, silent as always. Everyone knew how Naruto felt about her.
"Sakura came to see me…" he muttered.
"You took a nasty hit," Tsunade said, standing at the foot of the bed with her arms crossed. "But you're still breathing. I was worried."
The room was filled with an awkward tension.
Sasuke's departure had shocked Konoha.Itachi's betrayal still lingered in everyone's minds.Sasuke leaving meant one of the village's greatest hopes was gone.
And Itachi… his role as a spy for the Leaf had not yet been revealed.
Naruto looked away, guilt in his eyes."I'm sorry, Sakura."
She blinked. "What are you apologizing for?"
She forced a soft smile. Tired, but kind.She wasn't going to add to his burden now.
Naruto fell silent again, staring down at his bandaged hands.
It hurt to see him like this.
"You must've gone crazy again, right?" Sakura teased gently, pulling back the curtain. The lights of Konoha twinkled outside. It was a beautiful sight.
But Naruto… he couldn't see any of it yet.
"Sakura," Naruto said, eyes shining."I swear I'll keep my promise. I'll bring him back. It's my pledge to you, forever!"
Shikamaru cleared his throat."Sakura… he's serious."
Naruto grinned behind the wrappings."I'm not giving up! I'll bring Sasuke back. I don't care who stands in my way!"
Shikamaru smirked, just a little. Even Tsunade's eyes gleamed with something close to pride.
Sakura stared at him. At his silly, stubborn smile. And in that quiet moment, she felt something gentle stir in her chest. A warmth she hadn't been able to voice.
A quiet thank you.
They left soon after, letting Naruto rest.
He lay back, staring at the ceiling.Thinking.How could he become stronger?
Suddenly, a loud crash echoed outside.A familiar voice rang out.
BOOM!
"What now?" Naruto rushed to the window.
There stood Jiraiya.Riding a massive toad.With his usual over-the-top flair.
"Pervy Sage?!"
"Yo." Jiraiya waved, hopping casually onto the windowsill."I've got news. Starting today, you're my disciple."
Naruto blinked."Wait, what?"
"Three years of training," Jiraiya said with a wink. "Word just came in. Akatsuki's moving again. You've got about three or four years before they target you again."
Ding! Start quiz!Ding! Oops. Sorry. Forgot it's not livestream time...
Madara growled, "This system is seriously glitched!"
Hashirama nodded quickly, "Exactly what I've been saying!"
Ding! Madara has been silenced for 10 hours.Ding! Hashirama has been silenced for 10 hours.
Tobirama sighed."Brother, maybe don't spend so much time with Madara."
Kushina added with a sigh, "Honestly, I agree."
And just like that, the day ended.No quiz.No prize.Time to rest.
Tomorrow… the madness would begin again.