Ding!
"Congratulations, Master Host, for conscientiously fulfilling your duties as Guard Captain! Your reward is now being calculated!"
Ding!
"Congratulations, Master Host! You have received: Strength +8 cards, Constitution +7 cards, Endurance +7 cards, Speed +6 cards, and Mental Strength +9 cards!"
"Additionally, Host-sama's Chakra reserves have increased by 1 Shōkuru!"
"Congratulations, Host-sama! You have also gained: 1 Uchiha Obito!"
"Furthermore, Master Host's [Self-Disciplined Guard Captain] quest evaluation has greatly improved! The rewards upon resignation have significantly increased!"
Bai Ye, who had been working overtime, nodded in satisfaction.
---
Host: Uchiha Bai Ye
Age: 19
Strength: 186+
Speed: 220+
Constitution: 196+
Stamina: 208+
Mental Power: 171+
Charm: Unparalleled in the world.
Taking a cursory glance at his status panel, Bai Ye smiled slightly.
If an attribute surpasses Kakashi's by even a fraction, a plus sign appears beside it, much like a progress bar. Once it overflows, it signifies another full level of growth beyond Kakashi's baseline.
Attributes like Chakra reserves, Ninjutsu potency, and Taijutsu prowess fall under special categories—better understood through direct experience than mere statistics.
Thus, his panel doesn't fully represent Bai Ye's actual combat ability.
Unlike his daily training plan, which yields marginal boosts relative to Kakashi, the night patrol mission had provided a more tangible, straightforward increase in strength.
Such rewards were well-deserved.
But that wasn't what Bai Ye cared about the most.
What truly mattered to him was how this mission had improved his quest evaluation.
[Self-Disciplined Captain of the Guard] was a long-term mission, and the rewards had been accumulating ever since its activation. The sheer scale of the reward pool at this point was unfathomable.
Perhaps only when he eventually resigned would Bai Ye fully grasp its magnitude.
For now, however, he remained focused on accumulation. There was no rush.
After all…
The Naruto world's plot was still unfolding.
While Bai Ye's intervention had caused minor disruptions, the overarching narrative remained intact.
And even if the plot were to collapse entirely, Bai Ye was confident in his strength—there was nothing he couldn't handle.
---
"I'm going to have a baby…"
The night sky was clear, the stars sparse.
After a long day of work, Bai Ye returned home, holding the woman in his arms as he reviewed his rewards and abilities.
Beside him, Kurenai Yuhi's delicate face flushed slightly. She cast him a soft, uncertain glance, her voice barely above a whisper.
She hadn't outright refused—nor did she mind bearing Bai Ye's child—but she worried. At his young age, would fatherhood burden him?
Bai Ye merely shook his head, offering no explanation.
Some things weren't meant to be discussed—they were meant to be felt.
His offspring were destined for greatness. Their birth would not be so simple.
Tonight, peace would be fleeting.
But that had nothing to do with Bai Ye.
A man as self-disciplined as he wouldn't be shaken by minor distractions.
A good night's rest was the foundation of a good day.
And, to a certain extent, the right kind of exercise before bed did improve sleep quality.
Kurenai Yuhi took that very seriously.
---
The Next Morning
Bai Ye rose with the sun, stretching his arms against the warm morning light as he stood atop the Hokage Rock.
He enjoyed these quiet moments—finding confidence and purpose in them.
To him, life wasn't just a collection of mundane, repetitive days.
Life itself was an ongoing miracle.
Bai Ye was content.
His daily routine consisted of patrolling the village, leading his squad, watching his subordinates chat and joke, and dealing with those who broke the rules.
He had a woman beside him.
He had comrades—not the closest of friends, but people he could talk to.
What more could he ask for?
It was obvious—if anyone ever disrupted this perfect balance, they would not meet a pleasant end.
---
"Guy, report to the Guard today."
As Bai Ye finished his morning exercise, the system notification chimed.
Lighting a cigarette, he turned to the man standing next to him.
Might Guy.
A friend—not a close one, but someone he could talk to. A man he respected.
Unlike others, Bai Ye never underestimated Taijutsu specialists.
"That means, starting today, I call you 'Captain'?"
With a broad grin, Guy flashed a thumbs-up, nodding firmly.
Business was business. Despite their camaraderie, when it came to work, hierarchy had to be observed.
"By the way," Bai Ye exhaled a stream of smoke, "do you think the Uchiha Guard can learn the Eight Inner Gates?"
This was something he had been considering for a while.
As the story progressed, the threats targeting the village would only grow stronger.
While the Uchiha Guard was formidable—composed of elite clan members—even they wouldn't be enough against the dangers ahead.
True leaders didn't handle everything themselves. That would be far too troublesome.
However, the Uchiha clan had a… unique problem.
The stronger they became, the closer they drifted toward madness.
Stimulating their Sharingan through trauma was not an ideal strategy. Forced awakenings came with severe mental instability.
And hastily acquired power often led to poor decision-making.
"This…"
Might Guy fell silent, deep in thought.
Bai Ye waited patiently.
Regarding the origin of the Eight Inner Gates, opinions varied. Some claimed Might Dai had pioneered it. Others believed it was recorded in the Scroll of Seals, a creation of the Second Hokage.
Both perspectives had merit.
But Bai Ye was certain of one thing—while the concept had likely been proposed by the Second Hokage, perfection of the technique had been Might Dai's achievement, later passed down to his son, Might Guy.
After all, before Might Dai, no one had been capable of true self-discipline.
Not even Tobirama himself.
"…It's not impossible to teach."
After a long pause, Might Guy scratched his head and spoke.
Bai Ye's eyes gleamed with interest.
"However," Guy continued, "I think external training through the Eight Inner Gates, combined with the internal training of the Sharingan, along with intense Chakra refinement… these three methods all consume vast amounts of potential."
"If we push the Uchiha clan down this path, we'll just be accelerating their descent into hemiplegia."
Body. IQ. Cells.
Bai Ye fell into silence.
After a moment, he exhaled deeply and waved his hand, dismissing the idea.
"Forget it. Better to focus on basic physical conditioning."
"Go home, get washed up, and head to work…"