Even though Miura was not Kage-level, he was undoubtedly a skilled Jōnin—seasoned and powerful. And now, he was dead. The demise of such a formidable shinobi was a grim omen, not just for Kaito, but for the entire village. It suggested that the shinobi world was on the brink of another era of chaos and bloodshed. Kaito didn't know the specifics, but one thing was clear: if another world-spanning war erupted, his life as a lowly Genin corpse collector would be as precarious as a paper boat in a storm.
"A yellow glow signifies a Jōnin, huh?" Maruyama Kaito muttered, his eyes narrowing in concentration.
[Yellow Corpse, Success Rate: 30%. Would you like to interact with the corpse? (Attempts remaining: 3/3 today, 9/9 total)]
At the Jōnin level, the success rate was a mere 30%. But with no higher-tier corpses in sight, he had little choice. He selected [Yes] without hesitation.
[Failure!]
[Failure!]
Two attempts, two failures.
"Seriously? Am I that unlucky?" Statistically, with three attempts, he had a cumulative 65% chance of success. But math had never been his forte, and now, he was seriously questioning his life choices.
Taking a deep breath, he reached out again, trying to ignore the unsettling sensation of touching a cold, lifeless body.
Ping!
[Success! Obtained Konoha Jōnin Miura Ichigo Experience Card (Rare)!]
"Finally!"
But then... nothing happened. The yellow glow on the corpse vanished, but Kaito felt no different. His body didn't suddenly surge with power, and no magical items materialized in his hands.
"Uh... where's the upgrade? Did the system glitch?"
After frantically searching through the system interface, he finally spotted the word [Panel] tucked away in the corner. Clicking it revealed a detailed breakdown of his stats:
[Character: Maruyama Kaito]
Age: 13
[Attribute: Fire]
[Strength: Genin]
[Body: 10]
[Essence: 12]
[Ninja: 12]
[Fantasy: 5]
[Control: 15]
[Print: 15]
[Ninjutsu: Three Body Techniques]
[Item: Konoha Jōnin Miura Ichigo Experience Card (Rare)]
To put it bluntly, his stats were... underwhelming.
"Well, this is depressing," Kaito muttered, scratching his head. "I'm basically the shinobi equivalent of a participation trophy."
But the "Konoha Jōnin Miura Ichigo Experience Card (Rare)" gave him a glimmer of hope. Anything labeled "rare" in a game was usually worth its weight in gold—or at least in ramen.
Overall, his first experience with the system wasn't a complete disaster. Feeling emboldened, he approached the corpse of the Uchiha shinobi and couldn't help but grin.
"Why does this feel like opening a blind box?"
As any seasoned gamer knew, opening blind boxes was addictive. And Kaito was no exception. This time, he had a good feeling.
[Success! Obtained a Random +2 Improvement Card for a Single Attribute!]
"An attribute card? Not bad!" he said with a smile. Without pausing to check, he decided to ride the wave of momentum.
[Success! Obtained the Uchiha Clan's Rare Bloodline Card (1/3)!]
"Wait, what?!"
He realized something that sent chills down his spine. Uchiha clan bloodline? Kaito's eyes widened as he hurriedly opened the panel again. Focusing on the scarlet card, a description appeared:
[Name: Uchiha Clan Rare Bloodline Card (1/3)]
[Description: For an Uchiha clan member who never awakened the Sharingan, their rare bloodline is their last vestige of pride.]
[Effect: Collect three of these cards to obtain the bloodline of the Uchiha clan.]
[Note: This is a cursed bloodline. Once used, there is no turning back. Proceed with caution.]
Kaito stared at the card, his mind racing, many thoughts colliding, but he remained calm, took a breath, and said to himself, "I got this."
"So... if I collect three of these, I can become an Uchiha? Does that mean I get to brood dramatically on rooftops and have a tragic backstory too?" He couldn't help but chuckle at the thought.
But the warning about the "cursed bloodline" gave him pause.
"Great. Just what I needed—more drama in my life."
NOTICE: {UPCOMING CHAPTER IS FILLED WITH THRILL}
TO BE CONTINUED...