Kushina was never known for being slow in the kitchen.
Within fifteen minutes of Tsunade's return, dish after dish of mouthwatering, aromatic food was already laid out on the dining table.
Kei Yamanaka casually dispelled the genjutsu surrounding Kakashi.
As Kakashi regained his senses from the illusion, a few tears still clung to the corners of his eyes.
Noticing everyone staring at him,
Kakashi, who considered himself a mature young man, turned his head away to wipe the tears dry. He composed himself and took a seat at the foot of the table.
"How are you feeling, Kakashi?"
Kei asked about Kakashi's condition.
"I'm perfectly fine. Thanks for going through all that effort, Senpai."
Kakashi paused mid-meal, sat up straight respectfully, and replied.
"Not bad, not bad at all. Keeping this up will definitely go a long way toward improving your social life."
Nodding with satisfaction, Kei signaled Kakashi not to be too stiff and told him to continue eating.
"Thanks for taking the time, Senpai."
Kakashi nodded and picked up his chopsticks again.
Tsunade, scarfing down her meal with gusto, frowned slightly as she raised her head to look at Kakashi, who had resumed eating.
Beside her, Kushina also cast a puzzled glance toward Kei Yamanaka.
Although this kid always was polite, phrases like "thanks for your efforts" or "you've gone through so much trouble" weren't something he usually said before.
Genjutsu treatment...
Could it really work that quickly?
Actually, even Kakashi himself felt that those words didn't sound quite like something he'd normally say.
Yet recalling all the vocabulary his father used while scolding him within the illusion, he instinctively attributed this change to the effects of genjutsu therapy.
Probably...
Does pain really make memories stick better?
"This is barely the tip of the iceberg."
Seeing the strange looks from Tsunade and Kushina, Kei thought inwardly with some amusement.
This wasn't even the real test yet—after all, Kakashi hadn't met Obito, that endless talker.
Just imagining how when Obito started running his mouth, Kakashi would stand right beside him, answering every word like a perfect straight man,
Kei couldn't help but hold back laughter.
He was growing more and more convinced that awarding Kakashi the title [Straight Man Expert] was an inspired decision.
Yes, Minato and Rin Nohara would definitely be delighted!
After a rather pleasant lunch,
Without hesitation, Kei immediately treated Kakashi to another round of genjutsu offerings.
Meanwhile, Kushina tidied up the dishes and headed to the kitchen to wash them.
Stuffed to the brim, Tsunade sprawled lazily on the couch like a woman nine months along, holding her stomach.
"Kei~ Your big sister already has her pose ready, get on with it already!"
"..."
Just having gotten rid of Kakashi, sipping post-meal digestive tea slowly, Kei almost spat the mouthful out upon hearing that.
What kind of suggestive comment was that?!
[Magical World: Reversed Realms!]
Jokes aside,
Kei still used an A-rank genjutsu to send Tsunade to the gambling haven she'd always dreamed of.
"Hahahaha! Your queen is back—let's see who's brave enough to take me on today!"
"Hey there! Looks like the dealer's got some serious luck tonight!"
"Twenty points—but this time I've got twenty-one—full sweep!"
"You really want to gamble against Konoha's Gambling Goddess, Tsunade? You've got guts?"
"Three wins straight! None of you are leaving today! Hahaha!"
Tsunade, lying on the couch, was thrashing about like a wild beast, shouting wildly and loud enough to be heard from miles away.
Kushina peeked over and almost tumbled off the couch in shock at Tsunade's antics.
After exchanging glances with Kei Yamanaka, her shining eyes curled into crescent shapes—as she clearly remembered Tsunade's experience from the last time she fell victim to a genjutsu.
"System, c'mon already—use my 'Random Green-Tier Trait Upgrade Opportunity' now."
Kei Yamanaka was also in high spirits.
He gave a quick flick of his foot, pushing Tsunade back onto the couch before she could tumble off.
He turned his attention to the System Interface.
[Medicated Milk], the green-tier trait, had already been upgraded to [Paradise Milk], a blue-tier skill, and [Straight Man Expert] had also been activated.
Out of the three green traits, only [Fate Rebellion Apprentice] remained.
One hundred percent success rate!
No risk!
[Congratulations, Host. The green-tier trait 'Fate Rebellion Apprentice' has successfully upgraded. You have obtained the blue-tier skill 'Fortune Player'.]
Fortune Player: Existing outside the currents of fate, navigating the crossroads of destinies. Able to actively interfere with and reshape others' destinies. Can absorb minor fragments of unclaimed destiny energy released during major changes in fate. Can observe another person's fortune within a ten-meter radius.
Went from a minor boost to a moderate one—and gained the ability to see others' fortune? Interesting.
Don't underestimate the difference just because it's only a single word.
How could one percent compare to ten percent?
Looking toward Tsunade and Kakashi beside him, through the abilities granted by [Fortune Player], he could clearly see both of them enveloped in waves of deep purple fortune energy.
As the original storyline's Fifth and Sixth Hokages—two key figures in driving the main plot forward—it made perfect sense they each carried immense fortune power.
Still, how useful was this ability to him?
Thanks to his Memory Palace technique, he remembered the Fire Shadow World's storyline perfectly.
Every time he met a character from the original story, he could just check them in his Memory Palace—why bother observing?
As for characters who didn't appear in the original story...
"What the—why am I glowing green?!"
Kei looked down at himself, covered head to toe in bright green light, nearly breaking character completely.
Fortune and fate were linked—but not the same thing.
While people with strong fortune often had luck on their side, there were always exceptions—like Tsunade, cursed with Black-Tier Traits.
So…
Even if I grow stronger, will I always attract bad luck?
Kei clenched his jaw silently, his gaze darting continuously between Tsunade and Kakashi.
To turn his luck around, he'd have to change others' destinies.
The more tied someone was to powerful destinies, the more stray destiny energy would spill out when their fate shifted.
That meant more energy he could absorb and convert into his own fortune through [Fortune Player].
There was more to it, too.
The system's rewards largely depend on how much their altered fates impact the world line.
Tsunade and Kakashi—one destined to become the Fifth Hokage, the other the Sixth.
If he really could change their destinies—
Forget about how much his personal fortune might increase,
even just the system's reward alone would make him incredibly rich.
But these two...
"Where should I start?"
Kei Yamanaka tapped lightly on the armrest of the sofa with his index finger.
Should he cure Tsunade's hemophobia first and help her take the position of Fourth Hokage early?
That kind of change wasn't exactly minor, but it wasn't massive either.
Even if there was a reward, it probably wouldn't be much.
The same logic applied to Kakashi.
He couldn't bring himself to kill them just for some system rewards!
This wasn't like a game where killing an NPC left no psychological scars.
And he certainly wasn't a Paradox Interactive gamer.
It wasn't worth losing his mind over a few rewards.
Thump, thump, thump~
A knocking sound came from the door again.
Kei Yamanaka pushed his wandering thoughts aside for a moment and stood up to open the door.
A ninja dressed in Anbu attire immediately knelt on one knee upon seeing him, respectfully presenting a scroll.
"Root?"
Kei raised an eyebrow and asked aloud.
"Yes! Lord Kei, I am code-named Otsu, captain of the Second Squad."
The Root ninja nodded slightly, his tone slightly stiff, yet evidently respectful and reverent.
"...Never thought I'd see the day you Root members showed this much politeness."
Kei accepted the scroll.
After unfolding it and scanning its contents, he saw that the transfer notice matched exactly what the Hokage's Anbu had previously stated.
He then spoke to the Root ninja before him,
"You may return and report. Inform Lord Advisor to the Hokage Danzo that I'll check in tomorrow."
"Yes."
The Root ninja bowed low and vanished instantly with a flash.
"Well then, if Tsunade and Kakashi are proving too tricky to handle… Danzo, looks like you'll have to do instead."
A smirk curled up at the corner of Kei Yamanaka's mouth.
He'd barely started thinking of a target when Danzo popped up on his own.
Who else could he mess with if not him?
Practically handing him an invitation.
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