Most people, unless they possess an absolute, ironclad level of discipline, tend to cut corners.
It's like haggling. For an item originally priced at 100, the final transaction price depends entirely on the buyer's bargaining skills and the seller's bottom line. Or like an exam—if your goal is merely to pass, you're better off aiming for an 'A' from the start and working toward that. If you set your sights on a bare minimum passing grade, more often than not, 59\% is the best you'll ever achieve.
It is for this very reason that the phrase "A draw is enough to qualify" has become a cursed mantra haunting the minds of countless people.
For Kyu, the situation was no different. Had he been able to cast aside the fear in his heart from the beginning and hold onto the conviction to counter-attack, he might have found a glimmer of hope against a heavily depleted Tsunade.
But with his mind consumed by the single thought of escape, his mental state had collapsed before the first blow was struck. He was like a certain national soccer team—obsessed with playing for a draw from the very first minute of the match, only to end up suffering a total, humiliating rout.
However, while a national soccer team can endure being drowned in the spit and scorn of millions and still get a next time, Kyu had no such luxury. He didn't have five hearts like Kakuzu, nor was he an immortal freak like Hidan. With only one life to lose, there were no retakes.
Minato was currently looking after Choza. Two Katsuyu clones were perched on the Akimichi's body; although his face remained pale, his breathing had stabilized, and the look of agony had finally faded.
That violent gale earlier had swept away the shuriken from the Iwa Genin and knocked the Iwa Chunin off balance. Ironically, the only two shuriken that actually managed to hit Choza were the ones Minato had thrown himself—which had been bounced back by the wind...
Minato didn't quite understand why the wind would form a solid wall like a tangible object to deflect blades, but knowing it was the work of his younger brother, Hatani, filled him with relief.
The brother who used to be mocked as a "fool" by his peers because he loved to wander off and space out on top of the Hokage Rock or in the high canopies of trees had finally become a powerful shinobi. Even without Minato there to watch over him, Hatani would be able to live well, safe from any bully's reach.
Only...
Seeing that Choza was out of danger, Minato stood up and scanned the surroundings, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
Where did Hatani run off to? Why hasn't he shown his face yet?
Unbeknownst to his brother, Hatani was currently completely immersed in the world of the System, wearing a grin that bordered on the sinister.
He had originally thought that Sakumo Hatake's swordsmanship was the literal embodiment of the Juggernaut's Blade Dance. However, as he watched Sakumo flicker through the Iwa ranks, taking lives at will, the System didn't continue "refunding" him like it had the first time. The unlock price for the Juggernaut remained stubbornly fixed at 3,800 Gold.
Deeply disappointed in his failed attempt to continue "milking" the System through Sakumo alone, Hatani turned his frustration into motivation. Abandoning the idea of immediately reuniting with Minato, he turned and followed the rest of the swordsman unit, hunting down the fleeing Iwa ninjas.
If he couldn't exploit a loophole, he'd just have to earn the gold the hard way.
But as he was mentally cursing the System for its lack of generosity, he caught sight of another Konoha sword master—a Jonin named Hayama Shirakumo—engaged in combat with an Iwa Jonin.
Compared to Sakumo's raw speed and lethality, Hayama's style lacked that singular edge, but he could manifest vacuum blades of wind with his sword. It was a completely different style of combat.
Aside from the fact that it was Wind Style—and that Hayama's integration of ninjutsu and kenjutsu fascinated Hatani—the most important thing was the counter under the Juggernaut's icon. The number "3,800" began to move again. While it wasn't dropping at the staggering rate of 20 Gold per memory like Sakumo's had, it was ticking down by 5 Gold at a time. As Hatani watched more intently, the numbers continued to fall without pause as Hayama cycled through his forms.
Is the Juggernaut's swordsmanship really this versatile?
Hatani suddenly realized that the "Sword Master" might be even more formidable than he had initially believed. It seemed the hero was capable of incorporating and mastering almost any style of blade work.
It makes sense, though. Players always call him the 'Sword Saint.' How could a master who has transcended the mundane path of the blade be limited to just one style?
He successfully convinced himself and continued to watch with rapt attention. Unfortunately, the ticker stopped once the price hit 3,750.
Having figured out the pattern, he stopped grumbling about the System's stinginess. Instead, he immediately began searching for the other Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin in the unit, intent on continuing his "milking" spree. Even if each one only gave him a few dozen Gold in discounts, it was better than nothing.
Every little bit helped.
For the next while, he balanced hunting down Iwa stragglers with stalking the Konoha sword masters, carefully observing their various techniques.
The results matched his theory. The remaining seven Jonin and Tokubetsu Jonin each provided a discount ranging from 20 to 50 Gold.
Bit by bit, the savings added up. Including the 50 from Hayama, he had successfully lowered the Juggernaut's unlock price to 3,490. He had essentially swindled a 310 Gold discount out of the System.
The sheer dopamine rush of this exploit was even greater than the high he felt from the nearly 1,000 Gold he had earned by killing Iwa Chunin and Genin.
I guess this is why 'Double 11' causes such a frenzy back home, he mused. The rush of a good deal is more addictive than the product itself.
But then, a memory of a particularly painful gacha-pulling experience from his past life flickered in his mind, and he suddenly became wary.
Wait... this System is a real dog. First, it acts like a predatory dev, making me grind and pay just to keep up. Now it's mastered the 'consumerist' traps of e-commerce, getting me hooked on these fake discounts.
The more he thought about it, the more indignant he became. With a huff of feigned righteous anger, he turned his gaze toward a group of talented-looking Iwa Chunin swordsmen.
"Who am I to complain? If I don't enter the gacha hell, who will? System Daddy, let the storm of 'deals' hit me even harder!"
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