New Targets - Naruto's Descent into Marvel

With the need for a dedicated sentry force heavy on his mind, Hayate plotted his next move. Recruiting professional assassins from the High Table to handle basic security and perimeter patrols was an easy fix. They were competent, disciplined, and already under his umbrella of influence.

The real headache was ninja recruitment.

While his current gold reserves were enough to pull a few more ninjas into this world, the cost of opening new combat slots was becoming prohibitively expensive. He sighed, the old gamer's adage echoing in his mind: Pay to win, or don't play at all.

He began to mentally catalog other potential items for system recharge. The Arc Reactor was already crossed off—too high-profile and protected. What else?

"Heart-Shaped Herb?"

He wondered if the herb itself contained mystical energy or if the power was purely a gift from the Panther God, Bast, within the Ancestral Plane. It was worth a trip to Wakanda to find out. While there, he could also test Vibranium. If it possessed properties similar to Chakra Metal—conducting, amplifying, or holding an elemental affinity—he would need to stockpile as much as possible to forge weapons for himself and his team. No ninja could turn down a weapon made of Chakra Metal; even Asuma, the third Hokage's son, had only managed to forge a single pair of trench knives.

Beyond Wakanda, he thought of Pym Particles. A substance capable of manipulating mass, traveling through the Quantum Realm, and bridging parallel universes almost certainly had a high energy value for the system. Getting them would be the challenge; he'd need a very clever plan to swindle them from that stubborn old man, Hank Pym.

Then, of course, there were the Infinity Stones. One was with the Ancient One—taking the Time Stone from her was a suicide mission he wasn't ready for. The Space Stone (the Tesseract) currently held by SHIELD, however, presented a real opportunity. The upcoming Battle of New York would be the perfect window. If the Stones themselves could be recharged, then the energy cubes derived from them likely could be too.

Asgard was another option—Odin's vault was legendary—but for now, Pym Particles and SHIELD's energy reserves were his most realistic breakthroughs.

With his goals set, Hayate entered the System Space. He had a hoard of chests to open: thirteen Common Chests and one Exquisite Chest.

Common Chests could drop Copper, Reputation, Gold, C/B-rank fragments, or Recruitment Scrolls.

Exquisite Chests offered higher tier rewards: Reputation, Gold, Summoning Scrolls, or A/B-rank fragments.

He started with the Exquisite Chest, hoping for a lucky single pull.

- [Ding! Obtained A-rank Ninja Fragment: Hidan x1!]

Hayate nodded in satisfaction. A-rank right out of the gate—today was his lucky day. He clasped his hands together and muttered a playful prayer to any deity that might be listening—The Fool, the Six Paths Sage, anyone—for a bounty of scrolls and fragments.

"Common Chests, ten-pull—GO!"

Meanwhile, atop the peaks of Kamar-Taj, the Ancient One suddenly opened her eyes. She toyed with the Eye of Agamotto, a faint smile on her lips.

"The Fool? The Lord of Yellow and Black who wields good luck? The Sage of Six Paths?" she murmured. "I have traveled through countless dimensions and peered into a thousand universes, yet I have never heard of these 'Dimension Lords.' Did that little fellow make them up?"

She shook her head and returned to her observations. Lately, the threads of the future had become tangled and vibrant, showing fascinating possibilities—some brilliant, some dark.

Back in the System Space, the light from the ten chests faded to reveal the results: