The treasure chests erupted in a blinding radiance. After a cascade of shimmering light, the rewards materialized before Shiranui Hayate's eyes.
- Ding! Obtained 60 Gold Coins!
- Ding! Obtained 90 Reputation!
- Ding! Obtained 60 Gold Coins!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Ninja Recruitment Scroll!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Uzumaki Naruto [Shippuden] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 60 Gold Coins!
- Ding! Obtained 5,000 Copper Coins!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Aburame Shino (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 60 Gold Coins!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Haruno Sakura [Shippuden] (B-Rank)!
Hayate scanned the list, his eyes immediately locking onto the most precious item. Out of ten ordinary chests, a Recruitment Scroll had actually dropped.
His heart hammered against his ribs.
"YES!"
He pumped a fist into the air.
The Great Ancestor truly watches over me. My luck is finally turning... I've become a Lucky Emperor!
He tallied his gains. Three ninja fragments, two of which were B-Rank—Shippuden versions of Naruto and Sakura. Though he couldn't use them yet, they were high-quality additions. The third was Shino, the "Bug Man." All three were new entries in his collection.
As for the gold, four separate drops totaled 240 coins. It was a massive haul, enough to purchase nearly two Recruitment Scrolls on their own.
Riding the high of his "divine favor," Hayate decided to push his luck. He wasn't about to stop while the flames of fortune were burning this bright.
He glanced at his gold balance: 6,606 coins. Without a moment's hesitation, he purchased nine more Recruitment Scrolls. The system instantly deducted 1,512 gold, leaving him with 5,094.
Now holding a stack of ten scrolls, Hayate set his target: The Legendary Sannin—Tsunade.
"Ninja Recruitment... Ten-Roll... OPEN!"
The spiral crest of the Land of Whirlpools manifested, spinning with an ethereal glow.
- Ding! Obtained 5 Fragments: Tsunade [Sannin] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Hyuga Hanabi (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Jirobo (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Tsunade [Sannin] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Umino Iruka (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Hyuga Hanabi (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Hyuga Hinata [Shippuden] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Uzumaki Naruto [Shippuden] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Uzumaki Naruto (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Hyuga Neji (C-Rank)!
Hayate stared at the screen, his breath hitching.
Tsunade's fragments hadn't just appeared; they had exploded. Not only did she drop twice, but one of those drops was a massive five-fragment bundle. Six fragments in a single ten-roll! His confidence in summoning the Slug Princess grew exponentially.
I really am the Lucky Emperor today. Everything is falling into place!
He looked at the rest of the results and blinked. Last time, he had seemingly stumbled into a Naruto nest; this time, he had hit the Hyuga jackpot. Hanabi, Hinata, and Neji had all made an appearance, occupying four slots out of the ten.
In total, he had gained 17 fragments: 9 B-Rank and 8 C-Rank. The sheer efficiency of the pull left him beaming with satisfaction.
But he wasn't done. He wanted to see how far this streak would take him.
He bought another ten Recruitment Scrolls. 1,680 gold vanished, bringing his total down to 3,414.
"Again! Ten-Roll... OPEN!"
The whirlpool spun once more, shedding sparks of blue light.
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Temari [Kamidari] (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Shizune (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Hyuga Hinata [Shippuden] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 4 Fragments: Tsunade [Sannin] (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 4 Fragments: Kid Kakashi (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 4 Fragments: Kid Kakashi (B-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Sakon & Ukon (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 2 Fragments: Haruno Sakura (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 1 Fragment: Hyuga Hanabi (C-Rank)!
- Ding! Obtained 4 Fragments: Kid Kakashi (B-Rank)!
Hayate's eyes widened as he scanned the results.
Tsunade had dropped another four fragments. His heart felt light; the momentum was still there. But then his gaze shifted to the other B-Rank results.
Three separate drops of Kid Kakashi, each containing four fragments.
Twelve fragments in a single pull! Combined with his previous nine, his Kid Kakashi fragments had surged to 21—more than halfway to a full summon.
Pakkun is going to lose his mind when he sees his master, Hayate thought, a smirk crossing his face.
I wonder what Sasuke will think... meeting a Kakashi-sensei who is younger than he is. Who would win that fight right now?
The consecutive "explosions" of rare fragments had Hayate in a state of pure adrenaline. This was, without a doubt, the luckiest he had ever been since he first unlocked the system.
Is this the turning of the tides? Have I finally moved past the shadow of ill fortune?
He felt a twinge of anxiety. Common sense dictated that no one could stay this lucky forever. Eventually, the "Unlucky Soul" status would return to claim its dues.
But another voice in his head—the voice of a seasoned gambler—whispered louder:
If you don't push now, you'll regret it when the dry spell hits.
He silenced his doubts. His finger hovered over the buy button. He purchased ten more Recruitment Scrolls.
His gold reserves dropped to 1,734.
The air in the room seemed to hum with anticipation. One more time. He would ride this wave until it broke.