"Whew, with the system in play, at least I've got a fighting chance in this crazy world."
Shin noticed he had five Replication Cards stocked up. He'd been in the Naruto world for five years now, and even though the system had been snoozing this whole time, it hadn't skimped on the annual card handouts.
"Is my luck really this rotten?"
Shin checked the cards and found they were all Common. The yearly card was a random drop; with a bit of luck, he could have scored a Divine card. Sadly, fortune didn't seem to be on his side—not even an Advanced card in sight.
"Let's see what's on the mission board."
Shin opened the system's mission interface and found a single quest waiting for him.
[Survival: Survive the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. Reward: 1 Common Replication Card. Failure: No penalty.]
"System, are you kidding me? No penalty for failure? If I fail, I'm dead!" Shin couldn't help but complain.
Could this survival mission even be failed? Failing meant kicking the bucket, didn't it?
"And the reward is pretty stingy, too."
"Master, rewards are commensurate with mission difficulty. This particular mission is not classified as high-difficulty."
Shin couldn't argue with that. For someone who was prepared, this mission wasn't exactly climbing Mount Everest.
In the original story, when the Land of Whirlpools went kaput, a good number of Uzumaki Clan members survived, like Karin's mother, for example.
Shin channeled chakra to his legs, leaped onto a tree branch, and vanished in a few swift movements.
He lived in a secluded spot, far from the clan's main grounds. It had its perks, mainly peace and quiet.
"You're finally back, Shin."
Kushina was sitting on the steps in front of the house, chin resting on her hands. Her eyes, which had been downcast, lit up when she saw him.
"Kushina, you haven't been sitting here this whole time, have you?"
Shin walked over and pulled her up. It was just the two of them living here.
A year ago, he had still been living with the clan, but things had happened, and he'd moved out.
Kushina had no family left in the clan. Her parents had died in an accident when she was three. Shin was her only friend, so she came with him.
"I've been waiting for you forever. If you hadn't come back soon, I would have starved to death."
Kushina said weakly. She couldn't cook, so she relied on Shin for meals.
"Weren't there some snacks left? You could have munched on those."
Kushina gave an awkward laugh, her small hands fidgeting with her clothes. "I, uh, might have finished those already."
"Alright, alright. I'll whip something up right away."
As Shin was about to lead Kushina inside, he heard a faint sound behind him. He turned and saw a middle-aged man with red hair, dressed in shinobi garb, standing a short distance away.
The man was expressionless. He held a small bundle, which he tossed to Shin.
"This is your living allowance."
Shin caught the bundle and opened it. Besides money, there were two Jutsu Scrolls.
"Those Jutsu Scrolls are your mother's belongings. The elder instructed me to deliver them to you."
With that, the man vanished in a swirl of leaves.
"Mother's belongings." Shin felt a pang of sadness. He unfurled the two Jutsu Scrolls. They contained two sealing jutsu: the Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Four Symbols Seal.
Both were incredibly powerful Sealing Jutsu, especially effective against Tailed Beasts.
"Shin, are you okay?" Kushina asked cautiously.
"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'll make dinner first, and after we eat, we can practice these sealing jutsu together."
Shin gave Kushina a reassuring smile.
"Huh? That's not right. These are your mother's legacy. I can't practice them with you," Kushina shook her head.
"Kushina, you're my best friend. You were there for me when everyone else shunned me. Of course I want to share good things with you."
Shin placed a hand on Kushina's shoulder, his voice sincere.
Shin was the grandson of the Uzumaki Clan elder. His mother was the elder's daughter, but his father wasn't an Uzumaki.
Not only was he not an Uzumaki, but he was from the Uchiha Clan, once sworn enemies of the Uzumaki.
During the Warring States Period, the Uzumaki and Senju Clans were allies, while the Uchiha and Senju were locked in a bitter feud.
Because of their alliance with the Senju, the Uzumaki had clashed with the Uchiha numerous times. Even though the Warring States Period was long gone, the animosity lingered.
Naturally, Shin's parents' relationship didn't end well. The man returned to the Uchiha Clan, and Shin's mother, heartbroken, eventually succumbed to her grief.
Shin had heard that the man also died on a mission shortly after his mother's passing.
This was the reason Shin wasn't well-liked within the Uzumaki Clan. Even his grandfather, the clan elder, treated him coldly.
Soon, Shin had dinner ready. He was a decent cook, at least good enough for Kushina, who ate with gusto.
After dinner, Shin called Kushina over, and they began studying the Adamantine Sealing Chains and the Four Symbols Seal.
The Adamantine Sealing Chains was an A-rank sealing jutsu. When used, it produced multiple chakra chains from the user's back. These chains were not only powerful offensive weapons but could also be used to create barriers and seal Tailed Beasts.
The stronger the user's chakra, the greater the jutsu's power. And what were the Uzumaki known for? Their massive Chakra Reserves, of course.
The Uzumaki possessed the Sage Body. Even Kushina, who had only recently learned to mold chakra, had reserves comparable to an average Genin.
With their powerful chakra and this sealing jutsu, even the Nine-Tails would be wary of facing an Uzumaki.
The Uzumaki Clan's strength lay in their chakra and Sealing Jutsu. The seal used to contain the Nine-Tails in Konoha was, in fact, an Uzumaki sealing jutsu.
"I don't get it at all. Am I just dumb?" Kushina said, staring at the scrolls with a furrowed brow.
Shin was engrossed in studying the Jutsu. After coming to this world, he realized his learning ability had skyrocketed.
He was starting to grasp the concepts behind these sealing jutsu, but mastering them would take time.
After all, these were A-rank sealing jutsu. Many elite Jōnin couldn't learn them; it required a certain level of talent.
They studied late into the night. When Shin finally set the scrolls aside, he noticed Kushina had fallen asleep beside him.
"Silly girl, falling asleep like that."
Shin gently scooped Kushina up and laid her on the tatami mat, tucking a blanket around her.
"Well, time for me to hit the hay too."
Shin stretched. A good night's rest was essential for the intense training he had planned for the next day.
After washing up, Shin returned to his room and drifted off to sleep.
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