章 13: Chapter 13. Heroes Unbound

Satria's eyes narrowed. "The timeline... is changing,Tch! I didn't expect he survived from my attacks. It's my bad," He admitted, his fists clenching.

Orochimaru survive, battered but alive. Leaving him far more dangerous than he should have been.

Hiruzen placed a hand on Satria's shoulder, his touch light but firm. "No, Young Man. You've done more than enough. If anyone is to blame, it's me... for allowing Orochimaru to walk this path."

"Old Man-" Jiraiya began, but Hiruzen raised a hand to silence him.

The Third Hokage's breath was ragged, his aged body pushed beyond its limits by the forbidden jutsu. "Listen, all of you. This is the end of my journey... but not the end for Konoha."

Jiraiya clenched his fists. "Don't talk like that, Old man. We can still-"

"No," Hiruzen interrupted, his voice unwavering despite the weakness in his body. "This is my duty. My burden to bear." He turned to Satria, his gaze sharp and resolute. "Shin... you've shown great strength, but strength alone won't protect the village. Trust in others. Guide them when they falter. And remember... the will of fire burns brightest in those who believe in it."

Satria looked away, guilt gnawing at him. "I'm not from this village. I don't even belong in this world. Why tell me this?"

Hiruzen smiled faintly. "Because... you care. That's enough."

The old Hokage's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees. Jiraiya caught him, tears brimming in his eyes.

"Old man..." Jiraiya whispered, his voice breaking.

Hiruzen's eyes softened as he looked at his students. "Jiraiya... find Tsunade. She's the one who can lead Konoha now or you."

Jiraiya's lips thinned. "Tsunade... are you sure? And... I... Refuse!"

Hiruzen nodded weakly. "Hahaha! Of course you refuse and she's strong. Stronger than she knows. She'll be what the village needs."

The Third Hokage's head turned slightly toward Satria, his gaze piercing despite his fading strength. "And you... don't dwell on what's lost. Look forward. Protect those who can still be saved."

With those final words, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, breathed his last.

•

Satria sighed, still nursing a faint sting of regret. "What a horrible system! I'm still a bit hurt, damn it." He already knew Kiyohime would scold him later for all of this.

On the other side of the battlefield, Esdeath stared at her Dimensional Chat interface with a curious expression. "Hmm... The quest is already marked as complete?"

"It looks like it," Satria replied, his tone tired yet relieved.

Esdeath raised an eyebrow. "Our time here won't last much longer, will it?"

"No, 10 minutes is the limit before we return to our world." Satria admitted, glancing at the sky, his thoughts heavy. Turning to Jiraiya, he added, "Old man, before we leave, could you do me a favor?"

Jiraiya, intrigued, nodded. "What is it?"

"Take care of Naruto properly," Satria said, his voice unusually serious.

Jiraiya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Why? What's your connection to our Genin, Uzumaki Naruto?"

Satria hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "I have the power to see fragments of people's futures, old man. Naruto will play a crucial role someday, and he's destined to become a truly great man. Just promise me this: never betray him and teach him Hiraishin technique for godsake."

Jiraiya's expression softened, though curiosity flickered in his eyes. "Of course. But why are you telling me this?"

Satria didn't answer directly but thought grimly, The future's already shifting. And with Danzo still lurking around, things could go horribly wrong. He clenched his fists, suppressing the frustration that bubbled up. That damn man is the root of so many problems in this world.

Jiraiya finally broke the silence. "Anything else you'd like to ask?"

Satria nodded, curiosity overtaking his irritation. "Yeah, I've always wondered-did Naruto's parents leave him anything? Any inheritance at all?"

Jiraiya looked surprised but soon nodded. "You know about his lineage too, huh? Well, yes, his parents did leave something behind. But..." He hesitated, his voice lowering. "I was planning to tell him the truth when he turns 17. As for his father's wealth, half of it was used to rebuild the village after the Kyuubi attack."

Satria frowned. "And why wasn't Naruto given a proper home or a foster family? You could've ensured he had a better life."

Jiraiya sighed deeply, his face clouded. "The council interfered. Several clans, including the Uchiha and Nara, offered to take him in. I even wanted to raise him myself. But the council feared giving any single clan too much power, especially the Uchiha."

Satria eyes narrowed. "The Uchiha? Mikoto Uchiha was his mother's best friend, wasn't she?"

"She was," Jiraiya confirmed. "She was the first to step forward to care for him. But the council... they rejected every option and left him to fend for himself. I didn't want him falling into certain hands-or worse, becoming a target for other villages once his lineage was revealed."

Certain hands... Danzo, of course. Satria gritted his teeth, the name igniting a surge of anger.

"I see," he said finally. "A real shame."

(10 minutes later)

After mending their wounds and resting, the group reconvened at the spot where they'd first arrived.

"I guess this is goodbye for now," Jiraiya said, a bittersweet smile on his face.

"Yeah," Satria replied. "I've enjoyed my time here. And... I'm sorry we couldn't stay for the funerals."

Jiraiya shook his head, his grin returning. "Don't worry about it. I understand your circumstances. Besides, you and Esdeath saved the village. For that, we're eternally grateful." He bowed deeply, his sincerity evident.

Esdeath smirked. "No need to thank us. I only joined this group for the promise of more excitement. And this quest didn't disappoint. I'll admit-your people fought well. Maybe next time, I'll have to face you in battle."

Jiraiya chuckled nervously. "I think I'll pass. But still, I owe you both."

Satria waved dismissively. "If you want to thank me, just take care of that blonde idiot. And maybe send me some of those local cigarettes next time. Surprisingly, the ones here aren't half bad." He grinned. "You know what they say-'Ora udud, paru-paru ora smile.'"

Jiraiya laughed heartily. "A delinquent with a baby face like yours? You're full of surprises, Shin-kun. Honestly, you don't look much older than my students, yet you carry yourself like a veteran."

'Damn reincarnation,' Satria grumbled inwardly. 'Why do I look like a K-Pop idol? Even Kiyohime teases me about it.' He scowled, but the light enveloping them interrupted his thoughts.

The group exchanged final nods as they were bathed in the glowing light. With a flash, they vanished, leaving behind a quiet, grateful village.

•

The light enveloping Satria faded as he returned to his room. He sighed deeply, glancing at the familiar clutter of anime posters, figurines, and merchandise scattered around.

"I still can't believe the original owner of this body lived like this," he muttered, his eyes landing on a particularly cringeworthy "Anime Girl" poster.

With a shake of his head, he grabbed the poster and threw it into a nearby closet, determined to redecorate the space into something less... otaku supreme. But first, he sat on the bed, grimacing slightly as his wounds ached.

"Ah, my body's still hurting. Damn mission," he muttered, tapping open the Dimensional Chat interface.

____________________

Dimensional Chat Notification

[Mission Complete]

[6000© will be shared.]

[2000© + Surprise Box for Shin]

[2000© + Surprise Box for Pervert Sage]

[2000© + Surprise Box for Ice Sadist]

_____________________

"Finally, it's done," Satria sighed. His eyes scanned the shop, curious about what he could buy with his coins.

_____________________

[Ultraman Dark Zagi Power (Not Including Wings), Cost: 150.000]

[Sword of Emperor of Mankind, Cost: 220.000]

[Shadow Monarch, Cost: 60.000]

[Frostmourne, Cost: 115.000]

[Gate of Babylon, Cost 110.000]

____________________

"These prices are insane. I need a billionaire sponsor just to buy one thing," Satria muttered, closing the shop.

His eyes then wandered to the surprise box he'd received. Curiosity piqued, he tapped to open it.

______________________

Surprise Box Opened!

[You have received the Gamer System!]

[Description: Assists the user in their abilities by creating a system to monitor skills, learn quickly, and level up. Warning: Failure to complete system quests will result in punishment]

______________________

Satria froze, glaring at the text.

"A punishment system? Are you kidding me?" He opened the shop again and immediately sold the skill.

______________________

[Warning: Selling an item only gets you half of its price]

[You have sold the Gamer System]

[You have received 40,000©]

______________________

As the notification of the sale disappeared, Satria stretched with satisfaction. "No way am I letting that thing dictate my life," he muttered.

But before he could enjoy the thought, an angry voice boomed inside his head.

[Fatalis: ARE YOU STUPID?! WHY DID YOU SELL THE GAMER SYSTEM?!]

Satria nearly fell off his bed. He clutched his head, grimacing. "Oi, what the hell?! You surprised me and why are you so upset?"

[Fatalis: Do you realize what you just threw away?! The Gamer System could've turned you into the strongest being in any dimension! And you sold it... for coins?!]

"Yup," Satria replied nonchalantly, popping a candy into his mouth like it was no big deal.

[Fatalis: WHY?]

Satria smirked and answered in the most childish tone he could muster. "Because I don't want some ding ding sound and an annoying voice telling me what to do! 'Level up! Quest started! Warning: You've failed!' Bleh. No thanks."

The voice groaned, exasperated.

[Fatalis: You're unbelievable. Do you have any idea how rare the system was?!]

"I don't care!" Satria declared proudly. "I'm not a slave to some stupid system. I'd rather work hard my way than have a glorified AI bossing me around."

[Fatalis: You're wasting potential]

"And you're wasting my time! Shoo!" Satria waved his hand like he was swatting a fly, ignoring the disembodied grumbling in his mind.

Meanwhile, Kiyohime poked her head into the room, looking confused. "Danna-sama, who are you talking to?"

Satria froze, realizing he must've looked insane yelling at thin air. He cleared his throat. "Ah, uh... just my inner voice. Sometimes it gets cranky."

Kiyohime raised an eyebrow but smiled. "Fufufu... Perhaps your inner voice needs a cup of tea to calm down."

"Maybe," Satria muttered, shooting a mental glare at the voice still muttering curses in his head.

Just as he was about to rest, Kiyohime entered and her eyes widening as she saw him clutching his side.

"Danna-sama! What happened to you?" She rushed to his side, her hands trembling as she gently inspected his wounds.

"It's nothing serious, just a wound from an adventure," Satria said with a grin, attempting to downplay the pain.

"Adventure? What kind of adventure gets you hurt like this?" Her voice was laced with worry.

Satria hesitated but decided it was time to tell her the truth.

"You might think I'm crazy, but do you want to hear my story?" he asked.

Kiyohime's eyes softened. "Danna-sama, I'll always believe you, no matter what you say. Please, tell me everything."

Taking a deep breath, Satria began.

"I died in my world-hit by a truck, of all things. But before I could even reach the afterlife, something grabbed me and tossed me here, into this body and granted me something called as Dimensional Chat. It feels like some higher beings are watching us for their entertainment."

Kiyohime's expression remained calm. "And you've been carrying this burden alone?"

"I didn't want to drag you into my problems," Satria admitted, scratching the back of his head. "There are powerful forces at play, and I don't want you getting hurt."

Kiyohime smiled gently, leaning closer to him. "Fufufu... Do you think so little of me? I don't care what forces we face. You're my Danna-sama. I'll stand by you no matter what."

Hearing her unwavering loyalty, Satria's eyes glistened. "You're incredible, you know that? Your ex was a fool to lose someone as amazing as you."

She chuckled softly. "And you're my foolish but lovable husband. I won't let anyone take you away."

They spent the next few moments in quiet companionship, with Satria finally relaxing in her presence.

But his peace was shattered when he decided to Boogle something on his phone.

"Hah? Papua is part of Australia? What the hell is this?!" he exclaimed, staring at the screen in disbelief.

Kiyohime looked over his shoulder. "Is something wrong, Danna-sama?"

"Wrong? Everything is wrong! In my world, my country, Indonesia, was united! But here... it's divided into dozens of warring states, and Papua's not even part of it anymore!"

Kiyohime tilted her head. "I've heard of that region-many conflicts happen there between factions. Is that where you're from?"

Satria nodded solemnly. "Yeah... or at least, I was. It's hard to accept that my homeland is in pieces here."

Kiyohime placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Even if your world is different, you can still make a home here. This is our home now."

He smiled at her. "You're right. Thanks, Hime. I'll get over it... eventually."

She smiled back. "Why don't we go out? We need to restock the kitchen anyway, and I'd love to cook something special for you tonight."

Satria's face brightened. "That sounds great. But let's hide all the otaku stuff in this room first. No way am I letting you think I'm as bad as the guy who owned this body before me!"

Kiyohime giggled. "As you wish, Danna-sama. But no matter what, I'll always think you're amazing."

To be continued.