Naruto Card King

The shattered BOSS card transformed into a stream of golden light as it entered Haruto Saito's mouth, then dispersed from his back, forming a towering three-meter-tall golden figure wielding an oversized horned bow.

"Ding! The host has used the BOSS card. Battlefield assessment complete. Enemy target assessment complete. Random selection complete. Locking onto target..."

As the system's rapid notifications rang out, the golden figure pulled back the bowstring. A glowing green energy arrow quickly materialized.

Thwang!

The bowstring released!

The green energy arrow shot forward like a bolt of lightning, disappearing into the dense mist ahead.

"Ding! Target locked. Reminder to the host: The BOSS transformation lasts for 24 hours. Once the time expires, the BOSS card effect will be nullified."

Haruto Saito couldn't immediately see who had been chosen as the target. He immediately clasped his hands together. Byakugan, activate!

He focused straight ahead, scanning through layers of obscured vision. But there was no one in that direction. The green arrow had clearly changed course. Shifting his gaze rapidly, Haruto searched the area. He spotted Saki—good, it wasn't him!

The Sand Village Jonin near Saki—also not them!

Quickly, Haruto checked the group fighting Uchiha Takuho. The Sand Village Jonin there were also not the targets.

Haruto's expression shifted. The chosen one wasn't from the Sand Village? That left only… the Hyuga Clan?!

The Hyuga were even more dangerous than the Sand ninjas. Six of them, moving together in tight formation, including Hyuga Kyokoku—a high-ranking Elite Jonin. They had the Byakugan, making sneak attacks nearly impossible.

"No way, no way, no way!" Haruto muttered in disbelief, swiftly turning to face the Hyuga group.

There they were, six figures concealed in the forest three kilometers away, arranged in a defensive scouting formation.

At Hyuga Kyokoku's feet, a glowing green circle had appeared—something only Haruto could see. No matter where Kyokoku moved, the green ring followed him, as if bound to his very being.

"You've got to be kidding me! Spirit, what the hell is this?!"

"Ding! Reminder: Profanity is not allowed."

"Then explain to me why the hell Hyuga Kyokoku was chosen? Did he even participate? Did the Hyuga even join the fight?!" Haruto was getting agitated. "They were just watching from a distance! How is this fair?!"

"Ding! As per the host's request, re-evaluating selection criteria. Ding! Extracting hidden assessment data. Ding! Assessment confirmed: Hyuga Kyokoku was in a covert assassination stance. Had he spotted the host, he would have launched an attack. Thus, he met the selection criteria. No errors in assessment."

Haruto's face went blank.

That counted?!

Hyuga Kyokoku—an Elite Jonin with nearly 14,000 reputation points. Not just an expert fighter but also the head of the intelligence division. That meant he wasn't just strong—he was experienced, cautious, and terrifyingly skilled.

Haruto had no realistic chance of assassinating him. A direct fight would be suicide. Even if he went all out, it wouldn't work—Hyuga were masters of taijutsu, especially defense. If he engaged Kyokoku in close combat, he'd probably be shut down in a single exchange.

Was his first BOSS card already wasted?

No, no way. He couldn't afford to waste it!

Haruto turned his gaze back to Saki, still pursuing Uchiha Iwa. Then to Uchiha Takuho. And finally, back to Hyuga Kyokoku.

"This isn't going to work. It's too risky." Haruto shook his head, his mind racing. He disabled his Byakugan and leaped up into the trees.

Perched on a branch, Haruto reached into his spatial inventory, pulling out a thick stack of cards.

These were his rewards for killing five Elite Chunin and one Jonin, including the B-Rank Ninjutsu random card he had received for an overachievement kill. He quickly sorted through them.

First, jutsu cards:

8 D-Rank Ninjutsu cards—completely useless.

13 C-Rank Ninjutsu cards—mostly Wind Release techniques.

2 C-Rank Secret Technique cards—"Secret Art: Gale Sprint," which enhanced movement speed using Wind Chakra, and "Secret Art: Cleanse," a technique for purifying surfaces.

1 B-Rank Ninjutsu card—Wind Release: Shockwave Bomb, an unknown technique not featured in recorded histories.

A total of 24 jutsu cards, but no exciting surprises.

Other rewards included:

4 Minor Healing Cards

2 Reputation Boost Cards (1,000 points each)

1 Minor Chakra Recovery Card

1 Mental Fortitude Card

1 Reputation Store Refresh Card

1 B-Rank Ninjutsu Random Card (from system reward)

1 Magic Card (from five-kill bonus)

The Magic Card had come with the BOSS card and had also granted him 2,000 reputation points.

Haruto consumed all his jutsu cards.

Reputation cards? Consumed.

Mental Fortitude Card? Consumed—this was his fourth one, and his chakra reserves had now increased fivefold.

He stored the healing and chakra recovery cards.

Three cards remained: the B-Rank Ninjutsu Random Card, the Reputation Store Refresh Card, and the Magic Card.

"This one…" Haruto hesitated, holding the Magic Card.

The last time he used one, he gained the Hyper Perception ability. But the effects were unpredictable—it could give something amazing or something utterly useless. Worse, it might impose a near-impossible time-limited mission. His situation was already a mess!

Considering his luck today—getting Hyuga Kyokoku as a BOSS—he didn't feel like gambling.

"No, I'll wait. I can't risk it now." He stored the Magic Card and used the B-Rank Ninjutsu Random Card.

"Dear gods, please, something useful..." Haruto muttered. He wasn't expecting much—pure Ninjutsu, even B-Rank, wouldn't change his abilities drastically. It would just add another tool to his arsenal.

"Ding! Host has obtained B-Rank Ninjutsu: Shadow Clone Technique."

"Shadow Clone?" Haruto blinked.

He already knew Shadow Clone Technique, yet he had received it again. According to the system's rules, duplicated techniques would result in double proficiency.

But how did that apply to Shadow Clone Technique?

Haruto frowned and asked, "Spirit, if my Shadow Clone Technique is enhanced, what does that mean exactly?"

"The host's control over Shadow Clones will be significantly improved. Clones will be more refined, harder to distinguish from the original, and their durability will increase."

"Huh..." Haruto nodded. That was actually useful.

Previously, he had avoided using clones in combat because they were too fragile—one punch would dispel them, wasting valuable chakra. But now, his clones would be more resilient.

He turned to the final card: the Reputation Store Refresh Card. Activating the store, he consumed the card, refreshing ten items.

Scanning the list, his eyes widened when he reached the last item:

Tenfold Mental Fortitude Card—15,000 Reputation Points.

"Tenfold Mental Fortitude Card? Spirit, does this have the effect of ten standard Mental Fortitude Cards?"

"Yes."

Haruto checked his reputation points—9,700. He needed 5,300 more.

Earning reputation was unpredictable. Sometimes, Elite Chunin dropped reputation cards; other times, even Jonin didn't.

Still, Jonin had a higher chance of dropping them.

Haruto's eyes gleamed as he considered his next move.

"If I... then... maybe..." His mind raced.

He made up his mind.

Consuming a Chakra Recovery Card, he restored his reserves and performed a hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Technique!"

A puff of white smoke revealed a perfect duplicate.

"Let's move!"

His original body dashed toward Uchiha Iwa and Saki.

His clone raced toward the Hyuga clan.