Akali readily agreed to Naruto's proposal.
As for the subsequent steps, needless to say, Akali had a thorough discussion with Naruto about their upcoming actions. The last batch of photos had sold exceptionally well, so the next photo shoot needed to start as soon as possible—tomorrow, ideally. Afterward, to celebrate her success as the manager of a future superstar, Naruko, Akali generously treated Naruto to a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen before parting ways.
However, after enjoying the culinary masterwork of Otsutsuki Ichiraku, Akali was uncharacteristically overcome by laziness and didn't want to walk a single step. Before transmigrating, such a problem could easily be solved by hailing a ride. But now that she had transmigrated, unless she asked someone to carry her back, Akali had no choice but to walk.
Fortunately, Akali was no ordinary person; she was a cheat-user.
So she simply found a secluded alley near Ichiraku Ramen. She then took a Control Ward from her personal inventory, which she had obtained through a lucky draw, and planted it in the alley. Instantly, the Fog of War in the alley lifted on the minimap in Akali's mind, replaced by the vision granted by the Control Ward. The minimap showed that no one was lurking around her.
This was a feature Akali had unlocked a few days ago: the minimap. However, unlike in the game, the vision on the minimap required wards to be placed. Since both Control Wards and Stealth Wards could only be obtained through monetary gacha draws, this was one of the reasons why Akali was so persistent about involving Naruto. Vision was intelligence, and in the world of ninjas, the importance of intelligence went without saying!
To be safe and make sure no one was watching her, Akali even pulled out a Smoke Bomb and smashed it onto the ground!
"Poof!"
A pitch-black cloud of smoke, dark as the night, enveloped Akali. A sense of security, as if she had returned to the womb, echoed in her heart, making her feel as though she was born to dwell in these shadows.
Now, what Akali needed to do was crystal clear. Taking cover behind the Smoke Bomb, Akali located her house on the minimap and selected the Control Ward she had planted in her living room!
She activated a Summoner Spell intimately familiar to any top-lane player. In the unobservable smoke, a swirl of green wind wrapped around Akali!
Then, after a four-second channel, Akali's vision blurred.
The familiar living room appeared before her eyes once more.
She let her weary body, exhausted from running around all day, collapse onto the sofa. Feeling her light and petite frame enveloped by the soft cushions, Akali relaxed. Instantly, a wave of drowsiness washed over her. But Akali knew she wasn't actually tired; this body was countless times sturdier than the otaku body she had in her previous life. The fatigue was simply due to her blood rushing to her stomach after a meal.
Yet Akali allowed this sensation to temporarily swallow her whole. To outsiders, Akali looked cool and decisive, much like a traditional ninja. But once you got close to her, you could feel her boundless vitality and a slightly dorky streak, making her quite an interesting person.
In reality, Akali knew her current mindset was somewhat like that of a gamer—wearing an avatar and a face mask, leaving her with no inhibitions. But while gamers were carefree, it was also true that her connections to the real world were shallow. Akali didn't have many friends right now; thanks to recent events, she had grown a bit closer to Hinata and Naruto, but everyone else could only be called classmates. Walking home alone, eating alone, she occasionally felt a bit lonely.
Of course, Akali wasn't one for sentimental melancholy; she was quite satisfied with her current situation. Although she had changed genders and worlds, her past world didn't possess miraculous powers like chakra, nor did it have a system. Not to mention that now she had a delicate, radiant, melon-seeded face, full and soft curves on her chest, a slender waist with an exquisite belly button and charming dimples just by pulling up her clothes, and a pair of long legs that could easily be praised for a lifetime. If she were still in her previous life, winning five million in the lottery might not even be enough for her to find a girl like this!
With a carefree laugh, Akali circulated the chakra within her body. The post-meal drowsiness vanished along with the fleeting touch of vulnerability, and her physical sensations returned to her mind.
Akali touched the mask on her face, along with the slightly heavy armguards and leg armor, and then opened the system to find the skin tab on her personal profile. A 3D model wearing the default champion skin, an exact one-to-one replica of Akali herself, appeared before her eyes. This was another feature of the system: skins could be obtained through monetary gacha draws. Through skins, Akali could change her attire. She guessed that higher-tier skins might even grant her special abilities, like magical girl powers or something similar. However, since Akali currently only owned the default skin, these were just speculations.
Akali gently tapped the panel, disabling the default skin. The gear on her body instantly vanished, and a fresh, delicate, and seemingly frail little beauty appeared in the room. Looking at her bare body and feeling the cool breeze brush against her skin, Akali's cheeks flushed slightly.
While the system's skins were convenient—requiring no washing, offering one-click outfit changes, automatic damage repair, and providing defensive effects comparable to armor and magic resistance in the game—the fact that disabling a skin left her completely naked was a bit inconsiderate. It made her feel like an exhibitionist who loved walking around her house in the buff.
So Akali hurriedly ran into the bathroom, turned on the hot water, and took a quick shower.
After a while, wiping her damp hair, Akali stepped out of the bathroom looking as fresh as a lotus rising from the water.
With the bath finished—she didn't have the conditions for burning incense at the moment—it was time to pull some cards!
"System, tally my current mood points and money."
[Ding! Host command detected, tallying begins!]
[Ding! Current mood points: ; Money: ryo]
"I've saved up over twenty thousand mood points again? Not bad!"
Akali nodded. Whether using mood points or money, a single gacha pull cost ten thousand. Her current mood points and money were enough for five pulls. Moreover, with Naruto officially joining her venture, Akali's income would be rolling in fast, so she didn't need to hoard her cash.
"In that case, let's pull them all!"
Akali issued the command.
[Ding! Host command detected, gacha starts!]
Following the system's voice, two virtual giant roulette wheels appeared before Akali's eyes and began spinning simultaneously!