In Naruto, the System Asks Me to Entrust Pokémon

Standing at the doorway, watching the two leave, Ryo let out a sigh of relief.

He had been genuinely worried that Old Feng wouldn't agree.

After all, this whole situation carried a certain level of danger.

"Ryo, why did you insist on having them do it? Couldn't you have done it yourself?"

Cynthia, who had been quietly observing from the side, finally voiced her doubts as she stepped forward.

From what she had just heard, Ryo clearly wasn't afraid of shinobi. If that was the case, wouldn't it be easier for him to promote Pokémon himself?

Why make Old Feng and his son take the risk?

Hearing this, Ryo shook his head.

"It's not that simple. This isn't something I can promote myself."

He had considered it before—even tried.

For a while, he would take Gardevoir along whenever he walked through the village, hoping to attract interest from the civilians.

At first, the villagers were curious about the Pokémon, showing great interest.

But later, he noticed a shift.

No one seemed interested anymore. Instead, they only looked at him with admiration, but none dared to approach.

Confused, Ryo had asked a few civilians what was going on. The response he got was:

"Pokémon are partners of shinobi, a power meant to protect the village. Only strong and acknowledged shinobi can earn a Pokémon's recognition."

The moment he heard that, Ryo gave up trying to promote Pokémon himself.

The meaning behind those words was clear.

It was a way of saying, Pokémon are powerful, even for shinobi they are difficult to tame, so you common folk should stop daydreaming.

With that kind of perception being spread, how could ordinary villagers even think about trying to obtain Pokémon?

If shinobi themselves supposedly struggled to get Pokémon, what chance did civilians have?

Ryo had to admit—Hiruzen Sarutobi and Danzo were truly cunning. With just a single statement, they had completely discouraged the general public from getting involved with Pokémon.

And worse, it left Ryo with no way to retaliate.

What could he even do? March up to Sarutobi or Danzo and demand an explanation?

If he did that, they'd just throw out some scapegoat and dismiss the matter entirely.

This was why Ryo decided to rely on Old Feng—because only another civilian, someone widely recognized and trusted, could break the stigma.

Without a proper opening, he couldn't make a move himself.

"Fine, whatever. Not my problem anyway," Cynthia muttered, rolling her eyes before turning away.

Ryo let out a soft sigh but said nothing more.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, Old Feng and his son, Feng Tian, walked along the streets with their Pokémon.

Feng Tian appeared composed, his face betraying no emotions.

Old Feng, however, looked nervous, his eyes darting around anxiously.

He was already regretting his decision.

Why did he agree to this?

Why had he taken on the responsibility of promoting Pokémon?

"Hey, Old Feng! I was wondering why I didn't see you this afternoon. Took your kid out for a walk?"

A middle-aged man carrying a bag spotted Old Feng and approached with a friendly greeting.

Old Feng flinched at the voice, visibly startled. When he turned and recognized the man, he exhaled in relief, though his expression was still resentful.

"Dammit, Old Wang! You scared the life out of me!"

The man, Old Wang, raised a brow in confusion.

"What's with you? You look like you've been up to something shady."

"Get lost!"

Old Feng scowled.

"You think I'd be the type to do shady business?"

Old Wang studied him for a moment before nodding.

"Yeah, that's fair. You may be stingy, but you've never done anything shady."

Old Feng's mouth twitched. He wanted to smack this guy.

Thanks a lot, you jerk.

"Huh?"

At that moment, Old Wang noticed the small Rattata and Teddiursa walking beside them.

"Wait… are you keeping pets now? Why a rat and a bear?"

Old Feng hesitated, his expression turning bitter. He wasn't sure how to respond.

So instead, he deflected.

"Enough about me—what are you up to?"

But before he could steer the conversation further, Feng Tian spoke up.

"Uncle Wang, these aren't just pets. They're Pokémon. My dad and I are their trainers. They're part of our family."

"...?"

Both Old Feng and Old Wang turned to look at him.

Old Feng, in particular, felt his heart drop.

Did he really just blurt it out?!

Couldn't he have at least warned me first?

I'm your father! What good does it do to scare me like this?!

Wasn't he supposed to be timid? Where did all this courage suddenly come from?

Meanwhile, Old Wang's eyes were filled with doubt, as if trying to determine whether he had misheard.

Feng Tian, however, ignored the tension and doubled down.

"Uncle Wang, you heard me right. These are Pokémon—creatures powerful enough to rival shinobi."

Old Wang turned back to Old Feng, eyes widening.

"Wait… these are the Pokémon people have been talking about?"

Old Feng sighed, nodding.

"Yeah… they are."

"So it's real? Pokémon actually exist?"

Old Wang took a step closer, staring at the creatures in awe.

Old Feng flinched, his expression turning uneasy.

But before he could say anything, Feng Tian nodded again, reaffirming his words.

"Uncle Wang, it's true. These are Pokémon. My father and I have both received one."

"What? Old Feng got a Pokémon? No way! Weren't they supposed to be exclusive to shinobi?"

"Yeah, yeah! We were told only shinobi could obtain them. This has to be fake, right?"

"It doesn't seem fake… Old Feng might be a bit of a trickster, but Feng Tian? That kid wouldn't lie."

"…"

Thanks to Old Wang's loud outburst, the surrounding crowd started gathering. Discussions broke out among them, voices filled with curiosity and skepticism.

Old Feng, now at the center of the commotion, felt his heart tighten. His gaze toward Old Wang was filled with resentment.

Damn it! Was knowing about it not enough? Did you really have to yell and attract a crowd?

Now I have no choice but to go along with this… You've basically shoved me off a cliff!

"Ugh…"

Letting out another sigh, Old Feng finally made up his mind.

"Alright! Everyone, quiet down and listen to me!"

The chattering crowd gradually fell silent, all eyes now locked onto Old Feng.

Their expressions ranged from curiosity to doubt, anticipation to skepticism.

Old Feng took a deep breath before speaking.

"Yes, these are Pokémon. The same ones you've all been hearing about lately. This afternoon, Feng Tian and I went out specifically to catch them."

Upon hearing this, the crowd's eyes widened in shock.

Some looked amazed, others doubtful, some outright dismissive.

The revelation had sparked a storm of emotions among the villagers.

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