**Chapter 19: The System Mocks Me!**  

 +5  
The numbers in front of Sasuke's eyes jumped again, and the system recognized it as "showing off."  

 Since it was judged as showing off...   

That meant the Third Hokage believed him!   

Sasuke had discovered a hidden attribute of the system—it could be used as a detector to a certain extent.   

If he said something overly exaggerated or arrogant and there was no increase in points, it meant the system judged the showing off as a failure—implying that his words weren’t believed.   

Conversely, if his words generated points, it indicated that the system deemed his showing off successful, which could only mean the other person believed him.   

This was useful!  
The Pretend System wasn’t just about gaining benefits through pretense; it also had additional strategic applications.  

 While Sasuke was analyzing this, the Third Hokage was deep in thought as well.  

 **So it’s Danzo!**  
The Third Hokage had long suspected Danzo of leaking information to Sasuke, but he lacked concrete evidence—until now.  

 He sighed silently. He had always known that Danzo coveted the Hokage’s position and had even resorted to assassination attempts. Still, the Third Hokage needed him—needed the Root buried deep underground to support Konoha.  

 "Forget it."   

The Third Hokage waved a hand, fixing Sasuke with a steady gaze.  

 "Don’t bring this matter up again. Whenever you want to see the Forbidden Jutsu Scroll, just let me know."  

 Sasuke had anticipated the Third Hokage might react this way, but hearing him dismiss Danzo’s actions still surprised him. At the same time, he felt relieved.  

 The Third Hokage was truly tolerant of Danzo!  
Sasuke understood well the history between them. Even until the day the Third Hokage died, he never fully investigated Danzo’s actions in Konoha. It was as though he had turned a blind eye—or rather, completely closed his eyes.  

 This could work to his advantage.  
If the Third Hokage continued acting this way, Sasuke could conveniently attribute anything unexplainable to Danzo—at least until the Third Hokage passed away.  

 "Third Hokage-sama, I’d like to see the Forbidden Jutsu Scroll now."  

 After a brief pause, Sasuke voiced his thoughts directly. Since he had the Hokage’s permission, he couldn’t afford to delay—he had to seize this opportunity before anything changed.  

 "Are you in such a hurry?"  

 The Third Hokage studied Sasuke intently before taking a long puff from his pipe. Then, with a sharp turn toward the Hokage’s office, he nodded. The words "Third Hokage" on his cloak were now visible as he walked.  

 "I understand. Come with me."  

 Speaking slowly, the Third Hokage began walking at a measured pace, clearly waiting for Sasuke to follow.  

 "Okay."  

 Sasuke stepped forward, but the moment he did, a sudden jolt ran through his body, and a mechanical chime echoed in his mind.  

 **Ding Dong!**  

 **"The lottery function is now open for a limited time…"**  
**"Limited Time: 48 hours."**  
**"As this is the host’s first lottery activation, the system grants one free lottery experience."**  

 **Ding Dong!**   

The lottery was live!  
Sasuke’s eyes lit up. He had seen countless lotteries in livestreams and novels, and the idea of drawing powerful rewards made his excitement skyrocket.  

 Without hesitation, he activated the system’s interface, which appeared like a translucent screen only he could see. It was like checking his phone while walking, but invisible to anyone else.  

 At the bottom of the interface was the [Lottery] panel—a vibrant red slot machine with a timer ticking down:  

 **47:59:56**  
Seconds ticked away.  

 The slot machine screen displayed three rows, each showing a spinning letter. At the moment, they displayed:  

 **S | S | S**  

 To the right of the machine, a handle was labeled "Free."  

 "Here goes nothing!"  

 Sasuke gripped the handle and pulled.  

 **Shushasha…**  

 The letters spun rapidly—S, A, B—all cycling through as the machine worked.  

 The first row slowed.  

 **Ding!**  
The first slot stopped.  

 **S**  

 "Yes!"   

Sasuke restrained himself from cheering aloud since the Third Hokage was nearby. A good start!   

The second row slowed, the letter **S** shifting to **A**, then **B**, rotating slower and slower.   

"Come on… keep going!"  

 In his mind, Sasuke urged it onward.  

 **Ding!**  
The second slot stopped.  

 **B**  

 “...”  

 Sasuke’s heart sank. The first two letters now spelled **SB.**  

 "This damned system mocks me!"   

His mouth twitched. The system was clearly messing with him. But all hope wasn’t lost—there was still the third row.  

 As long as the last letter was **S**, he’d have two S’s and a decent reward. At worst, even a **B** might yield something useful.  

 The third row slowed.  

 **Ding!**  
The final slot stopped.  

 **A**   

Together, the letters read: **SBA.**  

 No prize.  

 **"Congratulations, host! You’ve received the [Consolation Prize]: 10 system points."**  

 +10   

The numbers jumped before Sasuke’s eyes, raising his total points to 56.  

 "Too much!"  

 Sasuke groaned internally. A consolation prize for the *first* lottery draw? Wasn’t this supposed to be rigged in the player’s favor?  

 He glared at the slot machine interface.  

 "Is this how lotteries are supposed to work? What happened to the overpowered systems in all those novels?!"  

 Why wasn’t his system generous like others’? Was this some kind of joke?  

 "Your boss, Ding Dong, isn’t doing a great job! Maybe I should rename you Ding Ding!"  

 Just then, the Third Hokage’s voice interrupted his thoughts.  

 "Sasuke, you don’t look well."  

 Startled, Sasuke snapped back to reality. Unbeknownst to him, they had already arrived at the Hokage’s office.  

 (End of Chapter)