It was the 55th year of the Hidden Leaf.
The Mirage Dojo had been open for two weeks, but the sales chart was a flatline. Zero revenue. Business was absolute trash.
Roy sat behind the counter, waiting.
In three days, the Uchiha clan would be wiped off the map, leaving only one survivor.
Honestly, that had nothing to do with him. Roy was a transplant from another world—an isekai protagonist—and his only goal was survival.
Suddenly, a holographic interface popped up in his vision.
[God-Tier Raid System Activated.]
[Host Bound: Roy.]
[Tutorial Quest: Serve your first customer.]
[Reward: Global Livestream Permissions (One-time Use).]
Roy glanced at the panel. So, he finally got his cheat code.
Livestream permissions? Now that was interesting. That wasn't just a tool; that was a weapon of mass distraction. Perfect for stirring the pot.
He stood up and cracked his neck.
Just then, footsteps echoed outside. Roy looked out the window and saw a small figure sticking close to the wall, trying to stay invisible.
Short black hair, high collar, and the red-and-white fan crest on his back that screamed for attention.
Sasuke Uchiha. Seven years old.
Passersby saw the crest and immediately gave him a wide berth, their eyes filled with a mix of paranoia and disgust. Even at this age, Sasuke was a social pariah.
Sasuke didn't react. Or maybe he was just numb to it by now.
The atmosphere inside the Uchiha compound had been suffocating lately. His dad, Fugaku, walked around with a face like thunder, and the clansmen were constantly huddled in corners, whispering like conspirators.
But what hurt Sasuke the most was Itachi. His gentle older brother had changed overnight. Itachi was dodging him, treating him like a stranger. Sasuke felt like the whole world had dumped him.
"Yo."
A voice snapped Sasuke out of his spiral. It came from the run-down shop next to him.
Sasuke stopped, his eyes instantly narrowing in defense.
Roy was leaning against the doorframe, looking casual.
"Hey, Uchiha kid."
"What do you want?" Sasuke snapped, his tone aggressive.
Roy ignored the attitude.
"You look confused," Roy said, pointing a finger at his own face. "It's written all over you. You're stressing about your brother. Itachi Uchiha."
Sasuke's eyes went wide. That name was a touchy subject.
"You know Itachi?" Sasuke stared down the strange shopkeeper.
"I wouldn't say we're buddies, but I know why he's been acting weird lately," Roy smiled. "Want the tea?"
Sasuke's hand tightened around the kunai in his pocket.
This guy was suspicious.
His father had warned him that the village was crawling with spies watching the Uchiha. This shop had been empty for weeks; suddenly the owner wants to talk? It screamed 'trap.'
"Are you on the Police Force's wanted list?" Sasuke asked coldly. "If you're a scammer, I'll have my father arrest you."
Roy shrugged.
"What good would scamming you do? You got any cash on you?"
Sasuke choked. He actually didn't have any money.
"I sell intel, and I sell experiences," Roy stepped aside, clearing the doorway. "Come in and look. Window shopping is free."
Sasuke hesitated.
Logic told him to bail and report this to his dad. But the hook—the truth about Itachi—was too strong.
Sasuke gritted his teeth.
If it's a trap, I can fight my way out, he thought. I'm an Uchiha genius, after all.
He stepped into the shop. It was dim inside.
No shelves, no merchandise. Just a chair, a table, and a vibe that screamed 'low budget.'
Except for the thing in the center of the room. A strange metal pod.
It was sleek, silver, and looked like something out of a sci-fi movie, with blinking LED indicators.
"What is that?" Sasuke pointed at the pod.
"The Mirage Pod," Roy walked over and patted the hull. "A machine that lets you see the past and run simulations of the future."
"The future?" Sasuke scoffed. "That's a scam even that total scrub Naruto wouldn't fall for."
"Scam or not, you won't know until you try."
Roy popped the hatch open.
"Get in. You'll see everything you want to know."
Sasuke took a step back.
"Give me one reason to trust you."
"Because you have no choice."
Roy leaned in. "Is your brother coming home late every night? Does he look at you with those weird, dead eyes? Is your dad constantly raging at home? Is the clan holding secret meetings?"
Bullseye. Every single one.
Those were internal clan secrets. How did this outsider know?
"Who are you?" Sasuke's hand was already inside his weapon pouch.
"I'm a businessman," Roy pointed to the sign. "Owner of the Mirage Dojo. I believe in fair trade. You pay the price, I give you the truth."
"You said it was free just a second ago."
"Entry is free. The truth isn't. But money is useless to me."
Roy held up one finger.
"I want a Jutsu."
Sasuke froze.
"A Jutsu?"
"Correct. Your understanding, your muscle memory, the specific energy flow. The Sys—uh, the machine... will extract a copy of that memory as your ticket price."
Roy corrected his slip of the tongue smoothly.
"I want the Uchiha signature move. Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu."
Sasuke's guard went up to max level.
Someone after Uchiha techniques? That was a massive taboo.
"That's a hidden clan technique. I can't teach you that," Sasuke refused instantly.
"Give me a break," Roy waved his hand dismissively. "The Fireball isn't exactly a state secret in the Leaf. Any mid-level ninja with a bit of tenure knows it. I just want your user data, I'm not asking for the scroll."
Sasuke went silent.
It was true. The Fireball Jutsu was only a C-Rank skill. It was the Uchiha trademark, sure, but plenty of people in the ninja world used it.
Trading the know-how of a C-Rank spell for the truth about Itachi?
That deal...
"It just copies the memory? Are there side effects?" Sasuke asked.
"Feels like taking a nap."
Sasuke stared at the metal pod.
"Fine."
"But if you're lying to me, I'll burn this shop to the ground."
The kid talked a big game.
Roy gestured for him to enter.
Sasuke walked up to the pod and climbed in.
"Close your eyes," Roy ordered.
Sasuke shut his eyes, and the hatch hissed as it sealed shut.
Roy stood outside, watching the data stream across his holographic panel.
[Customer Detected: Sasuke Uchiha.]
[Payment: Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu (Proficiency: Novice).]
[Transaction Complete.]
[Building Dungeon...]
[Target Node: The Uchiha Massacre - Prologue.]
[Loading Map: Naka River Cliff.]
[Importing NPC Models: Danzo Shimura, Shisui Uchiha, Itachi Uchiha.]
Roy tweaked the dungeon parameters. If we're gonna do this, he thought, we need to go hard.
Go big or go home.
Normal illusions wouldn't fool an Uchiha eye, but this was a System-generated simulation with 100% sensory fidelity.
Even the pain would be real. The kid was in for a rough ride.
"Don't expect you to thank me later, kid, just don't hate me yet," Roy muttered at the sealed pod.
"Better you see what hell looks like now, rather than getting blindsided by your own brother in three days."
On the panel, the loading bar hit 100%.
Roy pressed the big red [START] button.
The machine hummed with a low vibration. The indicator lights flipped from green to red.
"Sweet dreams," Roy's voice echoed like it was coming from the abyss. "Go see the burden your brother is actually carrying."