Chapter 4: Senju Naoki
Konoha year 57.
Seven years had passed since the Nine-Tailed incident that tore the night sky apart and left behind countless scars and legends.
The once ravaged, scarred land had long been covered by resiliently growing new buildings (a certain architect named Yamato passed by) and lush trees.
Under the sunlight, the Konoha Village had returned to its former order and bustle.
Only the occasional flicker of sorrow in the eyes of the elders, or the faint cracks still remaining in certain secluded corners, reminded people of the reality and tragedy of that night.
Senju Naoki was one of the insignificant yet fortunate survivors of that catastrophe.
At the time, he had been found and rescued from the edge of the burning ruins by an Anbu Chunin who was carrying out an evacuation mission.
During the long postwar reconstruction and statistical work, his background was gradually clarified: his father was named Senju Zhizai, and his mother was Oga Momo.
Both were registered ordinary Chunin of Konoha.
Although his father's surname carried the glory of the "Senju" clan, once a great family of the Ninja World, in reality, this branch had long been a minor, distant offshoot of the branch family.
Its bloodline was so diluted that, apart from an empty surname and a physical potential that might be slightly better than the average person, it had a very distant relationship with the First Hokage who founded the Village—a relationship that could be described as "not even remotely connected."
This ordinary Chunin couple happened to be outside the Village on an escort mission on the night of the Nine-Tailed riot.
They unfortunately encountered a giant summoning beast that had gone berserk, disturbed by the Nine-Tailed Chakra, and both died in the line of duty, leaving behind their only son, who was still in swaddling clothes—Senju Naoki.
The list of assets they left behind was heartbreakingly short: a regular property located in the lower-middle-class residential area of the Village (though it had been completely destroyed during the Nine-Tailed incident), a scroll of the most basic Chakra refinement method, a scroll detailing the "Three Basic Jutsu" (Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique, and Clone Technique), and a few common, limited-attack C-rank Ninjutsu scrolls. Until Naoki came of age (or, at least, until he possessed basic self-care abilities), these assets were kept by the Village on his behalf.
Thus, Naoki spent his early childhood in the orphanage established after the war.
It was a crowded but orderly place, filled with children who had lost their loved ones. The air was always permeated with a faint silence and maturity that did not belong to children.
Naoki carefully hid his differences—the system interface that appeared in his mind from time to time was his greatest secret.
He was like a dry sponge, silently observing this world, learning its language and common knowledge, while trying to feel and understand the "mobile game system" in his mind to the limit of what a baby or toddler could do.
Until he was six years old and was considered to have basic behavioral abilities.
The Village followed procedure and returned the property left by his parents.
To his slight comfort, the Konoha reconstruction department had rebuilt the house his parents left behind on the original site according to the records.
Although not large, it was clean and tidy, and he had a corner of his own that could be called a "home." He moved out of the orphanage and began to live independently.
At this moment, seven-year-old Naoki was sitting cross-legged on the tatami mat in his small room, the sunlight outside the window spilling onto him.
His consciousness sank into his mind, gazing at the system interface that had accompanied him for seven years but still appeared mysterious and crude:
[Name: Senju Naoki]
[Age: 7 years old]
[Chakra: 16/??? (Standard Genin is about 50)]
[Status: Healthy]
[Held Module: C-rank Ninja 'Uzumaki Naruto (Early)' (Inactive/Use)]
[System Coins: 150]
[Current Mission: Report to the Ninja Academy and complete the first day of classes. (Reward: 30 coins)]
Naoki sighed silently, a complex expression inconsistent with his age appearing on his childish face.
Since he received that basic Chakra refinement scroll at the age of six, he had started trying to cultivate according to the rules of this world.
However, the process was far more difficult than imagined.
Perhaps it was because he was still young, or perhaps his aptitude was indeed average, but after a whole year of persistent, tedious meditation and refinement, he had barely managed to increase his Chakra amount from the initial 2 points to the current 16 points.
This speed made him feel helpless. He had to know that, according to the vague information he had gathered, some children from prominent families with good talent might have already approached or reached the standard line of a Genin at this age.
But today, this "16" points of Chakra had a milestone significance.
Because it finally satisfied the usage condition under the "C-rank Ninja 'Uzumaki Naruto'" module, which had been grayed out since he completed the "Survive" mission—Required Chakra: 15 points.
Over these seven years, he had been exploring the functions of the system like a new toy, and had basically figured out a few main interfaces:
1. Mission Interface: It would randomly trigger some missions, usually rewarding system coins, and occasionally other unknown items (none encountered yet). Missions ranged from early "take ten steps independently" and "successfully refine the first wisp of Chakra" to the current "go to school." They were simple and direct, but they were also the only way he knew to get coins currently.
2. Plot (Memory/Illustrated Handbook?) Interface: Currently, there was only one solitary lit-up scene—[Nine-Tailed Incident · Survivor]. Next to it were many grayed-out icons that seemed to depict other important events, but none could be viewed. He guessed that he might need to experience them personally or meet certain conditions to trigger them.
3. Recruitment Interface: This was the most core part of the entire system and the part that made him most anxious. In the center of the interface was a huge, currently chain-wrapped swirl pattern, marked with [Locked].
But above the swirl, there was a dynamic, slightly blurry preview image—it was a back view of someone wearing a black cloak with red clouds (Akatsuki Organization attire!), with a melancholic and powerful gaze, and the fingers seemed to still be holding a hand seal posture.
Although the image was blurry, the unique temperament and iconic attire made Naoki recognize it at a glance: A-rank Ninja, 'Uchiha Itachi'!
"Back in the day..." A trace of distant reflection belonging to his previous life surfaced in Naoki's consciousness.
"A master of A-rank Itachi could make so many 'Anbu brothers' unable to take care of themselves in the arena..."
That was a highlight memory from his past gaming days.
Unfortunately, he had no idea how to unlock this "card pool," or how many coins were needed to "recruit" (draw cards) after unlocking it.
And coins could only be obtained through random missions; he was dirt poor.
"The road ahead is long and arduous!" The seven-year-old child let out a sigh like an adult.
Clearing his mind, Naoki focused his consciousness on the now-lit "C-rank Ninja 'Uzumaki Naruto'" module and silently thought: "Use!"
In an instant, his vision went black.
It wasn't a faint; his consciousness was abruptly pulled away from his physical body.