Date: May 18th, Konoha Year 54, 3:30 PM
Location: Ninja Academy Training Ground, First-Year Practice Field
After more than a month of classes, the first-year students finally faced their first exam.
The shuriken-throwing portion had just concluded, and now it was time for the taijutsu sparring matches.
Students gathered in a circle, either standing or sitting, watching two small figures spar in the center of the field.
The two combatants were short, with chubby, baby-like faces that made them look about five or six years old. One had blond hair and blue eyes, the other had silver hair and red eyes.
The blond child relentlessly attacked the silver-haired one, but his wild, uncoordinated punches were easily neutralized. Overextending with a straight punch, the blond's footing wavered, and he leaned forward slightly.
Seizing the opportunity, the silver-haired boy closed the gap, grabbed the blond's arm, and flipped him over with a shoulder throw, sending him flying.
With the heavy thud of the blond hitting the ground, Iruka, acting as referee, announced the result:
"Uzumaki Naruto is down. The match is over. The winner is Yagyu!"
"Both of you, make the Seal of Reconciliation!"
The blond child slowly stood up, his face filled with frustration. "Darn it, I was so close to winning!"
Iruka's forehead twitched with black lines.
Every move you made was countered—what made you think you were close to winning?
Still, Iruka refrained from criticizing Naruto. Ever since resolving his own inner conflicts, his attitude toward Naruto had softened considerably.
"Hey… Yagyu, what are you spacing out for? Are you looking down on me?"
As Naruto approached, extending two fingers to form the reconciliation seal, he noticed his opponent was lost in thought and shouted indignantly.
Snapping out of his daze, Yagyu instinctively blurted out words that unintentionally stung:
"Sorry, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Naruto instantly bristled. "Darn it, you really are looking down on me! Just wait—I'll beat you and that arrogant Sasuke one day!"
"Then you'd better work hard," Yagyu replied with a sudden grin.
That confident smile caught Naruto off guard for a moment, and it also caused Iruka and the watching classmates to pause in surprise.
"Yagyu seems… different. He's suddenly so cheerful!"
With his baby-faced charm and a radiant smile hinting at his future good looks, Yagyu's expression sent a wave of excitement through the crowd. Some of the girls even blushed and squealed.
"Yagyu-kun is so handsome!"
After exchanging the reconciliation seal with Naruto, Yagyu returned to the line of students. As he brushed off his classmates' praises, his eyes remained fixed on the glowing virtual panel visible only to him.
Were it not for his strong self-control, he would already be trembling with excitement.
Had the setting been more appropriate, he might have shouted to release his pent-up emotions.
After six years in this world, his golden finger had finally awakened!
Yagyu was a transmigrator, six years old. Unlike others who took over existing bodies or crossed into entirely new worlds, Yagyu was born in this one, the product of his mother's ten-month pregnancy.
Unfortunately, he shared the same birthday as Naruto and Sasuke.
Born on the night of the Nine-Tails' attack, Yagyu's mother died protecting him, succumbing to her injuries. His father, a Chunin of Konoha, was killed by one of the Nine-Tails' indiscriminate strikes while supporting the Third Hokage.
Suddenly orphaned at birth, Yagyu was left stunned by his new circumstances.
This is way too cliché!
Was he the protagonist of some tragic novel?
But as he grew older, he realized otherwise.
In a world like Naruto's, where bloodlines and inheritance were paramount, being a civilian orphan without a Kekkei Genkai meant he was destined to be cannon fodder.
If he was lucky, he might make it to the Fourth Great Ninja War and hear Madara ask, "Do you also want to dance?" before being crushed like an ant.
Only geniuses who excelled in their field could hope to receive Madara's rare praise. For the rest, no matter how hard they trained, Kage-level was the ceiling.
Realizing he had no golden finger and no path to power, Yagyu decided to settle for mediocrity.
He gave up dreams of conquering the ninja world and resolved to survive the Konoha Crush, Pain's Assault, and the Fourth Great Ninja War. His modest goal? Marry a pretty, buxom supporting character and live peacefully.
But fate had other plans.
During today's sparring match, after defeating Naruto, a golden flash erupted from the boy's body. A radiant golden orb materialized in the air, floating beside Yagyu.
A few seconds later, the orb automatically flew toward him, merging into his body.
Immediately after, a virtual panel appeared before him:
[Host: Yagyu]
[Age: 6]
[Kekkei Genkai: None]
[Inventory: Ashura's Chakra (Gold)]
Yagyu stared at the text, his breath hitching. His heart raced with excitement and apprehension.
Excitement: Ashura's Chakra was one of the few powers in this world capable of defying fate. Naruto and Sasuke owed much of their success as saviors to being reincarnations of Ashura and Indra.
Apprehension: Would absorbing this chakra attract the attention of Hagoromo (the Sage of Six Paths) or Ashura? And what about Naruto? Did he lose part of his chakra, or was this like a video game drop, having no effect on him?
Questions swirled in Yagyu's mind, but one thing was clear:
This was his chance to break free of mediocrity.
Though risks loomed, Yagyu's resolve solidified. He would embrace this opportunity, come what may.
With his mind made up, his eyes gleamed with determination.