In a dense forest, a red-haired boy, no older than five, diligently practiced his swordsmanship with a short blade.
It was midday, the sun beating down mercilessly. Sweat plastered the boy's clothes to his skin.
"Man, this heat is brutal," Shin Uzumaki grumbled, but his training continued unabated. A little sunshine wouldn't derail his pursuit of strength.
"Shin, there you are! What are you doing out here in this inferno? Trying to fry your brains?" A small head popped out from behind a large tree. Kushina Uzumaki skipped towards Shin, her red hair a fiery halo in the sunlight.
Shin paused his practice and turned, a wry smile on his face as he looked at the adorable girl.
"Kushina, now's not really the time for a tea party."
Kushina puffed out her cheeks, her pout on full display. "Shin, you used to hang out with me all the time. Now you're giving me the cold shoulder."
Tears welled up in Kushina's eyes, threatening to cascade down her cheeks. Shin felt a wave of exasperation.
"Kushina, do you think I'm out here baking in this heat for fun? It's not exactly a picnic."
Shin sat down, taking a long pull from his water bottle to rehydrate.
Unlike the carefree Kushina, Shin carried a secret burden. He was a Transmigrant, reborn into the world of Naruto as a newborn baby.
The initial shock of landing in this world, where danger lurked around every corner, had been profound.
Fortunately, he wasn't just some random civilian but a member of the Uzumaki Clan in the Land of Whirlpools. But even that was a double-edged sword.
It was the period after the First Shinobi World War, before the Second had erupted. The Naruto storyline he knew was still decades in the future. This was the era when the Land of Whirlpools faced its imminent demise. Shin didn't know the exact date, but he knew the clock was ticking.
His only path forward was to grind his strength, to maximize his chances of surviving the destruction of the Land of Whirlpools. He wasn't about to let his second chance at life go to waste.
"Shin, are you keeping secrets from me?" Kushina asked, her eyes mirroring the concern she felt for him.
Shin looked at Kushina, his gaze serious. "Kushina, what if I told you that soon, the Land of Whirlpools, the Uzumaki Clan, will face a disaster unlike any other? Would you believe me?"
"No way, Shin. You're pulling my leg, right?" Kushina giggled, taking his words as a joke.
Shin shrugged. If even Kushina, who trusted him implicitly, wouldn't buy it, convincing the rest of the clan was a lost cause. The destruction of the Land of Whirlpools seemed inevitable.
He wasn't exactly Mr. Worldwide; no one would take him seriously.
[Ding!]
A crisp, mechanical chime echoed in Shin's mind, jolting him.
"Replication System activated. Greetings, Master. I await your commands."
Shin felt a surge of excitement. He had a Golden Finger!
But why now? After five years in this world, the system finally decided to wake up?
"Shin, what's up?" Kushina asked, attuned to his every shift in mood.
"Nothing, Kushina. Just remembered something I gotta do. I'll definitely hang out with you tomorrow. Gotta run for now."
Shin sprang onto a tree branch, vanishing in a blur of motion.
Kushina's jaw dropped. That speed and agility were beyond most genin. Shin was hiding some serious skills! Kushina clenched her fists, a playful anger bubbling up.
"If you ditch me tomorrow, you'll be sorry!" she shouted after him.
Instead of heading home, Shin made his way to a secluded riverbank to delve into his system's interface.
"System, lay it on me. What can you do?" Shin asked, a mix of anticipation and anxiety in his voice.
If this system turned out to be a dud, it would be a major letdown.
"This system is designated the Replication System. It can copy anything, from Jutsu to Chakra, even Kekkei Genkai."
Shin's eyes widened. Madara Uchiha's Rinnegan, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's Rinne Sharingan—all within his grasp?
The various overpowered Dōjutsu of the Mangekyō Sharingan, Kaguya Ōtsutsuki's immortality, all those S-rank Jutsu and Kekkei Genkai—the possibilities were endless.
"Hold on, there have to be some strings attached, right?" Shin asked, his excitement tempered by a dose of realism. It couldn't be that easy.
"Affirmative. Replication requires the expenditure of Replication Cards. These are categorized into Common, Advanced, and Divine levels."
"Common Replication Cards can replicate jutsu up to B-rank, including B-rank Jutsu, chakra and physical abilities of Jōnin, and so on."
"Advanced Replication Cards can replicate jutsu and secret techniques up to S-rank, including S-rank, chakra and physical abilities of Kage, and common Kekkei Genkai, such as Scorch Release and Lava Release."
"Divine Replication Cards are unrestricted and can replicate any target."
"Alright, so how do I get my hands on these Replication Cards?" Shin asked, barely able to contain his impatience.
"There are two primary acquisition methods. First, the system will bestow upon you one Replication Card annually. The specific category—Common, Advanced, or Divine—is determined by a random variable."
"The second method involves the completion of missions tailored to your preferences. Upon successful completion, you will be rewarded with Replication Cards. Missions are optional, and there are no penalties for failure."
"One card per year, not bad at all," Shin mused. His system seemed to be quite the benevolent benefactor.
And the missions were optional, with no repercussions for failure? That was a relief.
Shin valued his freedom; the last thing he needed was some overbearing system bossing him around.
"Oh, and system, don't suppose there's a welcome package for new users?" Shin asked, a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"The Newbie Gift Pack was granted to you at the moment of your birth, Master. You should be cognizant of its presence."
Shin paused, then ventured a guess. "Could it be the Sage Body?"
The Sage Body was a Kekkei Genkai common to the Uzumaki Clan. Every member of the Senju and Uzumaki Clans possessed it, but Shin had always felt his was different, more potent.
"Affirmative. Upon your transmigration into this world, Master, the system bestowed upon you the [Perfect Sage Body]."
Shin couldn't contain his elation. A [Perfect Sage Body], putting him on par with the legendary Hashirama Senju?
Hashirama, with his [Perfect Sage Body] and self-developed Wood Release, had taken down Madara Uchiha, wielder of the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan, and the full-fledged Nine-Tails!
Did this mean he could achieve Hashirama's level of power? With the system's assistance, surpassing Hashirama and reaching the realm of the Six Paths might not be just a pipe dream.
His future was looking brighter by the minute!
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