Konoha Village.
In a worn-out courtyard, beneath the shadow of a withering tree, a young boy practiced alone.
Chen Tian slowly put away the shuriken in his hand, his gaze drifting to the villagers passing hurriedly outside. Their somber faces mirrored the heavy atmosphere of the village.
"It's been ten days since I arrived in this world," he murmured.
Yes, Chen Tian was a time traveler. And, as fate would have it, he had awakened a system—one called the Card Pickup System.
This system allowed him to collect attribute cards randomly dropped by others during their battles. The stronger the individual, the better the cards they dropped, and the greater the boost Chen Tian would receive.
The cards ranged from power, speed, and ninjutsu attributes to even more peculiar ones. Each card was graded: white, blue, purple, red, and gold—the gold cards being the pinnacle of power.
But, there was a catch.
Despite ten days having passed since the system's activation, Chen Tian hadn't collected a single card. Not even a common white one.
Why?
The day Chen Tian arrived in this world was the very day the Third Ninja War had ended.
His parents, both shinobi, had perished in the conflict, leaving him an orphan at just five years old. Overwhelmed by the chaos of time travel and unsure of his place in this world, he hadn't dared to leave his courtyard.
As a result, in the last ten days, he'd seen no one and had no opportunities to use his system.
"It's time to stop hiding."
Looking up at the fading light of the sky, Chen Tian changed into a plain black outfit and headed toward Konoha's cemetery. Today was the memorial ceremony for those who had fallen in the war, and the village would be gathering there.
Walking the desolate streets, Chen Tian observed the grieving villagers. Their loss was palpable—mothers mourning sons, children left without parents. The war had scarred Konoha deeply. Even children had been sent to the battlefield in its final days.
"I must grow stronger," he vowed silently, his fists clenched. "Strong enough to control my destiny in this cruel world."
At the cemetery, Chen Tian quietly slipped into a corner, unnoticed among the crowd. His gaze swept across the figures gathered at the front—Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, stood tall, his face etched with sorrow. Beside him were Namikaze Minato, radiating a gentle calm, and Orochimaru, pale and enigmatic.
For a brief moment, Chen Tian allowed himself to be lost in thought. Though his parents' names were etched on the memorial stone, he felt no deep sorrow. The memories of this body told him that his parents, while loving, had been strangers for much of his short life. Their duties as shinobi had kept them away, leaving him in the care of a nanny.
But all that was gone now.
Just as his thoughts wandered, Chen Tian's sharp eyes caught sight of something unusual—a small card glowing faintly at the feet of a nearby ninja. Its soft white light set it apart from anything else, and it seemed almost ethereal.
A white card.
Excitement surged through him. This was the first card he'd ever seen. Without hesitation, he feigned sadness, crouching as though overwhelmed by grief, and reached out discreetly to pick it up.
No one paid him much attention. To the surrounding ninjas, he was just a mourning child. However, Namikaze Minato's sharp gaze lingered on him for a moment, a flicker of recognition in his eyes.
In his mind, the system's notification rang out:
[Ding! A white card with a strength attribute of +1 has been detected. Absorb?]
"Absorb!"
A warm current coursed through his body, filling him with newfound vitality. His strength had increased noticeably, leaving him eager for more.
"Status panel!"
A translucent screen appeared in his mind:
[Host: Chen Tian]
Strength: 5 Speed: 4 Physique: 4 Spirit: 22 Skill: Basic Shuriken Mastery (LV1)
(Note: An average adult's stats are 10 in all categories.)
Chen Tian frowned slightly. Apart from his heightened spirit, likely a byproduct of time travel, his stats were dismally low. Still, the card had given him a glimmer of hope.
As he plotted his next moves, Namikaze Minato whispered to his wife, Uzumaki Kushina.
"Kushina, that boy... he's the son of Izumi and Hei. I want to adopt him."
Minato's words carried a deep weight. Izumi and Hei had been his childhood friends, their bond only growing stronger during the war. Despite their civilian backgrounds, they had fought valiantly as special jonin under his command. But they hadn't survived the final battle.
Kushina, familiar with Chen Tian's mother, agreed without hesitation. "Let's speak to the Third Hokage after this."
Meanwhile, oblivious to their decision, Chen Tian's focus was elsewhere. As the ceremony concluded, he wandered back to his small, dilapidated house, formulating his plans.
"I need to start collecting more cards. Wandering the village might yield something, but the real opportunity lies in the Ninja Academy."
The academy was teeming with potential—teachers and students alike would unknowingly become his stepping stones to power. However, for an orphan, gaining admission wouldn't be easy. He needed a plan.
Lost in thought, Chen Tian approached his modest home, ready to begin the next chapter of his journey.