Chapter 1: Viewing System : The Lonely Boy
_____
Konoha Village.
Bursts of applause resounded throughout the venue.
"That's Hatake Kakashi's famous ninjutsu, right?"
"Raikiri."
"I remember it used to be called Chidori."
"That's right, but because he used this technique to cut through lightning, it earned the name Raikiri."
"Is this the genius of the Uchiha clan?"
"As expected of a true prodigy from the Uchiha."
Cheers erupted from the stands.
Uchiha Sasuke remained indifferent, his focus locked on Gaara. Something about him felt wrong.
On the highest platform of the Chūnin exam venue, Sarutobi Hiruzen sat watching with a sense of quiet pride.
Sasuke had learned Kakashi's Chidori and used it to deal a significant blow to Gaara.
The results of the competition seemed clear.
It was evident that Konoha's ninja had come out on top.
Hiruzen let out a sigh of relief, his mind wandering to the earlier rounds of the Chūnin exam.
Sunagakure's Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro had all performed admirably.
But in the final rounds, Konoha's strength shone through.
Hyuga Neji's performance had been particularly remarkable. As a member of the branch house, he had mastered the secret technique Revolving Heaven, something rarely achieved by branch members.
Yet, even such an impressive Neji had narrowly lost to Uzumaki Naruto.
This outcome proved the strength of the two rising stars in Konoha's new generation.
Although Shikamaru Nara had surrendered to Sunagakure's Temari, his clever strategy and sharp intellect had clearly outmatched hers.
And now, with Sasuke defeating Gaara, Sunagakure's strongest Genin, it was a decisive victory.
In this Chūnin exam, jointly hosted by Konoha and Sunagakure, Konoha's new generation had emerged triumphant, thoroughly outshining their counterparts from Sunagakure.
As for Kankuro?
Heh. If Gaara had failed, what significance did Kankuro hold?
Sarutobi felt a surge of pride as he glanced at the "Fourth Kazekage" seated beside him.
At the same time, "Kazekage" looked back at Hiruzen with a peculiar expression.
"I had planned to give this old man a surprise, but I didn't expect Gaara to be injured," Orochimaru mused inwardly.
The thought of Hiruzen's reaction when Shukaku attacked Konoha made him smirk.
"Unfortunately, it's time to put an end to this charade."
Orochimaru's gaze shifted to Yakushi Kabuto, who had blended in with the Anbu in the stands.
Kabuto was preparing to activate the illusion technique, his hands moving into the final seals.
"Do it!"
Orochimaru's silent command reached Kabuto.
Hiruzen's brows furrowed. Something was amiss.
- Boom!
The explosion of smoke bombs echoed suddenly, and a cloud of smoke instantly enveloped several individuals on the high platform.
"Lord Third Hokage!"
The situation escalated rapidly, shocking the guards protecting Hiruzen.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, bursts of loud bangs came from the sky.
Kabuto, wearing a mask, suddenly looked serious. Impossible! The chakra I condensed and used for the illusion… it's dissipating? What's going on here?
---
[Ding! The Viewing System is now active! The live broadcast room is open, and relevant characters are being loaded…]
[Live chat room opening…]
Accompanied by the sound of massive machinery, everyone instinctively looked up at the enormous structure that had appeared in the sky.
Two gigantic screens—one with a black border and the other with a white border—stood prominently in the sky.
At the same time, the mechanical voice reverberated throughout the entire ninja world, startling even those in the Pure Land with the sudden appearance of the colossal entity.
---
As the thick smoke gradually dissipated, Hiruzen turned to the "Fourth Kazekage" beside him, his expression filled with suspicion.
"What are you doing?"
Even the renowned Doctor of Ninjutsu couldn't comprehend what was happening.
Despite his decades of experience, he couldn't determine what kind of ninjutsu the "Kazekage" had used.
"Is this some sort of illusion?"
"Are you trying to start a war between Konoha and Sunagakure?"
Hiruzen's sharp questioning caused Orochimaru—disguised as the Fourth Kazekage—to suppress his irritation, his expression twitching involuntarily.
"Heh, Third Hokage, I think you're getting old and confused."
- Really?
- Summoning two gates might still be possible for me, but suddenly pulling two gigantic screens from the sky? Who do you think I am?
---
[Ding! Relevant personnel have been successfully pulled into the system.]
[Everyone can now speak freely in the live chat room and participate in the prize quiz proposed by the system.]
[The event will select the top three participants with correct answers, and they will receive rich rewards.]
[Rewards may include ninjutsu, taijutsu, enhanced physical attributes, bizarre everyday items, or even the resurrection of the dead.]
[Everyone, please take this seriously.]
[Note: During the viewing period, the entire ninja world will be controlled by a powerful force. Absolute safety is guaranteed, and no harm of any kind can be inflicted upon anyone.]
---
The mechanical voice echoed across the venue, leaving the ninjas stunned and speechless for a long time.
---
Rasa:
"A discussion group where everyone can talk freely? I didn't expect even me—a dead man—to be included. Fascinating."
"By the way, is Orochimaru here? You snake-like traitor!"
- Rosa?
- Isn't This Sunagakure's Fourth Kazekage? Why does he claim to be dead? and who is the person sitting with Hiruzen in the stands?
Rosa's message automatically appeared in Hiruzen's mind.
His hunched body trembled slightly. "You are… Could it be that you're Orochimaru?!"
The sudden intrusion of the viewing system left Orochimaru momentarily bewildered.
He removed the disguise of the Fourth Kazekage, revealing his true face. "I just tried gathering chakra, but it didn't work."
"It seems the mechanical voice was correct. The current ninja world is shrouded in some strange power."
He smirked, licking his lips as he stared at Hiruzen. "Old man, I'll come clean. I killed Rosa earlier."
"You!" Hiruzen's eyes widened as anger surged through him. "What are you planning, traitor?!"
Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "Third Hokage, have you grown senile? The current situation makes it clear—it hardly matters what I want to do now."
Orochimaru turned his gaze toward the enormous screens in the sky, studying them intently. For the first time, even he couldn't discern whether this was ninjutsu or advanced technology.
---
Senju Hashirama:
"A quiz with prizes? And you can actually earn rewards?"
Senju Tobirama:
"Brother, this is beyond strange. Something that can even bring the dead back to life… Could it be Impure World Reincarnation?"
Uchiha Madara:
"Heh, how fascinating."
Senju Hashirama:
"Oh, isn't this Madara? I bet you'd love to be resurrected."
Uchiha Madara:
"Tch. You're as irritating as ever. I thought I'd never hear your annoying voice again in this lifetime."
Uzumaki Kushina:
"Why is it only the people in the Pure Land speaking? Are there no living people in the ninja world?"
Might Guy:
"I'm alive! Kakashi is too. We can hear your conversations."
"Hey! Guy!"
At the Chūnin exam venue, Kakashi tried to intervene but was too late.
Sure enough, before he could react further, anxious voices erupted from the discussion group.
---
Kushina:
"Is Naruto there? Uzumaki Naruto from Konoha Village? How old is Konoha now? How old is Naruto?"
Mikoto:
"Where's Sasuke? Is Sasuke there?"
Sasuke:
"Mother…? Mother?! I'm here…"
Naruto:
"Huh? Was that big sister just calling for me? Who are you?"
Kakashi:
"..."
"Hehe, I seem to have found something far more interesting than destroying Konoha Village, Sarutobi-sensei," Orochimaru said, a playful gleam flashing in his eyes.
"Naruto is almost thirteen years old, yet he still doesn't know who his parents are?"
"Knowing you, I'm sure you deliberately concealed it."
"Now, Sarutobi-sensei, how do you plan to explain this to Kushina?"
Orochimaru's question caused Hiruzen's face to darken. "That's none of your business," he snapped.
As expected, the revelation that Naruto was the son of the Fourth Hokage left everyone in shock.
The younger generation of Konoha's Genin, including Naruto himself, stared in disbelief.
They had always thought Naruto was just an ordinary troublemaker—a dead last. But to learn his father was the legendary Fourth Hokage who had saved Konoha? It was unthinkable.
Meanwhile, in the discussion group, Kushina's fiery questioning of Hiruzen was relentless.
Beads of cold sweat formed on Hiruzen's brow as he struggled to find an explanation.
Fortunately, the discussion group soon shifted into a large-scale scene of recognition and reactions.
After everyone had vented their thoughts, the system's mechanical voice sounded again.
---
[Ding!]
[The viewing content has been loaded.]
[Playback countdown begins...]
[Ten...]
[Nine...]
[Eight...]
The countdown continued as the two enormous screens—one black and one white—grew fainter.
Eventually, the black screen disappeared entirely, while the white screen expanded further, becoming more prominent.
[Three...]
[Two...]
[One...]
[The movie viewing begins...]
As the system's voice landed, the white screen began to display a vivid, clear picture.
---
[A sunny day.]
[Konoha Village.]
[A gentle breeze brushes over the Hokage statues carved into Hokage Rock.]
[At this moment, a young boy gazes at the sun in the sky with a look of frustration.]
[The child on the screen has blond hair and striking blue eyes.]
[His slightly chubby face is marked with whisker-like scars, unique to him.]
[He raises a small, pudgy hand, reaching toward the sun as though trying to grasp it.]
It's unmistakable—the child on the screen is none other than Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha Village.
---
Sakura:
"Huh? Isn't that Naruto?"
Ino:
"It really is him. I didn't expect Naruto's childhood self to appear on the screen."
Naruto:
"Ah! That's really me!"
Mei:
"Kawaii! This Uzumaki Naruto is adorable. I remember—he's the son of the Fourth Hokage, isn't he? So cute!"
Minato:
"Heh, thanks for the compliment."