Lazily lying on my bed, I stared at the ceiling. There was absolutely nothing to do, and leaving my apartment was the last thing I wanted. Instant noodles would last me for a while, and it was better not to annoy the villagers with my appearance prematurely.
Villages, huh. If someone had told me I'd end up in the Naruto anime, I would've laughed—or maybe punched them—but fate played a cruel joke on me, and here I was. I became an isekai protagonist in the most cliché way possible. On my way back from university, I entered my apartment building, where some idiot had smashed the lightbulb. I didn't notice the silhouettes already standing there... long story short, I was stabbed for no apparent reason. Then again, maybe there was a reason. If those were junkies, they probably emptied my pockets for cash to buy another dose. And so, the price of my life was a measly 3 Dollars—the amount I had in my pants pocket. Considering how crimes are handled by our diligent police, unless those scumbags were caught red-handed, they'd likely never get arrested. They might even write it off as me accidentally falling on the knife... six times. As for where the knife disappeared to afterward or why I even had one, well, that wouldn't concern them as long as the case was closed.
And then I opened my eyes, newly born as Uzumaki Naruto. Wonderful, right? Except that in those first moments—or rather, hours—it was impossible to make sense of the overwhelming flood of sounds, smells, and images my infant eyes provided. Maybe it was sensory shock from the reincarnation, or perhaps that's just how it is for newborns during the first hours of life. I didn't know, so I accepted it as fact.
Then I was in for quite the surprise. While in what I assumed was a hospital or some similar facility, familiar faces hovered over me—Tsunade, the Third Hokage, and even Danzo. I immediately grew curious about what they were discussing, especially when Tsunade leaned over me. But since I couldn't understand their language at the time—only a few words faintly resembled Japanese—their dialect was gibberish to me. And even if I could understand, my brain was too frozen by the realization of my predicament to process anything.
Much later, I learned that Kurama was indeed sealed inside me, just like in canon. I also ended up in the orphanage, which was expected. While there, I kept a low profile, avoiding drawing attention to myself. Let's face it—heroes might be strong and cool in books and anime, but I was just a kid with no real strength, fragile bones, and countless limitations. Given the villagers' growing animosity toward me, I decided not to follow canon Naruto's path of seeking attention. Instead, I quietly survived until I turned six and was unceremoniously kicked out into the adult world—specifically, into this tiny apartment.
Well, not everything was so smooth. Officially, kids are admitted into the academy at six, but my birthday and the enrollment date were two months apart. Oh, and one more thing: I'm pretty sure the orphanage staff really hated one quiet, introverted boy (me), considering how they rushed to throw me out on my birthday—the very day the Nine-Tails attacked Konoha.
Ah, navigating hostile territory could fill a trilogy the size of "War and Peace." Especially with the ominous messages I started receiving.
Oh, right, I should clarify: a few notable events happened on my birthday. First, I began my independent life. Second, the system activated. It all started with a fascinating notification:
Your character has reached the age to begin their glorious journey in the world of shinobi. The "Player" system welcomes you!
Name: Naruto Uzumaki
Health: 440
Chakra Reserve: 90
Chakra Control: -250
Level: 1
Experience: 0/100
Class: -
Stats:
Strength: 7
Agility: 2
Endurance: 12
Chakra: 4
Intelligence: 1
Free Points: 0
Traits:
"Demon"
"Jinchuriki"
"Uzumaki"
"Orphan"
Passive Skills:
"Stealth – lvl 50"
Not bad, huh? I quickly discovered the interface responded to mental commands and reviewed the notifications. There wasn't much of interest yet, but my traits caught my attention.
"Demon":
Earned due to the "Jinchuriki" trait. This is also your nickname among the residents of Konohagakure.
Effect: -2000 reputation with the faction "Residents of Konohagakure no Sato."
Could've been worse... probably. I shudder to think what the canon Naruto's reputation score was.
"Jinchuriki":
The Nine-Tails is sealed within you.
Effect: Gain the "Demon" trait. Chakra Control -150. Relationship with "Residents of Konohagakure no Sato" -1500. Strength +5. Health x2. Chakra x2. Chakra Regeneration x2. Unlocks development branches "Friend of a Bijuu" and "Monster."
Chakra control is a disaster, but canon Naruto managed something, so there's hope. The perks are substantial, at least.
"Uzumaki":
You are a half-blood Uzumaki. Due to your young age and underdeveloped chakra, the effect is barely noticeable, but in a few years, your chakra reserves will terrify even chunin.
Effect: Endurance +10, Health +100, Chakra Reserve +50, +5 Health per level, +1 Chakra per level. Stamina training speed +20%. Chakra Control -100.Overabundance of chakra. Minor aptitude for fūinjuts.
---
I was wondering how Naruto wasn't beaten to death in his childhood, given how the villagers treated him. But now I see – the secret lies in the Uzumaki genes. They perfectly complement the effects of being a Jinchuriki. As a result... well, I don't know how much HP an average genin has, but I feel like I'm already on their level. What does that mean? That killing Naruto is genuinely hard. But at the same time, anyone could almost effortlessly beat me up.
Intelligence increased by 1.
Ugh, still disheartening. If thinking rationally leads to intelligence boosts, then it's easy to assume that stretching exercises would increase agility, strength training would boost power, and intense effort would improve endurance. That's a nice system, but I feel like at some point, those stats will start climbing much more slowly.
Intelligence increased by 1.
With that in mind, I should pick a "development path" right away. Chasing intelligence and wisdom is pointless here. I can't outsmart anyone in this world anyway. In fact, if I understand correctly, without the Uzumaki and Nine-Tails' bonuses, my other base stats would've been at a measly two. Meaning my intelligence just barely overtook them now. But since I have these advantages from my statuses, I'll make use of them.
Which leads to the eternal question that haunts me in every online game – tank or DPS?
Alright, let's put that decision aside for now and check out the statuses.
"Orphan":
Your parents died on the day you were born, and you grew up without anyone's care.
Effect: Reputation with the "Residents of Konohagakure no Sato" faction -500. Unlocks the intuition skill. Poison resistance +2%. Street (and non-street) dogs see you as one of their own (friendship with the Inuzuka faction). Good sense of direction. Unlocks the stealth skill.
Beautiful. No, seriously. It's not the worst status ever. The reputation penalty with villagers and clanless shinobi is something I'll survive. Or at least, I'd like to believe so. The positive reputation with the dog lovers is actually useful – at the very least, they won't pick fights with me. Best case, I might even gain allies I can trust. Sure, it's unlikely I'll join the clan (as if this village's schemers would allow it), but it's still a plus.
Now let's check out stealth – my only ability, even if it's passive. Why is it such a high level?
Stealth:
Due to your desire to stay out of sight and actions taken to achieve this goal, you learned to hide effectively from a very young age. This skill allows you to hide more efficiently.
Level 50:
Chance of being noticed: -54%.
Chance of being noticed in shadows: -110%.
Uh... -110? Does that mean stepping under a tree's shadow makes me invisible even to the Hokage? Finally, a decent stroke of luck! This is undoubtedly a great skill. All the other traits have pros and cons that seem to balance each other out (or even lean toward the negative).
Who would've thought my isolation and avoidance of everyone in the orphanage would come in handy? Sure, it's not a kung fu skill I could've gained by constantly fighting, or strength and endurance on par with a strong genin (though my endurance is already decent). But still, if I'd been more active, everything could've been even better.
Alright, that's settled. Now, what about the factions?
Faction Reputation:
Residents of Konoha: -4000.
Inuzuka Clan: 1700.
??? (To unlock additional factions, you must meet at least one member of each faction).
Character Relationships:
??? (Old ties have been severed, like the closing gates of the orphanage behind you).
Great, a clean slate. Fantastic! If only faction reputations were reset the same way. Now, let's see what quests are blinking.
Quests:
1. A New Home.
Reach your new home within three hours.
Time left: 2:47:32.
Reward: 100 XP. Survival through the night. An apartment. A lockable door.
Failure penalty: Spend the night alone with villagers celebrating the victory over the Demon Fox (high probability of fatal outcome).
2. 43 Days of Hell.
You've just left your "cozy" nest. Now you must survive in a place where no one needs you, and you have nothing. Hold out until the entrance to the Shinobi Academy, and your will to live and learn will be rewarded (in the afterlife).
Completion condition: Survive 43 days.
Time left: 42:18:28:42.
Reward: 1000 XP.
Failure penalty: Death.
3. Seduce Kaguya.
If you cannot disrupt this world's events and the Rabbit Goddess is resurrected, there is only one course of action.
Reward: Goddess Wife. Survival. (Variable outcomes).
Failure penalty: The destruction of the Shinobi World. Restart as the Player from the very beginning.
---
Well, these quests just keep getting better and better! I can practically feel the Breath of Death, not just on the back of my neck, but whispering intimately into my ear.
Back to reality, though – I did manage to reach my apartment in the empty dormitory in time and leveled up. That's nice, but it didn't exactly lift the gloomy mood weighing on me. If anything, it made it worse.
The pressure is crushing me – either I must twist fate and prevent Kaguya's revival, or somehow become a level-100 playboy… or whatever the max level is. Seducing a goddess you've just met, who also happens to be your enemy, and doing it quickly before she kills everyone? That's an impossible task.
Even if I choose that path (with no idea how to achieve it), I won't have the time, strength, or resources to pursue the first option. I might become a master seducer, but I'd lose the chance to prevent Kaguya's awakening. I'd also end up being a subpar shinobi because I'd be training in all the wrong areas.
Honestly, I'd be better off with a dating sim system rather than the standard Player system.
The only reassuring thing is the unlimited retries... and that's also terrifying. Just imagining starting over as Naruto again sends shiv
ers down my spine.
Why did I have to reincarnate into such a miserable situation?