The continuous shouting woke Takashi, who was sleeping sprawled on his desk. In front of him were two boys, one chubby and the other skinny, standing in a sparse and simple classroom.

"Did you forget that today is the graduation exam?"

The chubby boy's eyes were filled with helplessness.

'Graduation exam?'

Takashi remembered.

Today was indeed the day of the graduation exam, so he immediately stood up.

"Owashi, Koji, let's go!"

With that, he quickly walked out of the classroom.

"Wait for us!"

The two boys followed him.

Yes, Takashi was a transmigrator.

The world of Naruto!

A world he had seen in anime before he transmigrated.

Except here, it was a real world, much larger and more realistic than the anime.

Many places were terrifying when you thought deeply about them.

And the place he was in was the center of this world.

Konoha Village! Not a bad starting point, all things considered.

Successfully transmigrating and being tall, rich, and handsome should have been a happy thing.

But transmigrating into a ninja world was quite frustrating.

Because this was a world where lives were as insignificant as grass, and ninjas went to the battlefield to kill at a very young age, with a terrifyingly high mortality rate.

Facing such a dangerous world, having been here for two and a half years without any system, he naturally chose to 'lie flat.'

There was no other choice!

If he dared to shout something like 'My fate is mine to decide, not the heavens,' he'd surely end up in the interrogation department.

Ninjas! They are incredibly sharp when it comes to intelligence, and if they suspect anything, they will act.

Moreover, with various secret techniques and methods, even the dead can't keep secrets.

That's why ninjas need to handle their bodies after death.

Coming to such a brutal and dangerous world, how could Takashi not resign himself to lying flat?

And today was the final moment.

As long as he failed the exam, he could lie flat and live off others.

Becoming a ninja would mean becoming a tool of the village, and even if given a mission that was certain death, you would have to execute it. Leaving the village without permission would be seen as treason, and you'd be hunted down.

Only by becoming an 'ordinary person' could he escape the dangerous and cruel ninja system.

So, from the moment he transmigrated, Takashi had been planning.

Now, he finally had a chance.

As long as he performed poorly enough today, he might have the chance to 'lie flat.'

Thinking about this, Takashi led his two best friends towards the training ground.

The two beside him were his closest friends.

The chubby one was named Honda Owashi, whose dream was to become the greatest merchant in the ninja world.

The other, with a cold demeanor, was Yamashiro Koji, from a small ninja clan, dreaming of restoring the glory of the Yamashiro family.

Yes! After two and a half years of effort, under Takashi's influence, they were practically 'brothers from different mothers.'

As a transmigrator who had roughly watched the Naruto anime, Takashi had also seen those future protagonists.

But his attitude was to 'keep a respectful distance.'

Because in the dangerous ninja world, those who die the fastest are the ones close to the protagonist.

Without that kind of luck, getting close is courting death.

As a transmigrator with little strength, it's better not to join in the excitement.

Survival is victory.

Just like a certain Obito, when he was hiding, his aura was as high as it could be, but once he jumped out, his aura plummeted, and he ended up dead.

A certain Madara was even more of a master of hiding, invincible while lurking, but once he jumped out, he was backstabbed by a filial son.

Lastly, a certain master in the Pure Land, who hid with style and innovation, became the ultimate winner.

These all illustrate one truth.

Survive, and we can win. With such excellent 'predecessors' as examples, it's no wonder Takashi is determined to lie flat and survive.

This world is too dangerous; the more you jump, the worse you die.

After two and a half years of practice... anyone would see him as 'the last in the class,' the kind who can't even become a ninja.

Note, he is truly the last in the class.

Unlike a certain Obito who was last due to various accidents but wasn't actually weak.

Soon, they arrived at the training ground.

But they found something was off.

There were too many people!

Those standing on the walls, trees, and rooftops were all big figures in the village.

Among them, the most conspicuous figure was naturally the one wearing the Hokage hat and long robe, standing in a corner of the training field surrounded by a group of people.

Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen!

Also known as the leader of Konoha.

However, Takashi's gaze was directed at the person beside him, the one with his right eye and right hand wrapped in white bandages, holding a cane with his left hand.

Danzo Shimura!

Bold, reckless, ruthless, and cold-blooded are the best descriptions for him.

Even if you offend the "Noble Sword" Third Hokage, you'd better not cross him.

Anyway, Takashi always avoided him due to his identity, fearing that he might attract Danzo's "attention."

Fortunately, Danzo's interest was only in geniuses.

For someone like Takashi, who was truly at the bottom of the class, Danzo had no interest. Otherwise, Takashi might have had to find a way to escape.

When he first traveled here and realized he was in Konoha Village, his first thought was to run away.

But unlike the anime, where the village seemed lax and any Genin (Sasuke: ??) could leave, the reality was entirely different.

With strict guards and defenses, not even a Jonin could escape, let alone an ordinary person.

After understanding the true nature of this world, he was even less willing to leave.

Life outside Konoha was truly hellish.

Ordinary people had to eat grass or even resort to cannibalism due to food shortages, rely on straw for warmth as blankets were a luxury, and endure illnesses without treatment. Bandits and wars were rampant.

The average life expectancy was under thirty.

In contrast, Konoha was relatively safe, and the living standards were decent. Otherwise, countless villagers wouldn't be so reluctant to leave.

Moving to Konoha was nearly impossible for outsiders, and only a fool would think of leaving.

Moreover, he had latched onto a powerful ally.

But to enjoy a carefree life, he had to fail today's assessment and lose his ninja qualification.

Once you become a ninja... congratulations! You'll be under the village's control for life.

And there's no basic salary (no position, no pay), no pension, and you can only retire early if you're dead or disabled.

The death rate for ninjas was astonishingly high! This might be why students start dating in school and marry in their teens.

Because they die too early and too quickly, if they don't leave descendants soon, the ninja profession might have gone extinct long ago.

While Takashi was lost in these thoughts, his classmates were completing their assessments one by one.

The practical assessment.

It was determined by a battle against a Chunin examiner.

The child's play-like assessments in the anime might have been a change for future peaceful times.

Currently, it's the 42nd year of Konoha, and war is brewing. The village needs more cannon fodder, so they naturally won't restrict the pass rate.

So, graduating is genuinely easy.

But graduating is one thing; your future depends on your performance.

If you're a genius.

Various clans and teachers will compete for you. If your performance is poor, prepare to be a workhorse or cannon fodder.

Perhaps that's why anyone with a bit of talent strives to become a "genius."

Because while the title attracts attention, the benefits are real.

But Takashi was definitely not among those people.

If he were a "genius," he'd be sure to get an invitation from the Root.

For one reason only—his surname is "Uchiha."

Yes, that "tragically beautiful" and "arrogant" clan.

However, his surname was changed later; he didn't have one before.

Married into the family!

Those who understand, understand.

Completely living off someone else.

The original owner of his body rejected this, constantly striving to break free from this identity, which ultimately led to his demise, allowing Takashi, the transmigrator, to take over.

In Takashi's view, the original owner had never faced the harsh realities of society nor understood its dangers.

What's wrong with living off someone else? Don't you see how many people want to but can't?

Anyway, Takashi was enjoying it and even planned to continue.

Even if he couldn't continue living off them, he could at least get some "breakup fee," right? Either way, he wouldn't lose.

"Uchiha Takashi!"

The homeroom teacher standing on the training field, Sarutobi Nagakawa, called out his name loudly.

"Good luck!"

"Don't let them look down on you!"

Two of his close friends cheered him on, and even the usually stoic Koji Yamakawa managed to squeeze out a smile.