Naruto: God-Level System

Hyuga Shin looked at Senju Nawaki, his mouth twitching slightly. Was this guy here to provide comic relief?

After a great deal of effort, Senju Nawaki finally pulled his head out of the ground, then complained, "I told you not to hit my head! If I end up stupid, it's all because of you."

I think you're already stupid, Hyuga Shin thought to himself. He hadn't expected Senju Nawaki to be such a goofball; he really was quite similar to Uzumaki Naruto.

The only difference was that one had the protagonist's halo, while the other was just a side character. It was tragic, really—two people with such similar personalities, yet their fates were worlds apart.

Chapter 18: Desk-mate Mikoto Uchiha

After the antics, under Tsunade's introduction, Hyuga Shin and Senju Nawaki got to know each other.

Senju Nawaki, being the type to get familiar quickly, walked over and patted Hyuga Shin on the shoulder. "Don't worry, once school starts, I'll have your back."

"Sure! If I run into any trouble, I'll definitely come to you. Just don't regret saying that later," Hyuga Shin replied with a beaming smile.

"I'm the man who's going to become Hokage, of course I'll keep my word!" Senju Nawaki said, thumping his chest.

When the new students had mostly arrived, the old man, the Third Hokage, appeared on the podium.

Though calling him an "old man" wasn't quite accurate; the current Third Hokage was in his prime, his strength at its peak—at the very least, he possessed the power of a Kage.

Stepping onto the podium, Sarutobi Hiruzen began a long-winded speech, starting from the time Hashirama Senju founded Konoha.

He spoke of Konoha's prosperity and the turmoil in other ninja villages, summarizing it all as Konoha being a place of harmony and peace, while others were in chaos.

Then he went on about how wicked other villages were, how wonderful Konoha was, and preached about the spirit of Konoha—the Will of Fire—and how powerful the First and Second Hokage had been.

"I hope you will grow into powerful ninjas who protect Konoha. Perhaps one of you will be the next Hokage."

"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns; the fire's light will continue to illuminate the village and allow new leaves to sprout. This is our Konoha's Will of Fire, passed down from the First Hokage to this very day. I hope you will continue to carry it forward, generation after generation."

Sarutobi Hiruzen's words left the newly enrolled children feeling fired up and incredibly excited.

Especially Senju Nawaki, who was standing next to Hyuga Shin; his blood was practically boiling. He was so pumped he almost accidentally crushed an egg.

Hyuga Shin, however, felt drowsy and didn't take any of it in. He had heard such speeches too many times to be moved.

Furthermore, the Will of Fire was a selfless philosophy that didn't suit him at all.

In fact, Hyuga Shin and the Will of Fire were walking on two completely opposite paths.

Hyuga Shin believed that if one didn't look out for oneself, heaven and earth would destroy them—in short, he was selfish.

Aside from the people he cared about, if everyone in Konoha were to die in front of him, he wouldn't even blink. That was just how selfish and cold he was.

So, don't be fooled by the smile Hyuga Shin wore every day; behind that smile, he was colder than anyone.

Hyuga Shin's personality was very similar to Aizen's, though the difference was that Hyuga Shin lacked Aizen's ambition and wasn't nearly as dramatic.

Coming to the world of Naruto, even with the help of the system, Hyuga Shin had never thought about conquering the ninja world or ruling over everything.

What he longed for more was to live a life of debauchery with a group of beauties, watching the winds rise and the world change with a smile.

"Shin, you don't seem very interested in the old man's speech."

Seeing Hyuga Shin yawning repeatedly, Tsunade, who was standing behind him, spoke up.

"Isn't Sister Tsunade just as uninterested?" Hyuga Shin retorted.

"This kind of talk has been repeated hundreds of times; I'm sick of hearing it," Tsunade said with a look of boredom.

"Don't change the subject, Shin."

Hyuga Shin smiled upon hearing this and said, "Aside from the First Hokage, no one has truly carried out the Will of Fire. It died with him. Perhaps one day, it will appear again."

Tsunade frowned, looking thoughtful. She had to admit, there was some truth to his words.

Tsunade knew the internal situation of Konoha very well; with the constant conflicts between the various clans, the Will of Fire seemed more like a joke.

Hyuga Shin scoffed at the Will of Fire. It might look beautiful, but it was nothing more than a lovely fantasy—unless everyone in Konoha was like Hashirama Senju or Uzumaki Naruto.

Otherwise, the Will of Fire would only ever be empty words.

Or perhaps, the Will of Fire was only meant for a select few.

Sarutobi Hiruzen spoke for the entire morning before finally finishing. Hyuga Shin let out a sigh of relief, then looked at the Third with a gaze of genuine admiration.

To talk for an entire morning without stopping—Hyuga Shin was truly impressed. However, looking at the fired-up students around him, he had to admit that this brainwashing session was a complete success.

The morning ended just like that, and after lunch, it was time for the school to assign classes.

Everyone had brought bento boxes and found places to eat. Naturally, Hyuga Shin had brought his own as well.

But when Hyuga Shin pulled out his massive bento box, Senju Nawaki swallowed hard and asked with difficulty, "Can you really finish all of that?"

Hyuga Shin just smiled at Senju Nawaki's question and lowered his head to do battle with his lunch. Actions spoke louder than words.

Tsunade smiled at this; after seeing his training with the Six Powers, she knew exactly why Hyuga Shin could eat so much.

Hyuga Shin's bento didn't just shock Senju Nawaki; the surrounding children and the parents accompanying them were all stunned.

Hyuga Shin ignored their gazes. He was walking his own path; why should he care what others thought?

After finishing his meal, the school teachers began assigning classes. Soon, they called Hyuga Shin's name, and he was assigned to Class A.

He also heard several familiar names, such as the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, the brothers Hiashi and Hizashi, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, Mikoto Uchiha, and Senju Nawaki.

He headed toward Class A with Senju Nawaki, while Tsunade had already departed.

When he arrived at Class A, there were only a few people present. Senju Nawaki pulled on Hyuga Shin and said, "Shin, let's sit together!"

"I'd rather not; I prefer being alone." Hyuga Shin rejected Senju Nawaki outright, leaving him very disappointed, though he did not press the matter.

However, immediately after rejecting Nawaki, Hyuga Shin shamelessly went to sit next to Mikoto Uchiha.

Senju Nawaki looked at Hyuga Shin with a resentful gaze; so this was what he meant by "being alone."

Feeling the weight of Senju Nawaki's stare, Hyuga Shin felt a chill run down his spine. Could this guy be gay?

He turned his head away to avoid looking at Senju Nawaki and spoke to Mikoto Uchiha, "My name is Hyuga Shin. I'll be your desk mate from now on, so please take care of me."

As Mikoto Uchiha looked at Hyuga Shin's peerlessly handsome face, a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, and she replied in a low voice, "My name is Mikoto Uchiha. It's a pleasure to meet you, classmate Hyuga Shin."

"Classmate Mikoto can just call me Shin; otherwise, it feels too distant," Hyuga Shin said, trying to get closer.

Mikoto's face turned even redder. One had to know that only those with extremely close relationships or family members were allowed to address each other by their given names.

At this moment, the advantage of good looks and the power of attraction between the opposite sexes came into play; the fact that Mikoto was not angry said it all.