Ninja School!

"Welcome, host, to the system. I am the core of the Dimension System. Would you like to bind yourself to the system now?"

Though he'd read plenty of novels where the protagonists became unstoppable as soon as they got a system, Li didn't rush into anything. After a brief moment of thought, he asked, "Can you tell me where you came from?"

"I came from the First Dimension. For certain reasons, I arrived in the world you were in before, and then happened to enter your soul," the system replied calmly.

"The First Dimension?" Li furrowed his brow slightly. He'd heard of the Second Dimension, but never the First. After thinking it over, he continued, "What exactly is this First Dimension?"

"I'm sorry, host. You don't have sufficient clearance, so the system cannot answer that question. I'll ask you again: are you willing to bind yourself to the system? If not, I will automatically detach from you and seek another suitable host."

Li was momentarily stunned. He hadn't expected that answering this question would require clearance. Hearing the system ask about binding again, he considered it for a moment and said, "Begin the binding!"

The timid starved, while the bold feasted. Every injustice was caused by one's own lack of ability. Li never wanted to go through something like that again. Besides, if the system could travel from the First Dimension to Earth, could it also take him back from the Second Dimension?

At the thought, a flash of murderous intent crossed Li's eyes. If he really could go back, he would make good on the promise he'd made before he died and let those people who had wronged him experience what it was like to be trampled.

"Binding initiated in response to the host's request. Binding successful. Please familiarize yourself with the details at your own pace." After the system spoke, the core's white glow slowly dimmed, as if it had fallen asleep.

"That's it?" Li was a little puzzled. Wasn't it supposed to give him some missions?

Seeing that the system really wasn't responding, Li realized he probably hadn't met the requirements to trigger a mission or fully activate the system yet. After a moment of confusion, he left the System Space, and his consciousness returned to his body.

When he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was an adorable face. Two round, black eyes stared at him curiously. Li blinked twice, then realized what was going on. Pinching Uchiha Mikoto's nose, he grinned and asked, "What were you doing just now?"

"Ow, let go!" Tears nearly sprang to Uchiha Mikoto's eyes. After pulling free of Li's hand, she rubbed her sore nose and complained nasally, "I was just checking to see if you'd fallen asleep. You were talking to me a moment ago, but then you suddenly went quiet. I called you several times, and you didn't respond!"

Li nodded thoughtfully. So, when his consciousness entered the System Space, he couldn't sense anything happening outside. He'd have to be careful when using the system from now on. Otherwise, someone could sneak up on him and he'd be done for.

"Sorry. Did I hurt you?" Seeing Uchiha Mikoto's aggrieved expression, Li felt a little guilty. Was it really right to pick on a little girl? With that thought, he held out his right hand and smiled. "All right, let's go."

"Where are we going?" Uchiha Mikoto lowered her hand from her nose and glanced at him.

"Didn't you say Uncle Hao wanted us to go back and get ready for school?" Li smiled and chided her. That little girl was so forgetful.

"Oh, right!" Uchiha Mikoto slapped her forehead, then hesitantly looked at Li. Pointing at his outstretched hand, she blushed and asked softly, "Is it okay?"

"Of course. What's the problem?" Li nodded and asked, puzzled.

"No, there's no problem. I'm just surprised because this is the first time you've been so nice to me!" Uchiha Mikoto quickly grabbed Li's hand, then said curiously.

"Is... that so?" Li said no more. He held Uchiha Mikoto's little hand, and the two headed for the Uchiha Clan compound.

As they walked, Uchiha Mikoto was very happy—especially since Li, who had always been so cold toward her, had suddenly treated her so nicely and even smiled several times. She was overjoyed, declaring that she was Li's good-luck charm.

Listening to Uchiha Mikoto chatter away, Li couldn't help but laugh helplessly. It was true that he'd barely spoken during the five years since he'd arrived here, but that wasn't because he was cold. He simply had nothing to talk about with the other children, and he was preoccupied with his parents in his old world. On top of that, what had happened back then had hit him too hard, leaving him taciturn. Thinking of it, Li really did hate them. He almost wished he could skin those two traitors alive. But that hatred was directed only at the two of them. Li wasn't the sort of person who would hate the entire world just because he'd been betrayed. Compared with his past self, the biggest change in Li was that he wanted to pursue strength—to pursue it without end. He would never let injustice fall upon him again. That was the one thing he sought: to become strong, so strong that no one would dare bully him.

After returning to the clan compound, Li and Mikoto went to Uchiha Hao's study. They knocked and entered. Uchiha Hao and his son, Uchiha Fugaku, were already there, apparently waiting for Li and Mikoto to arrive.

"Greetings, Clan Head!" Li and Mikoto said respectfully in unison.

"Haha, Li, Mikoto, there's no one else here, so you don't need to be so formal. Just call me Uncle Hao!" Uchiha Hao wasn't one for ceremony. He smiled at Li and Mikoto and spoke casually.

Li and Mikoto nodded silently. Li didn't think much of it, but Mikoto was nervous. This man was the current head of the Uchiha Clan, a person of great status. Naturally, it was hard for a five-year-old girl like her to feel at ease around him.

"Hey, you two took your time!" Uchiha Fugaku caught Li and Mikoto's eyes and made a series of exaggerated faces, looking absolutely ridiculous and nothing like the future head of the Uchiha Clan.

Li merely nodded. Mikoto, however, looked at Fugaku with a grimace. Seeing her expression, Fugaku burst out laughing, but Uchiha Hao glared him into silence. He shrank back in fright. Uchiha Hao was a strict father, and Uchiha Fugaku was very afraid of him.

"Li, Mikoto, Fugaku, I've already enrolled you in the Ninja Academy. Starting tomorrow, you'll be going to school. At school, I don't care about anything else, but remember this: no matter what happens, don't bring shame upon the Uchiha Clan. Understand?" Speaking of clan honor, Uchiha Hao lifted his chin and looked serious.

"Understood!" The three nodded and answered in unison.

"Good. Now tell me, have you learned the chakra refinement method I taught you a while ago? Have you managed to refine any chakra?" As Uchiha Hao spoke, he looked first at Uchiha Fugaku. Since Fugaku was his son, he naturally held him to a stricter standard and paid him closer attention.