Inside a dark tunnel, a translucent figure sped through the air. Colored flashes occasionally flickered past. "System, is that the passage into the world?"
"Yes, host."
"Which world am I heading to, and when will I arrive? It's pretty creepy in here, with everything so dark."
"Soon, host. We're on our way to the Naruto world."
"Oh, the one I know?"
"Yes, host."
"What can you do? That world starts out relying on hard work, but later on, it's all about cheating with power-ups."
"This system has multiple functions: enhancement, lottery, sign-ins, and a System Store. You can earn points by completing the tasks the system issues. Points can be used to improve your strength, and the store sells some items from other worlds."
The translucent figure smacked his lips. "That's pretty good."
The translucent figure was Ye Shifei, a twenty-year-old young man from Blue Star. His family was wealthy, but he took part-time jobs in his spare time to challenge himself and avoid relying on his parents for everything. During his university summer break, he was delivering food when a brat threw a flowerpot from the top floor of an apartment building. It hit Ye Shifei just as he reached the building, killing him instantly. Then a system pulled his soul into this dark tunnel and bound itself to him.
"System, do I get a starter pack?"
"Ding! It has been sent to the system inventory."
"Open it."
"Ding! You have received an Origin Selection Card."
"??? What's that supposed to be?"
"The host can freely choose his background. For example, he can choose the Uchiha Clan or the Senju Clan."
"That's it? Just this?"
"Ding! The starter pack contains many things, such as the Nine-Tails, Devil Fruits, Mangekyō Sharingan, Wood Release, Perfect Sage Mode, and even a Chakra Fruit. What you draw depends entirely on the host's luck."
"Okay... Wait, I can use this to choose my own background, right?"
"Yes, host." For some reason, the system had a bad feeling.
"Good. Then give me this identity." Ye Shifei wore a sinister grin.
"My maternal grandfather and grandmother were a member of the Uzumaki Clan and a member of the Hyuga Clan who had been lost to the outside world. My paternal grandfather is Madara Uchiha, and my paternal grandmother is a member of the Senju Clan who was lost to the outside world. As for my name, I'll follow local customs and pick a Japanese name. I'll be Uchiha Hise."
"..."
"Host, I'd give that move an 82 out of 100. I'll give you the rest as 666."
"Much obliged."
"..."
"Entering the Ninja World. Target reached. The host is about to be born."
Year 6 of Konoha.
That evening, in a small town on the border of the Land of Fire, a middle-aged man with long, loose hair was drinking himself into a stupor at a tavern. He kept muttering things like "traitor" and "betrayed our friendship." No one nearby dared approach him. On the back of his clothes was a fan emblem—the crest of the Uchiha Clan.
This man was the former leader of the Uchiha Clan, Madara Uchiha, the Asura of the Ninja World, whose name was spoken in the same breath as the God of Shinobi.
In Year 5 of Konoha, Madara Uchiha had left the Hidden Leaf Village after falling out with his best friend over their ideals. He went in search of a new path. As he recalled everything that had happened along the way, he tried to drown his sorrows in drink. In the end, the more he drank, the worse he felt, until he was dead drunk.
"Boss, the bill. And bring me another jug." After paying, he picked up the jug and left. He didn't try to sober up, but stumbled along as if he had no destination.
As he passed an alley, he heard someone crying for help. He stopped and looked toward the sound. Two men who appeared to be in their thirties were dragging a woman deeper into the alley as she struggled to resist.
Though Madara Uchiha would later use Obito to throw the Ninja World into chaos, dragging the whole world into a dreamscape with him, his original intentions had been good. He had earnestly sought a path to peace, only to be used by others. So he couldn't stand seeing the weak bullied—especially when the victim was an unarmed, ordinary woman.
"Hey, hic, let her go, hic." (Let me handle this. ಡωಡ)
"Bakayarou! Which bastard's getting in the way of this lord's business? I'm a shinobi!"
"Exactly. If you don't want to die, get lost."
"Tch, a bastard like you, hic, calling yourself a shinobi is an insult to the word, hic."
"Damn you, drunk! Mind your own business. Die! Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
As he spoke, a fireball came flying at Madara. It was about the size of a basketball—truly a ball.
"Tch. That's all? It's nothing."
Madara tossed his jug into the air, then used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of the lead man. One punch crushed the man's heart. He casually threw a Kunai into the chest of the man's lackey, then reached out and caught the jug as it fell.
"Tch. Trash."
He turned to look at the woman and spoke in a low voice. "Hey, don't be afraid. They're dead. You're safe now."
Then he let out a few more drunken hiccups.
The woman looked up at Madara Uchiha, wiped away her tears, and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you. Thank you, sir."
She looked about twenty-one or twenty-two, with delicate features and fair skin. Though she wore coarse hemp clothing, it did nothing to diminish her striking beauty.
As Madara Uchiha looked at her pitiful appearance through his drunken haze, his heart gave a sudden lurch. Feeling inexplicably guilty, he took a big swig of liquor.
"Don't be afraid. You're safe now. You should go home, too."
And then... nothing else happened. The Asura who had dominated the Ninja World passed out drunk in front of someone for the first time. (ಡωಡ)
"Uh..."
The woman seemed at a loss. She wanted to help him back to her home so he could rest, but she didn't know whether it was dangerous to bring a stranger there. She was torn.
"Forget it. He saved my life. If not for him, I'd have fallen into those scumbags' hands. Even if he has bad intentions, I'll accept it. Besides... he's so handsome. ๑＞＜๑"
As a member of the Uchiha Clan, Madara Uchiha naturally had good looks. Even at thirty-six, he looked about twenty-five or twenty-six. His long hair gave him a charm all his own.
She took him home and laid him on a mat. Madara Uchiha fell asleep just like that, while the woman lay beside him, watching him. Along the way, Madara Uchiha had noticed her supporting him. As if in a daze, he had followed her. With a sidelong glance, he cast a genjutsu. If she tried to hurt him, it would activate and leave her unable to move.
The more the woman looked at him, the more entranced she became. Wasn't this exactly what they meant by a hero saving a beauty? What should she do? How could she repay him? Offer herself to him? Ahhh, Sakuragi Ri, how could she think something like that? It was so embarrassing! But she was still looking forward to it. (๑＞＜๑)
In the middle of the night, Madara turned over. A faint, sweet fragrance drifted by, and, drunk, he grabbed in that direction and pulled. The woman cried out, but went along with it, half resisting and half yielding. Before long, delightful sounds came from the room.
The next morning, as daylight broke, Madara Uchiha looked at the woman in his arms as a stampede of a thousand horses raced through his mind.
"You, me, this..."
"You're awake. Don't... no, don't blame yourself. Actually, I woke up, too. I... I did it willingly."
After speaking, she lowered her head, blushing.
Madara Uchiha stared lifelessly up at the ceiling. He had never even considered settling down and starting a family. Losing several of his younger brothers as a child had hit him hard, so he wanted to end the wars and create a world where children wouldn't have to go to battle and fathers wouldn't have to leave their wives and children to die on the battlefield.
When he was twelve, he had met Hashirama Senju, who shared his dream. The two of them had eventually founded the Hidden Leaf Village together. But in the process, Madara lost his father and his last remaining brother, Izuna. The peace they established afterward had been nothing more than a temporary, false peace.
Now, he had parted ways with Hashirama and was preparing to obtain Hashirama's power so he could awaken the Rinnegan. He'd stopped to drink and ease his mind, never expecting something like this to happen.
"Alas, I... can't take responsibility for you. I still have something I must do. I can't give up halfway."
A look of disappointment appeared in the woman's eyes, but she forced a smile. "I... I still don't know your name. C-could you tell me?"
After a moment of silence, Madara Uchiha replied, "My name is Madara Uchiha."
"You! You! You're Madara Uchiha! Th-this..."
"That's right. I'm Madara Uchiha."
"Then... could you tell me what you're going to do? I... I'll wait for you to come back."
The woman gathered her courage and spoke.
By then, they had both gotten dressed, and Madara Uchiha was preparing to leave. He didn't want to stay there a moment longer. Her words made him pause. When he came back to himself, he said, "Bring true peace to the Ninja World."
Then he headed for the door. At the entrance, he stopped, softened his tone, and said, "I still don't know your name."
"My name is Sakuragi Ri. My original name was Senju Yeri."
Madara Uchiha stopped and murmured, "One of Hashirama's clansmen? Heh. Our ties really do keep crossing."
"If I succeed, I'll come find you. If I don't return, you don't have to wait for me. Until we meet again."
Before you continue