Land of Fire, Konoha, Ninja Academy
Today was the Ninja Academy's annual enrollment season. The once-empty playground was packed with people, and a crowd of young children craned their necks, waiting for the village's leader, Sarutobi Hiruzen, to speak.
For the occasion, Sarutobi Hiruzen had specially put on the ceremonial robes that symbolized the Hokage.
Suddenly, a piercing scream made the entire crowd fall silent.
"Ah!!!"
The sound came from a young Uchiha named Uchiha Lihuo. At that moment, however, his body was occupied by a young man from the Blue Star.
Along with a terrible headache, the memories of Lihuo's predecessor crashed over him like waves.
Thanks to the powerful spirit he'd brought with him, Lihuo quickly digested all of his predecessor's memories.
His predecessor was named Uchiha Lihuo. Born in Konoha's thirty-fourth year, he was the same age as Hatake Kakashi and the others. His parents had both been Chunin of the Uchiha Clan and had tragically died in the Second Shinobi World War, leaving behind only some savings and a house.
I've transmigrated? And into the world of Naruto, my favorite series?
With my knowledge of the story, I don't want to live a mediocre life this time!
I'll make up for the regrets I couldn't resolve before, achieve things I never could have imagined, and live the most exciting life possible!
Just as Lihuo trembled slightly with excitement at having transmigrated,
a cold, mechanical voice rang in his mind.
"System binding successful. This is the Head-Patting System. Pat someone on the head to obtain some of their abilities."
The concise words were short and forceful, but they made Lihuo's already excited eyes narrow.
Based on all the web novels I've read, this has to be my cheat!
But this system is way too weird. So the way to get stronger is to keep patting people on the head?
Though Lihuo's mind had been racing ever since he transmigrated,
to outsiders, all they'd seen was a young Uchiha suddenly shouting in the middle of the enrollment ceremony, then lowering his head and muttering to himself.
It was hard not to be surprised. The first to notice Lihuo was fellow Uchiha Uchiha Obito.
After Lihuo became an orphan, Obito and his grandmother had helped him a lot, and the two had become friends.
"Lihuo! Are you okay? Did you awaken your Sharingan from the excitement of starting school?"
The hot-blooded airhead Obito asked loudly, prompting a group of young Uchiha to laugh.
"Obito, if it were that easy to awaken the Sharingan, I'd have had three tomoe ages ago! Hahahaha!"
The laughter of his fellow clan members made Obito's face turn bright red. He adjusted his goggles and fell silent.
Just as Lihuo finished processing everything that had happened, someone unexpected appeared in front of him.
The Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen!
Drawn by the sound, he had used the Body Flicker Technique to appear right in front of Lihuo, then slowly crouched down.
"Talented young Uchiha, what's your name?"
Looking at Sarutobi Hiruzen before him, Lihuo felt a strange sense of unfamiliarity.
The Sarutobi Hiruzen before him wasn't the kindly old grandfather from the anime.
Though he looked somewhat aged, the Hiruzen in front of him radiated an overwhelming presence, both in appearance and aura.
It was clear to anyone that the man before them was the leader of Konoha, the greatest ninja village in the Shinobi World, and the "Professor of Ninjutsu," Sarutobi Hiruzen, who had mastered thousands of jutsu.
The Third Hokage's question was unhurried, yet somehow carried an air that made it hard to refuse.
Though Lihuo couldn't escape the pressure of Hiruzen's strength, having lived two lives meant that the pressure of his status barely fazed him.
Looking at the Third Hokage crouched in front of him, Lihuo fell into thought.
His eyes shifted, and in an instant, an "evil" plan came to mind.
Lihuo widened his eyes and gazed at the Third Hokage with pure innocence.
"Lord Hokage, nothing's wrong. It's just..."
"Uchiha Obito insulted my dream of becoming Hokage!!!"
Obito: (;￣O￣)!!!
"Cut it out, Lihuo! When did I ever insult you? Besides, I'm the one who's definitely going to become Hokage!"
Seeing that it was just a quarrel between children, the Third Hokage didn't take it to heart.
"You all want to become Hokage? Then keep working hard together. One day, you'll make it."
Lihuo had been waiting for the Third Hokage to speak. Seeing him start to rise, he hurriedly said,
"Thank you, Lord Third. May I touch your Hokage hat to motivate myself?"
At that, the Third Hokage clearly froze. He hadn't expected the boy to ask for that.
Afraid the Hokage might refuse, Lihuo immediately reached for Hiruzen's head.
"Ding! You patted an S-rank ninja: Third Hokage—Sarutobi Hiruzen. Choose five of the following rewards."
"Chakra of all five natures and their nature transformations"
"Sealing Jutsu: Reaper Death Seal"
"Kage Level chakra control"
"Kage Level hand-seal speed"
"Ten random ninjutsu"
"Choose one composite jutsu"
"Proficiency at wielding a big, thick, black stick"
The system's icy voice rang in Lihuo's mind like heavenly music.
As he looked over the dazzling array of rewards, Lihuo's breathing grew noticeably heavier.
I bet right!
This is a huge payday. I've got my first step toward dominating the Shinobi World!
The patted Third Hokage knew nothing of Lihuo's little scheme. Seeing the boy's unmistakable excitement, he thought he'd truly inspired him and smiled kindly.
So the Uchiha Clan still had young people full of energy.
Watching his best friend receive such special treatment, Uchiha Obito was clearly envious.
"Lord Hokage... um... I'd like to..."
Before Obito could finish, Sarutobi Hiruzen had already used the Body Flicker Technique to return to the podium, bringing the commotion to an end.
Lihuo nudged Obito with his elbow.
"See? Opportunity favors those who are prepared."
Obito: (ToT)
Thanks to Lihuo's "dream of becoming Hokage," the Third Hokage was greatly encouraged and stretched his speech out by a whole hour.
The children below looked utterly hopeless, clearly bewildered by the old man's rambling.
Lihuo, however, looked very interested.
It wasn't because the Hokage's words had truly moved him. He was suffering from a level of indecision he'd never experienced before.
I want them all! The rewards for an S-rank ninja are way too good!
But what the heck is "proficiency at wielding a big, thick, black stick"?
Still, I get to choose five out of seven. Five out of seven—I've done this one before!
"Chakra of all five natures and their nature transformations" was a must. It was the foundation for making his way through the Shinobi World.
"Reaper Death Seal" was powerful, but unnecessary. It was in the Book of Seals, and there was a good chance he'd die if he used it anyway.
He really wanted to pick both "chakra control" and "hand-seal speed," too.
Though the big names later on could just slap their hands together and summon whatever they wanted, hand-seal speed really mattered in the early stages.
You only had to look at Zabuza's ridiculous Water Dragon Bullet, which required forty-three hand seals, to see that.
With fast enough hand seals, he could gain the upper hand in the current Shinobi World.
As for "chakra control," it went without saying—every strong ninja needed it.
After thinking it over for a long time, Lihuo finally made his decision.
Before you continue