(Author revised the protagonist's age, so please forgive any places that weren't updated.)
By the river, a slender, black-haired boy sat cross-legged on the bank.
He wore a black short-sleeved shirt, with the Uchiha Clan's distinctive crest prominently printed on the back.
A trace of childishness lingered on his face. A gentle breeze stirred a few strands of hair over his forehead, painting a lovely picture.
He gazed at the river before him. Its surface was as still as a mirror, without the slightest ripple.
It had been nine years since he'd crossed over, and the Night of the Uchiha Massacre was only four years away.
(He'd been reincarnated as a baby.)
"Damn it, what am I supposed to do with such lousy talent?!"
Whenever Uchiha Ao thought about how he'd become part of Itachi's path to enlightenment, he couldn't help grumbling.
He'd have been better off crossing over as an ordinary civilian than as an Uchiha at this point in time.
Uchiha Ao shook his head, braced one hand on the ground, and stood up. Then he silently called, "System."
[Name: Uchiha Ao] [Age: Nine] [Bloodline: Uchiha Bloodline (Bottom-of-the-Barrel Level)] [Total Chakra: One-tenth of a Card] [Chakra Nature: Fire] [Skills: Fire Style: Lighter Jutsu, Transformation Technique, Substitution Technique...] [Items: None] [Daily Mission: Practice Fire Style (Incomplete)] [Main Mission: Win over through reason; persuade Uchiha Shisui through force (Incomplete)]
He had a system, but what bothered him was its rule: he couldn't get the newbie gift pack until he completed the main mission.
Damn it, whose system made its newbie gift pack so hard to get?
Uchiha Ao stood there and viciously kicked a rock by the river to vent his frustration.
The rock went tumbling into the water with a plunk, kicking up a small ring of splashes. The river's surface quickly went still again.
"I'll do the daily mission first," Uchiha Ao sighed.
The system's missions were divided into main missions and daily missions.
Although he couldn't complete the main mission and get the newbie gift pack, the rewards for daily missions were pretty good.
That was how he'd managed to build up one-tenth of a card's worth of chakra by the age of nine.
Standing by the riverbank, Uchiha Ao formed Hand Seals and took a deep breath, his chest heaving.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!" he shouted. A scorching blaze, accompanied by waves of heat, surged from his mouth and instantly engulfed a giant tree ahead.
The stench of charred wood filled the air. Uchiha Ao looked at the devastation before him, but didn't feel satisfied.
He knew that even with the boost from the system's daily missions, his bottom-of-the-barrel Uchiha Bloodline left him far behind Shisui and Itachi.
"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have completed the main mission. Your newbie gift pack has been issued."
Uchiha Ao had been practicing Fire Style when he heard the system notification. He froze, then slowly formed a question mark.
How had he completed the main mission out of nowhere?
Just as Uchiha Ao stood there, baffled, a soft voice called from behind him. "Little brother, there you are."
He turned around and saw a girl in the same black short-sleeved shirt as his walking toward him.
It was Uchiha Izumi.
Her long, ink-black hair fell down her back. She had lovely features and lively eyes filled with concern, and a gentle smile played on her lips. There was just a hint of fatigue on her face.
"Come here and let your big sister hug you." Before her little brother could react, Uchiha Izumi used the Body Flicker Technique to appear in front of him. She slipped both arms under his and hugged him tight, then took a deep breath of his scent, looking utterly blissful.
As a proper member of the Uchiha Clan, Uchiha Ao was already used to Sister Izumi's brother-complex.
Uchiha Izumi pressed her cheek against Ao's and rubbed it against his before finally letting go.
At long last, Uchiha Ao could move his arms again. The moment he heard Sister Izumi speak, the corner of his mouth twitched, his face full of helplessness.
When he'd crossed over, his parents in this life had died in an accident while on a mission. Sister Izumi's family had taken him in.
Of course he knew who Uchiha Izumi was: Itachi's little fangirl in the original story.
But this Izumi seemed different from the one he knew.
Ever since her family had taken him in, she'd become incredibly clingy.
He really did like having Uchiha Izumi sticking to him every moment of the day. But whenever he thought about how Itachi would kill Sister Izumi on the Night of the Uchiha Massacre, he couldn't help wanting to take Itachi out right then and there.
"Sister Izumi, I still have to train." Seeing her about to rub her face against his again, Uchiha Ao took a deep breath and gently held her by the shoulders.
Uchiha Izumi couldn't stand for that. She wasn't allowed to cuddle with her little brother?
Her eyes instantly reddened, as if she were about to cry, and her voice took on a plaintive note. "Little brother, I just want to spend more time with you. How am I bothering you? I know you think I'm annoying and clingy, but is it wrong for your big sister to care about you?"
As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, her shoulders trembling as she put on a pitiful act.
Looking at Sister Izumi, Uchiha Ao's mouth twitched wildly.
Sister Izumi, did you know you looked like a little schemer right now?
In the end, he sighed, rubbed his cheek against Izumi's, and gently hugged her. "Sister Izumi, just for a little while, okay? I still have to train."
"Mm-hmm, just one 'millionth' of a while." Uchiha Izumi nodded quickly. Her eyes, which had been glistening with tears, lit up at once, and her lips curved into a wide smile. Her face was full of contentment.
She hugged Uchiha Ao tightly, rubbing her head against his shoulder again and again, as if she wanted to press her whole body against him.
An hour later, Uchiha Ao was lying on Sister Izumi's lap.
Three hours later.
Uchiha Ao: Zzz... Zzz...
As evening drew near.
"How did I fall asleep?" Uchiha Ao opened his eyes. Seeing the sky already growing dark, he shot upright from Izumi's lap.
Uchiha Izumi jumped at his sudden movement, then gave him a warm smile and gently reassured him. "Ao, don't rush. There's nothing wrong with taking a nap. You've been training so hard lately. Getting enough rest will help you train better."
As she spoke, she hugged Uchiha Ao and gently patted his back.
"That's weird. Why did I fall asleep? Was Sister Izumi's lap pillow just too comfortable?" Uchiha Ao was used to being hugged by Izumi, so he didn't pull away.
Uchiha Izumi smiled without answering, a hint of cunning flickering in her eyes.
That night, the two of them returned home.
"Uchiha Izumi!" Izumi's Mother scolded her. "How could you keep Ao out for so long? It's pitch-black outside! Do you have any idea how worried I was?" Izumi's Mother stood with her hands on her hips, brow furrowed, her face full of worry and reproach.
Uchiha Izumi lowered her head like a child who'd done something wrong. "Mom, I'm sorry. We were just hanging out by the river, and I lost track of time." She glanced up to see her mother's stern expression, then quickly lowered her head again.
Uchiha Ao scratched his head, feeling a little embarrassed. "Auntie, it's not Sister Izumi's fault. I'm the one who lost track of time. Please don't be mad."
Looking at the well-behaved Ao, Izumi's Mother softened a little and sighed. "Never mind. You're home now, and that's what matters. Go wash your hands. Dinner's ready."
After dinner, Uchiha Ao returned to his room.
The system seemed to have told him during the day that he'd completed the main mission. He still didn't know how, but at long last, after five years, the newbie gift pack had arrived.
Uchiha Ao lay on his bed and silently called out:
"Open the newbie gift pack."
For an instant, his vision blurred, and his whole body shuddered.
"Ding! Newbie gift pack opened."
"Reward obtained: Otsutsuki Bloodline (Blank Slate)"
"Ding! Uchiha Bloodline detected in host. It has been automatically integrated. Otsutsuki Bloodline development: two percent."
"..."
So... had he become a member of the Ōtsutsuki Clan?
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