Cangshu Qianyu, Reporting for Duty

Six years later, atop the Hokage Rock in Konoha.

Qianyu sat slumped in the shadow of the First Hokage's nose, looking utterly disheveled as he stared up at the sky, which had been scorched a deep orange by the setting sun.

"Damn it all," he muttered, chewing on a piece of foxtail grass he'd plucked from the roadside. "You bring me to this high-risk world, but there's no golden finger, no 'ding' from a system, and my starter pack was just a Nine-Tails face-to-face kill and a VIP-edition White Zetsu spectator package..."

The mere thought made his molars ache.

The bedboards at the orphanage were as hard as stone, but what kept him awake at night wasn't the discomfort—it was the feeling of being watched.

The first time, he thought he was dreaming, but when he groggily cracked his eyes open, he saw it: less than twenty centimeters from his nose, a head covered in wild, white hair lay on the floor. A pair of round, bean-like eyes were staring at him unblinkingly, a grin stretched wide to the ears.

Qianyu had nearly suffered cardiac arrest. He squeezed his eyes shut, his entire body stiffening like a corpse. When he finally dared to peek again, the thing was gone.

As it happened more often, he was forced to get used to it. Sometimes it was on the floor, sometimes on the wall, and once, it even hung upside down from the ceiling to watch him sleep. That twisted, white-clay-like physique, as if molded by a mischievous child and left to dry, was unmistakable—it was the same bizarre White Zetsu that had shielded him from falling bricks during the Nine-Tails incident!

What did it want? Was it acting on orders from Madara Uchiha or Obito? Was this some twisted, long-term observational experiment? Qianyu couldn't fathom it, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he met those bean-like eyes that seemed to be watching for pure amusement, he felt like a fish kept in a glass bowl for someone else's entertainment.

"And then there's the 'Crown Prince'..." Qianyu sighed. During his brief time at the orphanage, Naruto Uzumaki's dazzling blonde hair and whisker-like birthmarks were always the most conspicuous, and he was always the most ostracized.

When the wet nurse distributed food, Naruto's portion was always the smallest and thinnest. Qianyu had discovered that his own body was a bit strange; he felt full after eating only a little, and he grew hungry slowly. Unable to watch the boy lick his lips while pretending he wasn't hungry, he often pushed his own leftover mush toward him.

"Here, I'm not hungry."

Naruto would always widen his blue eyes, look at the mush, then back at him, before breaking into a big, silly grin. "You're so nice! My name is Naruto! What's yours?"

"Qianyu."

"Qianyu! I'll remember that!"

Later, when Naruto was about three, he was taken away, supposedly for "special care." Qianyu had a rough idea of what that meant, and could only wish him luck in his heart.

The wind picked up, causing his robes to snap loudly. Qianyu sat up and brushed back the long hair that was obstructing his view. The blurry reflection in a nearby puddle showed a face that, while still childish, already hinted at astonishing potential—delicate features and fair skin.

Especially that beautiful, long hair, inherited from unknown genes; it was, indeed... very handsome.

"Tsk, if all else fails, can I just rely on my looks?" He touched his chin, then scoffed at himself. In this ninja world where might made right, being pretty would likely just make his death more flamboyant.

In the distance, the bell rang at the Ninja Academy, and a group of little kids in uniform spilled out, chattering away.

Qianyu watched them, his expression slowly changing. The unwillingness to accept his fate was still there. Having ended up here for no reason, was he really destined to live a mediocre life, only to die in some nameless mission or become background dust in a great war?

Besides, there was a White Zetsu watching from the shadows. He needed some form of self-preservation, or at the very least... he needed to figure out what was so special about him that the twisted White Zetsu felt compelled to watch him constantly.

Since he was here, he would make the best of it. But making the best of it didn't mean lying flat.

He climbed off the Hokage Rock and dusted off his pants. The setting sun cast a long shadow behind him, his long hair fluttering in the breeze.

"Ninja Academy, huh..." Qianyu jumped down the relatively gentle slope and headed toward the town, his goal clear—the orphanage office, where the registration forms were kept. "No system? Fine. No golden finger? Fine."

"At the very least... I'll out-grind all of you."

He whispered to himself, a faint glimmer finally igniting in his eyes—a light belonging to his age, yet mixed with something else entirely.

On a tree trunk not far away, a small mass of white matter slowly sank into the bark, leaving behind only a slightly curved mark that looked like a smile of satisfaction and anticipation, before vanishing completely.

One week later.

The line at the Ninja Academy registration desk was crooked, filled with the typical clamor of six-year-olds.

Qianyu stood alone in the middle of the line, his black hair tied back, carefully observing his future classmates. Shino Aburame and Kiba Inuzuka were engaged in a childish bug-and-dog skirmish, while Ino was glaring fiercely at Kiba as he tried to get closer.

Hinata Hyuga was shyly watching the blonde boy, Choji Akimichi was crunching on potato chips, and Shikamaru Nara was already leaning against the wall, yawning.

Just as he tried to move forward, the crowd suddenly went quiet for a moment and spontaneously parted.

Walking in was Fugaku Uchiha. The current head of the Uchiha clan, his face was stern with deep nasolabial folds. Dressed in a black kimono embroidered with the clan's fan crest, his gait was steady and carried an innate, imposing authority.

Beside him walked a young boy, also with black hair and eyes, his features delicate but carrying an air of arrogance—it was Sasuke Uchiha.

The father and son were not followed by a large entourage, but the invisible aura belonging to Konoha's premier clan still made the surrounding air feel heavy.

"It's Clan Head Fugaku!"

"Is he personally bringing Young Master Sasuke?"

"Well, he is his youngest son..."

Whispers rippled through the crowd. Fugaku ignored the reactions, leading Sasuke straight toward the registration desk, clearly enjoying the privilege of skipping the line. Sasuke followed quietly by his father's side, his small face expressionless, his gaze sweeping over the other children with a sense of detached scrutiny.

Qianyu only glanced at them casually. While it was rare for the clan head to show up in person, it made sense given Sasuke's status. He looked away, continuing to ponder how much of his ability he should reveal during the upcoming physical assessment. His physical fitness was definitely superior, but should he hide his true strength?

Just then—

Fugaku Uchiha, who was in the middle of a brief conversation with the registration teacher, perhaps waiting for Sasuke to fill out his form, let his gaze sweep unconsciously over the waiting crowd.

His eyes slid past Shikamaru's lazy back, past Choji's bulging cheeks, and then, without warning, collided with a pair of eyes that were looking around out of pure boredom.

Time seemed to stretch and warp in that moment, before slamming back into reality.

Fugaku Uchiha froze.

The mask of composure he usually wore shattered instantly. Surprise, confusion, and a shock that surged from the depths of his soul took hold. His pupils constricted to pinpricks, and his fingers, gripping the edge of his son's form, tightened so hard that the paper emitted a faint, tearing sound.

That face... that black, straight hair that retained its texture even when simply tied back... the structure of those brow bones...

Countless fragments of memory crashed into his mind. It wasn't the dignified, polished portrait from the clan's secret archives, but rather a glimpse he had caught as a child—a fleeting side profile seen during a rare, secret ritual attended by only a few elders, at the very moment the door to the deepest forbidden chamber in the shrine had accidentally swung open.

That legendary figure, whose mere silhouette had been enough to make him struggle to breathe, and whose half-profile had been etched into his memory ever since.

Madara Uchiha.

Although the age did not match and the temperament was worlds apart—before him stood merely a child with a gaze carrying a hint of detachment and appraisal—the foundation of those facial features, that vague yet soul-piercing sense of familiarity... it was too similar! Especially when he tilted his head slightly, revealing a certain angle of his jawline.

How could this be?! How could the imprint of that face, a forbidden name long buried by time and deliberately downplayed by the clan, appear on the face of a child of unknown origin?!

Fugaku felt a cold shiver crawl up his spine.

Cangshu Qianyu felt his skin crawl under that stare. The way the Uchiha clan head looked at him was as if he were seeing a ghost climbing out of a grave, filled with disbelief and profound wariness.

He frowned subconsciously and quickly looked away, alarm bells ringing in his heart: Trouble, massive trouble had come knocking! This damn handsome face really was a problem! He wasn't gay, was he?!

However, this subtle, resistant, and distant frown was like the final straw that crushed the composure Fugaku had been trying to maintain. Even these minute expressions carried a rhythm of familiarity that made his heart leap with dread.

"Father." Sasuke's cold voice rang out. He had finished filling out the form and looked up at his father, a trace of confusion flashing in his black eyes. He had keenly sensed the violent fluctuation in his father's emotions, something extremely rare in his memory.

Fugaku snapped back to reality, realizing his loss of composure had drawn the attention of his son and the registration teacher. He practically tore his gaze away from Qianyu's face and took a deep breath, his chest heaving slightly. When he spoke again, his voice was much deeper and hoarser than usual: "...Yes. Go take the test."

He signaled for Sasuke to follow the guide to the testing area, but he remained where he was, not leaving immediately. His gaze once again sank heavily toward Qianyu.

The registration teacher looked at Fugaku in confusion, then at the black-haired child not far away who was simply exceptionally handsome, completely failing to understand what had happened.

"Next, Cangshu Qianyu!"

Qianyu bit the bullet and walked forward, clearly feeling the gaze on his back, which felt as hot as a branding iron. He took the form and quickly filled in his basic information.

The first item was the basic physical fitness test: sprinting, long jump, and grip strength. Qianyu composed himself and focused on the test. When he ran, his body felt as light as if it had no weight, his strides coordinated and powerful. He deliberately controlled his explosive power, yet he still led the other children in his group by a clear margin.

During the long jump, he leaped casually and landed with ease, the distance causing the recording Chunin to nod. For the grip strength test, he gripped the dynamometer, felt it out, and applied a little force, causing the number to jump to a level that drew gasps from the parents observing nearby.

"Bone and muscle development is excellent, coordination is superb, and base strength... is far beyond his peers." The Chunin recorded this, looking at Qianyu with a bit more gravity. "Go to the chakra sensing test."

Qianyu walked toward the next area, catching a glimpse out of the corner of his eye of Fugaku Uchiha still standing in the same spot, whispering instructions to a clan member who had appeared out of nowhere, his gaze sweeping toward him from time to time.

In the more distant testing area, Sasuke was throwing shuriken with precision, each one pinning into the bullseye, drawing low sighs of admiration. Yet, his little face remained expressionless, only occasionally casting a probing look toward his father's direction and toward Qianyu.

The chakra sensing test required touching a sensor crystal. Qianyu placed his hand on it, holding his breath and focusing his mind.

"Chakra detected; qualified to become a ninja." The special Jonin in charge of the test gave his evaluation and recorded the result on the form. "Go to the waiting area and wait for the comprehensive assessment and class assignment inquiry."

Holding the form stamped with the "qualified" mark, Qianyu walked toward the relatively empty waiting area. He could feel many eyes on him—some curious because of his outstanding physical performance, some probing because of the Uchiha clan head's abnormal attention, and others from the shadows in the corner, that familiar line of sight.

He found a corner and sat down.

Not far away, Fugaku Uchiha finally ended his conversation with the clan member and took one last deep look at Qianyu, his expression complex and unreadable, before turning and walking toward the area where Sasuke had finished his test. His back remained straight, but his footsteps seemed heavier than when he had arrived.

Qianyu withdrew his gaze, leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and let out a long breath.

Entrance qualification, secured.

Physical fitness far exceeding the norm, confirmed.

Special attention from the Uchiha clan head, also maxed out.

The road ahead was uncertain, trouble was piling up, and White Zetsu was watching the show from the shadows.

But...

He opened his eyes, looking at the leaping figures on the Ninja Academy training ground, looking at the distant, towering Hokage Rock.

His fingertips unconsciously twisted the old cloth strip binding his hair.

"Fine by me," he whispered to himself, the corners of his mouth slowly curling up in a mix of "what the hell" resignation and faint excitement.

"Starting today, Cangshu Qianyu, officially entering the game."