Year 54 of Konoha.
Three years had passed since the Night of the Nine-Tails.
At the Hatake home, a lean young man stared at the mirror in shock.
Long, silver-white hair, an exceptionally handsome face, and a conspicuous Konoha Forehead Protector on his forehead.
"Is this... did I become Kakashi?"
Lin Feng muttered, shock still written across his face.
Then a flood of familiar memories surged into his mind, making Lin Feng grunt. Scenes from the past flashed vividly before him. Only as the pain faded did he finally regain his senses and fully accept this new body.
Taking in the Japanese-style bedroom around him, the young man looked startled.
It turned out he wasn't Kakashi, but Kakashi's older brother, Hatake Shinichi.
Ever since he had crossed into this world eighteen years ago and become one of the surviving Hatake clansmen, he had wandered alone, with no one to turn to. It wasn't until Hatake Sakumo brought him back from a battlefield ten years ago and adopted him that he became Kakashi's older brother.
For some unknown reason, the memories of his previous life had never awakened, and he had simply spent seven years in the Hatake household. Only a moment ago had those memories finally awakened. The two sets of memories merged seamlessly, creating the person he was now.
"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it."
Lin Feng had always been unflappable-or, less charitably, carefree to the point of being thoughtless-and he quickly adapted to his new identity.
After all, in his previous life on Earth, he had been nothing more than an ordinary office worker. He had remained unmarried well into his thirties, his parents had died early, and he had drifted through each day. There wasn't much for him to miss.
His only real enjoyment had been watching anime, especially his favorite, Naruto.
Since he had a chance to live again, and in such an exciting world at that, he, Lin Feng, would make the most of this life as "Hatake Shinichi."
What a shame. Why couldn't my name be Hatake Kakadong instead of Hatake Washing Machine?
Someone entertained that thought with gleeful malice.
[Ding! The host's memories of his previous life have awakened... the talent trait system has officially bound to the host!]
So the cheat system every transmigrator needed had finally awakened!
No wonder his memories of his previous life had returned.
Lin Feng-no, Shinichi-suddenly understood and immediately wanted to ask what the system could do.
After all, this might have been the wonderfully exciting world of Naruto, but it was also incredibly dangerous!
"Just my luck! If only I'd awakened sooner, I wouldn't be so pathetically weak now!"
Shinichi had a very clear understanding of where he stood: a classic cannon-fodder weakling.
What made it worse was that he lived in Konoha. Whether it was Orochimaru's Konoha Crush plan during the Chunin Ninja Exams or the Six Paths of Pain's major assault on Konoha, his chances of dying horribly were extremely high!
"System, what functions do you have..."
Before he could finish, a massive stream of information flooded his mind, and he quickly learned how the system worked.
The talent trait system allowed him to extract high-quality talent traits by obtaining biological information from others, then enhance and transform those traits!
Biological information?
That meant cellular tissue containing DNA, such as hair, saliva, and blood.
Talent traits extracted from others could be enhanced and transformed by spending points. As for earning those points, that was simple enough: successfully changing someone else's fate would earn him a corresponding number of points.
[Ding! The system has detected that the host is far too weak and has issued a beginner's gift package. Would you like to claim it?]
"Claim it now!"
Was there even any need to think about it?
[Congratulations! The host has received the beginner's gift package! Talent trait extracted: "Fate Defier."]
A simple system panel appeared before his eyes.
Host: Hatake Shinichi Talent trait: [Fate Defier (purple): You are a unique being who crossed over from another world, giving you an innate ability to overturn fate. Luck always accompanies you. When you face mortal danger, your strength will increase by 300% in all respects! Your enemies' likelihood of suffering bad luck +500%!] Points: 0 Biological information database: None
"Whoa!"
Reading the information on the system panel, Shinichi couldn't help sucking in a sharp breath.
This was absurdly powerful!
In a desperate situation, his strength would surge threefold, while his enemies would suffer all sorts of bizarre misfortunes.
He hardly dared imagine it. If someone really came to kill him, would ridiculous things happen, like their chakra inexplicably running dry, or them tripping over flat ground as they attacked and landing face-first in a pile of roadside poop?
The system's talent traits were ranked from weakest to strongest as follows: white, blue, red, purple, and gold.
Fate Defier was only a purple trait, yet it already possessed such a strange ability to manipulate cause and effect. Shinichi couldn't help looking forward to discovering just how heaven-defying those legendary gold traits would be.
"With the system backing me up, what the hell do I have to fear?"
Shinichi was secretly thrilled.
He wasn't afraid of this world's dangers. He was afraid of having no way to grow stronger!
So I have to change other people's fates to earn the points needed to enhance talent traits?
Looking at the pitiful "0" on the panel, Shinichi rubbed his chin in thought.
This system really was considerate. Now that he had arrived in the regret-filled world of Naruto, he naturally wanted to change the fates of its tragic characters. The system's method of awarding points aligned perfectly with his own intentions!
Not a single Naruto character who didn't deserve to die is allowed to die on my watch. Even if you die, I'll bring you back!
And those bastards who deserve to die won't escape my judgment either!
With me, Hatake Washing Machine (Shinichi), in the world of Naruto, there will be no more regrets!
Night fell.
"Kakashi, dinner's ready."
Shinichi knocked on Kakashi's bedroom door, then glanced with satisfaction at the table full of dishes he had carefully prepared.
"Big brother, I'm not hungry. Go ahead without me..."
Kakashi's utterly despondent voice drifted through the gap in the door.
Bam!
Instead, Shinichi barged straight through the door and forcibly dragged the masked Kakashi out of his room.
At sixteen, Kakashi should have been brimming with youth and energy. Instead, his face was gloomy, his eyes dull and lifeless. He looked utterly listless, without the slightest spark of vitality.
It wasn't really his fault.
Hatake Sakumo's suicide, Obito and Rin's horrific deaths, and the deaths of Minato and his wife...
Kakashi had witnessed almost all these tragedies firsthand. No matter how gifted he was, he was still only a boy. Naturally, they had left his heart battered and broken.
If he hadn't had Shinichi as an older brother, his heart would probably have sunk even deeper into darkness.
"Not eating? Then I made all this food for nothing! I'm telling you, even if you can't stomach it, you're going to force it down today!"
Shinichi glared at him, but as he turned sideways, he discreetly brushed a hand over the pillow on Kakashi's bed.
He clutched a few silver-white hairs in his hand.
Kakashi noticed nothing. He merely glanced at the lavish spread on the table and asked helplessly, "Big brother, are we celebrating something today? Why did you make so much food..."
"Can't we eat well without something to celebrate? It's not like the Hatake Clan is short on money. I felt like it!"
Shinichi replied irritably.
Although the entire Hatake Clan now consisted of just the two brothers, its numbers reduced to almost nothing.
The Hatake Clan had once been a prominent clan in Konoha, and the properties Hatake Sakumo had left behind were still there. As Shinichi put it, they were so poor that all they had left was money and good looks.
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