Warm morning sunlight spilled into every corner of the Ninja Academy.
The flagstone path was spotless. The shade of the trees on either side broke the sunlight into scattered flecks of gold. In the distant training grounds, children were already running wild in twos and threes, their laughter drifting over on the breeze. It sounded quite lively.
Zongyan walked along the tree-lined path, his face expressionless, but his mind was anything but at ease.
The muttering at the school gates still lingered in his ears, clinging like spiderwebs he could not shake off.
Along the way, any child who spotted the fan-shaped clan crest on his back either instinctively gave him a wider berth or huddled with others to whisper, their gazes evasive. Not one dared approach him to talk.
...Fine. I expected this.
Zongyan silently turned that page in his mind.
His thoughts were elsewhere today-the moment he entered the campus, a long list of plans had already unfurled in his head.
Itachi was working as a double agent in the Anbu, and Fugaku was steadily winning people over within the clan, but those efforts alone were still far too flimsy to take on old foxes like Danzo and the Third.
The waters of Konoha ran too deep, and the Uchiha's battered ship stood out far too much. The slightest tilt could capsize it.
I'm still not strong enough. If only I had a cheat...
He sighed inwardly as he walked.
[Ding-host detected officially beginning his journey. Family Lottery System binding complete.]
Zongyan stopped so abruptly that he stood rooted in the middle of the path.
An emotionless mechanical voice had suddenly exploded inside his head without the slightest warning.
His heart abruptly clenched, and a surge of wild joy shot through him, nearly overwhelming him.
But in the very next second, he slammed that joy back down himself.
No!
This is the Ninja Academy. Konoha ninja are everywhere, along with informants planted by the Anbu.
Genjutsu! There's a very good chance this is genjutsu!
Could Danzo or the Konoha High Command have noticed him, an Uchiha child, and secretly cast a mental genjutsu on him, creating the illusion of a system to pry into his inner thoughts?
That was by no means impossible.
Genjutsu existed in the world of Naruto, after all. Making his wishes come true inside an illusion would be child's play.
He stood where he was, his expression unchanged, as though admiring the flowers and trees by the path, letting none of the passing children notice anything amiss.
Mentally, however, he immediately got to work, repeatedly checking himself.
First, he mobilized his meager chakra and circulated it through his body, carefully sensing whether its flow showed any signs of sluggishness, distortion, or tampering by an outside force.
Once, twice, three times... His chakra flowed smoothly and naturally, without the slightest abnormality suggesting interference from genjutsu.
Then he pinched his palm. A sharp pain registered clearly, the physical feedback unmistakably real.
Finally, he silently added one last test: Release genjutsu.
The mechanical voice deep within his mind remained unmoved, and the world around him did not shatter into pieces. The sunlight still shone on him, and the leaves still swayed in the wind.
Only then did Zongyan slowly exhale a stale breath.
...It's real. Not genjutsu. The cheat really came.
The wild joy he had suppressed could no longer be contained. It surged up all at once, flooding his chest.
He had been reborn into the Shinobi World six years ago. He had waited a day, a week, a month, a year, but nothing had happened.
Later, he had stopped waiting and focused on keeping himself safe and developing through his own efforts, changing whatever little he could.
He had thought he would spend this whole life that way, relying on his brains and foreknowledge to carve out a future bit by bit.
And yet, today, this thing had arrived.
System.
He called out inwardly, keeping his voice low.
[Hello, host. This is the Family Lottery System, designed to help you develop and strengthen your clan.]
A pale blue, translucent panel that only he could see materialized out of thin air within his mind.
The interface was clean and simple, with the host's information displayed at the very top:
[Host: Uchiha Zongyan] [Age: 6] [Bloodline: Uchiha (ordinary, Sharingan not yet awakened)] [Rank: Lower-ranked ninja] [Skills: Three Basic Techniques, Great Fireball Technique, Uchiha Swordsmanship] [Lottery draws: 1] [Items owned: None]
Zongyan's gaze settled on the panel. He carefully examined every line, then continued asking curiously in his mind, System, explain the specific rules.
The mechanical voice promptly gave a patient explanation.
[This system's core function is the family lottery.] [Each calendar month, the host will automatically receive one free lottery draw. Draws cannot accumulate; any draw unused that month will expire.] [The prize pool contains a wide variety of rewards, including items from across the myriad worlds.] [Higher-quality prize pools will unlock as the clan's overall strength and reputation increase. The stronger the clan becomes, the better the items available to draw.]
After listening, Zongyan mulled it over.
...So you're saying I can't just coast to victory on lottery draws. I have to lead the Uchiha toward greater strength myself before the prize pool improves?
[Yes. Your understanding is correct, host.]
He could not help rolling his eyes inwardly. Then what if I draw Pangu's Heaven-Opening Axe on my very first try?
[Pangu's Heaven-Opening Axe belongs to the highest-quality prize pool and cannot be drawn from the current pool.]
...Fine. I knew it.
His gaze settled on the line reading "Lottery draws: 1," and he began to itch with anticipation.
He had finished reading the beginner's guide. Why save this free draw for the New Year instead of using it?
But he did not choose to draw immediately.
This was a school, after all, with people coming and going, surrounded by Konoha's children and patrolling ninja.
Although only he could see the system panel, what if the drawing process caused some kind of disturbance?
What if he drew something good and a "Legendary!" golden special effect popped up?
Causing trouble here would be the same as writing "There's something wrong with this Uchiha child" across his face and presenting it to the Anbu.
...No rush. I'll wait until I'm home. Even if it really does cause a disturbance, at least Mom, Dad, and Itachi will be there to cover for me.
Zongyan silently put the panel away and resumed walking, his expression unchanged.
...After four years of waiting, it's finally here.
He silently murmured to himself, the corners of his mouth lifting almost imperceptibly. All right, student Zongyan. As of today, your Shinobi World run has officially loaded its cheat.
Before you continue