It was a festive time in Konoha whenever the Ninja Academy opened enrollment. Parents proudly brought their children of eligible age to the academy, eager for them to become future shinobi.
But there were also orphans, like Ye Han, who came alone. Though Konoha had finally entered a period of peace after years of conflict, many children had still lost their parents to war. Fortunately, even orphans were provided the opportunity to receive a ninja education. Especially since Ye Han was an Uchiha, the village naturally expected his relatives to take him in—but Ye Han refused. He wanted to stay distant from the Uchiha clan, especially knowing what fate awaited them in the near future.
The classroom was bright and bustling. Ye Han sat in his assigned seat, recognizing some familiar faces—the children he often played with, including Hinata Hyuga. The atmosphere was filled with excitement. For many, it was their first day of school, and their enthusiasm overflowed.
Ye Han took this opportunity to make a strong first impression on his classmates.
Soon, a man entered the classroom. He looked to be in his early thirties, with a calm but firm demeanor. Instantly, the class quieted down.
"Alright, everyone settle down." The man smiled. "Let's begin with introductions. My name is Nakamura Morino. I will be your homeroom teacher for the next few years. I look forward to guiding all of you as you grow into fine ninja."
The students listened attentively.
"But before we continue," Nakamura added, "we have a special guest. Please welcome the Fourth Hokage."
The mention of the Hokage electrified the class. The Hokage was the strongest ninja and the most respected figure in the village—a hero parents often spoke of with reverence.
Ye Han immediately knew who the Fourth Hokage was—Minato Namikaze, the "Yellow Flash." In the anime and manga, Minato was known not just for his power, but for his kindness and charisma. However, Ye Han realized something critical: the Nine-Tails attack hadn't happened yet. Minato was still alive.
Moments later, Minato entered the room. He was even more impressive in person than he was in the anime—blonde hair, warm blue eyes, and his iconic white Hokage cloak edged with red flames, with "Fourth Hokage" embroidered on the back.
Ye Han, who had always admired Minato as a fan, was momentarily speechless.
Minato smiled and rubbed the back of his head, his expression as gentle as it was on screen. "Hello, everyone. I'm Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage. You are the future of this village, and I hope you all study hard and grow strong. Someday, one of you might even become the next Hokage."
The class was silent for a moment, then—
"I want to be Hokage too!" a little boy shouted excitedly.
"Me too!" another chimed in.
"Becoming Hokage is my dream!"
"Yeah! I'll protect the village!"
The room was lively with shouts of ambition. Ye Han watched the scene with a soft smile. He admired these children's dreams, but he had no intention of following the same path. His goal was simple: to survive. He didn't want power, glory, or fame—just a long, peaceful life.
Minato continued, "I'm happy so many of you share my dream. I believe that if you work hard, your dreams can come true. Now, let's get to know each other. Please introduce yourselves. Ninja must learn to work together. Maybe your future teammates are sitting beside you right now."
One by one, the students began their introductions.
The first boy stood up. "My name is Yamazaki Koji! I'm four years old, and I want to be Hokage and protect the village!"
"Very good. You'll need to work hard for that," Minato encouraged him.
Next, a little girl stood up. "My name is Futami Mieko! I'm four years old, and I want to be a strong kunoichi like Lady Tsunade!"
Minato chuckled lightly, picturing Tsunade's fearsome reputation. "Ah, that's a great goal. Tsunade is one of the strongest ninja alive."
Each student shared their dreams—most wanted to be great ninja or Hokage.
When it was Ye Han's turn, he stood and said simply, "Uchiha Ye Han. I'm four years old. My dream… is to live a good life." He sat down calmly.
The class whispered among themselves, surprised by his surname. The Uchiha clan was one of Konoha's two great noble clans, known for their Sharingan and powerful abilities.
Minato was briefly surprised by Ye Han's answer. Most children wanted to be heroes. Living a good life seemed like such a small dream in comparison. Nakamura, the homeroom teacher, quietly explained to Minato, "Ye Han's parents died in the last war. He's been living alone ever since."
Minato nodded thoughtfully. As an orphan himself, he could understand that. His gaze softened as he looked at Ye Han. "I'll do everything I can to make sure every child in this village can live happily," Minato said sincerely, as if making a personal promise to Ye Han.
Ye Han turned his head slightly, avoiding Minato's kind gaze. He didn't want anyone's attention. He just wanted to survive. But Minato's words still struck a chord in his heart.
As the introductions continued, Ye Han made mental notes of his classmates' names. He knew that some of these children could end up as his future teammates. He needed to remember them.
Suddenly, one name caught his attention.
"My name is Uchiha Obito. Nice to meet you all!"
The class buzzed with whispers—two Uchihas in the same class was unusual, especially since most students were from civilian families.
Ye Han froze. Uchiha Obito? Seriously?
He turned his head slowly and saw Obito sitting nearby—a cheerful boy with spiky hair and the typical Uchiha clan attire. Obito hadn't noticed Ye Han staring at him.
Is this for real? I'm actually in the same class as Obito Uchiha?
Ye Han knew Obito's tragic future all too well. Right now, Obito was just an ordinary kid, but he would eventually become the masked man, the bringer of the Fourth Great Ninja War.
Should I try to avoid him? Should I stop him? But can I even change anything? I'm not strong enough to interfere with fate. Heck, I might not even survive long enough to matter.
Obito noticed Ye Han's gaze and smiled, nodding in greeting. Ye Han instinctively nodded back, though he silently prayed they wouldn't become too close.
Suddenly—
Ding!
Main storyline connected. The System Mall has been activated!
Ye Han jolted out of his seat.
The classroom fell silent, all eyes turning to him.
Minato smiled gently. "Ye Han, is something the matter?"
His mind scrambled. He couldn't possibly explain that his cheat system had just gone online. In desperation, he blurted out the classic child's excuse, "I—I need to go to the bathroom!"
Minato laughed. "That's very important. Go ahead."
Embarrassed, Ye Han hurried out of the classroom, face burning. This is so humiliating!
But his excitement soon drowned out his shame. The mall system that had remained dormant for over six months had finally activated.
Ding!
System Mall activated. Bloodline Exchange unlocked. Combat Pavilion unlocked.
Yup. This is definitely from a Chinese online game… Ye Han thought, his emotions mixed. But wait, the Naruto world doesn't have pay-to-win cheats. This system might just save me!
He immediately checked the Bloodline Exchange. A wide selection of powerful kekkei genkai appeared. His eyes locked onto the most familiar one.
[Bloodline: Sharingan]
The Sharingan, passed down through the Uchiha clan. Evolves from one tomoe to three tomoe, can further awaken into the Mangekyō Sharingan and, with sufficient power, the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. With additional forces, can evolve into the Rinnegan.
One Tomoe: Basic visual enhancement, improved reaction speed.
Two Tomoe: Increased perception, limited copying ability.
Three Tomoe: Peak of standard Sharingan, advanced copying and prediction.
Mangekyō Sharingan: Unlocks unique, powerful abilities and enhanced illusions.
Ye Han's heart pounded. I can awaken the Sharingan… without trauma? This system might really let me bypass that cursed trigger.
His eyes then drifted to another bloodline:
[Bloodline: Wood Release]
The legendary kekkei genkai of the First Hokage, combining Earth and Water natures to create living wood. Almost unmatched in crowd control and battlefield dominance. Can suppress tailed beasts and even rival the Sharingan's power.
If I can get this… I might actually survive in this world!
But just as he clicked on the option—
Ding! Insufficient points. Cannot exchange at this time.
"..."
Ye Han sighed. So it's still a grind… Typical.