My name is Lu Xuan. Never in a million years did I imagine I'd end up in a world like this—one so absurd and treacherous.
In this life, my parents were killed in battle shortly after I was born, leaving me as an orphan. Now, my name is Uchiha Gen. I'm three years old, adopted by my uncle, and living with my cousin Uchiha Madara, along with another little kid my age, Uchiha Izuna. Aside from those two, there are three younger kids: Uchiha Fei, Uchiha Hen, and Uchiha Liang.
Madara always has that lofty "chosen one" look. I've never seen him smile—not once. Whenever he sees me, he asks, "Did you train today?" with the same regularity people in my past life would ask, "Did you eat today?"
Train, my foot! Does he think everyone's as obsessed with training as he is? I'm only three! High-intensity training can be deadly at my age.
As for Izuna, I don't know why, but we just rub each other the wrong way. We brawl every other day, rain or shine. And when it comes to fighting, I do have a slight edge over him, so he's always the one lying flat on the ground.
But every time he loses, he runs to get backup. And wouldn't you know it, Madara, the ultimate overprotective brother, always takes his side, so I end up paying the price.
Sitting on the bank of a slow-flowing river, I hug my knees and gaze at the water's gentle current, sighing over my woeful fate.
"Naruto world, the Warring States era, the Uchiha clan... they're out to kill me!" With a scowl, I toss a stone into the river.
Before I came to this world, I'd read Naruto, so I knew the plot fairly well. But that all took place decades after the founding of Konoha. Now, just surviving to that point seems questionable.
The Warring States period was only briefly covered in the original story, mainly in Hashirama Senju's memories. But even with those brief glimpses, it's clear that this was a brutal era, a time with a staggeringly high mortality rate, where even children were sent to the battlefield.
In the story, when Madara first met Hashirama, he said he'd originally had five brothers but only one was left: Izuna.
Wait a second...
At that thought, a chill runs down my spine as I realize something I've been overlooking. All along, I've thought of myself as a mere outsider in Madara's family line, and with Izuna, Fei, Hen, and Liang, that made five brothers altogether—just like in the story. But now that I think about it, that's off.
In the original, Madara's exact words were, "I originally had five brothers," which means he wasn't including himself. So, counting Madara, there were six siblings in total.
Sweat beads on my back as I realize the implications. Five brothers... yet right now, there are only four. It seems that, in the original timeline, Madara did have this adopted cousin of mine. And unfortunately, I didn't make it to the point where Madara met Hashirama—I was dead long before, so much so that not even my name was remembered.
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to calm down. After all, I have the soul of an adult. I can't let one theory shake me up.
"If my guess is right, according to the timeline, Madara first encounters Hashirama at about age eight or nine. Since Madara is already six, that gives me, at best, two years."
My gaze hardens, and my eyes turn blood-red as the tomoe of my Sharingan spins slowly, its reflection rippling in the river.
I unlocked this Sharingan when I was only one year old, though nobody else knows. In this war-torn era where lives are worth less than dust, keeping a hidden ace is the only way to survive.
Among the Uchiha, the earlier a person awakens their Sharingan, the greater their potential. In the original, Itachi was hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy for awakening his Sharingan at eight. In this era, most Uchiha don't awaken their Sharingan until their teens, and those who awaken it before ten are called geniuses. Madara awakened his at five, becoming the Uchiha clan's greatest hope. Someone like me, who awakened at one? That's unheard of. If word got out, who knows what kind of uproar it would cause.
Seeing the reflection of my Sharingan, I feel a bit more at ease. "Since unlocking this at one, I've only managed to keep it at a single tomoe due to chakra limitations. I should reach the double-tomoe stage next year. If my original self really did die in the next two years, I'll need to double down on my training."
Ding!
"Behind-the-Scenes Big Boss System activating. Binding host: Uchiha Gen."
"What?" Suddenly, a sharp headache hits, and a torrent of information floods my mind. It takes nearly an hour for the pain to subside.
"Binding complete. World identification: Naruto. Primary mission issued: become the ultimate boss of this world and unify it. Reward: full control over the Naruto world! Mission duration: until the end of the storyline. Failure results in elimination!"
"Hey, don't just issue missions without explaining anything!" I clutch my head, shouting inwardly.
"This system's only function is to issue tasks; explanations are the host's responsibility."
Grinding my teeth, I start to sort through the new information. Basically, it's a system designed to turn people into big bosses, with a range of functions that allow you to exchange points for anything from the Naruto world—provided you have enough. As for earning points, the system will issue various missions.
As I process everything, I can't help but feel thrilled. This is basically my ultimate cheat! Sure, it's three years late, but it's here now, so what's there to complain about?
Thinking this, I focus on the exchange interface to see what's available. The first item nearly makes me gasp.
Rinnegan: Item Level: SSS, requires 1,000,000 points.
Sage's Body: Item Level: SSS, requires 1,000,000 points.
Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan: Level: SS, requires 500,000 points.
As I check each price tag, I can't help but grimace. At this rate, it'll take forever to save up.
"Hey, is there any newbie bonus?" I ask, frustrated.
"Since the host inquired, a first-time bonus is available: choose either a C-rank jutsu or an upgrade for your Sharingan."
My eyelid twitches in irritation. So, if I hadn't asked, you weren't planning to offer any rewards?
No need to consider the C-rank jutsu; being part of the Uchiha clan, with enough power, I can get as many C-rank jutsus as I want.
"Upgrade the Sharingan," I say, and immediately feel a warm current surge through me, filling my Sharingan. My eyes burn as I lean over the river to check my reflection. In the water's surface, my Sharingan now shows two tomoe, clear as day.
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