---
The soft drip of water echoed through the small, dingy apartment like a ticking clock. Plink. Plink. Plink. The leak in the ceiling hadn't been fixed in months—not that he cared.
The boy lying on the futon opened his eyes slowly, gaze unfocused, staring at the familiar crack that split the ceiling like a scar.
'Another day in the ninja world. Yay.'
He sat up, stretching his arms above his head. His black hair was messy, sticking out in odd directions, and his grey eyes carried the calm sharpness of someone far older than his ten years.
His name here was Ren. Just Ren. No clan name. No famous bloodline. Just another orphan in a village full of war-born children trying to claw their way to relevance.
But he wasn't just Ren. Not really.
'Ten years old in this world, twenty-four in my last. And now I'm back to being a kid in a place where kids die in training exercises.'
He rubbed his face and let out a dry chuckle. The irony wasn't lost on him. From an office job in Tokyo to a shinobi academy dropout apartment in Konohagakure. Life was hilarious like that.
His stomach growled.
'Right. Breakfast. If you can call stale bread and leftover rice "breakfast."'
He stood, ignoring the cold floor under his feet, and moved mechanically toward the small kitchenette. One pan, one spoon, a cracked bowl. It was enough. It had to be.
---
By the time the sun rose above the Hokage Monument, Ren was already in the training ground behind the Academy—long before the other kids would show up.
Kunai lined the trunk of a training dummy like quills on a porcupine. Not a single one missed.
'The system gave me perfect aim two weeks ago. That's the only reason I hit like this. Stingy bastard hasn't handed out anything since.'
A faint chime echoed in his mind.
> [System Notification: Daily Task – Complete 100 Pushups]
Reward: +0.01 Chakra Control
Bonus Task: Complete under 5 minutes for +0.01 Stamina
Ren rolled his eyes.
'Wow. Incredible. Life-changing.'
Still, he dropped to the ground and began his pushups. He wasn't above grinding. Especially not when strength in this world meant survival. He wasn't stupid enough to ignore even a fraction of a percent. Every scrap added up. Every edge mattered.
Especially when he knew exactly what was coming.
'Kakashi will graduate next year. Obito dies a few years later. The Nine-Tails attacks, Itachi's massacre, Pain's invasion, Fourth War… God, I'm sitting on a time bomb and everyone else is playing ninja dress-up.'
He finished the pushups in four minutes and thirty-two seconds. The system dinged again, and he barely acknowledged it.
---
By the time the Academy bell rang, he had already trained for two hours, cleaned up, and returned just in time to see the usual crowd funnel in.
Kakashi, the genius of their year, walked in with that calm arrogance only a prodigy could afford. He didn't look Ren's way.
Ren didn't care.
'You're a monster, Kakashi, but you're not my problem. Not yet.'
Obito stumbled in after him, nearly tripping over the doorframe. Rin helped him up, smiling like a sunshine poster. Ren didn't hate them. In fact, he kind of liked Obito's spirit. The kid was loud, weak, annoying—but painfully genuine.
The teacher walked in. Chatter stopped. Ren sat straight, hands folded on his desk, eyes sharp. Not because he cared about school, but because people noticed when you slacked. Especially in this world.
"Today's lesson: chakra theory and elemental nature."
Ren's lips curled slightly.
'Finally. Something useful.'
---
He tuned out the basic explanations and stared at the chalkboard, already lost in thought.
'I need to master fire first. It's common, but I can blend it into genjutsu or hide it behind wind release. If I push hard enough, I can maybe awaken a second affinity early. The goal is versatility, not flashiness.'
'Danzō will start watching if I stand out too fast. Hiruzen too, though he plays the kindly old man better. I need to grow—quietly.'
He felt the weight of gazes. Jealous ones. Curious ones.
'Tch. This world worships talent, but hates those who work for it. Let them stare.'
---
At the end of the day, Ren walked back through the village, past the baker's shop, the smithy, and the black market alleyway that even shinobi didn't speak about openly.
He passed the mission board where chunin posted jobs. He paused.
A C-rank mission: Escort a merchant to the Land of Rivers.
He wasn't ranked high enough for it. Yet.
But one day…
He glanced up at the Hokage Monument.
'You can keep your chair, old man. I don't want the title. I want the freedom that comes with power. That's all.'
The wind blew across the village rooftops. Ren tucked his hands into his pockets and turned toward home.
'I'm not here to save the world. I'm here to survive it. And maybe, just maybe, bend it to my will if it tries to bury me.'
---
This isn't first fanfic so I would appreciate constructive criticism and advice.
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