c2: The System Upgrade Is Complete!
The sky above was bright and cloudless, with the scorching sun hanging high like a burning eye. The air was eerily still, as though the entire atmosphere had solidified. Even the trees stood lethargically, their branches unmoving, as if robbed of strength.
Ri Xiangchen was drenched in sweat. At just three years old, after managing to complete more than a hundred push-ups, his limbs finally gave out beneath him.
This level of training was clearly pushing the limits. Before transmigrating into this world, Ri Xiangchen hadn't been particularly fit. Now that he inhabited the body of a toddler, the gap between willpower and capability was even more apparent.
His small frame collapsed onto the warm soil, and he gasped for breath, drawing in long drafts of air. A bitter smile curled on his lips as he realized just how hard the road ahead would be.
"It seems my willpower isn't as solid as I thought, and my physical stamina is far from ideal," Ri Xiangchen murmured as he forced himself into a seated position, wincing from the soreness that spread through his entire body.
In that moment, Might Duy, Might Guy, and Rock Lee became true inspirations to him. They lacked inherited talent but carved their way forward through sheer perseverance. Ri Xiangchen, on the other hand, was born with the body of the Ōtsutsuki clan, possessing physical advantages far beyond those three but at the moment, the difference was like heaven and earth.
After catching his breath, Ri Xiangchen pushed himself upright again. Despite his exhaustion, he resumed his routine practicing basic kicks and punches under the glaring sun.
Though every fiber of his body screamed for rest, memories of the cruel shinobi world of Kaguya, Madara, Obito, Pain, even Momoshiki and Jigen flashed before his eyes. He knew such figures could obliterate entire villages in moments. So he grit his teeth and pushed forward.
Thanks to the Ōtsutsuki lineage, his body could recover from hidden injuries at an astounding rate. But to squander this potential through laziness would be unforgivable an outright waste of his extraordinary talents.
The training lasted until the sun dipped toward the horizon. Drenched in sweat, muscles aching, Ri Xiangchen finally allowed himself to rest. He retrieved his canteen and took several gulps of water, followed by a few quick bites from the snacks he'd brought along.
Fortunately, despite being treated coldly by the Hyūga family, he had not been denied basic necessities. Though he had no living parents and no steady income, he was not lacking in food or resources. The Hyūga clan couldn't allow any of their members especially not one of their own children to appear publicly destitute. Such a sight would bring shame to the entire clan.
Ri Xiangchen's father had died in action while serving as a Jōnin of the Leaf when Xiangchen was just over a year old. His mother had passed away shortly after childbirth due to complications likely chakra exhaustion and massive hemorrhaging.
In the eyes of the conservative Hyūga elders, Ri Xiangchen was a cursed child. His very birth had claimed his mother's life. Left without parents, he became an outcast.
Yet fate had shown him a shred of mercy: a generous ninja pension, along with supplemental stipends from the clan for his deceased father's service, allowed him to live comfortably.
Whether or not Ri Xiangchen was seen as a failure didn't matter the Hyūga name had prestige. Letting one of their own beg on the streets would only bring ridicule from rival clans like the Uchiha or Aburame.
After finishing his meal and resting under the fading orange sky, Ri Xiangchen could feel his fatigue ebbing away.
The regenerative prowess of the Ōtsutsuki body was astounding. Though his limbs were still slightly sore, the unbearable exhaustion from earlier had largely disappeared.
Energized, Ri Xiangchen stood and began the slow walk back home. The sun had completely set by now. He couldn't afford to overdo it. As the old saying went, "You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."
After arriving back at his small but tidy home, he drew a bath. Warm water surrounded him, soothing every muscle and clearing his mind. He could feel every cell in his body humming with renewed vitality.
Thanks to the Sage of Six Paths bloodline, his body was not only resilient but also highly compatible with chakra. It was at this moment that Ri Xiangchen finally felt the initial stirrings of chakra flow within him.
He had reached a milestone he could begin chakra refinement.
His father, being a Jōnin, should've left behind some scrolls or instruction manuals on chakra control. Normally, such inheritance would be a given.
But to Ri Xiangchen's surprise, after flipping his small home upside down multiple times, searching closets, scroll cases, and floorboards, he found absolutely nothing. No chakra refinement techniques. No training guides. Not even a hint of a legacy.
It was a deeply disappointing realization.
Time flew swiftly, and before Ri Xiangchen realized it, night had fallen. The moon, veiled by a light mist, hung delicately atop the treetops like a watchful eye. Stars blinked across the expansive night sky, shimmering with a mysterious charm that spoke of forgotten legends and silent oaths.
Gazing upward, Ri Xiangchen felt a wave of complex emotions stir in his chest. It was surreal he had transmigrated into the world of Naruto, something only ever seen in fiction. Now it was his reality.
"Believe that everything happens for the best," Ri Xiangchen muttered with a half-smile, trying to reassure himself.
Back in his original world, he was truly alone no parents, no siblings. He floated through life with a few work acquaintances who called themselves friends. But they were only friends in name; no one he could count on when it truly mattered. Their relationships were hollow, free of betrayal perhaps, but also devoid of loyalty.
"In comparison, everything here feels... not bad. The stars here are so clear, like a painting you can never finish admiring."
His eyes wandered back to the pale moon, a faint glint in them. That seemingly serene orb was the very place where Kaguya Ōtsutsuki, the progenitor of chakra, was sealed away after being defeated by her sons, Hagoromo and Hamura. Who would think that such an ancient and dangerous being was imprisoned in plain sight?
…
[System update completed…]
The cold, mechanical voice echoed crisply in his ears. For a moment, Ri Xiangchen was stunned. He'd been waiting for this moment since his arrival in this world. When the realization sank in, an uncontrollable grin split across his face.
"The damn system finally fixed itself!"
"Oi, can you hear me?" Ri Xiangchen tried calling out to the system, his heart racing.
But no response came only silence. His grin faltered. Had the bug not been fixed after all? Was the system still bricked?
Frowning, he barked, "Open the system panel!"
To his relief, a translucent interface opened in front of him a digital curtain of light visible only to him. It was faintly reminiscent of the chakra-based HUDs used in advanced genjutsu.
At least that part worked. His nerves settled slightly.
Then, unable to resist, he cursed, "Did your system eat dung or what?!"
As expected, silence. The system ignored him entirely.
"Right, I get it. You're still an idiot. All that updating, and you don't even know how to talk." Grumbling under his breath, Ri Xiangchen finally began to study the interface seriously.
The layout was simple and user-friendly: a Lottery, Mall, and Backpack section no mission board or quest log, no companion system, not even a stat page. Truly minimalist.
No matter how much he shouted or questioned, the system remained mute. So Ri Xiangchen accepted the reality he would have to fend for himself. He tapped on the Mall tab first.
As he entered, eight archaic words appeared in gold characters: "Tolerate all, embrace all Heaven and Earth inclusive."
Beneath the inscription lay rows upon rows of items. An overwhelming selection of goods greeted him, some clearly from other dimensions: ancient scrolls, alien weapons, ethereal relics. Each item radiated a unique aura as if they were encoded with specialized chakra natures or forbidden techniques.
The variety dazzled him, and his heart burned with desire.
However, his eyes then fell on the price tags and despair set in. The numbers stretched on endlessly, some with so many zeroes they looked like binary code. Many of the stronger items were marked with six-digit price points or more.
Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he glanced at the top right of the screen and blinked.
He had 30,000 exchange points available.
"Where did these come from? A newbie reward?" he mumbled, tilting his head.
He couldn't remember earning or receiving any points. Still, they were in his account. That was all that mattered. Deciding to make the most of it, he scrolled through the mall, searching for a power-up that could enhance his growth.
There were simply too many things to sort through. Laser cannons, immortal-grade pills, cultivation manuals heck, even flying swords from the Xianxia genre were here.
But what use were those in the Naruto world? There was no spiritual energy circulation here, only chakra, a blend of physical and spiritual energies. He would only waste precious points acquiring things incompatible with this world.
Also, many of the items under 30,000 points were old, worn, or degraded. The flying sword, for example, was so rusted it looked like a prop from a stage play. Another item, "Gravel Fist," boasted martial might, but probably wouldn't even crack a kunai.
Still, Ri Xiangchen called out, "System, help me out here! My fingers are sore from swiping. Just show me what I can afford!"
To his surprise, the system responded this time. All unaffordable items disappeared from view, leaving only items within his current exchange limit.
"Finally! You can understand speech!"
He examined the remaining options with renewed focus. There were pills for chakra enhancement, basic taijutsu manuals, and even a low-grade chakra control necklace similar to the one Tsunade gave Sakura for training.
But everything looked... underwhelming.
"I'm in the Naruto world, damn it," he muttered. "What am I going to do with a rusty flying sword or a pill that only boosts chakra by 0.01%?"
The reality sank in 30,000 points weren't nearly enough to buy anything impressive. All the exciting items were locked behind astronomical prices. For now, he was stuck with bottom-of-the-barrel offerings.
A wave of frustration washed over him.
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