He glanced at the ornate golden clock on the wall. "I mean, really. I'm not even a Genin yet, and I've already surpassed most of them. But with my connections? It's only a matter of time until—"
The words were cut off by a sudden, unfamiliar sensation. A sharp pressure in his head, followed by a low hum in the air. He looked around, searching for the source.
And then, the voice came.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED: Sarutobi Legacy Protocols]
[Bloodline Fragment Detected — Potential: Buried. Path: Unearthed.]
[Talent Insight Unlocked.]
The air around him shimmered. Daigo blinked, disoriented. The servant stiffened but said nothing, unsure whether his master had finally gone mad.
[Warning: System Access Requiring Immediate Attention.]
"Wait... What?" Daigo muttered, rubbing his eyes, wondering if he had fallen asleep and was now dreaming.
[SYSTEM INTERFACE]
"Welcome, Daigo Sarutobi. The Talent Insight System has been activated."
Daigo's heart skipped a beat. System. That was the word he had heard whispered among the shinobi elite, the ones who had always seemed just a bit too lucky.
His reflection in the mirror shimmered slightly, and, for a brief moment, it looked as though he saw someone standing beside him—someone tall and looming. The third Hokage? Or was it his own future?
"Talent Insight Unlocked."
He looked down at his hand, the familiar glow of chakra surrounding his fingers for a brief moment. This was real.
[Talent Insight]
Names and glowing text began to overlay over the figures in the courtyard below.
Name: Udon
Talent: Analytical Intelligence (B Grade)
Suggested Focus: Trap Formation, Counter-Genjutsu
Name: Ibiki Morino (Chūnin)
Talent: Mental Pressure & Intimidation (A Grade)
Suggested Growth: Interrogation Arts, Fear Tactics
Daigo's eyes widened. He could see their talents—as if their entire abilities were laid bare before him like an open book.
The sheer potential of what this system could do for him sent a thrill down his spine. Maybe he wasn't as talentless as everyone thought.
He turned to the mirror again, half-expecting to see a notification for his own abilities. A genius-level ninjutsu talent, perhaps, or a taijutsu prodigy. After all, his bloodline was from the prestigious Sarutobi family, linked to the legendary Third Hokage.
But instead, the system flashed something he wasn't expecting.
"Warning: User has no visible core talent."
Daigo froze. That couldn't be right. He was a Sarutobi. The name alone meant something!
The system continued to blink. Talent Insight showed only… blank space.
"Its ok... System copy the most awesome talent, may be sharingan and all kekkai genkais"
"You cannot copy what is not yours."
" Wait I can't copy things whats the use of the system"
"However, with the right guidance… you can train faster than any Ninja prodigy before you."
The message lingered for a moment before fading. Daigo blinked. Guidance? What kind of system was this, offering him no shortcuts and no free handouts?
Then another message appeared.
Quest Activated:
"Humiliate Yourself Long Enough to Listen to Someone Who Knows More Than You."
Reward: +20% Training Sync Rate
"What?!" Daigo shouted, turning to look at the empty room as if someone had insulted him personally. "I'm not going to listen to anyone! I'm one of the prominent heir of the Sarutobi name! I—"
Though distant Sarutobi Daigo is rich with enough (bribes) aka gifts he could get a elder positon in clan without raising a finger.
But the words faltered on his tongue. Could he truly ignore the system that had just chosen him? Was it… right?
Just as Daigo prepared to storm off, the system chimed in again.
[Quest Reminder]:
"Training alone will take significantly longer."
"Training with a close guide: 2x faster."
"Training with some plot defining characters: 4x faster."
Daigo gritted his teeth. "So, I have to… find someone to train me? Someone who knows more than me? What a joke!"
He looked down at his hands, now trembling with both frustration and a strange sense of awe. The system was not just offering him power; it was making him work for it.
The village was on the brink of chaos, and soon enough, he'd be dragged into it.
But first, he needed to figure out how to use this system to his advantage.