[Ding! Sleep completed. Sleep EXP +8, Universal EXP +1]
…What was that sound?
A slender arm reached out from under the covers, fumbling under the pillow at first, then patting along the edge of the bed. After a moment of confused groping, the hand hesitated—something wasn't right.
The arm reached up and started searching behind the bed instead.
Still, nothing.
"Where's my phone?" the boy suddenly sat up in frustration, glancing behind him.
Forget the charger—even the wall was gone, or at least it was now three or four meters away, made entirely of wood. No outlets, no familiar drywall.
"What the hell…? This isn't my house. Wait—this isn't even my arm!"
"…And these aren't my eyes!"
"Don't tell me… I transmigrated?"
Tapping his temple, the child frowned and tried to recall what had happened. Slowly, his mind adjusted to the lingering memories of this body.
"Konoha… the Hyūga Clan… Branch Family!"
His name had been Ning Yuuto, a not-so-successful player in Earth Online, 28 years old and a long-time Naruto fan.
Now? His new identity was Hyūga Yuuto, age five, a branch member of the Hyūga clan in Konohagakure, Land of Fire.
The Caged Bird Seal had already been etched onto his forehead for two years. It was hard not to wonder if his reincarnation was related to that.
At least he wasn't as unlucky as Neji's father, who had been consigned to the Branch House just for being born minutes later than his twin.
Yuuto's family? They'd been part of the Branch House for three generations—you could say he was Branch House royalty.
Well… not like that was anything to celebrate.
"But seriously, how did I get here? I was just asleep, wasn't I?" Yuuto rubbed his temples, puzzled. "Did I get hit by a dump truck in my sleep? Didn't even feel it?"
But… I lived on the fourth floor!
"Whatever, no use complaining. I'm here now."
Surprisingly, Yuuto accepted his new reality quickly. After all, back on Earth, he had no parents, no attachments.
Sure, there was a girlfriend—but distance and work had left their relationship in name only. They barely even had time to play games together.
When adults break up, it rarely involves the word "breakup." You just slowly vanish from their life.
Besides…
Feeling the vibrant energy in his young body, and the clarity in his eyes sharp enough to see the wooden grain patterns on the ceiling under faint morning light—
He couldn't help but compare it to his previous life: years of overwork, poor sleep, terrible diet, and vision so bad he hit 800 degrees of nearsightedness by high school.
A hundred chances to transmigrate? He'd take it every time.
No phone? No problem—this world had chakra!
And let's not forget: Naruto's world wasn't exactly stuck in feudal times. Technology moved fast here. Who knows? Maybe smartphones would pop up in a few decades.
With a burst of energy, Yuuto sprang out of bed in a perfect kip-up.
He'd seen this move a thousand times, but with his old body, it had always been a dream. This body, though—definitely trained. The motion was fluid, easy.
"The clothes are decent too. Kinda like long underwear and joggers," he muttered, pulling out an outfit from beside the bed. White, soft material—like some silky blend. Loose-fitting and clearly meant for training.
Five years old and already expected to train. Unreal.
Then again, this was Konoha—a hidden village of shinobis, mercenaries, and assassins. In that light, maybe not so strange.
After all, even warlords in parts of Africa or Myanmar had child soldiers.
"Huh… looks kinda like my old self." With no mirror in the room, Yuuto followed the layout in his memory and headed to the bathroom.
Surprisingly spacious. Shower and tub both available. Much better than his dingy apartment from his past life.
A huge mirror hung on the wall, surrounded by toothbrushes, soap, and even a few cosmetics—lipstick, eyeliner. Clearly belonged to his mother in this life.
Hyūga Miwa.
"There is a bit of resemblance to my old self. That's impossible though—faces are genetic. Unless…"
"Wait… was this really transmigration? Or did I reincarnate and only just now awakened my past life's memories?"
The boy in the mirror had delicate features, pale skin, and a lithe form clad in white training gear—like a bird poised to take flight. Elegant. Sharp.
Even the Byakugan, those ghostly white eyes, had a surreal beauty to them. Not eerie like some cosplay contacts, but divine, sacred.
Of course—what manmade copy could ever compare to a bloodline passed down by gods?
And if he looked closely, he could see hints of his past self in this new face.
Maybe… maybe he didn't transmigrate, but was reborn, and only now awakened his memories.
His last memory being sleep…
With his horrible health, it wasn't impossible he just died in his sleep. Sudden death.
"…So this is the Caged Bird Seal, huh." Unlike Neji, who always wore a headband to cover his, Yuuto's seal was fully visible. Two horizontal rods with a green "×" in the center.
The Caged Bird Seal—meant to protect the Byakugan. Upon death, it would destroy the bearer's brain and eyes.
It wasn't ugly, really.
But after the seal became a symbol of oppression, a tool used by the Main House to control the Branch, even this simple design had grown ugly in the eyes of many.
"Tch." Yuuto shook his head and looked away. No point dwelling on it now. It's not something he could fix at the moment—and he wasn't about to waste energy on something out of his control.
Coming from a chakraless world, where people would kill for even a sliver of chakra, he had no right to complain.
He could now train, fight, and one day maybe even touch the power of gods.
So what if he had a cursed seal on his forehead?
It's not like it couldn't be solved.
The manga never mentioned a way to remove it—but Yuuto wasn't an idiot.
He already had a simple, elegant solution:
Kill the entire Main House.
If everyone has a Caged Bird Seal, then no one does.
Problem solved at the root.
Perfect!
"Yuuto."
A gentle voice suddenly called from behind, snapping him out of his thoughts. His heart nearly jumped out of his chest as he spun around.
"Geez, Mom, you scared me! You walk like a ghost!"
It was a young woman in a pale blue kimono, decorated with cherry blossom petals. Her features were soft and refined, her eyebrows delicate, giving her a slight resemblance to an old-school Japanese actress—like Amami Yuki.
She wore wooden sandals, standing barely 157cm tall. That made Yuuto worry a bit about his future height—was he even going to hit 170cm?
And what was with wearing a kimono this early in the morning?
This was Hyūga Miwa, the mother of this body.
Technically his mother, but in the ninja world, people married young. Miwa was only 22… with a five-year-old.
Meanwhile, Yuuto had been 28 before reincarnating.
So when she smiled gently at him, Yuuto opened his mouth—
But just couldn't bring himself to say: "Mom."
Miwa seemed to sense his hesitation, but didn't press it. Branch House children were often withdrawn.
Still, her gaze dimmed a little at his silence.
Until Yuuto suddenly asked, "Is breakfast ready?"
"O-oh! Yes!" Miwa perked up immediately. "Let me help you wash up—today's your first day at the Ninja Academy, you can't be late!"
"I'll do it myself!" Yuuto waved her off. "I'm old enough to take care of myself."
"Uh…" Miwa looked a little lost. The light in her eyes dimmed slightly again.
Yuuto sighed. "Okay, fine. You can help."
"Mm!" Her joy returned instantly.