A warm breeze carrying the fragrance of wildflowers drifted gently through the forest. The rustling of leaves echoed softly as tree branches swayed with the wind, dancing in rhythm with nature's breath.
Rustle. Rustle.
Stepping through the tender grass, Ye Feng wandered aimlessly beneath the canopy. His mind was preoccupied as he continued questioning the grand and solemn voice that lingered in his thoughts.
"Is this world virtual or real? And if I die here... will I return to my original world or die for real?" Ye Feng finally voiced the two deepest concerns pressing on his heart.
After a moment of silence, the majestic voice responded.
"The world you are in and the one you came from exist on the same level of reality. If you die here, it will be true death."
Ye Feng's entire body turned cold. This was the world of Naruto, a place filled with endless danger. Death was far from uncommon here. Despite his fear, Ye Feng calmed himself. Panic could not solve anything.
Moreover, this might actually be an opportunity for him.
"What was the purpose of bringing me here?"
"Host authority too low. Cannot access that information."
"There is an authority system too?" Ye Feng felt his head spin. All the systems he had read about in novels answered questions obediently. But his system seemed to be holding secrets behind layers of authority. What kind of troublesome design was this?
"Then how do I increase my authority?"
"Complete missions to earn Omnipoints. As you accumulate them, they will convert into Divine Energy. You can also use the Omnipoints to exchange for items you desire."
That made things clearer. It was essentially a system where everything hinged on how many Omnipoints you had. With enough points, you would be the master of your own fate.
"How do I return to my original world?" This was the question that Ye Feng most desperately wanted an answer to. His heart tensed. He feared two things—one, that returning might be impossible, and two, that the system would respond with another frustrating authority limitation.
"Complete the assigned missions to return."
The system's reply finally gave Ye Feng a bit of relief. Still, it was a vague answer. What did it mean by completing the assigned missions? Was it just about becoming a Genin?
When Ye Feng pressed further, the system once again repeated that his authority was too low, which gave him a headache. And just at that moment...
"Ye Feng, there you are! Still upset about not being able to refine chakra?" A figure leaped down from a tree branch.
The man had distinct whisker-like marks between his eyes and nose. Combined with the Konoha shinobi uniform, Ye Feng recognized him instantly.
"Oh, Iruka."
Ye Feng gave a casual greeting, guessing this must be part of the identity assigned to him by the system. A friend of Iruka?
Smack.
Iruka marched up and gave him a firm knock on the forehead. With a tone of displeasure, he said, "Ye Feng, you're already sixteen. Be polite. Don't just call my name. You should call me Iruka-sensei!"
"Huh? Iruka... sensei?" Ye Feng's eyes widened as he looked at Iruka in disbelief. He ignored the part about being sixteen and focused on the fact that the system had cast him as a student who hadn't graduated from the academy yet.
Iruka patted him on the shoulder with a sigh.
"Come on, we have the graduation exam today. You probably won't pass, but you still need to try."
Ye Feng felt completely lost. Graduation exam? Wasn't his first mission also about becoming a Genin? But he had just transmigrated. How would he know anything about the exam or how to perform something like the Clone Technique?
"Hey, system, is there a Clone Technique in the exchange library?"
The Omnipoint System didn't reply directly. Instead, a massive sphere of light suddenly appeared in Ye Feng's mind. Within it, a glowing orb floated toward him.
He looked closely. Written on it were the words: "Skill: Clone Technique."
Ye Feng's heart surged with joy. He focused his will and formed a mental hand to reach for it. The moment he grasped the skill, it didn't instantly fuse with his body as he expected. Instead, the system's solemn voice rang out again.
"Skill: Clone Technique. Exchange cost: 1 Omnipoint."
What?
He quickly glanced at his personal interface. Right next to the Omnipoints counter, a bold number stared back at him.
Zero.
He could not even afford the most basic Clone Technique. The realization was harsh. With no other choice, he resigned himself to follow Iruka toward the academy. If he wanted to become a Genin, he would need to train first.
Once out of the forest, the number of pedestrians increased. Upon entering the town, he noticed that because there were no televisions or smartphones, most people were gathered around storefronts, chatting to pass the time.
From time to time, Ye Feng caught sight of some beautiful women passing by, and for the first time since his transmigration, he felt like he was enjoying one of the perks of this new world.
"Look, isn't that Ye Feng?"
"Yeah, I didn't think he was still around. That kid who has no talent as a ninja but still insists on staying here. What a lazy freeloader."
People greeted Iruka with warmth, but whenever they noticed Ye Feng, their tone shifted into mockery.
Listening to these whispered insults darkened Ye Feng's expression. Was the system doing this on purpose? Giving him such a miserable backstory... it felt like a setup just to make his life harder.
Clearly, Ye Feng was some kind of infamous figure. No matter what street they walked through, there was always gossip following behind. Even if he told himself it wasn't truly his reputation, it still left him feeling ashamed.
"You have to work hard from now on. As long as you persevere, you'll earn everyone's recognition."
Iruka's voice suddenly broke the silence. He turned back and gave Ye Feng a warm, genuine smile.
Ye Feng felt stunned for a moment. That smile was so sincere, without a trace of insincerity. It dispelled some of the lingering fear in his heart. In this unfamiliar world, Iruka's kindness was like a comforting beacon.
Work hard. Persevere.
When they arrived at the classroom, Mizuki saw them and nodded slightly. Standing up, he announced in a loud voice, "The Genin exams begin now!"
Ye Feng's appearance drew surprised glances from the other students, followed immediately by laughter. At sixteen, still failing the Genin exam, he had become a rare spectacle.
He ignored the childish jeers and scanned the room. His eyes quickly landed on familiar faces—Naruto, Sasuke, and even the shy but adorable Hinata.
Noticing the seat next to Hinata was empty, he walked over and sat down.
Hinata blushed deeply, peeking at him timidly. "Ye Feng..."
Ye Feng smiled gently at her, doing his best to appear kind and approachable. He leaned slightly toward her and whispered, "I'm older than you. From now on, call me big brother."
"Ah... okay..." Hinata nodded quickly, lowering her head.
What a shy little girl.
Ye Feng chuckled inwardly. Although they were classmates now, once Hinata graduated, she would outrank him. That thought immediately brought a headache.
He sent a thought to the system.
"Is there any way I can pass the Genin exam?"
"Yes."
He had only asked out of desperation, but to his surprise, the system actually responded positively.
"What is it? Tell me now."
"The Divine Energy within your body exists two dimensions higher than the chakra in a ninja's. To use an E-rank ninjutsu, you only need to know the hand seals."
Hand seals?
"Next up, Uchiha Sasuke!"
While Ye Feng was still puzzled about the hand seals for the Clone Technique, Sasuke stepped up confidently and performed the jutsu flawlessly. The classroom erupted with cheers from Ino and Sakura.
Ye Feng let out a soft sigh. Glancing at Hinata, he decided to swallow his pride.
"Hinata..." he whispered.
"Huh? What is it?" Hinata looked up, startled.
"How do you perform the hand seals for the Clone Technique?" Ye Feng asked hesitantly.
Hinata blinked, then smiled with squinted eyes. "So it's because Ye Feng-oniisan gets nervous before exams and forgets the seals. I get nervous too."
"Ah... yeah, that's right..." Ye Feng felt slightly relieved by her understanding and urged her to teach him quickly. Their turn was coming up.
"Okay... Ye Feng-oniisan, watch carefully." Perhaps sensing their shared nervousness, Hinata was no longer as shy.
She raised her small hands and began demonstrating while whispering the sequence softly. "Ram... Snake... Tiger..."
Ye Feng followed closely, forming each seal. As his fingers moved through the motions, he could feel his Divine Energy responding, flowing in sync. At that moment, he knew he had grasped the Clone Technique.
"Thank you, Hinata."
"No problem..."
Soon, it was Hinata's turn. She executed the Clone Technique perfectly. And then, it was Ye Feng's turn, who had just barely learned the seals.
"Look, it's the idiot's turn. This will be good."
"So embarrassing. Sixteen years old and still can't do Clone Technique."
"He's handsome but a total failure. Such a shame..."
As Ye Feng stepped forward, whispers filled the room. His gaze swept over the students. With a faint snort, he looked away from the mocking eyes and ignored them entirely.