Uchiha Hayashi stared at the glowing panel, his face twisting with frustration.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "Taijutsu, Chakra, Shuriken, and Hand Seals—only level two. That's barely the standard of an ordinary Academy student. Everything else is still at zero."
He clenched his fists, glaring at the empty air.
"System, stop messing with me. I can tell I'm stronger than this. I could easily handle a low-level ninja."
[ Host, this is your true strength. ]
Hayashi frowned, irritation flashing across his eyes.
He studied the system's settings more carefully. The panel displayed thirteen different attributes: Chakra, Taijutsu, Hand Seals, Shuriken, along with Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and the five elemental releases—Wind, Fire, Lightning, Water, and Earth. Yin and Yang releases were listed as well.
These weren't arbitrary values. They were the fundamentals of what made a shinobi.
Yet, despite his hard training, Hayashi had barely scraped the level of an ordinary student.
He sighed. It wasn't for lack of effort. With his adult mindset in a child's body, he had trained more seriously than any of his peers. Two years of relentless practice had only given him this. The truth was clear: without guidance, progress was slow.
Kakashi had graduated from the Academy at five and became a Chunin by six. Talent played a role, yes, but so did proper mentorship. Hayashi had no such luxury. The Uchiha clan guided its children, yet he was always kept at arm's length.
Perhaps it was because of his father—Uchiha Kagami. Kagami had been a student of the Second Hokage, a man with vision beyond the narrow pride of the clan. People like that were never fully accepted by the Uchiha. His son naturally carried that same stigma.
Left to himself, Hayashi relied only on the scrolls Kagami had left behind. But he knew the truth: it wasn't enough. His progress was ordinary, nowhere near the level one would expect from the son of Uchiha Kagami—or worse, from the man who would eventually be remembered as Uchiha Shisui's father.
The thought stung. "Am I really that mediocre? What a cruel joke."
He exhaled sharply, determination burning in his chest.
"No. I won't allow people to point at me one day and say, 'That's Shisui's father, Uchiha Hayashi,' as if I'm only someone else's background."
He needed to stand out. To earn the attention of Konoha, he had to display talent. Only then would he be assigned a capable Jonin instructor after graduation. Without that, his future would be bleak. And with the Second Shinobi World War looming, any child lacking recognition would simply become cannon fodder.
Hayashi clenched his jaw. That wasn't going to be him.
As long as he trained, the system rewarded him with Ninja Points. With 2000 points saved, he thought he could distribute them into his attributes and finally change his fate.
But then his eyes fell on the panel. His expression froze.
The points were gone.
"What the…?" He rubbed his eyes and checked again. "Zero? Where did my 2000 points go?"
Panic gave way to anger. "System! Explain this right now!"
[ Host, 2000 points were used to unlock the panel. ]
His teeth ground together so hard it made an audible squeak.
"You mean opening this useless screen cost me everything?!"
[ Correct. Host gains 1 Ninja Point for answering correctly. ]
Hayashi's jaw dropped. "You… you've got to be kidding me."
Fuming, he tried a different angle. "Fine, then. Is there at least a newbie gift pack?"
[ Yes. ]
His eyes widened. "And when were you planning to tell me that?"
[ Host did not ask. ]
Hayashi swore he'd one day abandon this rotten system, no matter how useful it seemed now.
[ Host has unlocked the panel and completed the beginner task. Reward: Newbie Gift Pack. Good luck. ]
His frustration turned to reluctant hope. "Finally, some welfare. You owe me something good after stealing my points. Sharingan? Wood Release? At least a boost in chakra?"
A new item appeared on the panel: Newbie Gift Pack.
The instructions read mockingly: Hit me, come hit me!
"…Fine. Hit you. Open the damn pack!"
[ Newbie Gift Pack successfully opened. Congratulations, Host has obtained: 1888 Points Rebate Coupon. ]
The system's cold voice followed with no trace of shame.
[ Host, please be grateful for the system's generosity. ]
Hayashi gawked. "You took 2000 points, then handed me back 1888? That's not generosity, that's robbery!"
He dragged his hands down his face. "This system is a scam."
Still, he had no choice. With a resigned sigh, he activated the coupon, regaining 1888 points. He immediately poured 1000 of them into his Taijutsu stat.
The panel updated:
[ Congratulations, Host. Taijutsu upgraded to Level 3. Speed, endurance, strength, and Taijutsu comprehension have improved significantly. Host is now considered a strong presence among Academy students. ]
Hayashi's lips twitched. "That sounded suspiciously like sarcasm."
But sarcasm or not, it was progress. His body felt different—lighter, stronger. The exhaustion from earlier training evaporated, replaced by renewed energy. He felt like he could run another two hundred laps without breaking a sweat. Movements that had once seemed clumsy now felt natural, as though the knowledge had been engraved into his body.
The excitement built inside him. He needed to test this.
His black eyes sharpened, chakra surging into his legs. In an instant, his body blurred into motion.
Whoosh!
He shot across the room like a phantom, faster than ever before. The exhilaration nearly made him laugh. For a moment, with his flowing black hair and sharp features, he felt like he was channeling Might Guy himself—though he knew it was only an illusion.
But then his eyes widened.
Straight ahead, directly in his path, stood his old wooden table.
"Not the table! That's a family heirloom—!"
Boom!
Splinters scattered across the floor as Hayashi skidded to a halt, standing amidst the wreckage of his "hundred-year-old" elm table.
He winced, rubbing his forehead.
"…It hurts," he muttered, lowering himself onto the floor with a groan. His stylish Uchiha trench coat and perfect hair did nothing to save him from the embarrassment.
"Figures. Can't even look cool for more than three seconds."
---
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