Uchiha Tatsu stared at the panel in frustration.
"This is pathetic! My taijutsu, chakra, shuriken, and hand signs are only Level 2. That's just the average Ninja Academy student level. Everything else is Level 0!"
"System, stop hiding my true strength! I feel like I could take on a genin in minutes!"
"Host, this is your true strength."
Tatsu's face fell.
He quickly grasped the system's setup. It tracked 13 attributes, standard metrics for evaluating a ninja's abilities: taijutsu, ninjutsu, and the elemental attributes like wind, fire, lightning, water, and earth.
Due to his young age, Tatsu had only practiced chakra extraction, shuriken throwing, basic taijutsu, and hand signs. His adult mindset allowed him to focus better than most kids, so two years of training brought him to the level of an average Ninja Academy student.
While his overall strength was decent for his age, it was just that—decent.
He had no mentor.
Kakashi graduated at five and became a chunin at six, thanks to both his talent and guidance. The difference between having a teacher and self-training was vast.
The Uchiha clan typically mentored its children, but Tatsu was subtly ostracized, likely because his father, Kagami, was a disciple of the Second Hokage and held views that transcended clan loyalty, much like Shisui. Such individuals weren't embraced by the clan.
So, Tatsu had been fumbling through his father's scrolls on his own.
Still, this was too ordinary.
Far from genius-level.
Compared to trained clan children, he was just average—not enough to catch the eye of Konoha's big shots.
This didn't match the identity of Uchiha Kagami's son or Shisui's father.
Was talent hereditary across generations? Had he used up all his luck?
Tatsu sighed.
He needed to push himself harder.
He couldn't let others introduce him as, "Yes, that's the father of the legendary Instant Shisui... Uchiha Tatsu."
Too real.
So, he had to make a name for himself at the Ninja Academy. To get assigned a skilled jonin sensei upon graduation, he needed to showcase his talent. Talentless people went unnoticed.
Konoha nurtured two types: the village's future and its cannon fodder.
Ninjutsu and forbidden techniques were tightly controlled. Beyond family or clan inheritance, techniques were passed down through master-student relationships.
A talented jonin sensei would be crucial for Tatsu's future.
With the Second Shinobi World War looming in a few years, without special attention from Konoha, he'd just be cannon fodder, easily killed on the battlefield.
That was unacceptable.
Tatsu's goal was clear: get stronger.
He'd figured out the system's pattern—earnest training, regardless of results, earned ninja points.
So, he just needed to allocate his 2,000 points to his attributes... right?
Tatsu's vision blurred.
Impossible!
He checked his ninja points balance.
What the heck?!
His ninja points were at 0.
This had to be an illusion.
"Foolish system, come out!"
"Host, what's the matter?" the system replied, emotionless.
"Where are my ninja points?!" Tatsu gritted his teeth.
"The 2,000 points were used to unlock the panel."
Grind... The sound of Tatsu's teeth grinding.
"Unlocking the panel cost 2,000 points?!"
"Correct, host. +1 ninja point for the right answer."
...
Unconvinced, Tatsu pressed, "Is there a newbie gift pack or something?"
"Yes."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?!"
"You didn't ask."
Tatsu decided that once he became a peerless master, he'd ditch this infuriating system.
"Host has unlocked the panel, completing the newbie task. Rewarded with one Newbie Gift Pack. Good luck."
The mechanical voice continued.
"Welfare, welfare!" Tatsu felt a bit relieved. Losing 2,000 points should at least yield something great—Wood Release, Sharingan, or extra chakra, maybe?
A new item appeared in the system interface: "Newbie Gift Pack."
Newbie Gift Pack Description: "Hit me, come on, hit me!"
"Fine, I'll hit you! Open the pack!" Tatsu growled.
"Newbie Gift Pack successfully opened... Congratulations, host, you've received a 1,888-Point Refund Voucher!"
"Host, thank the system's generosity with a grateful heart."
[1,888-Point Refund Voucher]: Grants 1,888 ninja points upon use.
...
"System, are you kidding me? You took my 2,000 points and only gave me back 1,888?!"
"Thank your sister! Those were my points to begin with, and you shorted me!"
Tatsu cradled his face, feeling life was still shrouded in darkness. This system...
He redeemed the voucher for 1,888 ninja points and allocated 1,000 to taijutsu, raising it to Level 3 (0/2,000).
System Prompt: "Congratulations, host's taijutsu has reached Level 3. Speed, endurance, strength, and taijutsu comprehension have significantly improved from Level 2."
"Host is now a dominant figure among students in taijutsu."
...
Why did that feel like sarcasm?
"Upgraded, whatever!" Tatsu said, cheering up.
Tomorrow, he'd enroll in the Ninja Academy. At his age, with limited chakra, taijutsu and shuriken skills were key.
Adding points to taijutsu gave him a significant boost in stamina. The fatigue from training vanished, and he felt he could run another 200 laps.
His body felt lighter, more agile than before training.
"Could this be the effect of adding points?"
Tatsu even understood taijutsu concepts that previously eluded him, effortlessly executing moves he couldn't before.
Such progress was miraculous.
After checking his body for abnormalities and finding none, Tatsu decided to test his new strength.
His black pupils sharpened as chakra surged to his legs—a move he'd practiced countless times.
Whoosh!
His figure blurred into an afterimage, far faster than before.
"Tremble, ninjas!"
With his black hair and dramatic lines, Tatsu felt like he'd activated an Eight Gates Kai experience card for a moment.
Okay, just an illusion.
His speed and distance far surpassed his previous limits, catching him by surprise. He hadn't expected such a leap in taijutsu.
"Oh no!"
A few meters ahead, he was hurtling toward his table!
In that critical moment, Tatsu's heart sank.
"My century-old elm table!"
Crash!
With a loud bang and the table splintering, Tatsu's momentum stopped.
Standing on the wreckage, his perfect black hair and stylish Uchiha coat gave him an undeniably cool vibe.
"Ouch..."
Tatsu winced, collapsing to the floor.
Couldn't he stay cool for more than three seconds?