In the heart of February, the harsh winter had finally retreated, leaving Konoha basking in the vibrant promise of spring. The village thrived under the warm sun, a picture of prosperity and hope.
Inside a traditional wooden house, a five or six-year-old boy sat listlessly, staring at a scroll in his hands. Despite his young age, his features were sharp and delicate, hinting at the handsome man he would grow into.
Uchiha Xingliu stood up, yawning as he set the scroll aside. Stretching lazily, he wandered over to the window, gazing at the distant Hokage Rock with a sigh.
"Sure, I love Naruto," he muttered to himself, "but did I really have to end up here to experience it firsthand?"
That's right. Uchiha Xingliu wasn't originally from this world. He hailed from 21st-century China. Fresh out of college, he had joined the ranks of the overworked, underpaid. Whenever work got too exhausting, he'd escape into the world of Naruto, a series that had been his companion since childhood. No matter how many times he watched it, he never grew tired of it.
But one fateful night, while working overtime, a sudden, excruciating pain seized his heart, and everything went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in the world of Naruto, now a young child. Thankfully, he had inherited the memories of this body, giving him a clear picture of his current situation.
The name Uchiha was a dead giveaway—he was in Konoha. This was good news. He knew more about Konoha than any other place.
Though the main storyline hadn't started yet, he was familiar with the personalities of the key players. This knowledge would help him make connections with future stars or at least get on their radar.
It was the tail end of the First Shinobi World War, and at his age, he had narrowly escaped its horrors. But the end of the war also meant the death of Tobirama Senju and the rise of Hiruzen Sarutobi as the Third Hokage.
This Hokage and his council weren't exactly friendly toward the Uchiha. To make matters worse, Xingliu's parents had died in the war's final days.
The original owner of this body had succumbed to grief upon hearing of his parents' deaths, leaving Xingliu to take over.
After sorting out his identity and the timeline, Xingliu took care of his parents' affairs, repaying the debt of occupying this body.
With that done, he turned his attention to his future safety and livelihood. He began organizing the house, gathering ninjutsu scrolls and money.
Though Konoha provided a stipend, it barely covered daily expenses. Ninja training required tools and herbs, which cost money.
The future of the ninja world was anything but peaceful. Forget about the Uchiha massacre decades later—both the Second and Third Shinobi World Wars were just around the corner.
If he didn't want to become cannon fodder, he needed to get stronger. And strength required training, which required money.
So, he scoured the house, hoping his Chunin parents had left enough resources. After days of searching, he found a few million ryo—enough for years of training.
However, he only found three ninjutsu scrolls, all fire-based, including the not-so-lethal Great Fireball.
The dangers of the Naruto world were clear. While he had enough money for now, the lack of ninjutsu was frustrating, stirring his naturally lazy tendencies.
Standing by the window, Xingliu looked out at the Hokage Rock and the bustling village.
*Will I be the butterfly that flaps its wings and changes the story?*
Just as he pondered his uncertain future, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
*Ding! Host has survived for three days. System binding in progress... 10%... 30%... 70%... 100%. Binding complete. Data generated. Would you like to view it?*
The sudden voice caught Xingliu off guard, but then a grin spread across his face.
*Of course, a system is standard for a transmigrator. Here it is!*
Eagerly, he focused on the system's functions, mentally opening his data panel.
*Host: Uchiha Xingliu
Skills: One-Tomoe Sharingan (Green), Uchiha Physique (Green), Cooking (White)
AFK Slots: Empty, Empty
Combat Power: 3 (Not even a power level of 5, what a weakling!)*
The system's snarky comment left him speechless, but the sight of the One-Tomoe Sharingan surprised him.
He quickly realized that the original owner must have awakened it unknowingly upon learning of his parents' deaths, leading to his demise.
Lucky for Xingliu, though. With that sorted, he continued exploring the system's capabilities.
Soon, he understood its functions. The full name was the AFK System, and it was straightforward.
Place a skill in the AFK slots, and it would automatically level up over time.
Skills were ranked from White, Green, Blue, Purple, Orange, Gold, to Rainbow, with ten levels per rank.
Once a skill maxed out at ten, it could break through to the next rank.
There were no restrictions on skill breakthroughs. Even a cooking skill could reach Rainbow rank with enough time.
Currently, the system provided two AFK slots, which would increase as his abilities grew. The AFK speed was proportional to his combat power.
In short, the stronger he got, the faster the AFK speed.
But there was a catch: the system didn't offer auto-learning. All skills had to be learned or created by the host.
Understanding this, Xingliu wasted no time placing the Sharingan and Uchiha Physique into the AFK slots.
The system didn't disappoint. Soon after, he felt a comforting warmth spreading through his body, and a cool sensation flowed through his eyes.
He guessed that AFKing not only avoided the soreness of training but was actually quite pleasant.