Naraku nodded, satisfied with the system's explanation.
Well, since he'd just gotten here and already taken a beating, he might as well check—was this body at least good-looking? After all, beauty is justice.
No matter how charming someone's personality was, it was hard to win fans without a handsome face.
He discreetly brushed aside his bangs and peered into the glass window beside the classroom seats.
Hmm… not bad at all. As expected of an Uchiha—beautiful features, striking eyes. Once he grew up, he'd probably be as handsome as Sasuke.
Expressionless on the outside but secretly delighted inside, Naraku let his hair fall back into place and called out to the system again.
"Alright, let's connect to the Animator's world network. I want to see how far the series has aired."
> [Acknowledged, Transmigrator.]
Naraku fixed his gaze on the blackboard, pretending to listen to the lecture. In reality, he was staring at a translucent interface only he could see, navigating through it with his thoughts. Soon, a web page opened before him.
Right at the top was a massive banner.
"The smash-hit anime Naruto III returns! More excitement awaits—watch now!"
Whoa, they're already on Part Three? Big franchise, huh.
Naraku muttered to himself and clicked on the page. Only four episodes were out so far, so he set the playback speed to triple and started catching up. He needed to know exactly where the plot was.
The first episode opened with the Hidden Cloud Village struggling to contain a rampaging Eight-Tails. With no better options, the village council debated whether to kidnap a certain girl in Konoha rumored to possess special chakra. Some were hesitant, but most were arrogantly in favor, showing nothing but disdain for Konoha.
The scrolling live comments were already flying across the screen from the first second—clearly, Naruto was still wildly popular.
> [My youth has returned!!!]
[Finally updated, let's goooo!]
[You damned author, do you even know what we've been through these six months!?]
[...]
[Has to be Kushina. If it's not her, I'll wash my hair upside down!]
[Ugh, my beloved Hashirama, if you were still alive, Cloud wouldn't dare fart in Konoha's direction.]
[If either Hashirama or Madara were still around, these fools wouldn't dare move an inch.]
[Sarutobi Hiruzen, are you serious right now?]
[You do better then, stop hating on my man Hiruzen!]
Wow, Naraku thought. Hiruzen Sarutobi actually has stans?
The second half of episode one focused on a teenage Uzumaki Kushina, who couldn't stand Minato Namikaze yet was forced to cooperate with him for a mission.
> [Got it, this season's going full romance.]
[Kushina's tsundere era is long gone (sobs).]
[LMAO, Minato still can't shake off that "pretty boy" nickname.]
[Calling it—hero saves the girl scene coming up.]
[Posting this just to say: Kushina's about to fall for him hard.]
[STOP SPOILING YOU ANIMALS!]
Then, in episode two, Kushina was at home alone when masked shinobi broke through her window and attempted to kidnap her.
Kushina fought back fiercely but was quickly subdued and whisked away toward the border. Desperate, she tore off strands of her red hair and dropped them along the path as a trail.
And of course, the kidnappers actually succeeded. The viewers exploded.
> [Are you kidding me? How did they even get this far? Is Konoha's security just for decoration?]
Soon, Konoha realized she was missing and dispatched search teams, but none could find her.
As time ticked away and Kushina neared the border in despair—cue the crowd-favorite moment: hero saves the girl.
Minato Namikaze swooped in, effortlessly defeating the kidnappers in a dazzling display of skill.
Under the moonlight, the red-haired Kushina stared wide-eyed as the "Little Sun of Konoha" held her securely, smiling gently down at her.
Perfectly handsome boy saves fiery beauty—audiences everywhere swooned.
> [I KNEW YOU'D PULL THROUGH, MINATO!!!]
[Bet Kushina doesn't think he's a girly boy now, huh?]
[So sweet my blood sugar's spiking.]
[Iconic scene! Bookmarking this!]
Of course, not everyone was buying it.
> [Wait, how did every Jonin, ANBU, and tracking unit lose to Minato in speed?]
[Did the Cloud ninjas forget how to cover their tracks? Kushina's leaving breadcrumbs everywhere!]
[I swear the entire village is secretly shipping them.]
[Hiruzen's like: "Finally got my student a wife."]
[Relax, conspiracy theorists. Minato's a prodigy—makes sense he found her first.]
The rest of the episode was Konoha and the Hidden Cloud arguing over the incident. Despite Cloud starting it, Hiruzen didn't press the issue, sending fans' blood pressure skyrocketing.
By the end of the third episode, the kidnapping arc wrapped up.
Episode four opened with a young boy, around six or seven, white hair, short sword on his back, cool and composed.
> [KAKASHI!!!]
[KAKASHI!!!]
[Sakumo's kid, let's GOOOOO!!]
[Of course the cool dad has a cool son!]
[Can't marry Sakumo, but his son's still an option 😭]
[Ma'am, that's a crime!]
[Horny jail. Immediately.]
By the time Naraku finished watching, he'd confirmed his guess—the entire episode centered on Kakashi's academy life and early genius, even showing him solving problems for the teachers.
The Animator clearly favored Kakashi, treating him as a key figure worthy of a full character-focus episode.
Naraku checked carefully—his own character, Uchiha Naraku, appeared only in a few background shots, barely noticeable. Even Obito, Asuma, and the future "Ino–Shika–Cho" trio had more lines than he did.
Yeah… this was going to be an uphill battle.
He sighed quietly, but then remembered—he had just sparred with Kakashi earlier. That meant he might show up again briefly in the next episode.
He needed to make friends with Kakashi fast, find a way into the main storyline, and prove his potential as a breakout character. Only then would the Animator start paying attention—and only then could he gather the viewer popularity he needed.
Sorry, Obito, Naraku thought dryly. You were supposed to be Kakashi's tragic best friend. But from now on, that role's mine.
He felt absolutely no guilt about stealing the spotlight.
——
When class ended, Naraku stayed put, true to his current gloomy persona. He waited until everyone else had left before slowly walking out and heading toward the Uchiha compound.
He really didn't want to go home.
From the original Naraku's memories, life hadn't been kind to him—poverty, neglect, and abuse were daily routines.
His mother had died giving birth to him. His father, distant and cold, only left enough money to keep him from starving. Even words of affection were a rare luxury.
After he turned three or four and began basic training, his father took a sudden interest—but not out of love. His "training" was harsh and careless, leaving bruises and blood on a regular basis.
Once Naraku entered the Academy, he kept losing to Kakashi, the so-called prodigy of their class. His father's disappointment curdled into rage. The man became short-tempered, violent, and perpetually drunk.
Soon, even the money for food dwindled, leaving Naraku's body frail and undernourished.
"Damn… that's tragic. Tragic?"
A spark lit up in Naraku's mind.
Wait a minute.
If his life was this miserable… couldn't he use that?
If he approached Kakashi as the poor, broken kid from a harsh home, wouldn't that tug at the audience's heartstrings?
A pitiable boy with a beautiful face—how could viewers not feel for him?
And once he had fans, the popularity points would naturally follow.
Beautiful, strong, and tragic—the holy trinity of every fan-favorite character.
With that combo, fame was inevitable.