Suddenly, the cold voice, like a mechanical AI, exploded once more in the minds of Chizuru, Eriri, and the others.
Everyone, who had just been in a state of bewilderment and shock, instantly stiffened, even subconsciously holding their breath.
[Welcome, everyone, to this round of the Reincarnation Game.]
[Current Dungeon World: Naruto]
[Each round of the game will issue a specified objective. Complete the mission to return to the real world. Rest assured, time in the real world will be completely frozen during the game.]
[This world is filled with supernatural powers. After you survive, you can bring abilities from this other world back to reality. However, if you die in this world, your real body will also perish.]
[There are no limits on how to acquire power. You can apprentice yourself to the natives or explore on your own. The choice is yours.]
[Final Reminder: Please, by all means, survive.]
[Current Mission: Night of the Massacre]
[Mission Completion Condition: Successfully survive until the event ends.]
[Warning: Disclosing any information about the players or the Reincarnation Game to the natives of this world is strictly prohibited. Violators will be erased immediately.]
[Wishing everyone a pleasant game.]
The voice faded, and the classroom fell into dead silence.
The players, who had nearly cried out in surprise, forcibly suppressed the restlessness and unease in their hearts, but everyone's face was still etched with fear.
When the words [Night of the Massacre] reached his ears, Makoto paused slightly.
He remembered it all too clearly… that tragedy occurring when Uchiha Sasuke was eight years old.
Combined with Iruka's earlier statement that they were new students at the Ninja Academy...
Makoto looked down at his own hands.
His originally adult body had shrunk into that of a six or seven-year-old child.
The change in Airi beside him was even more pronounced. Her formerly voluptuous figure, far exceeding that of an average high school girl, had vanished completely, replaced by a delicate-featured, timid six-year-old little girl.
Seeing this, Makoto instantly understood… their bodies had been forcibly restructured by the system.
This meant he could learn Ninjutsu just like the people of this world.
Thinking of all the cool abilities from the original work, Makoto's heart began to pound uncontrollably, and an irrepressible excitement surged from deep within him, spreading throughout his body.
"Makoto... you seem... happy?"
Airi, having caught the subtle changes in his expression, couldn't help but ask quietly.
Makoto turned his head and said casually:
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Those few short words made Airi's heart skip a beat.
Towards this adoptive brother she had grown up with, she had always harbored feelings she wouldn't even admit to herself.
Makoto's looks were already exceptionally outstanding, like a dashing idol straight out of a Josei Novel. Add to that his financial freedom achieved at a young age by writing a blockbuster light novel like Overlord, and he was enough to make any girl's heart flutter.
Especially since Airi was naturally the type... well, everyone knows the type.
Prone to romantic delusions.
One wondered if Eriri, sitting in the first two rows and sharing her zodiac sign, was also that type.
Thinking about it, those two blonde twin-tail girls did have quite a few similarities.
But right now, Makoto had no interest in indulging in those damned love stories.
He wanted to get stronger now!
What's the use of just envying others? He has to take action himself and become stronger than them!
Besides, in their current child-like bodies, they couldn't do that kind of thing anyway.
His gaze swept across the classroom, taking in Naruto, Sasuke, and the other 'little cockroaches'. He had already formed a judgment.
His current identity was that of a classmate of Konoha's little cockroaches.
This meant there were still two to three years until the Night of the Massacre.
Simply completing the 'survival' mission wouldn't be difficult for him at all.
The identity assigned by the system wasn't from the Uchiha Clan. Even if he did nothing and just waited out the clock, he could return safely to reality.
But as a Transmigrator, how could Makoto be satisfied with that?
This was the Night of the Massacre, after all.
Sharingan everywhere, treasures everywhere!
In the original work, those bastards Danzo and Obito had scooped up who knows how many Sharingan.
If that kunai-user Hokage Danzo could scoop, if Obito could scoop, why couldn't he, Nishikawa Makoto-sama?
He was determined to have the Sharingan!
Even the old monkey Sarutobi couldn't stop him, he said so!
But right now, he was just a useless waste who didn't even know how to mold Chakra.
Snatching Sharingan during the Night of the Massacre, with multiple forces fighting and danger lurking everywhere, was by no means an easy task.
Just as Makoto was scheming, Iruka had already begun the formal lesson.
After all, these were new students. In peacetime, they wouldn't be sent to the battlefield from childhood like during the Second Great Ninja War. The lessons naturally started with cultural subjects.
Nishikawa Makoto took the textbook and casually opened the first page.
What greeted his eyes was an eye-catching title:
The proudest disciple of Senju Hashirama and Senju Tobirama, the Strongest Hokage in history, the God of Shinobi of the Ninja World, a ninjutsu professor mastering over a thousand techniques… The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen-sama.
Seeing this title, Nishikawa Makoto was speechless on the spot.
If it were practical content like molding Chakra or throwing shuriken, he would have paid attention.
But this stuff? Forget it.
Throughout the entire day of cultural lessons, Makoto sat upright, but his mind was completely absorbed in crazy deduction: How to snatch the Sharingan on the Night of the Massacre.
As the sun set, the day's lessons ended.
The native cockroaches and those nameless background students left one by one. Some, like Naruto, went home alone, while others were picked up by their parents.
Only the players remained frozen in place, lost and unsure of where to go.
Iruka looked at the few who weren't moving and asked, somewhat puzzled:
"What's wrong? Aren't you going back to the orphanage?"
'Orphanage?'
Yukino, being a top student, immediately caught on.
The identity the Reincarnation System had assigned them was that of orphans.
In this world, their landing point would naturally be the orphanage.
She immediately stood up, putting on the composed demeanor of a top student, and apologized softly:
"Sorry, sensei. We're still a bit unused to it on the first day of school. We'll head back now."
Iruka nodded in satisfaction, smiled, and told them to be careful on the way, then turned and left.
Yukino turned around, looked at the other players from her school, and said in her cool voice:
"Everyone, let's head back to the orphanage first and gather to discuss our next steps."
Given her usual cool and aloof personality, she normally wouldn't bother to interact deeply with many people.
Even in the real world, after founding the Service Club, she always stood on high ground, helping others from a position of strength.
But she knew very well now that in this dangerous other world, only by sticking together could they have a chance to survive.
However, before her words had completely faded-
Makoto had already stood up first and walked straight out the door.
Airi almost instinctively followed immediately.
"Where are you going?" Yukino frowned, a hint of displeasure in her voice.
Makoto glanced at her and uttered only two words:
"To train."
His body had already been modified by the system to fit the Naruto World's physique. In theory, he could already learn Ninjutsu.
Even if he didn't yet know how to mold Chakra, he couldn't wait to try out just how different this body was from his past life.
Yukino's frown deepened, her voice growing more severe:
"It's dangerous outside right now. You shouldn't be running around recklessly. We should discuss our strategy first."
Makoto didn't even look back, his steps never faltering, completely ignoring her advice.
Watching the boy's resolute back, Yukino's impression of Makoto plummeted to rock bottom.
'Well-developed limbs, simple-minded.'
Yukino thought silently to herself.