Konoha, Ninja Academy.
Under the dim light of the office, a teacher was still hunched over his desk, not yet having left.
"Villain…"
"A good villain…"
Shin had been writing for a long time before finally collapsing onto the table.
"Damn it! Why does it have to be a villain?!"
The next moment, he shot to his feet, crumpled the paper in his hand into a ball, and summoned the panel again, unwilling to give up as he read it over a few more times:
[Life is like a play. Welcome to the grand stage of Naruto.]
[You must match your assigned role to step onto the stage and become a character appearing in Naruto: Part One.]
[When your performance is edited into scenes, you will receive salary rewards.]
[Note: The higher your character's popularity and the more screen time you gain, the better the rewards.]
[Rewards are updated per episode.]
[Your assigned role: "Villain."]
Below it was his status panel.
[Kanzaki Shin]
[Age: 17]
[Kekkei Genkai: None]
[Secret Techniques: None]
[Skills: Body Flicker Technique (Proficient), Clone Technique (Proficient), Transformation Technique (Proficient), Substitution Technique (Proficient), Kunai Throwing (Proficient)]
A rather glaring panel.
And this was already the result of Shin's relentless effort ever since his memories awakened seven years ago.
After seven years of hard work, he had to admit—
There really was such a thing as "talent" in this world, and especially after awakening this panel today, he felt it more than ever.
Seven years of effort had only brought all the ninjutsu and taijutsu he could access to a proficient level. As for elemental ninjutsu he couldn't access…
He had no way of knowing what his aptitude truly was.
Fortunately, those seven years of training had continuously improved his physical condition. Though his taijutsu wasn't reflected on the panel, compared to those of the same level, he was considered excellent.
Thanks to that, he had successfully passed the Chunin Exams.
There was no helping it.
In his previous life, he had only been an ordinary college student.
In this life, he was just a civilian ninja. His parents had died early in the war, and even getting into the Ninja Academy had been something he fought hard to achieve.
No kekkei genkai. No secret techniques.
The few ninjutsu he knew were all standard for genin and chunin. He didn't even have the chance to learn a single high-level technique.
He had painstakingly trained in swordsmanship, yet it wasn't even recognized by the panel.
Shin couldn't help but feel like his efforts had been misplaced.
Especially this panel—
At first, he had been delighted.
Thanks to years of training and cultivation, his taijutsu and ninjutsu were fairly solid, and this year, he had become a chunin because of it.
After spending half a year, Shin had finally passed the exams to enter the Ninja Academy as a teacher, becoming an instructor in taijutsu.
This system allowed him, as a teacher, to come into contact with the "protagonist" earlier and step into his role performance sooner.
Additionally—
There was a peer in this profession worth learning from.
Iruka.
This ninja, relying on his relationship with Naruto, managed to survive all the way to the end of Naruto just by saying heartfelt words, while also frequently appearing on screen.
It was clear that as an "early supporting character," strength didn't determine screen time—your relationship with the protagonist did.
But—
Never in his wildest dreams had he expected his role to be a "villain"!
"Damn it!"
"Villains are people too!"
"Why can't I get Iruka's script?!"
Kanzaki Shin slammed his fist onto the desk in frustration.
After a few seconds, he took several deep breaths and calmed himself down.
"No… that's not right."
"Being opposed to the protagonist doesn't mean being opposed to everyone else."
"As long as I go against Naruto, in theory, that fits the villain role."
"No matter what, I need to get through 'Part One' first. I can't get written off or disappear this early."
Once he calmed down, his thoughts began to clear, his ideas falling into place.
What kind of person steals the spotlight?
Someone so handsome they're unforgettable at a glance.
Or someone so ugly they're unforgettable at a glance.
The latter was out of the question for Kanzaki Shin.
Though he was a civilian, he was quite handsome, often receiving love letters from village girls.
After transmigrating, his focus had never been on that. He had devoted himself entirely to training and improving his taijutsu and strength, neglecting his appearance.
But now—
Staring into the flickering firelight, Shin's eyes filled with hope as he thought to himself, "An outstanding villain must first have an outstanding image."
Afterward, he placed the paper into the flame, letting it burn to ashes.
…
An excellent villain starts with managing their image.
Simply put—
Start from the beginning.
The next morning, Kanzaki Shin stepped out of the barbershop and headed toward the academy.
His hair and face had been fully groomed, making him appear even more handsome and refined than usual.
Just as he reached the school gate…
A blond-haired kid carrying a bucket was sneaking around suspiciously.
Shin's brow lifted slightly.
Target spotted.
Opportunity.
Without hesitation, he changed direction and walked over.
"Hehe—"
"I, Uzumaki Naruto, am going to become Hokage, and yet you dare—"
Naruto muttered to himself with a mischievous grin.
At that moment—
Smack!
A hand landed on his shoulder, and a cold voice came from behind him.
"Hey, brat!"
"Ahhh!!!"
Naruto trembled violently in fright, instinctively throwing the bucket of ink in his hand at the person behind him.
But—
Shin's wrist flicked, a kunai appearing in his hand. In an instant, he hooked the handle of the ink bucket, then spun the kunai in a smooth half-circle behind him…
Not a single drop of ink spilled!
Of course, Kanzaki Shin could have easily caught it with his hand, but he chose this method instead.
Why?
Because it looked cool.
That was how you got screen time.
Holding the ink bucket on his kunai, his gaze turned cold as he looked down at the boy retreating step by step.
"You're…"
"That kid from the rumors, aren't you?"
Meeting his gaze, Naruto immediately clenched his teeth, his face filling with intense anger.
Then he lowered his head gloomily, said nothing, and turned to run.
After running a short distance, the blond boy turned around and stuck out his tongue. "Bleh! Come catch me, idiot!"
With that, he sped off.
Kanzaki Shin didn't chase him. He simply watched coldly, as if observing a complete stranger.
Only after the boy disappeared did he drop the act.
"Phew…"
"Better for others to suffer a bit than for me to suffer."
A faint smile tugged at Kanzaki Shin's lips as he carried the ink bucket toward the entrance.
At the school gate—
"Good morning, Shin-sensei!"
"Good morning, Mr. Nagano."
Shin lifted the ink bucket. "I confiscated this from a blond kid. Could you help dispose of it?"
The gatekeeper's face immediately showed anger. "That brat again!"
Then his expression shifted slightly.
"Oh right, Shin-sensei, the class you teach… seems to be the same one that monster is in…"
"It's nothing. No matter who he is, he's still my student."
Shin smiled gently. "But thank you for the reminder."
"You'll have quite the headache in the future."
The gatekeeper chuckled.
Shin only smiled in response, setting down the ink bucket before walking into the academy.
He mentally refined the first rule of his "Villain Code"—
This "image" wasn't just about outward appearance, but also his personality and inner character.
In front of Naruto, he would faithfully play the role of a "villain." In front of others, there was no need to act that way.
For now, that was all he had figured out.
But—
Today's situation was undoubtedly a perfect first step!