....
[You requested orders to go to the battlefield. Your physical illness flared up, and your skills rapidly declined.]
[You found the enemy who killed Master Chen and avenged him.]
[Due to your illness, you paid a heavy price to kill the enemy. You were left on the verge of death, with no medical ninja nearby.]
[On your deathbed, you saw Hatake Kakashi, now with a Sharingan, and Nohara Rin attempting to heal you—but it was futile.]
[Hatake Kakashi said you could have achieved so much more.]
[You bled out and died…]
[Simulation ends.]
[System Evaluation: Though lazy, you lived a life of love and justice. You went to the battlefield to avenge your master—your courage is commendable.]
[Evaluation Level: 2]
[Reward: Level 2 Physical Enhancement]
[Reward Selection Card: Nara]
The simulation faded.
Naruto closed his eyes, absorbing the effects of the Level 2 Physical Enhancement. Compared to Level 1, the improvement was far more significant.
His body no longer bore any traces of malnourishment.
Next was the Reward Selection Card. Without hesitation, Naruto chose to inherit the character's taijutsu proficiency.
A flood of unfamiliar yet instinctive memories surged into his mind—movements, techniques, muscle memory—all seamlessly integrating into his body.
He opened the system panel and saw his combat power had jumped from a measly 5 to a respectable 824.
Not bad.
Satisfied, Naruto turned his attention to the final simulation opportunity.
This time, he could draw attributes from three characters, and theoretically, this was the strongest selection among his three simulations.
"System, begin the next simulation!"
[Character Surnames Drawn: Mikami, Hatao, Aoi]
[Character Talents Drawn: Isao, Kenji, Nobu]
[Character Appearance Drawn: Two Trash, Namikaze Minato]
Third Simulation.
Naruto was disappointed.
The characters he drew were complete nobodies—likely background figures even in the original story.
The only worthwhile trait was his biological father's looks. The rest? Useless.
In the simulation, he lived only ten years, achieving nothing beyond inheriting his father's face.
Still, the system granted him a Level 1 Physical Enhancement as the lowest reward.
By now, Naruto's physique had improved drastically. No longer scrawny, he looked healthy and well-built.
For the third simulation's rewards, he only selected appearance—since everything else was worse than his current abilities.
But when he checked the mirror…
Nothing had changed.
Confused, Naruto asked the system:
"System, didn't I merge with my father's appearance? Why do I look the same?"
[Ding~ To prevent sudden changes from drawing suspicion, the system is gradually altering your appearance over the next three months. This ensures discretion.]
Naruto nodded.
Smart.
Now that all three simulations were used, Naruto had gained:
- Two Level 1 Physical Enhancements
- One Level 2 Physical Enhancement
- Taijutsu skills rivaling teenage Kakashi
- Namikaze Minato's looks (incoming)
- 8.4 million ryō
This wasn't just striking it rich—it was beyond his wildest dreams.
He glanced at the reset simulation count on the system panel and asked:
"How do I get more simulation chances?"
[Ding~ The system will periodically issue missions. You may accept or reject them. If rejected, an equally difficult mission will replace it. Completion grants simulation opportunities.]
Naruto wasn't in a hurry.
He preferred a low-key, ordinary life—and the system's non-mandatory missions suited him perfectly.
The Next Day – Ninja Academy
Naruto's personality differed from the original.
Though Konoha still viewed him with hate, he never acted out. Most saw him as an invisible loner—which suited him just fine.
Solitude was peaceful.
After breakfast, he arrived at the academy entrance.
Groups of students walked in, escorted by their parents.
Naruto recognized most of them but didn't care.
Before, the sight might have stung.
Now? He was indifferent.
He was more interested in this world itself—the characters, the story.
For now, strength was his focus.
Entering the classroom, he spotted familiar faces:
- Hinata, shy as ever
- Sakura and Ino, chattering loudly
- Shikamaru, lazily slumped over his desk
- Kiba, brimming with arrogance
Since Naruto never caused trouble, he had zero interactions with them.
The only one who spared him a glance was Hinata—but she never approached.
To the village, he was still the demon brat.
Naruto didn't know if the Hyūga clan knew the truth about the Nine-Tails incident, but he doubted they'd approve of Hinata talking to him.
He took his seat—back row, by the window.
As he sat, his eyes met Hinata's.
She flinched, turning away like a startled rabbit, her face flushing pink.
She folded her hands neatly, pretending to focus—even though Iruka hadn't entered yet.
Naruto smirked.
So pure. So cute.
Moments later, Iruka walked in and announced:
"Written test today."
The class erupted in mixed reactions.
Sakura and Ino locked eyes, sparks flying between them.
They were academic rivals, always competing for the top three spots (alongside Hinata).
Shino and Sasuke usually rounded out the top five.
Sakura nudged Ino and whispered:
"If you lose this time, you're my wingman."
.....