The houses in Konoha sprawled outward in a gentle, harmonious rhythm. Wooden roofs stacked in a patchwork mosaic. A blend of classical design and subtle modern touches.
From high above, the village looked almost unreal, Peaceful, Orderly. As if war had never touched it. As if ninja were just legends, not daily reality.
Sitting on the rooftop, Haruto inhaled deeply, catching the faint freshness in the wind. He exhaled slowly, eyes scanning the horizon.
"It's really… peaceful." He muttered.
Today, he skipped class with Shikamaru under the classic excuse of "cloud watching." But while Shikamaru looked up, Haruto preferred to look down. Down at the living world, at Konoha's soul.
The longer he stayed in this world, the more he discovered its quiet charm, sincere friendships, shared dreams. A family that joked, fought, laughed—and stayed. A girl who waited quietly, her love unshaken.
Compared to his previous life—gray, distant, emotionless—This world felt alive.
It was rough, yes, but also warm. Still… not everything was perfect.
Haruto's eyes dimmed slightly as he thought of Itachi. Peace without power was just a fantasy.
Without strength, all good things were fragile. His brief tranquility broke when he heard a familiar panting.
"Boss! There you are!" Naruto climbed onto the roof, hands on his knees. Then turned and shouted down, "He's up here!"
Soon after, Sasuke followed, landing silently beside Haruto.
He lay down, arms crossed behind his head.
Haruto raised an eyebrow, smirking.
"I never realized you two were such a couple. Always together, huh? It's disgusting. Get a room."
Naruto and Sasuke froze.
"W-WHAT?!" Naruto's face turned red. "Don't joke like that, Boss!"
Sasuke's eye twitched. "You're the disgusting one."
"Okay, okay! My bad, my bad! Naruto, let go! Sasuke—stop cracking your knuckles!"
Just as things were heating up—
"Hey, Choji?" Haruto blinked as the big guy climbed over the edge, munching as usual.
"I figured Shikamaru was here," Choji said calmly. "So I followed." Kacha kacha.
Then a voice echoed from below. "Woof! You're all up there without me?!" Kiba shouted, racing up with Akamaru barking at his heels. "Unbelievable! Leaving me out again?!"
Within minutes, the rooftop was packed. Shikamaru. Naruto, Sasuke, Choji, Kiba and Haruto… sitting there in the middle, surrounded by chaos again.
But this time, he didn't mind. Maybe… this kind of noise wasn't so bad after all. It didn't take long for the rooftop to become crowded. Everyone lay shoulder to shoulder, forming a dense line of kids watching clouds drift lazily overhead.
"Hey, Shino, when did you get here?" Haruto suddenly noticed the quiet presence beside him.
Shino adjusted his glasses slightly. "I came here very early." Just as quietly as he always did.
Elsewhere... "Those little brats—where the hell did they all go?!"
Iruka stood fuming in the empty classroom. A nerve popped visibly on his forehead. "All those boys ditching class together… Do they think I'm a joke?!" His voice echoed down the hallway like thunder. Back on the roof, something strange happened. Everyone—Naruto, Kiba, even the usually restless Choji—had gone completely quiet. Just watching the clouds roll across the sky in a long, lazy wave. A breeze passed through. Someone sighed.
"Time flies…" Haruto broke the silence. "Tomorrow is the graduation exam." The words lingered.
He looked around him. At Shikamaru, at Kiba, at Naruto, at all the friends who had become a part of his new life. After tomorrow, things would never be the same. No more cutting class together. No more carefree afternoons on the roof. Soon, they would be genin—real shinobi and with that came danger, blood, loss. Haruto knew too well: the world wasn't like the scripts of the original story. This world was real, cruel. Ninjas died and peace was fleeting.
If only things could stay like this forever. The mood turned a little heavy. Everyone was thinking the same thing. Suddenly, Naruto stood up, fists clenched, eyes burning with determination.
"Graduation, huh? Then it's finally time for me, Uzumaki Naruto, to show what I can do!" He struck a dramatic pose. "Just you watch! I'm going to become the best ninja ever, and then—I'll be Hokage!
The name Uzumaki Naruto will echo throughout the ninja world!"
There was a beat of silence.
Then—"…Gotta say," Shikamaru muttered, "his speech level's improved."
"Yeah," Kiba nodded. "Used to be just 'I'll be Hokage!'—now it's got style."
Before Naruto could bask in their compliments—
WHACK!
"Idiot!" Sakura shouted, "Worry about passing first—you failed the mock exam three times!"
Kiba joined in. "Hokage? You can't even beat Akamaru. Don't make me laugh."
Shino added his quiet jab. "Konoha would become a laughing stock."
Naruto fumed, face red. "STOP looking down on me! I meant what I said—I will become Hokage.
If you talk big, you better do big. That's… my ninja way!"
Silence followed.
This time, no one laughed. His voice had a weight behind it—a fire that was hard to dismiss.
Even Haruto was briefly stunned. He'd seen it in Naruto's eyes: that burning conviction. He smiled slightly. This guy… might really do it.
But of course—"Pfft, stop dreaming." Ya started up again. "I'll be Hokage before you. Why don't you go cool off in last place where you belong?"
"Idiot." "I second that," Shikamaru yawned. "Naruto's not Hokage material." Still, even as the group jabbed and teased...a quiet thought settled in all their hearts:
Maybe—just maybe—this guy really could become Hokage.
As the evening fell, Haruto couldn't shake the unease that had taken root in his mind.
Naruto's simple declaration still echoed in his thoughts—"I'll become Hokage."
Something felt off about it. Why had those words struck him so hard?
Haruto's mind raced. That wasn't just normal confidence… it felt almost… otherworldly. It couldn't be.
Of course. Asura's will—the very essence of Naruto's existence. Naruto was the reincarnation of Asura, the sibling of Indra, a force so powerful it echoed even through the generations. Even if Naruto hadn't fully awakened that power, the remnants of Asura's will could still affect people in subtle, unnoticed ways.
That aura, that presence… it was dangerous.
The effect was like an illusion, nearly impossible to detect, and yet it had impacted Haruto deeply.
Naruto's words weren't just words—they were like a pull on Haruto's very being, an overwhelming surge of will and strength. No wonder he could boast so freely. It was Asura's will speaking through him, and it was far more terrifying than Haruto had initially realized.
But there was more.
Indra's will—that was the real concern.
If Naruto was truly the reincarnation of Asura, what kind of power did Indra's spirit possess?
Haruto shuddered, realizing that this power might be something he couldn't even comprehend yet. His own training, his own path, might not be enough to face it. The system he was relying on might be a trap. How could he compete with such a force?
Haruto had to admit, this wasn't just about unlocking power anymore. It was about survival.
Night settled in as Haruto prepared for what he knew would be a long night ahead. Resting for a while, he cleared his mind and focused, preparing to delve into the dungeon again. The task at hand was simple—train, grow stronger. But each step forward felt heavier now. Was he even ready for what was to come?
The dungeon greeted him as it always did—cold, dark, and full of challenges. But this time, something felt different. Sasuke stood in front of him, eyes cold, filled with malice. He didn't move—just watched Haruto with the kind of calculating intensity that made every step feel dangerous.
But Haruto wasn't concerned. He'd seen this before. His path was clear.
He pulled Murasame from its sheath, the blade glinting faintly in the dim light. Sasuke charged, but the difference in their strength was too great. A single, fluid motion, and Sasuke was on the ground, defeated.
Haruto couldn't help but reflect on how far he'd come. More than two years of dungeon training had paid off. His speed, agility, and fire affinity had all surpassed Chunin-level abilities. He had unlocked fireball techniques, learned the secrets of Kunai throwing, and honed his battle reflexes to a razor's edge. But even now, it still wasn't enough. Not against Naruto. Not against the power he was sensing from Naruto's very soul.
Haruto glanced at the two skill books in his hand—one for Fireball Jutsu and the other for Kunai Throwing.
Each offered a deeper understanding, a more powerful version of the skills he'd mastered. He could feel the potential surging through him, but there was something nagging at the back of his mind.
Physique. His body wasn't where it needed to be. His speed was wasted, his chakra reserves too limited. Without the right physical foundation, all the technique in the world couldn't make him stronger than someone like Naruto.
His eyes landed on the Uchiha bloodline experience book that had dropped recently. This was it. It was time. "Enough. Finally… enough." With a single thought, Haruto began to absorb the power.
His body tingled with energy, his senses sharpening to a new level. The world around him seemed to slow as his eyes flickered with newfound understanding.
It was time to get serious. To face what was coming. The chance of obtaining the Uchiha Bloodline Experience Book was incredibly low. It had taken Sasuke two full years to accumulate enough experience for the basic Uchiha Bloodline. Without hesitation, he decided to use it. Haruto quietly felt the changes within his body. It seemed a bit different, but nothing too noticeable. He took out a small mirror to check.
The odds of obtaining the Uchiha Bloodline Experience Book were extremely low. Sasuke had spent two whole years just to gather enough experience for the basic Uchiha Bloodline, and without hesitation, he used it. Haruto quietly sensed subtle changes in his body. It felt slightly different, but not enough to be sure. He took out a small mirror to examine himself.
"Huh? Where's the Sharingan?" Haruto thought, a sense of unease creeping in.
After a short pause, a dungeon prompt echoed in his mind:
[Uchiha Bloodline unlocked
Sharingan Drop System active
Experience books for Sharingan at different levels can now drop from relevant characters.]
A voice in his mind continued:
[Uchiha Bloodline is divided into Bloodline, Sharingan, and Skill Levels. Would you like to proceed?]
[However, there was a positive development: The Uchiha bloodline has increased your Fire Element affinity by one level. Advanced Fire Affinity grants a 50% boost to fire skill damage and reduces consumption by 20%.]
This was encouraging, as it might help in Naruto's dungeon—a place that still gave Haruto lingering nightmares.
Upon entering the dungeon, Haruto heard Naruto's familiar, angry voice:
"Shadow Clone Technique!"
It had once been a nostalgic sound, but now it was a source of dread for him. Haruto sighed. "Not this again..."
The room quickly filled with numerous Naruto clones, all working together to attack. If there were just a thousand clones, Haruto could handle them slowly, but the worst part was that Naruto would regenerate clones after each wave.
Haruto had always wondered how this could be a Chunin-level dungeon, but now was not the time to question it.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
In an instant, a giant fireball consumed hundreds of square meters, scorching the surroundings and wiping out half of the clones.
Haruto stared at his hands, shocked. Did I really cause all this damage?
He realized that even a single level difference in ninjutsu could make an enormous impact. No wonder it had taken so many ninjutsu to handle the clones in the past. Quality, not quantity, made all the difference, just like the Hokage-level figures in the game.
Soon, Haruto completed the Naruto dungeon, something that had been a struggle for two years, but now finished with ease. He looked at the Chunin-level experience book in his hand and sighed.
Feeling more confident, Haruto decided to challenge Rock Lee. Though Lee could only open the Fourth Gate in this dungeon, he still proved to Haruto that no matter how powerful the skills, they were useless if they couldn't land a hit.
Exhausted, Haruto muttered, "Eight Inner Gates really are broken."
Then, an idea struck him. In this dungeon, the Eight Gates could be used without restriction. Thinking back to how Guy had opened the gates to defeat Madara in his final form, Haruto's excitement grew. And the Reaper Death Seal!
With these two techniques, he wouldn't get stuck in the dungeon, and he wouldn't have to worry about slow skill progression holding him back.
Relieved, Haruto now knew that he could rise to the top of the ninja world—if he had enough time.
Before that, however, he needed to plan his next moves. Sasuke and Naruto's dungeons were definite goals. As for the last one… Sakura. Despite her skills being lacking, her chakra control was decent. Plus, the experience books she would drop could level him up quickly, serving as a good substitute until he could defeat Rock Lee.
With his mind at ease, Haruto gazed at the moonlight streaming in from the window. He lay awake, thinking of the two techniques—Eight Inner Gates and Reaper Death Seal—that he still needed to acquire.