Masaki never believed in second chances. He barely believed in first ones.
But the last thing he remembered was diving in front of a runaway truck to shove a crying girl out of harm's way. A flash of pain—then darkness.
Now he was lying in a dirt field, under a bright blue sky, with birds chirping cheerfully and absolutely no memory of how he got there.
Also, he was twelve.
"What… the hell?" Masaki sat up, feeling oddly light, like his body was made of rubber bands and dry leaves. His hands—small. His clothes—rough. His surroundings?
A giant red wall loomed in the distance. Painted on it: a kanji symbol for fire.
Then someone shouted in the distance. "Obito, if you trip again, I'm leaving you behind!"
Masaki's head jerked toward the voice.
A small boy with spiky black hair, goggles on his head, and the Uchiha crest on his back was scrambling up from the ground. Another boy with silver hair and a blank face walked ahead, clearly annoyed. A girl with short brown hair giggled behind them.
Masaki's jaw dropped.
No way. That's… Obito Uchiha. Kakashi. Rin.
Before he could process the insanity, a ding echoed in his head, followed by a glowing interface in front of his eyes.
> [SYSTEM INSTALLING…]
Welcome, Masaki. You have been granted the: "Disciple System."
Inspire greatness. Teach others. Earn strength through their growth.
"…Am I seriously in Naruto?" Masaki muttered. "Not as Naruto. Not as an Uchiha. Not even as a Hyūga. Just… me?"
> System Notice: You are currently a civilian with no chakra pathways.
Tutorial Objective: Protect someone worthy.
A few meters away, Obito tripped over a rock and faceplanted into the ground. Two older Genin walking by sneered.
"Stupid Uchiha dropout," one said. "Try not to cry again, goggle-boy."
Masaki moved before he could think. There was a long stick by a training post. He snatched it up, marched over, and stood between Obito and the Genin.
"Hey," Masaki said. "How about you pick on someone closer to your IQ level?"
The taller Genin raised an eyebrow. "Who're you supposed to be? His mother?"
"I'm the guy who's gonna whack you with a stick unless you back off."
The Genin lunged. Masaki swung low. WHACK! Right across the shins. The guy yelled and fell. The second one rushed in—Masaki feinted, sidestepped, jabbed the stick into his gut, then tripped him with a sweep.
Years of kendo, street fights, and teaching self-defense in his old life rushed back like muscle memory. These punks had chakra. He had experience and nerve.
They retreated, cursing.
Obito stared, wide-eyed. "Whoa… You're amazing! That was awesome!"
Masaki turned to him with a lopsided grin. "You alright?"
Obito nodded, brushing dirt off his face. "I guess. But I really gotta stop falling over all the time…"
> System Alert: You have chosen your first disciple.
Disciple Added: Obito Uchiha [Tragic Fate Type]
Shared Growth unlocked. Mirror Mastery enabled.
Masaki blinked. Then:
> Objective: Alter the fate of the boy who would destroy the world.
Reward: Chakra Network Activation + Beginner Taijutsu Scroll.
> New Skill: Stick Style – Beginner Improvised Combat (Level 1)
Yes, seriously.
---
Later That Day – Orphan Dormitory, Hidden Leaf Village
Masaki sat in his cramped room, legs crossed, staring at the floating blue interface.
Disciple Menu:
Name Type Bond Jutsu Learned Notes
Obito Uchiha Tragic Fate D None Prone to tripping, eager
Available Actions:
Begin Chakra Training
Boost Morale
Teach Basic Combat
Assign Daily Mission
Masaki sighed. "So I'm stuck as a civilian mentor with no chakra… yet I'm supposed to fix Obito's destiny before he becomes Madara's meat puppet. Wonderful."
He tapped "Boost Morale."
> +10 Bond. Obito now sees you as a Cool Older Brother.
"…Okay, that's cute."
Then the interface glitched. A new feature unlocked:
> Fate Map Unlocked.
Multiple fates detected for Disciple: Obito Uchiha.
A tangled web of timelines appeared. One showed him becoming a war hero. Another—a masked monster. A third… was blank.
> New System Warning: Timeline Drift is dangerous. Changing too much too quickly may alert "Fate Stabilizers." Proceed carefully.
"…So I can change fate. But I'm being watched. By who? Zetsu? The Sage?"
Another alert pinged.
> Shared Progression Unlocked.
Teach Obito to walk on water = Gain "Surface Walking" skill (partial).
"Alright, sensei mode it is." Masaki stood up. "Tomorrow, Obito learns how not to faceplant."
---
Next Morning – Training Ground Three
Masaki waited with arms crossed. Obito arrived ten minutes late, panting.
"I tripped into a bush."
"Of course you did."
Masaki tossed a leaf in the air. "Today, we're learning chakra control. Don't care if you can't do a single jutsu. If you can't walk up a tree, I'll make you climb it with your teeth."
Obito stared. "…You're kinda scary."
"I'm your sensei now. Get used to it."
---
System Log – Internal Only:
> Training Session Complete
Obito has shown slight improvement in chakra molding.
+50 XP
+"Tree Walking Basics" unlocked (33%)
Mirror Mastery: 11% synced to host.
> System Notice: You have made your first change to fate. A butterfly flaps its wings. A masked shadow stirs earlier than expected.
Masaki didn't know it yet, but today's tree was the first branch in a forest of diverging futures.
And he had just taken the first step toward becoming the guide who might save—or shatter—the world.
---