1st sight-in
Konoha Hidden Village.
The once-glorious Senju Clan had long since faded into obscurity. Their influence had waned, especially after Princess Tsunade left the village. Now, their strength was at an all-time low, as if they were on the verge of vanishing from history altogether.
Even their once-sprawling estate had shrunk to just a few courtyards—mere remnants of their past splendor.
In one such unremarkable courtyard, Xu Fan sat cross-legged on a straw mat.
He had lived in this world for five years. Five long years. And no one knew the struggles he had endured during that time.
"The Senju name once stood as a pillar of power—Hashirama alone carried most of that weight. Tobirama held his own. Tsunade was formidable. And yet, somehow, the rest of us are left scraping by..."
Xu Fan couldn't help but mock his own predicament. Since Hashirama's death, the Senju Clan had declined at an alarming rate. And now, as one of its last remaining descendants, he had inherited nothing—no prestige, no strength, not even the powerful regenerative abilities of his ancestors.
It had taken him five years just to gather enough chakra to activate his system.
Five years!
For a descendant of the legendary Senju, he hadn't even received the slightest genetic advantage.
As soon as the system fully activated, a novice mission promptly followed.
Ding!
"Please proceed to the forest border of the Land of Fire and check in. A successful check-in will grant you a novice reward!"
Xu Fan frowned slightly. Ever since arriving in this world, he had been aware of the approximate timeline. Konoha's history had become a part of his reality.
Internally, tensions were simmering. The Uchiha Clan still existed, and their dissatisfaction with the Konoha leadership was growing.
Externally, conflicts between Konoha and Kumogakure persisted. Although a peace treaty had recently been announced, there were undoubtedly spies from the Land of Lightning still lurking about.
But with risk came opportunity.
"No risk, no reward. Fortune favors the bold."
Xu Fan's gaze sharpened. Before transmigrating, he had been a fan of web novels. He had spent countless nights consuming the tropes and strategies of countless protagonists. He knew exactly what needed to be done.
Most importantly…
His current situation was far from ideal.
At first, he had been thrilled upon realizing that he had transmigrated to the Naruto world. The timeline he had landed in was relatively safe—after the Nine-Tails' attack but before the start of Naruto's story. Konoha was in a period of relative stability.
With his Senju lineage, he had assumed he would have enough time to grow stronger and possibly even secure a high-ranking position in the village.
But reality quickly set in.
Despite his prestigious bloodline, his chakra reserves were pitifully low.
This meant that even if he enrolled in the Ninja Academy, he would never graduate—never become a ninja.
That realization had been a harsh blow.
Fortunately, after five grueling years, he had finally gathered enough chakra to activate his sign-in system.
It was time.
"The forest border."
Xu Fan stood up, returned to his room, and changed into lightweight clothing suited for travel. Without hesitation, he left the courtyard.
The forest border wasn't too far, and it wasn't particularly difficult to navigate. However, at this time, Konoha was on high alert.
Even the village entrances and exits were closely guarded by elite ninjas.
"Looks like walking out of here casually isn't an option."
Xu Fan muttered to himself as he cautiously approached the village gate. The guards stationed there were highly vigilant. If he so much as hinted that he wanted to venture toward the border, they would either deny him outright or, worse, hand him over to the Anbu for questioning.
"I need to find a secluded spot, sneak out, complete the check-in, and return before anyone notices."
With a plan set, Xu Fan quickly changed course. It took him several hours, but after a long detour, he finally managed to evade the guards.
Despite training diligently over the past five years, his physical abilities were still far from those of a true ninja.
"Even after all this time, there's still such a huge gap..."
He sighed, but at least he had finally reached the outskirts of the village. The border was within sight.
Just as he prepared to check in, a sudden movement caught his attention.
Someone else was here.
Had he been discovered?
Were Konoha's guards following him?
Xu Fan quickly ducked behind a large tree, his eyes scanning the surroundings.
To his shock, the figure approaching him wasn't from Konoha at all.
It was a ninja from Kumogakure.
The man wore his headband slanted like Kakashi, his body radiating speed and aggression. In one hand, he clutched an unconscious little girl.
And he was heading straight in Xu Fan's direction.
Xu Fan's eyes narrowed as he used the moonlight to get a better look at the girl's face.
"Wait… isn't that Hinata from the Hyuga Clan?"
Xu Fan's mind raced.
In his memories, the Cloud Village had indeed attempted to kidnap Hinata, but they were intercepted before they could leave Konoha.
So why was the abductor already at the border?
The butterfly effect?
"No…" Xu Fan shook his head. Something about this situation felt off. "Could it be that the Hyuga Clan covered up the truth?"
It was possible. After all, Neji had never known the full details of what happened that night.
But before Xu Fan could process this any further, a chilling killing intent surged behind him.
Whoosh!
A glint of steel flashed.
Xu Fan rolled to the side just in time, his eyes snapping toward the incoming attackers.
More Cloud ninja.
"Damn. They found me."
"Kill him."
Their hatred for Konoha, combined with their mission, ignited their bloodlust.
Weapons were drawn.
They weren't going to let him walk away.
Xu Fan didn't hesitate—he turned and ran.
If these guys were willing to kidnap Hinata, there was no chance they would let a witness go.
After a few breathless moments, he finally stepped onto the forest border.
Ding!
"Congratulations! You have arrived at the sign-in location. Check-in in progress!"
Warning: Check-in must reach 100%. Leaving early will result in failure.
Xu Fan barely had time to react before a kunai whizzed past his cheek, drawing blood.
Thunk!
The blade embedded itself in the tree ahead, radiating deadly intent.
Xu Fan turned sharply.
The ninja closing in on him wasn't just any ordinary enemy.
He looked like a demon emerging from the depths of hell.
1%...
23%...
Xu Fan instinctively backed away—only for searing pain to explode in his ankle.
A well-aimed kunai had pierced straight through, severing muscle.
He staggered.
He couldn't run.
The Cloud ninja raised their weapons, ready to strike him down.
"Die, Konoha brat!"
69%... 77%...
Xu Fan clenched his teeth. There was no escaping this. He had no choice but to endure.
100%!
Ding!
"Congratulations, check-in complete!"
Reward: Hashirama's Chakra and Chakra Burst!