"Father! Mother! I'm back!!!"
The lively voice of Shouta Kazuki echoed through the house as he pushed open the door and stepped inside.
"Shouta, you're back!"
A warm, energetic voice called out from the kitchen, and soon, a middle-aged woman in simple home attire emerged. Her face was gentle, her dark hair tied back in a neat bun, and her eyes shone with kindness—the unmistakable gaze of a loving mother.
This woman was Hanako Kazuki, the mother of Shouta in this life.
Hanako had once been a civilian ninja without a clan name. In her youth, she had crossed paths with Haruto Kazuki during a mission. Their fateful encounter led to love, marriage, and a family. Since Hanako came from a commoner background, she had taken on the Kazuki surname after marrying into the family.
Shouta grinned as he sniffed the air, his stomach growling in anticipation. "Mother, what did you cook today? It smells amazing!"
Hanako smiled and wiped her hands on her apron. "I made your favorite—Guobao Pork and Sixi Meatballs."
The moment she said this, Shouta's eyes lit up. He had introduced many new dishes into this world over the years, using his knowledge from his previous life to recreate familiar flavors. After all, the food in the Naruto world was severely lacking. Ramen and barbecue were considered top-tier meals, but there was so much more that people were missing out on.
At first, Shouta had thought about bringing more technological advancements from his previous life into this world. However, he quickly realized that he had no talent for invention. The Naruto world's technology tree was completely distorted, and the theoretical knowledge he had learned before was practically useless here.
He had attempted to tinker with a few things over the years but ultimately gave up. He wasn't destined to be a great inventor like Orochimaru.
Despite all this, his parents hadn't asked about what had happened to him at school today. His father, Haruto Kazuki, and his grandfather, Raiga Kazuki, had chosen not to tell his mother about the incident. What good would it do? It would only add unnecessary worries to her mind.
For now, all that mattered was that Shouta had returned home safely.
A Shift in Perspective
After dinner, Shouta returned to his room. He lay down on his bed, his mind racing. The system binding to him today had completely caught him off guard. More than that, it had disrupted his previous plans for the future.
Originally, he had intended to train as much as possible, improve his strength, and enjoy the experience of wielding chakra firsthand. He wasn't aiming to become the strongest—after all, he wasn't the protagonist of this world. He knew his limits.
His initial plan had been simple: get stronger, find a reliable backing, and live a peaceful life. He had considered clinging to the likes of Naruto and Sasuke, securing his place among the powerful while avoiding unnecessary conflicts. Maybe, one day, he would find a beautiful wife and live out the rest of his life in comfort.
When he had nothing better to do, he imagined himself visiting special hot springs, indulging in the finer pleasures of life, or spending time with the charming big sisters at the izakayas. After all, he had worked himself to the bone in his past life. Wasn't he entitled to enjoy himself this time around?
He had planned to simply drift through life, savoring the little things without getting too involved in the grand schemes of the ninja world.
But now…
Now, everything had changed.
The arrival of the system had turned his future into an uncertain landscape filled with endless possibilities. More than that, he had obtained something extraordinary—his first summoned entity: Uchiha Madara.
This wasn't just some ordinary summoning contract. It meant he could summon even more powerful figures in the future.
And if that was the case…
If he had access to the power of legendary figures…
Then what was stopping him from reaching the pinnacle of strength himself?
More importantly, now that he had inherited Indra's chakra, the possibility of surpassing even the strongest shinobi was within his grasp.
How could he possibly continue to live a lazy, carefree life now?
This world was full of legendary bloodlines, deep bonds, and grand ambitions. Who wouldn't want to experience it all firsthand?
Deep inside, Shouta felt something stir within him—an ambition he had never truly acknowledged before. Every person had dreams, but for someone who had been reborn into a world filled with power and adventure, there was one dream that he couldn't ignore.
He wanted to leave his mark on history.
Every man carried the desire to leave behind a legacy—to be remembered. To conquer. To rule.
Back in his previous life, the great emperors and conquerors of history had achieved such feats. And while the phrase "banish the wolves to live in Xu and drink from the vast sea of horses" didn't quite apply in this world, the meaning behind it remained the same.
In this world, power ruled all.
And he wanted it.
If he was fated to possess such potential, then why should he settle for mediocrity? If he had a path to power, then why should he remain in someone else's shadow?
His goals were shifting. His future was becoming clearer.
And the system… would be his greatest weapon.
The rankings of summoned entities were divided into five levels—White, Green, Blue, Purple, and Gold.
Each of these levels corresponded to ninja rankings:
White → Genin
Green → Chunin
Blue → Jonin
Purple → Elite Jonin
Gold → Kage-level or beyond
Shouta wasn't interested in summoning low-level ninjas.
Quantity meant nothing in this world. No matter how many genin he gathered, they would never stand a chance against a true powerhouse like Uchiha Madara. Even if he summoned a hundred thousand of them, it wouldn't be enough to take down a single god-tier shinobi.
Therefore, he needed quality.
His goal was clear—only summon the strongest.
He wasn't expecting every summon to be at the level of a Kage, but at the very least, they needed to be jonin-level combatants or higher.
As for chunin or genin… they were worthless to him.
Not only was their combat ability laughably low, but they also had nothing valuable to offer. Basic ninjutsu? He could learn those from Uchiha Madara himself.
Shouta smirked. He knew Madara's personality well—arrogant, prideful, and ruthless. But if there was one thing Madara never did, it was break his word. The legendary shinobi had promised to train him, and he would keep that promise.
With that thought, Shouta closed his eyes, focused his chakra, and entered the summoning space.
A Ridiculous Sight
The moment he arrived, Shouta froze in disbelief.
What the hell was Madara doing?!
Before him stood the legendary Uchiha Madara—the feared and revered demon of the ninja world, the man who once stood against the entire shinobi alliance, the ghost of the Uchiha.
And yet…
Right now, he was building a house.
Yes, building a damn house.
Shouta's mouth twitched.
The powerful shinobi who could wipe out armies in an instant was currently cutting wood, carbonizing it with Fire Release, and laying down a foundation with Earth Release.
For a moment, Shouta just stared.
Madara, realizing he was being watched, turned around, his piercing red Sharingan eyes locking onto Shouta.
"Hmph! Damn brat!!! What are you looking at?!"
Shouta couldn't help it.
He laughed.
Madara scowled.
This damn brat… was he mocking him?!
"Uh… Madara, if you need a house, you could've just asked."
With a snap of his fingers, a three-story villa materialized before them.
Madara's eye twitched.
This damn brat…