The courtyard of the orphanage was quiet today. Not completely silent—there was always some noise. Footsteps on dry dirt, the distant clatter of pans from the kitchen, laughter from the other kids as they played near the old storage shed. But the wind was light, and the sun was soft enough that it didn't press down hard like it did in the summer.
He sat beneath a crooked tree near the far wall, shaded and mostly ignored. A few kids ran past him, chasing each other, kicking up dust. He didn't move. Just dragged a stick through the dirt, tracing shapes that didn't mean anything.
To anyone else, he probably looked like a quiet, slightly odd three-year-old. Not unusual in a place like this.
But inside his head, something was different.
It wasn't a dramatic awakening. No headaches. No flashes of light. No dramatic voice saying "Welcome to your second life." Just a subtle shift in the way the world felt—like a fog had quietly lifted without warning.
And then the memories came. Not all at once, but clearly enough.
Another world. Another him. Late nights spent reading manga, watching anime, scrolling forums. A quiet life—not amazing, but familiar.
And among all those stories, one in particular stood out.
Naruto.
He sat still for a long while, not because he was shocked, but because he was thinking.
Now that the memories were back, he couldn't ignore the signs anymore. The red swirl painted on a food cart in the market. The forehead protectors some villagers wore. The names that got thrown around sometimes—Uchiha, Hyuga, Hokage.
He had heard them before, but hadn't paid attention. Just background noise in a world he was still learning to live in. But now, with the memories restored, it was like watching a blurry picture suddenly come into focus.
This was the Hidden Leaf Village.
Konoha.
And he was living here.
The timing lined up, too. The Kyuubi attack had already happened—he'd heard whispers about "that night" from some of the caretakers when they didn't think the kids were listening. He was the same age as the blond boy who ran around the yard too loudly, too often. Always grinning, always alone.
Uzumaki Naruto.
So yeah. It all made sense now.
He wasn't overwhelmed. Maybe he should've been, but… this was the world he'd lived in for three years already. His parents had been normal people—no jutsu, no fancy background. His father had worked with lumber; his mother had helped at a food stall near the outer district. They weren't shinobi, just villagers. They'd raised him with quiet kindness, keeping their heads down like a lot of people did after the Nine-Tails incident.
Then came last winter.
His parents went out during the first snow, heading toward the market in a hired cart. It overturned on the return trip. His mother died instantly. His father lasted long enough to say a few things—nothing dramatic. Just simple words to a confused toddler.
After that, the orphanage became home.
He didn't hate it. It wasn't cruel. Just… quiet. Understaffed. A little tired. Meals were warm but plain, and the caretakers were stretched too thin to do much beyond the basics. He kept to himself, but not in a weird way. Just the kind of quiet that didn't get in trouble or draw attention.
Maybe that's why today didn't feel like a disaster. It was strange, sure. A lot to think about. But not the end of the world.
If anything, it gave him answers.
Still, answers weren't always comfortable. This world was dangerous, especially for someone like him. No clan, no kekkei genkai. No childhood friend who would later become a main character. Just him. Another civilian kid in a village full of future shinobi.
He wasn't scared—but he wasn't going to pretend this was a gift, either.
He didn't have a goal yet. No ambition to become Hokage. No revenge arc. Just… awareness. And a quiet decision to stay out of sight until he understood the rules better.
Then, just as he started organizing those thoughts, a soft chime rang in his mind. Not through his ears—through something deeper, like a thought that came with its own sound.
> [Simple System Activated]
User recognized. Sync complete.
Daily Points received: +5
Current total: 5 Points
He blinked.
No glowing text in the air. No magic circle. Just those words, clear in his mind. Like they'd always been there, waiting for him to be ready.
"Seriously? A system too?"
The name was basic: Simple System. It almost undersold what it claimed to be. But he could already feel the outline of what it could do—like instinct.
> Features:
– Use Points to exchange for Items
– Use Points to gain Skills
– Use Points to access Knowledge
– Available selection: Not limited to this world
That last line was what really stood out.
This wasn't just a Naruto-only shop.
This system—whatever it was—could pull from outside sources. Other stories. Other worlds. He didn't know the full list yet, but it opened up options far beyond anything most people here could imagine.
Still…
He didn't stand up. Didn't try to access the menu. Just let the information settle.
"Alright. So that's real. That's... useful. Maybe too useful."
Five points wasn't much. And even if he could get something powerful, flashing that kind of ability too early was a good way to get the wrong kind of attention.
No. He wasn't going to start testing things in public or try to buy some overpowered jutsu on day one. That would be dumb.
What he needed first was information.
Not from the system—he'd look at that later, in private.
From the world around him.
He needed to understand the rules, the politics, the day-to-day life of shinobi. He needed to know how chakra worked. What happened to orphans who stood out too much. Where the real danger started, and where it could be avoided.
Because this world?
It looked peaceful on the surface. But he knew better. The real threats were quiet, and they came fast if you weren't careful.
So, for now, he stayed still. Let the breeze pass over him, listened to the rustle of leaves above, and let the other kids shout in the background.
He would wait. Watch. Learn.
The system could wait a little longer.
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To Be Continued...