"Get out of here, you damn fox! You're not welcome in this village!"
"Why did Lord Third allow that demon to stay in Konoha?"
"Damn it, he's the Kyuubi's vessel he'll only bring us misfortune."
"Just being near him gives me chills. What a cursed child."
"Why is he still alive? I begged the Hokage to have him executed!"
"Hiruzen is far too soft-hearted…"
"They say the Fourth Hokage died because of him…"
"This boy should've been eliminated the moment he was born."
"…"
"Hiss!"
In the shadows, Zhang Ming jolted awake, his heart thundering like the drums of war, threatening to break free from his chest. Sweat poured down his temples, soaking the pillow beneath his head. The air felt dense, as though saturated with ill will. He panted hard, struggling to separate the fragments of his nightmare from waking life. Yet the venomous voices and warped faces still lingered, echoing like ghostly chants in his ears.
Was it… a dream?
Zhang Ming blinked, disoriented. He'd had nightmares before, but none like this. The raw, vivid hatred was suffocating so potent, it clung to his skin like smoke. Even awake, the weight of that hostility pressed down on him.
As his eyes slowly adapted to the darkness, he began making out the shapes of the unfamiliar room. The silhouette of a desk, a cracked chair, a worn-out shelf everything foreign, even threatening, in the quiet of the night. Still, their presence reminded him he was lying in a bed, breathing.
He groped for the switch on the nightstand, but couldn't find it. The gloom around him resisted his efforts to dispel it. Taking deep breaths, Zhang Ming tried to calm himself. It's just a dream… he repeated. Just a dream…
Then, as moonlight spilled through the window, he caught sight of his surroundings dull wallpaper, small shelves cluttered with trinkets, threadbare blankets.
Too small a room.
Too short a body.
Too many strange details.
Something was terribly wrong.
He jumped from the bed and took in his reflection in a grimy windowpane. Blond hair. Blue eyes. Whisker marks.
"I… transmigrated?"
Panic flared in his mind, but when he pinched his arm and felt sharp pain, clarity returned.
This wasn't a hallucination.
He had really crossed over.
Strangely, knowing this made him feel… calmer. Still annoyed, sure why now, of all times? He'd just completed two grueling months at work and was finally on track to become a full employee. And now, just before getting a permanent contract bam, sent to another world. At least let him deck his annoying manager first.
"Ding!"
"Host dissatisfaction detected. Activating 'Life Choice' system. First life-choice prompt initiated. Please choose wisely."
A system? Zhang Ming blinked. Some of his frustration faded instantly. A transmigration with a system wasn't such a bad deal after all.
The system's voice continued, indifferent:
Option 1: Return to your original world and resume your job as an exploited wage-slave.
Reward: None.
Option 2: Start a new life and carve your path in this world.
Reward: Chakra mastery.
Chakra?
Zhang Ming's eyes snapped open wide. Could it be… this is the Naruto world?
He scrambled around the small home until he found a bathroom mirror. Staring back was a small boy blond hair, blue eyes, soft cheeks, and six whisker-like marks. A painfully familiar face.
This wasn't just Naruto's world.
He was Naruto.
And judging by the childish features, he was about three or four years old right in the heart of the village's coldest treatment of him. The years when the villagers avoided him like a plague, casting whispers and glares his way.
He exhaled slowly and rubbed his temples. This era… was not going to be easy.
Still, he felt some relief. Thankfully, he didn't have a habit of talking to himself. In the manga, Naruto was always under Anbu surveillance during childhood. He was probably being watched right now.
If he carelessly blurted out something suspicious, he might be dragged off by the Anbu for interrogation.
He gazed at his own reflection. The star of fate Naruto Uzumaki now gleamed brightly in his eyes. The life he once watched unfold in the pages of a manga now stood before him, split into two paths. Without hesitation, he chose the bolder one.
"I choose the second option."
"Ding!"
"Choice confirmed. Reward delivered. Enjoy your new life."
A subtle energy began to rise in Zhang Ming's body. What started as a faint ripple soon became a flowing current. With every breath, it grew stronger. His body vibrated with it, and his heartbeat seemed to synchronize with this newfound force.
So this is chakra…
And since it came from within him, he could feel it as an extension of his will just like the manga described.
I wonder how many chakra cards I've got right now.
He smiled, recalling the chakra system used in the original series. If memory served, Naruto was said to possess chakra equivalent to 100 normal shinobi when drawing on the Nine-Tails' power. That raw potential was now his.
Still… if the Anbu were watching, would they notice this sudden chakra spike?
And more importantly, how would Sarutobi Hiruzen respond?
After all, the so-called "God of Shinobi" still monitored Naruto constantly, controlling him under the guise of protection. It was ironic: the leader of the village needing to spy on a child. Once hailed as a wise hero, Hiruzen now seemed like a parasite, clinging to his title while leeching off the village's vitality.
Let the "new leaves" thrive?
More like keeping them stunted to preserve his grip.
Pathetic.
Now, about that system…
Yo, system buddy? You still there?
Zhang Ming mentally called out, half expecting a cheerful AI companion like in the novels.
Tongzi? Hello?
You there?
System?
Silence.
No witty banter. No menu screen.
Really? One of those cold types?
He sighed, washed his face, and crawled back into bed.
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
Ding!
"…!"
"Hiss…"
The rapid beeping jolted him upright again.
What the hell, Tongzi? What's your problem now?
"Please address the system respectfully," the voice returned, flat as ever.
Zhang Ming rolled his eyes.
"Alright, System Onii-chan, may I humbly ask what you actually do?"
"This system will present pivotal life choices when the host reaches major turning points. Rewards will correspond to the decisions made."
"There will be no casual conversation. Do not disturb the system unless necessary."
"However, rest assured every choice you make will shape a unique and remarkable life."
With that, the voice vanished, leaving Zhang Ming with a splitting headache.
So basically, the system would only appear when it felt like it. No bonus gifts, no training wheels.
Fine.
He was Naruto Uzumaki now.
One day, he'd become more than a mere host to the Nine-Tails.
He'd surpass them all.
Even if it meant playing nice with those old Konoha fossils for a while longer.
---