Konoha Village, Land of Fire.
Ninja Academy, first-year playground. More than a month after the academy had started, the first-year students were finally having their first test.
The shuriken-throwing portion had just ended not long ago, and now the Taijutsu test was underway.
The students formed a circle, some standing, some sitting, as they watched two small figures sparring in the open area.
The two children were very short, with chubby faces, and looked to be only five or six years old.
One of them had yellow-blond spiky hair and bright blue eyes. The other had jet-black hair and vibrant blue eyes.
The blond kid kept attacking the black-haired kid, but his random "turtle punches" were easily avoided or deflected.
Then, the black-haired boy suddenly launched a precise straight punch to the blond boy's chest.
The punch was so powerful that the blond boy's lower body became unstable, and his body leaned forward slightly.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, the black-haired boy closed in, grabbed the other's arms with both hands, and threw him over his shoulder with practiced ease.
A heavy thud echoed as the blond boy hit the ground. Iruka Umino, who was acting as the referee, immediately stepped forward and announced the result: "Naruto Uzumaki fell to the ground. The winner is Satoru Yagami!"
"Both parties, sign the seal of reconciliation."
As soon as he finished speaking, the blond kid slowly stood up and muttered with clear frustration, "Damn it, I almost won."
Hearing this, Iruka Umino frowned slightly.
Every move you made was seen through. How can you have the nerve to say you almost won?
However, he didn't say anything aloud. Naruto Uzumaki had only recently resolved a major emotional knot, and Iruka's attitude toward him had softened considerably.
"Hey... Satoru, what are you standing there for? Are you looking down on me?"
When Naruto walked up to Satoru and extended his index and middle fingers in the seal of reconciliation, he noticed that the boy who had just beaten him seemed to be in a daze. Naruto immediately grew annoyed and shouted in dissatisfaction.
Satoru snapped out of it and replied, almost reflexively, "Sorry, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
Naruto's cheeks puffed in frustration. "Damn it! You really are looking down on me! Just wait—I'll beat you and that arrogant Sasuke down together someday!"
"Then you'd better try your best," Satoru said with a confident grin. "I won't make it easy for you to catch up."
His confident smile caused Naruto to pause in surprise. Even Iruka and many of the other students watching were momentarily stunned.
Satoru Yagami suddenly seems... different. Cheerful, even.
That cute face, still full of baby fat, already hinted at how handsome he would become in the future. Satoru's confident smile had a charming quality, making many of the little girls in the class blush and squeal.
"Satoru-kun is so handsome!"
After completing the seal of reconciliation with Naruto, Satoru returned to his place in the crowd. While responding to the admiration of his classmates, he turned his attention inward, staring at a translucent panel that only he could see.
Had he not developed a mature mindset over the years, Satoru would have been trembling with excitement.
Were it not for the public setting, he might've screamed in sheer joy.
After six years of life in this world, he had finally awakened his golden finger!
Yes—Satoru Yagami, a reincarnator, had just turned six.
Unlike those protagonists whose souls transmigrated into someone else's body, or whose physical bodies crossed dimensions, Satoru was a *native* of this world—born after nine months in his mother's womb.
Unfortunately, he had the misfortune of being born on the same day as Naruto Uzumaki.
The Nine-Tails Rebellion broke out just after his birth. His mother was gravely injured and died while shielding him. His father, a Chunin, was killed instantly by the rampaging Nine-Tails.
Satoru was left completely alone the moment he was reincarnated.
Classic setup, he thought back then. Have I become the protagonist of a tragic light novel?
But as time went on, reality set in.
He had no powerful bloodline. No mysterious inheritance. No powerful backer or ancient artifact.
Just a civilian orphan in a world where bloodline meant everything.
In the shinobi world, effort alone could not surpass the sheer might of those blessed by heritage.
If he was lucky, maybe Madara Uchiha would crush his neck during the Fourth Shinobi World War and sarcastically ask, "Do you want to dance too?"
And if he ever wanted Madara to praise him with the famous line, "I would like to call you the strongest," then he would have to become a genius who stood at the peak of some unique path.
Otherwise, the ceiling of his achievements would be capped at Kage level—if even that.
He was the same age as Naruto and Sasuke, which meant he'd be stuck in the village until at least the age of twelve. Opportunities to change his fate? Virtually none.
After several years of waiting, when he realized no golden finger had appeared, Satoru gave up. He resigned himself to being a supporting character.
He focused on survival—avoiding Orochimaru's Konoha Crush, Pain's destruction of the village, and the Fourth Shinobi World War. That would be enough.
But now... just moments after defeating Naruto Uzumaki, something miraculous happened.
A translucent panel suddenly appeared in front of his eyes. On it was a single word:
[Copy]
With the appearance of the panel, a flood of information was transmitted into Satoru's mind.
His golden finger had finally awakened. It was a system—a cheat that allowed him to copy others.
The interface was simple: a status panel visible only to him. Once a year, he could sign in and receive a random reward.
Right now, the system was prompting him with a glowing notification:
[Welcome to the Copy System. You have received your exclusive beginner's reward. Would you like to claim it now?]
Satoru's fingers twitched slightly with suppressed excitement.
Yes. Finally. This is where my story begins.
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I hope you guys liked this chapter!🙂