Floating above the skies of Konohagakure, Kurozawa Ren surveyed the village below, seeking the host body he would soon possess. As he drifted in his plus soul form, he noticed countless other spirits, drawn helplessly toward the spiritual boundary—the World of the Dead.
> "Konoha's bigger than I thought... Finding a baby who meets the boarding criteria here isn't easy. I remember… the target should be somewhere near the edge of the Uchiha compound."
He scratched his head by instinct, even though, in this form, he no longer had tactile sensation.
> "Would you like the system to highlight all nearby infants who satisfy the soul-binding prerequisites?"
> "What?! You could've done that from the start? I've been wandering around like a fool!"
Ren sighed in frustration.
> "Yes! Mark them all right now!"
Three seconds later, multiple crimson beams of light pierced through the landscape before his eyes.
> "Red beams indicate infants who meet the compatibility parameters for soul fusion."
> "Tch... this is so much easier now."
Relieved, Kurozawa Ren floated toward the nearest red beam. Before long, a traditional circular-sliding door came into view—emblazoned with the Uchiha clan crest.
> "Looks like I found it."
Drifting through the walls of the compound, he stumbled upon a moving scene: a five or six-year-old boy sat by the entrance, gently cradling a newborn in his arms.
> "There, there... Sasuke's a good boy. Dad and Mom will be back soon…"
The child softly rocked the infant, his face mature beyond his years, filled with quiet patience.
> "That must be young Itachi… even as a kid, he was always dependable. It's hard to believe how heavy a burden he'd bear later on…"
Ren's soul stirred. For a moment, he even considered bonding with Itachi instead—but he quickly dismissed the thought. He knew too well the tragedy that would soon engulf the Uchiha clan.
> "Warning! Host's soul is destabilizing. Boarding must be completed within one minute!"
The urgent system alert snapped him to attention. Without hesitation, Kurozawa Ren plunged into the body of the infant in Itachi's arms—Uchiha Sasuke.
> "Let me rewrite your fate."
Itachi remained unaware, continuing to gently comfort his baby brother.
Inside, Ren's soul merged with Sasuke's, threading itself into the faint but unmistakable flow of newborn chakra.
> "Soul boarding successful. Death Sign-In System activated. First-year reward: Reiatsu Cultivation Manual unlocked!"
An immense wave of spiritual energy knowledge surged into Ren's consciousness, overwhelming his senses. He blacked out almost immediately.
Itachi, seeing Sasuke drift off, let out a soft sigh of relief.
> "Whew… finally asleep."
His gaze turned toward the village center, his expression clouded with concern.
> "I hope nothing happened… Please come home safe, Mother, Father…"
---
The Next Morning
When Ren opened his eyes, discomfort flooded his senses—cold, damp discomfort.
> No… no way…
With tiny hands, he hesitantly reached down to confirm the awful truth.
> I… wet the bed?!
In his infant body, Ren had slept deeply—too deeply to feel the slightest urge to relieve himself.
> The indignity of a mature soul trapped in a baby's body…
Frozen in silent horror, he hoped no one noticed. But he wasn't so lucky.
> "Ah… you wet the futon."
Itachi lifted the infant Sasuke carefully, inspecting the bedding with a kind smile.
> I swear it wasn't me! It was… okay, technically it was, but not really my fault!
Mortified, Ren turned his head, unwilling to meet his new brother's eyes.
> "Guess I'll need to take this out to dry in the sun."
Unbothered, Itachi wiped Sasuke clean with a warm cloth, wrapped him in a fresh blanket, and gently set him in a nearby basket.
> "Stay here, Sasuke. I'll go hang the futon."
He carried the soiled bedding outside, composed and graceful even in such tasks.
Ren stared blankly, his sense of pride crushed.
> Fine... there's no point getting upset. I'm just a baby now. This sort of thing is inevitable… Let's check out that Reiatsu cultivation method instead.
Shoving aside his embarrassment, Ren shifted his attention inward. The technique gifted by the system unfurled in his mind like a scroll written in pure spirit energy.
> This world… it's brutal. Without strength, your life isn't your own. I won't let others control my fate—not again.
Resolved, Ren began his training.
The method was deceptively simple: by meditating and stabilizing one's spirit, ambient reishi could be drawn into the body and converted into Reiatsu, the spiritual pressure that forms the foundation of a Shinigami's power.
He closed his eyes. Bit by bit, the gentle currents of reishi floating through the air converged on him, seeping into his small form. Slowly, his spiritual presence strengthened.
> "Congratulations. First spiritual absorption complete. System interface now accessible."
---
[System Panel]
Host: Kurozawa Ren (Uchiha Sasuke)
Spiritual Pressure: 10
(Captain-Class Spiritual Pressure: 48,000)
Chakra: 10
(1 Card = 1,000 chakra units)
Zanpakutō: Ryūjin Jakka (Flowing Blade Like Flame)
Bloodline Trait: Sharingan (Unawakened)
System Inventory: 10×10 Grid
(Contains one Hollow Mask)
---
The voice of the system brought Ren back from his deep meditation.
> Not bad… Everything looks solid—except...
His eyes narrowed as he read the next stat.
> Chakra… only 10?