A poor family, a somewhat unappealing appearance, mediocre academic performance, and a father with high expectations for test scores made Cao Jian, a high school student, lead a miserable life. At home, he was frequently blamed by his father, and at school, ridicule from teachers and classmates was even more common. The beautiful high school days, often romanticized by many, held no fond memories for Cao Jian.
High school, a place typically associated with sincere friendships, the blossoming of first love, and a gathering of bright minds believing knowledge can change their destiny, seemed devoid of such innocence in Cao Jian's experience. At least, in his opinion, everything was dissatisfying. He yearned for academic success to please his parents, but subjects like English were a constant source of annoyance. He dreamt of conversing with girls, but the contemptuous looks he received quickly extinguished that desire, making him realize it was better not to humiliate himself.
Perhaps his only escape was through online games, which adults condemned as poison. His addiction, the seemingly endless motivation to secretly visit internet cafes, stemmed from his various dissatisfactions and the inability to escape them. Beyond online games, his greatest passion was Japanese anime, particularly Naruto, a series he'd followed since elementary school. The protagonist, Naruto, exemplified a "nobody to hero" story, transforming from a despised individual into a recognized hero.
His fondness for Naruto wasn't just due to the anime itself, but more profoundly, it resonated with his soul. He often watched Naruto after gaming, absorbing every detail. He frequently fantasized about being the protagonist in such a world. Even if initially unrecognized, the idea of changing his circumstances through hard work, fueled by unlimited potential, offered a glimmer of hope despite the inherent difficulties.
This thought must have been incredibly strong, as that night he had a strange dream. He dreamt of an old man with a long white beard and a black scepter. What truly stood out were his eyes—the Rinnegan. Shocked, Cao Jian exclaimed, "Are you the legendary Sage of Six Paths? How can I see you?" The old man chuckled, "Sage of Six Paths, hahaha, he merely transcended the limitations of space to a certain extent. I am an existence that completely transcends the limitations of time and space. Without further ado, I will let you be Naruto for once."
Upon waking, he found himself in an unfamiliar house, transformed into a child—specifically, the child Naruto. Initial shock and disbelief gave way to an urgent need to understand his surroundings. He quickly absorbed Naruto's past memories, making language no longer a barrier. With these memories, he surveyed his new environment, confirming his transmigration and his new identity as the protagonist. Cao Jian, dissatisfied with his previous life, resolved to make the most of this new opportunity. From that moment on, he was Naruto.
Naruto observed his new home, a picture of extreme simplicity, and then gazed upon the prosperous Konoha Ninja Village. He immediately understood a fundamental truth: strength dictates everything. With strength, one could thrive anywhere; without it, one would perpetually remain at the bottom, regardless of the world. In the ninja world, personal fighting prowess was the ultimate representation of strength.
Understanding the plot of Naruto, his first thought was to enhance his own power. In this world, strength was primarily determined by chakra, ninjutsu, and fighting skills.
Naruto inherently possessed abundant chakra, along with the massive chakra of the Nine-Tails. While fighting skills required actual combat experience, ninjutsu was something he could practice by himself.
Regarding ninjutsu, Naruto deeply envied the Uchiha clan's Sharingan, which allowed them to copy other people's ninjutsu just by seeing it once. Furthermore, with the Sharingan's evolution, it could cast illusions and even unleash powerful techniques like Amaterasu and Susanoo. If it evolved into the Rinnegan, it could even control life and death.
However, Naruto lacked Uchiha blood, and his current strength was insufficient to acquire the Rinnegan. Still, he vowed to pursue it once he gained enough power. For now, he would focus on the fundamentals: basic chakra control, physical conditioning, and other foundational skills.
With his mind made up, Naruto immediately embarked on the simplest physical exercises. He ran and did push-ups daily, constantly strengthening his body. He even incorporated some basic Chinese martial arts to improve his reaction time. Meanwhile, the Third Hokage, peeking through his crystal ball as usual, observed Naruto's training. He couldn't help but think, "He knows he'll be entering the Ninja Academy soon, so he's started exercising. That's good."
Days quickly passed, and the enrollment day arrived. As he stepped into the Ninja Academy, he found that his classmates were indeed the familiar faces from the original story. Though young, he recognized each of them instantly.
Once nearly everyone was present, Iruka entered with a smile. However, a quick glance around revealed a hint of disgust when his eyes landed on Naruto. This was a normal reaction throughout the village. Yet, bound by the Third Hokage's rules, he couldn't be too obvious, so he proceeded with his task: "Hello everyone, my name is Iruka, and from now on, I will be your teacher. First, let's introduce ourselves."
When it was Naruto's turn, he wasn't as foolish as his original counterpart, but he still declared his ambition to become a powerful ninja.
The current Naruto was quite different from the original, but one similarity remained: he also appreciated beautiful women. Surveying the class, Haruno Sakura was indeed a beauty; Yamanaka Ino was also attractive, and Hyuga Hinata was also destined to become a great beauty in the future. Unfortunately, Haruno Sakura had no interest in Naruto. Instead, Naruto's gaze fell upon Sasuke in the corner, a scene highly consistent with the original story. Sasuke, in his own way, was just as solitary as Naruto, though that was not something the current Naruto could change.
Haruno Sakura and other girls were drawn to Sasuke simply because of his excellent grades and handsome appearance. If Naruto wanted their affection, he knew he had to excel in those areas.
As days turned into weeks, Naruto absorbed a great deal of knowledge at the Ninja Academy. Though sometimes boring, the curriculum proved quite useful. What puzzled Naruto was that these subjects didn't seem as difficult as they were portrayed in the original story. Had his talent changed after his transmigration? In fact, this was a natural consequence: the soul inhabiting Naruto's body was entirely different from the original, and thus, his inherent talent had also changed.