Darkness. That was the first thing Arata felt. Not the quiet peace of sleep, but the heavy void of being torn from one world and thrust into another. When the haze lifted, he found himself staring at a wooden ceiling, the faint smell of smoke and tatami mats lingering in the air.
His body felt strange—small, light, weak. He tried to sit up and nearly toppled over. A trembling hand met his face, soft and round, the skin of a child.
This… this isn't my body.
The door slid open with a creak, and a stern-looking man in dark robes stepped inside. His hair was tied back, his expression sharp and dignified. Arata's heart jumped. He knew that face.
"Arata," the man said, voice heavy with authority. "Get up. You'll be late for training again."
The name rang in his ears. Arata. His name was Arata now. And the man before him was none other than Fugaku Uchiha, head of the clan in the future… his elder brother in this life.
The shock hit like a kunai to the chest. He had read about the Naruto world, even dreamed about it. But now he was in it, blood of the Uchiha clan flowing in his veins.
Fugaku studied him for a moment, then sighed. "You've been spacing out too often lately. Father won't be pleased if you keep neglecting your training." With that, he left, the shoji door sliding shut behind him.
Arata sat frozen. His mind raced through possibilities, through half-remembered lore and what he knew of the clan's future. Fugaku would grow to become head of the Uchiha, father to Sasuke and Itachi, a man crushed between pride and politics. And as for the clan itself… their fate was already written.
Unless I change it.
A strange warmth pulsed inside his chest, pulling his thoughts back to the present. It was like a flicker of fire inside him. Then words appeared before his eyes, glowing faintly as if written into the air itself.
[Binding System Activated]
Bind Target: None
Effect: Gain 10x experience, growth, and skill from bound target. Only one target may be bound at a time.
Arata's breath caught. This was his cheat. The reason he had been sent here.
Another line appeared below the first.
[Command Detected: "Status"]
Opening Status Panel…
A black screen unfolded in his vision, filled with faint lettering.
Name: Arata Uchiha
Age: 7
Clan: Uchiha
Chakra Control: E+
Ninjutsu: E
Genjutsu: E
Taijutsu: E
Potential Growth: Unknown
Bind Target: None
Arata stared in awe. It was crude, simple, but clear enough to measure his progress. If the system could show his abilities in this world, then every step, every choice, could be tracked.
He whispered under his breath, "Bind…?"
A menu unfurled in his mind, simple but clear. He could choose someone—anyone. If they gained strength, he would gain ten times more. His heart raced. This was beyond broken. The only question was who to choose.
Names flickered through his mind. Fugaku? No, too rigid, too tied down by clan duty. Someone from the future, like Shisui or Itachi? Impossible—he'd never reach them at this age.
Then a memory surfaced. A name. Minato Namikaze. The boy who would one day become the Fourth Hokage. A genius of unmatched skill, a man respected even by enemies, who would master the Flying Thunder God and Rasengan.
If Arata bound him now, while still young, the growth would be unimaginable.
The next day, he went to the academy with a determination he hadn't felt before. The chatter of children filled the air, a mix of clan heirs and civilian kids. He spotted him immediately—a blond boy sitting quietly in the back, blue eyes focused, posture straight despite the whispers around him.
Most ignored him. Orphans rarely drew attention in a village built on bloodlines. But Arata saw more. He saw the future Hokage, the Yellow Flash.
He walked over without hesitation. "Hey. You're Minato, right?"
The boy looked up, startled. "Ah… yes." His voice was soft, polite.
Arata smiled and sat beside him. "I'm Arata Uchiha." He extended his hand. "Let's be friends."
Minato blinked, surprised. Then he smiled, a small but genuine smile, and shook his hand. "Friends."
The system pulsed.
[Bind Target Selected: Minato Namikaze]
[Effect Activated: All of Minato's growth will transfer at x10 rate to you.]
A rush of warmth flooded Arata's body. Power hummed at the edges of his senses, subtle but undeniable.
He opened the panel again, just to confirm.
Name: Arata Uchiha
Age: 7
Clan: Uchiha
Chakra Control: E+
Ninjutsu: E
Genjutsu: E
Taijutsu: E
Potential Growth: Unknown
Bind Target: Minato Namikaze
Arata's lips curled into a faint smile. This was it—the start of everything.
But as he glanced at the blond boy beside him, quietly taking notes while the others whispered and laughed, he realized something important.
This wasn't just about power. Minato wasn't a stepping stone—he was a person. A boy who would rise from nothing to become a legend.
And Arata, reborn into this world, would walk beside him. As friend. As rival. And perhaps, as the one who could change destiny itself.
To be continued…