Jin pushed his chair back quietly, letting it scrape against the wooden floor, and stepped out into the hallway. The corridors of the Academy were alive with the chatter of students and the occasional shuffle of feet, but he paid little attention. His mind was still buzzing from the morning's events — the classroom, the teacher, Kiba's familiar face, and the impossible truth he was living.
Walking at a leisurely pace toward the exit, he began reviewing everything he remembered from his old life, sifting through fragments of the Naruto story as he had watched it and read about it. His mind ticked like a slow clock. In his life before, he had been a reader of all kinds of stories, familiar with every trope imaginable. And in every story like this, he thought, the main character always got something — a cheat, a hidden advantage, a tool to survive and grow.
He muttered to himself absentmindedly, "Maybe there's a way to get… something."
He paused mid-step, unsure whether he was speaking aloud or just thinking it. "System?" he called hesitantly. Nothing happened. He tried again, louder this time, almost joking, "Give me a system!" Silence. A frown tugged at his lips.
Then he remembered something from the stories he had read. The words had to be precise — the trigger word mattered. "Status," he said finally, trying it almost as a guess. Immediately, a translucent panel appeared in front of him, floating silently in the air. His eyes widened.
[Name: Jin Nara
Age: 6
Stats:
STR: D-
AGI: D
PHY: D-
CHA: D
CC: D-]
He stared at it, blinking. Numbers, letters, some kind of grading system — all of it strange and unfamiliar. He noted the body's age — six. Six years old. Everything felt small, light, and new. He didn't need to understand the ranking system yet; he would figure that out in time. For now, he just focused on the fact that it existed.
Encouraged, he tried more words. "Skills?" Instantly, another panel appeared, blank except for two categories:
[Skills: N/A
Jutsu: N/A]
He blinked at the empty list. Nothing yet, no special moves, no hidden techniques. It was… bare. He tried a few more words — "Inventory," "Quests," "Items," even "Magic" — and nothing happened. He frowned, realizing that maybe his system wasn't going to hand him any early advantages, at least not yet.
A faint grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. Well, fine, he thought. If it's not going to give me anything, I'll make my own.
He stopped by a quiet side corridor just outside the Academy gates. Leaning against the wall, he concentrated, closing his eyes and reaching inward, feeling for that strange flow he now knew existed — chakra. It was subtle at first, barely distinguishable from the general hum of his body, but slowly he felt it respond. A warmth, a subtle tension under his skin, like energy waiting to be directed.
He raised his small hands and flexed his fingers, letting that energy pool and spread through them. His arms tingled slightly, then his legs. He focused on moving it around, letting it swirl, expand, contract, and shift at his command. A rush of thrill coursed through him as the sensations became clearer — a physical form of power he could manipulate.
Then came a sudden double "ding" in his head. Jin jumped slightly, looking around instinctively. There was no one near. His eyes flicked to the corner of his vision, and there they were: two small notification bars, faintly glowing.
[CC Stat +1]
[Skill Acquired: Basic Chakra Enhancement (lv. 1)]
His heart skipped. Slowly, he lifted his eyes to the floating status panel again, checking the numbers.
[Name: Jin Nara
Age: 6
Stats:
STR: D-
AGI: D
PHY: D-
CHA: D
CC: D]
He noticed immediately — the minus sign beside his Chakra Control stat was gone. His eyes darted to the Skills panel.
[Skills: Basic Chakra Enhancement: (lv. 1)
Jutsu: N/A]
Curiosity tugged at him automatically. He barely thought it, but a smaller screen popped up in front of him:
[Skill: Basic Chakra Enhancement: (lv. 1)
Description: Use chakra to enhance the body. Physical boost scales with chakra used]
He blinked, a slow smile tugging at his lips. Small, incremental improvements, but real. He flexed his arms experimentally, then shook them, and though subtle, he could feel a difference. It was enough to make him pause and savor it. This wasn't the cheat of a story — it was better. It was him figuring it out for himself.
Fascinated, Jin continued to experiment quietly. He concentrated, letting the chakra pool through his arms and legs, feeling the tightness in his muscles ease, his movements feel a fraction lighter, a fraction faster. Each subtle shift was a thrill, the joy of discovery bubbling quietly under his stoic exterior. He glanced at the panels again, noticing how responsive the system was to even minor changes.
A sudden movement in the street outside caught his attention. Through the open corridor doors, he spotted a blur of yellow hair, barely staying on the ground as it sprinted past. The small figure made eye contact with him, a grin stretched wide across his face. Naruto. He was younger than he remembered just like Kiba, but still unmistakable in that chaotic energy and spiky hair.
Behind him, an adult wearing a Konoha headband chased, movements precise and fast, clearly trained. Naruto darted left, then right, weaving expertly, his grin unwavering. The adult barely acknowledged Jin as he passed, focused entirely on his target. Jin's heart thumped in his chest. His first instinct was to hide, but he couldn't look away. He found himself analyzing Naruto's speed, the adult's technique, the environment — every detail cataloged for later.
A thought sparked in his mind: Do I… intervene?
He froze for a moment, considering the consequences. The world was dangerous. He was still only six, still weak compared to even a basic ninja. But he couldn't help the curiosity that burned quietly under his calm exterior. What would happen if he did something? Could he help Naruto? Could he alter events without endangering himself?
As he watched, Naruto zigzagged toward the end of the street. The adult closed in, but Naruto's speed and reflexes made it a chase, not a capture. Jin's hands flexed slightly, a test of control as he considered stepping into action. The blur of orange passed by once more, eyes locking with his briefly — that grin, that chaotic spark of life — and for a fleeting second, Jin felt a pull.
He let it pass, deciding not yet to intervene. Instead, he focused, cataloging the chase, the reactions, the flow of movement, and the subtle manipulations of chakra he could sense. He realized quickly that if he wanted to survive in this world, he needed knowledge first, understanding second, and then action. For now, observation was enough.
And yet, a small, quiet part of him, buried deep under the analytical layers, smiled at the chaos of it all. This world was alive. Dangerous. Exciting. And it was his to explore.
The street settled back into a tense calm, the adult finally catching up with Naruto at the far end, pulling him into a hold. The blur of energy and motion ended, leaving only the sound of city life and the faint murmur of other children in the distance. Jin stood at the edge of the sidewalk, watching, calculating, and already planning the steps he would take next.
I will live however I want, he reminded himself quietly, echoing the promise he had made in class earlier. But now, more than ever, he realized just how vast this world was, how much there was to discover, and how every decision could ripple outward in ways he could not yet predict. The first lesson had come not from a teacher, not from a book, but from the streets, from a chase, from the living, breathing world around him.
And Jin Nara, at six years old, had already begun his new life.