Chapter 1: Baldness=Strength
Naruto World.
Konohagakure, The Hidden Leaf Village.
An autumn wind swept across the village, carrying a gentle, cool breeze.
At this moment, Hokage Rock was deserted, save for a single figure. A boy with short hair, dressed in rough-spun clothes, stood atop the mountain. His expression was a twisted mix of emotions as he roared into the sky.
"It's been five years to this day!"
"Five. Entire. Years!"
"Do you have any idea how I've lived through them?!"
No car accident. No electric shock. Not even a tragic drama on TV. It was just… poof.
Liumu looked down at his own immature body, feeling a sob catch in his throat. He thought back to his final night in his previous life with his campus belle girlfriend…
Dinner was eaten. The gift was given. After much coaxing, he had finally managed to get her to agree, and just as he was about to turn off the lights for the final step… this happened! This was the surprise he got!
"Ugh…"
The excessive venting left Liumu lightheaded. He slumped down heavily, sitting right on the stone nose of the Second Hokage.
He didn't know why fate had played such a cruel joke on him. But if he was going to be reborn, why did it have to be in this insane ninja world where everyone could throw around buildings?
No overpowered Sharingan. No Byakugan as a golden finger. As an utterly ordinary person, the last five years had been nothing but hardship and grievance.
It was currently Konoha Year 42. Hatake Kakashi, who was in his same class at the Academy, had already graduated as a Genin. Even Might Guy, known as the taijutsu maniac, had become the top of their class in physical skills.
But Liumu? He was the only one who could consistently score an A+ or above on the theoretical exams. In practical combat, however… he was perpetually dead last.
"In all the transmigration novels I read in my past life," Liumu muttered bitterly, "which protagonist didn't soar to the heavens with their golden finger, dominating everything in their path? Why is it that when it's finally my turn, I end up as a completely ordinary person?"
Just as Liumu was cursing his fortune, a sudden, splitting headache lanced through his skull. Then, a bone-chilling, electronic, and utterly mechanical voice resonated directly in his mind.
[The five-year binding period has concluded. Host's desires are being scanned... Connecting to the Ultimate Template System...]
Liumu: …?
[Connecting... 20.00%...]
Liumu: …??
[50.00%...]
Liumu: …???
[The Ultimate Template System has been successfully connected. A Temporal Training Chamber has been auto-generated. The Destiny Roulette is now activated. Constructing the host's attribute panel.]
On the empty mountaintop, Liumu stood frozen, completely stunned by the series of sounds echoing in his head. While he didn't quite understand what "Template" meant, he was very familiar with the word "System."
He "sprang" up from the ground, his initial shock rapidly replaced by wide-eyed excitement.
It's here!
It's finally here!
This damned system finally decided to show itself!
[Ding. A Newcomer Gift Pack has been issued. Lucky Draw count increased by one. Please check promptly, Host.]
A Newcomer Gift Pack? A Lucky Draw?
As Liumu was pondering this, the space within his consciousness seemed to warp. A massive, intricate roulette wheel materialized before his mind's eye, glowing with an ethereal light.
[Will the host initiate the Lucky Draw now?]
Before Liumu could examine it further, the mechanical voice prompted him again.
Almost on pure instinct, Liumu gave a heavy, determined nod.
"Whoosh..."
The roulette began to spin. A dazzling, circular spectrum of rainbow light bloomed before Liumu's eyes, mesmerizing in its brilliance.
Thump… thump… thump…
As the wheel's rotation gradually slowed, Liumu's own heartbeat grew increasingly frantic.
Finally…
Under Liumu's intense scrutiny, the draw concluded. A single card, depicting a bald figure in a strangely simplistic art style, shot out from the roulette and materialized in Liumu's grasp.
"This… what in the world… Isn't this… One-Punch Man? Saitama-sensei?!"
The card dissolved into countless motes of starlight, which then flowed into and merged seamlessly with Liumu's very being.
...
...
...
Two hours later.
"Who… who's there?!"
Liumu was staring at his own hands, his face a mask of exhilaration and disbelief, when a familiar voice called out from not far away.
He looked up. Approaching him with tired expressions were Might Guy, dressed in his signature green jumpsuit, and Kakashi, who looked as perpetually drowsy as ever.
"Why are you two here?" Liumu asked, quickly schooling his features into a more neutral expression as they drew near.
"Oh, it's you, Liumu," Might Guy said, flashing a brilliant smile and a thumbs-up. He then glanced triumphantly at Kakashi beside him. "Kakashi and I were having a contest to see who could run here first from the opposite side of the village. I was victorious this time! Including our previous matches, my record is now 27 wins and 26 losses!"
"Alright, alright, you're amazing. Truly," Kakashi replied, his tone utterly perfunctory. His visible eye, however, shifted with interest to Liumu, who was covered in a fine layer of dust from the mountaintop. A flicker of genuine curiosity passed through his gaze. "More importantly… what happened to your… hair?"
"My hair?" Liumu repeated blankly. He reached up to touch the top of his head instinctively.
It didn't matter at first. What did matter was the sudden, shocking realization that dawned on him in that moment.
His formerly thick head of hair… was gone.
He was completely, utterly… bald.
(End of Chapter)
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