Spring, Year Eleven of Konohagakure.
Beside a narrow stream just outside the village walls, a six-year-old boy lay flat on his back in the grass, hands folded behind his head, staring at the drifting clouds.
The water murmured softly. The air smelled like wet soil and fresh leaves.
Amakaze Kaede let out a long sigh.
"…No phone. No internet. No anime."
He turned his head toward the sky with a scowl.
"I really shouldn't have checked out Boruto out of curiosity. Now I wake up in early Konoha, back when the village barely exists. This feels less like reincarnation and more like being drafted as future cannon fodder."
Kaede wasn't originally from this world.
In his previous life, his name had been Hayashi Kaede. A normal college graduate. No tragic backstory. No special destiny. Just a guy who liked ninja stories and had Naruto at the top of his all-time favorites list.
When rumors spread online that Boruto: Naruto Next Generations was suddenly getting good, curiosity betrayed him.
He clicked.
Then everything went black.
When he opened his eyes again, he was a newborn in Konohagakure, five years after the village's founding.
And to make things even stranger, he wasn't just some civilian kid.
He was born into the Amakaze Clan.
A name that sounded impressive.
Reality was less so.
The Amakaze Clan consisted of exactly three people.
His father.His mother.Himself.
Two years ago, both parents died on a mission.
Which meant Amakaze Kaede was now:
— Clan head— Sole survivor— Six years old
Kaede sat up sharply.
"What kind of discount clan leader title is this?"
He rubbed his face, feeling a familiar headache coming on.
Based on what he remembered from history, the First Shinobi World War would erupt in about six years.
Right now, things were quiet.
That was the lie before the storm.
Once war began, lives became numbers. Bodies became scenery. Chunin died in batches. Genin vanished by the thousands.
The good news?
The First Hokage had believed children shouldn't be sent to the battlefield.
The bad news?
The First Hokage was already dead.
Kaede clicked his tongue.
"So in practice, that means they'll send me early, not spare me."
Somewhere between reincarnation and orphanhood, his original grand dream had rotted away.
At first, he'd imagined becoming strong. Famous. Hokage-level.
Then his father died.
Amakaze Ryōjin had been considered a solid ninja. Probably jōnin-class.
Still died all the same.
That reality hit harder than any pep talk.
No powerful clan.
No legendary bloodline.
No backing.
Just a kid with memories and a fragile life.
"Becoming Hokage as an orphan with nothing? Yeah. That's comedy."
Kaede stretched out again.
"If nothing goes wrong… and luck carries me… I should survive long enough to see Boruto's era, right?"
He paused.
"…And if I do, I'm definitely tripping that kid with a walking stick."
His gaze softened.
"There's still inheritance left at home. I'll retrieve Father's will, keep my head down, and live as a normal civilian."
That was the plan.
A peaceful life.
The moment the words formed—
Ding.
A hollow mechanical voice echoed inside his head.
[Keyword detected: "peaceful life."][Peaceful Life System activated.][Bound location: Konohagakure.]
[Congratulations to host for surviving six years.][Beginner Gift Pack issued.]
Kaede froze.
"…You're kidding me."
When he'd once dreamed of greatness, nothing happened.
Now that he wanted to retire at six years old, a system showed up.
"Seriously? Now you appear?"
After a moment of stunned silence, curiosity won.
"Fine. Peaceful Life System, open beginner gift pack."
[Beginner Gift Pack opened.][Basic Chakra Affinity: Yin, Yang, Water, Fire, Earth, Wind, Lightning.][Chakra Reserve Card x1 (Equivalent to Hatake Kakashi).][Bloodline: Shōton (Crystal Release). Weaknesses reduced. Basic techniques granted.]
[Strength is the foundation of a peaceful life.]
Kaede stared blankly.
"…You call this peaceful?"
This wasn't a retirement package.
This was a frontline enlistment kit.
A system that pretended to support laziness while shoving power into his hands.
Which meant only one thing.
He was no longer allowed to be ordinary.
Kaede exhaled slowly.
"Fine. If I can't be a peaceful civilian…"
"I'll become a peaceful ninja."
A faint blue panel appeared in front of him.
[Name]Amakaze Kaede[Age]6[Rank-Level]Chunin[Chakra]One Card[Bloodline]Shōton (Crystal Release)[Talent]All-Attribute Chakra[Calmness]100[Chaos]0
Six-year-old chunin-level.
That alone would make waves.
But Kaede knew better than to celebrate.
On a battlefield, chunin were disposable.
He focused on the unfamiliar meters.
Calmness increased when threats near him or the village were resolved.
Chaos increased when threats succeeded.
If Chaos exceeded seventy, all system-granted power would be sealed.
Major historical disasters counted as Chaos events.
Translation?
Konoha itself was a ticking bomb.
Kaede's eyes narrowed.
"Six years until war. That's my preparation window."
He stood up and brushed grass from his clothes.
"First stop: home. Retrieve Father's will."
He took two steps—
Then stopped.
Someone was walking through the forest.
This area wasn't a public trail.
Civilians didn't wander here.
Only shinobi.
Kaede slipped behind a thick tree, suppressing his breathing.
The figure came into view.
A man in plain clothes. Mid-twenties. Unshaven. Careless posture.
Too casual.
Too wrong.
Then the system spoke again.
[Chaos Event Triggered.][Hidden Cloud operatives have infiltrated Konohagakure's outskirts to gather intelligence and prepare future conflict.]
Kaede's mouth curved slightly.
"So it begins already."
A six-year-old with a newborn bloodline.
A spy from a rival village.
And no adults in sight.
Spring had just arrived.
But winter was already sharpening its knives.