The pale blue light screen was designed with extreme simplicity. Its lines were smooth, emitting a faint cold glow and carrying a strong sense of advanced technology.
It stood in stark contrast to the ancient, rustic aesthetic of the ninja world, yet it made Kiyoshi feel an incomparable sense of familiarity and reassurance.
This thing… one glance and you could tell it was a product from someone from back home.
[Naruto World System]
[Host: Joseph (Shimura Kiyoshi)]
[Status: Infant (extremely weak, currently growing)]
[Overall Strength Evaluation: Battle Power 5 Trash (approximately equivalent to a strong snail, though perhaps with a slight advantage in crying decibels)]
[Current Objective: None]
[System Actions:]
[Location Discovery]: Arrive at famous landmarks, iconic buildings, natural wonders, and other notable sites in the Naruto world.
(Status: Locked)
[Celebrity Encounter]: First encounter with, or deep interaction with, an important figure in the Naruto world.
(Status: Triggerable)
[Event Trigger]: Personally participate in, trigger, or alter the course of major events in the Naruto world.
(Status: Locked)
[Fate Alteration]: Significantly alter the original fate trajectory of an important figure in the Naruto world.
(Status: Locked)
[System Storage: Not Activated (will activate after the first successful trigger)]
"Standard trigger…" Kiyoshi muttered inwardly as he rapidly analyzed the information.
"But these system categories cover a lot.
Tourism, celebrity encounters, stirring up trouble, saving people… basically everything that gives a sense of achievement.
Looks like the system is encouraging me to go out more, wander around, and get involved in things."
His gaze was immediately drawn, like metal to a magnet, to the "Triggerable" status under [Celebrity Encounter].
Triggerable?
Subconsciously, he raised his eyes again and looked at the man holding him, the one-eyed Danzo who was still staring at him without blinking, as if studying a rare specimen of ninja wildlife.
Because of him?
Because he had come into close contact with this "celebrity"?
A thought flashed through his mind.
He tried silently chanting in his heart, like a devout believer praying to a god.
'System, perform a celebrity encounter on the current target!'
[Ding! Detecting Target: "The Darkness of the Ninja World" Shimura Danzo.]
[Target Identity Determined: Leader of Konoha's Root, Hokage Advisor, Kage-level powerhouse. Meets the "Celebrity" standard.]
[Assessing interaction depth… Interaction Level: Direct Blood Relative (Deep Association).]
[Event Successful! Congratulations to the host for completing the first trigger (Celebrity Series)!]
[First Event Reward Bonus Granted! Calculating rewards…]
[Congratulations Host, you have obtained:]
[Chakra Control Technique (Beginner)]
Greatly optimizes chakra extraction efficiency and purity. Base training speed permanently increased by 50%.
Includes the bonus ability "Chakra Perception," allowing preliminary sensing of energy flow within oneself and the surrounding environment.
(Scientific Ninja Technique Annotation: Optimizes the algorithm for chakra energy extraction and conversion, reducing redundant processes and energy loss.)
[Mental Stabilization (Passive)]
Strengthens mental barriers. Grants immunity to C-rank and lower genjutsu, and provides a certain level of resistance to higher-rank genjutsu.
Slightly increases mental recovery speed.
(Scientific Ninja Technique Annotation: Constructs a basic neural network firewall, enhancing the defensive stability of the consciousness body.)
[System Storage Activated (1 cubic meter)]
Can store non-living objects. Accessed through consciousness. Time inside remains relatively static.
(Can expand as the host's mental strength grows.)
(Scientific Ninja Technique Annotation: Links to a miniature folded space, with access interface bound to the host's brainwave frequency.)
A rapid series of notification sounds rang out like heavenly music, making Kiyoshi overjoyed.
He almost couldn't stop himself from laughing out loud (though right now he could only make baby babbling sounds).
"I'm rich! I'm rich! As expected of a system, so generous right out of the gate! This beginner's gift pack is insane!"
He laughed wildly in his mind, practically rolling around in his mental space.
"A basic training speed cheat! A genjutsu defense cheat! And even a personal storage space!
This opening difficulty just dropped from hell mode to normal mode… maybe even slightly easy!"
Especially the [Chakra Control Technique].
This was practically the dream cheat for every ninja.
Chakra was the foundation of all ninjas. The efficiency and purity of extraction directly determined growth speed and potential limits.
A permanent 50% boost, once that advantage snowballed over time, the results would be terrifying.
And "Chakra Perception"?
That sounded like a combination of internal awareness and a short-range radar.
It would be incredibly useful for understanding the nature of energy, precisely controlling chakra, and even learning sensory ninjutsu in the future.
The system had even thoughtfully added "scientific" explanations. They sounded a bit ridiculous, but strangely satisfying.
[Mental Stabilization] was equally practical.
In the Naruto world, genjutsu attacks were impossible to guard against completely.
Having a passive defense right from the start was like beginning the game with a built-in security patch.
The moment the rewards were distributed, Kiyoshi immediately felt a strange, warm current emerge inside his body.
At first it was subtle, but it flowed continuously, like long-parched, cracked earth finally receiving rain.
Everywhere it passed brought an indescribable sense of comfort and fullness.
At the same time, his head felt cool, as though someone had rubbed mint oil across his scalp.
His thoughts seemed to become clearer and sharper. The lingering haze from his rebirth was instantly swept away.
His body was still that of a weak infant, but the system had quietly reinforced and elevated his internal foundation by more than one level.
He tried sensing and guiding the so-called chakra.
According to vague memories and the lore from his previous life, chakra should be created by extracting physical energy from the body's trillion cells, combined with spiritual energy grown through experience and training.
The warm current seemed to circulate along an extremely efficient and optimized path, slow yet steady, creating a faint sense of expansion.
So this was chakra?
It felt… more invigorating than chugging three cups of extra-strong coffee!
This was vitality originating from the source of life itself. A… prototype of power.
From a "scientific" perspective, it was like suddenly having an efficient energy conversion and circulation system installed inside his body.
Danzo was no ordinary person. His sensory perception far exceeded that of normal people.
He immediately noticed the unusual change in the baby in his arms.
The previously rich expressions, almost too expressive for a baby, had suddenly disappeared. In their place was a sort of… immersive concentration?
There was even a hint of comfort and satisfaction on the child's face.
More importantly, a faint but extremely pure and condensed energy fluctuation seemed to be emanating from the child.
Though it was as weak as a flickering candle in the wind, its purity was astonishing.
It was far purer than the chakra refined by many genin.
This was absolutely not something an ordinary infant should possess.
It was almost… bizarre.
A sharp glint flashed in Danzo's lone eye. He poked Kiyoshi's cheek again, this time with a trace of chakra pressure and probing force.
"Brat… can you understand what I'm saying?"
His voice lowered, carrying an unmistakable interrogative tone.
The faint chakra pressure made Kiyoshi jolt.
He snapped out of his excitement over the system and looked at Danzo's face, filled with suspicion, scrutiny, and a faint trace of vigilance.
His heart skipped a beat.
Oh no….
Crap! I got too excited and overdid it…
I was just born, wasn't I?
What can a normal newborn even do besides eat, sleep, cry, and poop?
Act like a normal baby, Shimura Kiyoshi! You're a baby right now! A baby!
He hurriedly tried to control his facial muscles, forcing out an innocent, clueless expression, one that even looked a little like he'd been poked too hard and was about to cry.
"Ya… wuh…"
He made meaningless babbling sounds while his tiny hands and feet flailed weakly, pretending to be nothing more than a slightly lively baby with sharp senses, but definitely pure and harmless.
Meanwhile, his internal monologue ran like a high-speed processor.
Look at me being adorable and getting away with it.
Dad, look at my innocent sparkling eyes.
There's absolutely no strange soul mixed in here.
That just now was baby stretching exercises plus a milk-flavored burp.
Energy fluctuation? Doesn't exist!
Your imagination! Definitely your imagination!
Danzo watched as the little guy suddenly became "normal," even looking a bit like he'd been bullied.
Yet the suspicion in his eyes did not fade, it deepened.
That moment earlier was definitely not his imagination.
The concentration, the energy sensation… and now this deliberately foolish act of pretending to be dumb and muddling through.
This acting was… a bit exaggerated.
He remained silent for several seconds.
The heavy pressure around him made Kiyoshi's little heart pound wildly (hopefully not loud enough to hear).
Suddenly, Danzo let out a low, ambiguous chuckle.
"Haha…. interesting."
He didn't pursue the matter further.
Holding Kiyoshi, he walked toward the other side of the room, where some sturdy looking baby supplies, far more practical than decorative, had been placed.
"Whether you are special or not… whatever secrets you carry…"
Danzo's voice remained low and hoarse.
Yet it seemed to have lost some of its earlier cold scrutiny, replaced by a complicated emotion that was almost… expectant.
"Since you are my son, Shimura Danzo's son, you must be prepared for the corresponding awareness."
"Konoha needs roots that grow in darkness, supporting the growth of the leaves above."
"You… perhaps have greater potential than I imagined."
"Perhaps you can bring… surprises."
He gently placed Kiyoshi back into the small bed lined with a soft but equally plain cushion.
His movements seemed just slightly gentler than before.
"Grow well, Kiyoshi."
Danzo gave him one last deep look. The expression in that lone eye was complicated, suspicion, scrutiny, exploration, expectation.
And perhaps even a faint trace of something he himself hadn't realized yet… a father's consideration.
He turned and left, the hem of his black clothing sweeping through the air as his steady footsteps faded down the hallway.
Only after Danzo's oppressive presence completely disappeared did Kiyoshi, now he finally let out a long breath in his heart.
"That scared the hell out of Dad… wait, he is my dad. That scared the hell out of the baby!"
He replayed Danzo's final words.
"'Greater potential'? 'Surprise'?"
"So… does that mean he acknowledged me? Or did I just become some weird research specimen he's going to keep a close eye on?"
"This old man's mind is harder to read than the Linux kernel source code!"
Still, he had passed the immediate crisis.
First danger response, barely a passing grade?
At least he hadn't been dissected on the spot.
Lying on the small bed, feeling the faint but genuine warm chakra flow within his body and the steady coolness in his mind, his emotions gradually calmed from the initial shock, absurdity, and wild excitement.
A small spark of anticipation began to grow.
The system was here.
His starting identity might be explosive, but the background was solid. He had basically obtained a ticket into Konoha's core circle.
And he had even freeloaded a set of god-tier beginner rewards.
"The Naruto world…"
"Knowing the plot is the biggest cheat of all."
He began planning.
"The Second Shinobi War, the Third Shinobi War, Kannabi Bridge, the Nine-Tails Incident, the Uchiha massacre, Pain's invasion, the Fourth Great Ninja War…"
"Opportunities everywhere. And traps everywhere. One wrong step and it's game over."
"Since I've become Danzo's son and probably the Root's next leader, it should make a lot of things easier to operate.
At least I won't have to worry too much about intel sources or early resources."
"But I'll need to find a way to fix my old man's extreme, paranoid, 'for the sake of Konoha' ideology.
Give him a good brainwash with advanced scientific management theory and dialectics…"
"Yeah… the road is long and difficult. At the very least, he shouldn't sabotage his own son or the village so much."
"Short-term goals: survive, grow up healthy, understand the system's functions, secretly train and build my foundation…"
"And also… figure out the next event target."
"Hokage Rock? The Valley of the End?"
"If I go out for a stroll, maybe I'll run into a younger version of the Third Hokage, Hiruzen? Or meet one of the Sannin?"
As he kept thinking, the enormous limitations of an infant's body struck again.
An irresistible wave of intense drowsiness surged over him like a tide. His eyelids felt as heavy as if lead weights were hanging from them.
"Forget it… the world can wait. Sleep comes first…"
"No matter how powerful the system is, it can't override a baby's biological needs…"
"Baby needs a second nap… zzZZ…"
Amid faint, steady breathing, Kiyoshi officially began his new life in the Naruto world, a world filled with danger and opportunity.
The road ahead would undoubtedly be dazzling and bizarre, thrilling yet perilous at every step.
But for now, he was simply a newborn baby who needed plenty of sleep.
A baby who had just been bound to a system.
And the son of the paranoid Danzo.