Pain's Deva Path slowly rose into the sky.
"A bag of rice… how many floors can you carry it up?"
"A bag of rice… up to the second floor."
"Shinra Tensei!"
A massive force erupted from Pain's body. Just then, a figure rushed toward him, trying to stop him.
The overwhelming repulsive force blasted the figure away, sweeping everything around it. All the buildings turned to rubble—an entire village reduced to ruins.
"W-where is this? Who am I? What happened to me?"
"Did I get blown up by Shinra Tensei?"
Half-conscious, Chen Tian muttered the three classic existential questions of every transmigrator… then passed out again.
In the darkness, he dreamed of Pain preaching "feel pain" as those scenes unfolded vividly before him—so real it felt as though he were truly there.
When he finally opened his blurry eyes again, he found himself in a simple wooden house, lying on a crude wooden bed.
"M-my body…"
Chen Tian was horrified to see how small and skinny he had become. It was obvious—he had transmigrated or been reborn. But this place… was far too unfamiliar.
"Hm? Little guy, you're awake?"
A plainly dressed young girl walked in, interrupting Chen Tian's spiraling thoughts.
"W-where is this?"
He snapped back to reality and asked in confusion.
"This is a small village near the border of the Land of Fire. I live here. Don't be scared, little one."
She gave him a gentle smile.
Land of Fire? Naruto?
Chen Tian stared at the girl, stunned. Did I actually transmigrate into the Naruto world?
"Is there… a Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Fire?" he asked again.
"That's right! Our little village survives peacefully only thanks to the protection of Konoha's ninja."
Hearing her answer, Chen Tian felt his heart tremble. So it was true—he was living in the Naruto world now.
"Little guy, how old are you this year? What's your name?"
The girl paid no attention to his shocked expression. She walked to the bedside and gently patted his head.
"M-my name is Yue. I'm… four years old."
Judging from his tiny, frail body, he looked about three or four. As for the name, it was the first thing that popped into his head. Since he had really transmigrated, he hoped to get some of Light Yagami's genius to survive in this world.
"You just woke up, so you must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat. Take it easy—big sis isn't a bad person, okay? Little Yue-Yue."
She smiled sweetly and walked out of the room.
Being called "Little Yue-Yue," Yue felt utterly defeated. "What kind of cursed nickname is that…"
"Come out, oh great System-kun!" he called out in his heart after she left. Since he had transmigrated, surely he deserved a cheat, right? Something to help him survive in the Naruto world?
That dream had been too real—the despair, the helplessness, all of it lingered in his body even now.
But no matter how he called, nothing answered. He waved his scrawny little arms—no strange power, nothing extraordinary. Just an ordinary human.
"What the… Every transmigrator in Naruto gets a system, a Zanpakutō, a tailed beast, a secret technique—
And I'm just… normal?"
Chen Tian felt crushed. He couldn't recover for a long while.
A moment later, the girl returned with a steaming bowl of noodle soup. She helped Yue sit up and asked about his past.
"M-my parents were merchants. They took me along on a trip… but we ran into bandits. They protected me with their lives… and I escaped to this place."
He forced out the made-up story with a bitter expression.
As expected, the girl's eyes filled with sympathy.
"You poor child… My parents also died in the last ninja war."
"My name is Rina. From now on, just call me big sister."
"I found you unconscious in the woods near the village and carried you back myself."
"It must be fate. I'll take care of you from now on."
Looking at the gentle, kind girl named Rina…
Chen Tian said gratefully, "Thank you, Rin—Rina… sis?"
For someone mentally in his twenties, calling a fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girl "big sis" was indeed awkward.
"Rina-sis, what year of Konoha is it now?"
Since he was in the Naruto world, Chen Tian—no, Yue—needed to know the timeline. If the Second Great Ninja War had already ended, then the Third was coming next. What if he became cannon fodder?
"This year is Konoha Year 45. I didn't expect you to care so much about Konoha. Do you want to become a ninja someday?"
Rina teased him.
"Yes! I want to become a ninja and protect you, Rina-sis!"
Yue blushed and spoke firmly.
Come on—this was Naruto. How could anyone survive without becoming a ninja?
Konoha Year 45… only two more years until the Third Great Ninja War. No one knew whether this village would get dragged into it.
"You want to be a ninja? Then you'll have to work hard, Yue."
"You said it—big sis will rely on you to protect her."
Her playful tone faded, and she spoke earnestly.
Yue nodded firmly. Even though it felt like an adult humorously coaxing a child, at least this world had given him someone to rely on.
Just like that, Yue and Rina spent half a peaceful year together in the village.
Rina supported them by doing odd jobs in a local noodle shop. Yue stayed home doing chores—his body was too weak to do real work.
That day, Yue was lying on a small hill, chewing on a stem of foxtail grass, watching the sky in boredom.
He'd been in the Naruto world for half a year, constantly trying to find some hidden talent.
But the result was always the same—he was completely ordinary. Bitterly, he realized he might have no choice but to someday go to Konoha and enroll in the Ninja Academy.
Without any ninja aptitude, he was basically guaranteed to become cannon fodder.
What was he going to do, survive with mouth-no-jutsu alone?
Rina was a civilian girl from a poor household, and this half-year of life had barely been enough to fill their stomachs.
Even if he thought he was good-looking, his malnourished face and skinny body ruined everything. He hadn't seen meat in months—just noodles every day. And the tuition for the Ninja Academy was sky-high.
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion echoed from the direction of the village. Thick black smoke rose into the sky.
"No! The village is in trouble!"
Yue bolted upright and ran toward it. Even though he was weak and powerless, Rina—the big sister who had cared for him for half a year—was still in that village.
"Hey, here's a brat we caught."
A large, muscular young man tossed Yue onto the ground. Their forehead protectors revealed they were rogue ninja from the neighboring Village Hidden in the Waterfall.
Waterfall Village had one of the highest defection rates—living under the pressure of the Five Great Nations was harsh, and many ninja fled to make their own way.
Yue groaned and crawled up, mind racing. Seriously? I finally get a few peaceful months and the village gets raided by rogue ninja? Did I jinx myself by talking about becoming cannon fodder?
Villagers were herded together, trembling on the ground. Yue finally spotted Rina among them and let out a long breath. She was safe. He quietly crawled to her side.
"Yue! Weren't you outside the village? Why did you come back when such a huge incident happened? You should've run far, far away!"
Rina panicked when she saw him, whispering urgently.
"I—I saw the village in trouble, so I ran back. I was worried about you. No matter what happens, I want to protect you! At least… I want to stay by your side."
Her heart warmed at his words. Over the past half year, she had truly come to regard him as family. With danger looming, she silently made a decision—no matter what, she would protect the boy she saw as a younger brother.