Chapter 1: What Do You Mean by Conquering Ninjutsu?
Konoha Year 45. Winter.
The sun was setting.
The afterglow of the evening sun spilled across the training field of the Konoha Ninja Academy, turning the beads of rolling sweat into shimmering gold.
"Huff… huff… Guy, I can't… anymore…"
The fair-featured, white-haired boy panted heavily as he spoke.
"Just hang in there a little longer, Yuu! It's always like this the first time. But as long as you persevere, you'll experience an even more wonderful feeling."
"That feeling is called youth! We're almost done with our 200th lap!"
With his bowl haircut and a green outfit that made him look like some kind of bright green frog, Might Guy ran while turning his head to flash a thumbs-up. His gleaming white teeth sparkled brilliantly in the sunlight.
"Unfortunately, before he could finish speaking—"
Thud!
The white-haired boy collapsed onto the ground. He barely managed to brace himself with his arms, narrowly saving his face from planting directly into the dirt.
"I'll sit here for a bit… Guy, you keep running. Don't worry about me."
"…Alright!"
Might Guy didn't think much of it.
After all, in his view, no matter how poor someone's physique was, they couldn't possibly be completely exhausted after only 200 laps around the field, right?
"I'll come back to find you after I finish the remaining 800 laps!"
...
Watching Might Guy's retreating figure,
Mikami Yuu let out a long sigh.
It had already been eight years since he transmigrated into the Naruto world.
In those first few years, he had fantasized about relying on his earth-shattering intellect and unparalleled talent to make a name for himself in this world. He would punch down Uchiha Madara, kick aside Black Zetsu and Uchiha Obito, and spear through Ōtsutsuki Kaguya…
"But as time passed, especially after enrolling in the Ninja Academy—"
Mikami Yuu was forced to accept a harsh reality:
He was just an ordinary person.
Everyone knew that in the shinobi world, if you wanted to survive, you needed power, backing… and above all, bloodline.
And Mikami Yuu was a civilian.
Yes, having lived two lifetimes made him more calm and composed than his peers. Starting at age three or four, he had already drawn up strict exercise and dietary plans for himself. Every night before bed, he drank a cup of warm milk and did twenty minutes of stretching exercises. After enrolling, he studied with the same intensity as preparing for the college entrance exams in his previous life…
But all of that only allowed him to excel in academic subjects.
As for practical combat classes…
His ninjutsu grades were mediocre at best, barely ranking in the middle.
If this were peacetime, he might have been able to grit his teeth, graduate at twelve as a genin, slowly accumulate seniority, apply to return to the Academy as an instructor, and when Naruto's generation enrolled, find a way to replace Iruka-sensei. Then he could quietly grind favor with the "Child of Prophecy," coast through life, and perhaps even be invited to say a few words on stage at the Seventh Hokage's wedding someday.
Unfortunately…
He had been born a little too early.
The current Academy was still under a wartime system. Children enrolled at four and graduated at eight or nine. Among those in his cohort were Hatake Kakashi, Uchiha Obito, Might Guy, Nohara Rin, and Sarutobi Asuma—a gathering of prodigies like immortals lining the heavens.
Among them, that white-haired genius had graduated in his second year, become a Chūnin in his third, and now spent most of his time carrying out missions outside the village.
And the so-called "worst" of the group?
Everyone said Obito was the dead last.
But in the real shinobi world, someone like Mikami Yuu, a civilian without a background, was the true bottom rung.
Obito at least had hidden potential. Even if he developed slowly early on, it didn't matter. In truth, he wasn't that slow; he just lacked the brains to fully utilize his strength.
As for Mikami Yuu, under normal circumstances, he would only be crushed beneath the wheels of Konoha's great war machine, reduced to nothing more than a human speed bump.
The world was far from peaceful. Conflicts between the great villages were constant. The full outbreak of the Third Shinobi World War was at most a year or two away. When that time came, even freshly graduated Genin would be sent to the battlefield.
If he were lucky, he might survive with minor injuries.
If he were unlucky… perhaps he could enroll in the Academy again alongside Naruto and Sasuke in his next life.
"Eight years as a transmigrator and I still don't even have a cheat… is that reasonable?"
Mikami Yuu felt miserable.
He had already made up his mind.
At the end of this month will be the final exam of the semester, and also the last major exam before graduation next February. If his practical combat performance was still like this by then, he would find an excuse to drop out and apply for a job at Ichiraku Ramen as a noodle-puller.
That was the safest plan he could think of.
Becoming a powerful shinobi and witnessing the world's highest peaks wasn't a bad dream.
But with the wrist strength he'd built up through years of training, becoming a noodle craftsman promised an even broader future.
Besides, the ramen shop owner's daughter didn't look bad. With his handsome face, he might reluctantly marry into the family, change his name to Ōtsutsuki Yuu, and live quite comfortably…
[Ding! System binding successful!]
A line of text floated before his eyes.
"Huh?!"
Mikami Yuu jolted upright.
Wait, he really did have a cheat? It just took eight whole years to load?!
[System initialization complete. Core module loading…]
[This system is the Shinobi World Dating Sim System. Its purpose is to assist the host in forming bonds with suitable, beautiful female characters. While enjoying sweet romance, the host will obtain generous rewards and ascend to the peak of life.]
"Holy—!"
Mikami Yuu's eyes lit up. It felt like a lifeline had been thrown to him at the brink of despair.
It was here.
His golden finger!
The name sounded a little strange, sure, but it was still a cheat.
And in this era, there were plenty of girls in the shinobi world who could qualify as "beautiful." Those his age included Nohara Rin, Yūhi Kurenai, and Terumi Mei. Older ones included Tsunade. Even Uzumaki Kushina and Uchiha Mikoto weren't married yet…
A magnificent blueprint unfolded in his mind, dominating the shinobi world, with beauties in both arms!
However
[Core module loaded.]
[Scanning and loading beautiful female characters currently in contact with the host: Transformation Jutsu, Clone Jutsu, Substitution Jutsu. Wishing you a pleasant conquest!]
"…Huh?"
The smile on Mikami Yuu's face froze.
W-wait a second?
Conquer what?
The Three Basic Techniques???
Clinging to the last shred of hope, he muttered inwardly, "Open the main system interface."
The moment the words left his lips, a softly glowing interface unfolded before his eyes—styled unmistakably like a Japanese dating sim. Against a gentle pastel backdrop stood three chibi-style ninjutsu icons, each clearly labeled with its name and accompanied by an affection bar.
[Current Conquest Targets]
[Transformation Jutsu (Affection: 10/100 – Stranger)]
[Clone Jutsu (Affection: 5/100 – Stranger)]
[Substitution Jutsu (Affection: 5/100 – Stranger)]
Mikami Yuu tapped on Transformation Jutsu.
The interface shifted. On the left was the same chibi avatar vaguely resembling a black-haired girl with a slightly mischievous smile. On the right appeared a detailed status panel with several button options:
[Selected Conquest Target: Transformation Jutsu]
[Talk] [Practice] [Give Gift (Locked – Insufficient Affection)] [Leave]
He chose [Talk].
[At dusk, you run into the Transformation Jutsu, taking a stroll on the Academy field. She seems delighted to see you and waves from afar, teasing you playfully.]
[Transformation Jutsu: "Ehh~ Little Yuu again? Who are you turning into today? Last time during the test, you transformed into Ōkī-sensei, but you walked with both arms and legs moving together, and everyone laughed at you for ages!~"]
Below appeared three choices:
[A: Sorry, I was too clumsy last time. I'll work harder this time.]
[B: That was just to make everyone laugh!]
[C: (Silent, simply gaze at her intently.)]
"…."
Mikami Yuu's lips twitched. He was completely speechless.
Bro…
You're seriously a dating sim, huh?
Talking to ninjutsu, giving them gifts, raising their affection levels… is this even something a human can do?
Forget it. Must be a brain-dead system. I'll just pretend it doesn't exist.
[Notice: The host's words and actions determine the target's affection level. Each time affection rises to a new stage, the host's attributes will increase slightly, with a chance to obtain special rewards related to the target.]
"…Choose A."
Mikami Yuu said firmly.
If there were rewards, what else was there to discuss?
End of Chapter