Chapter 3: Choices That Define Us...
The moment the voice faded away, the three friends found themselves surrounded by an intricate interface that seemed to respond to their very thoughts. Floating panels displayed detailed information about clans, abilities, and statistics, while their consciousness somehow allowed them to navigate through the menus with startling ease.
"This is absolutely mental," Frank breathed, his awareness focused on the glowing display before him. "It's like the most detailed character creation system ever designed."
Tom was already bouncing with excitement—or whatever passed for bouncing in their incorporeal state. "Look at all these options! We can actually choose our bloodlines, our abilities, everything!"
Jack was also methodically scrolling through the information with typical thoroughness. "The level of detail is incredible. Look at this—we each get twenty skill points to distribute, and every choice has clear mechanical benefits and drawbacks."
The interface expanded before them, displaying a comprehensive breakdown of the system they would be operating under:
Character System:
Main Stats (Max level 50)Taijutsu: Physical combat (also increases strength & endurance)Ninjutsu: Chakra techniques (also increases chakra control & chakra pool)Genjutsu: Illusions (also increases intelligence and genjutsu effectiveness)Kenjutsu: Sword and weapon skills (also increases dexterity)
Levelling SystemGain +1 Skill Point per levelGain +5 Max HP per levelGain +5 Max Chakra per level1 Skill Point = +1 to any main stat (up to 50)
HP & Chakra:Max HP = 100 + (Taijutsu × 2)Max Chakra = 100 + (Ninjutsu × 2)
Jutsu Unlocks by Stat Level1–10 - Academy/basic jutsu.11–20 - Genin-level techniques.21–30 - Chunin-level techniques.31–40 - Jonin-ANBU level techniques.41–50 - S-rank/Kage-level techniques.
"This is incredibly detailed," Frank said, studying the progression system carefully. "So we start at level 1, and each level gives us more skill points to allocate plus base health and chakra increases."
"The jutsu unlock system is particularly interesting," Jack noted analytically. "Our stat levels determine what techniques we can even attempt to learn. So even if we know a jutsu exists from our meta-knowledge, we can't use it until our stats are high enough."
"That makes sense I guess," Tom agreed. "We can't just immediately start throwing around S-rank techniques because we know they exist. We have to actually grow into that power level."
Tom was already diving into the clan selection menu, his excitement palpable. "Oh man, look at all these options! We can actually choose to be Uchiha, Senju, Hyuga... Wait." His enthusiasm dampened slightly. "Why are there only Hidden Leaf clans? What about the other villages? I was kind of hoping to maybe try out Ice Style or something from another village?"
As if summoned by his question, the cosmic entity's voice returned with an amused chuckle. "Ah, wondering about the limitations, are we? Well, there are several reasons for restricting your choices to Konohagakure clans only."
"Such as?" Jack asked, his curiosity clearly piqued.
"First, practical concerns. I want to keep you three together—friendship and teamwork make for much more interesting narratives than having you scattered across different villages. Second, balance. Starting you off with abilities like Wood Style or the more exotic Kekkei Genkai would be rather overpowered, don't you think? Half the fun is watching you grow and develop your abilities over time."
Frank nodded thoughtfully. "That actually makes sense. If we started with world-breaking abilities, there wouldn't be much room for character development."
"Precisely! Besides," the voice continued with obvious amusement, "even the 'basic' Konoha bloodlines are quite powerful when properly developed. The Sharingan alone has capabilities that most ninja can only dream of for example."
Tom perked up at that, immediately gravitating toward the Uchiha clan option. "Speaking of which, let me look at these clan choices properly."
The clan selection menu expanded, showing detailed information about each bloodline:
Uchiha Clan - Cost: 20 skill pointsGain the Sharingan bloodline and immediate access to Fire Style ninjutsu, fire ball jutsu.Receive 5 skill points distributed across all other stats.
Senju Clan - Cost: 16 skill pointsInherit increased strength and endurance giving a boost to HP by 20 points.Also gains 10 points to HP on level up rather than 5.Receive 4 skill points distributed across all stats, leaving 4 points for free allocation.
Uzumaki Clan - Cost: 18 skill pointsGain distinctive red hair and dramatically increased chakra reserves by 50 points.Also gain 10 points to chakra on level up rather than 5.Start with Shadow Clone Jutsu.Receive 4 skill points in all stats, leaving 2 points for free allocation.
Hyuga Clan - Cost: 12 skill pointsGain the Byakugan immediately.Receive 3 skill points in all stats, leaving 8 points for free allocation.
The list continued with the various mid-tier clans—Nara, Akimichi, Yamanaka, Aburame, Inuzuka, and Sarutobi—each costing 8 skill points and offering 2 points in all stats plus 12 points for free allocation, along with their respective clan techniques and special bonuses.
At the bottom was the "No Clan" option, offering 30 total skill points but no special bloodline abilities.
"The Uzumaki clan looks amazing," Tom said, practically vibrating with enthusiasm. "Massive chakra reserves AND Shadow Clone Jutsu from the start? That's like being related to Naruto and having access to his signature technique!"
Jack was studying the Senju option carefully. "The Senju bloodline is interesting. Increased strength and endurance, plus a decent point distribution. It's not as flashy as the others, but it provides a solid foundation."
Frank found himself drawn to several different options, his mind racing through the possibilities. "The Uchiha clan is tempting," he mused. "The Sharingan is incredibly powerful—copy techniques, enhanced reflexes, genjutsu resistance, and eventually the Mangekyo abilities if we can unlock them."
"But it costs all twenty skill points," Jack pointed out. "You'd be locked into that choice completely."
"True, but the Sharingan's evolution potential is insane. We're talking about abilities that can rival the strongest ninja in the world." Frank paused, then shook his head. "But maybe that's too much power too quickly. The cosmic entity did say they wanted to avoid giving us world-breaking abilities from the start."
Tom had already made his decision. "I'm going Uzumaki, no question. The chakra reserves alone are worth it, and Shadow Clone Jutsu is one of the most versatile techniques in the entire series. I can train multiple times faster, scout ahead, overwhelm enemies with numbers..."
"Plus you'll have that distinctive red hair," Jack added with amusement. "Very anime protagonist of you."
"Exactly! And with my remaining two skill points..." Tom was already browsing through the jutsu selection menu, which had expanded to show various techniques and their costs.
The jutsu menu was extensive:
Basic Academy Techniques:Transformation Jutsu: 1 point.Clone Jutsu: 1 point.Substitution Jutsu: 1 point.Body Flicker Technique: 2 points.Shadow Clone Jutsu: 3 points.Basic Medical Ninjutsu: 1 point.
Advanced Techniques:Various elemental jutsu: 2 points each, ranging from fire, water, earth, wind and lightning.Basic Genjutsu techniques: 2 points each and finally weapon techniques: 2 points each.
"I'll take the Shadow Clone Shuriken technique," Tom decided. "For two points, I can create clones of my throwing weapons. Combined with my Shadow Clone Jutsu, I could create an absolute storm of projectiles."
Jack was methodically analysing the Senju option. "The strength and endurance boost appeals to me, especially combined with the balanced stat distribution. With four free points, I could pick up Lightning Style and still have room for a weapon technique."
"Lightning Style?" Frank asked.
"It's fast, precise, and has good penetrating power. Plus, the Static Force technique could be useful for close-range combat. And I'm thinking about taking Chakra Flow into Weapon—if I'm going to focus on physical combat with the Senju strength boost, having a chakra-enhanced blade would be invaluable."
Frank was still wrestling with his decision, scrolling through the options multiple times. The Uchiha clan kept drawing his attention—the Sharingan was undeniably powerful, and fire jutsu were iconic. But something about spending all his points on a single choice felt limiting.
"What about the Hyuga clan?" he wondered aloud. "The Byakugan is incredibly useful for reconnaissance and combat awareness. And with eight free points, there's room for customization."
"The Byakugan is definitely underrated," Jack agreed. "Three-hundred-sixty-degree vision, the ability to see chakra networks, long-range sight—it's like having a built-in radar system."
"But it doesn't have the same evolution potential as the Sharingan," Tom pointed out. "The Sharingan can eventually develop into the Mangekyo, and theoretically even the Eternal Mangekyo if you're willing to make the sacrifices."
Frank nodded, then his attention was caught by another option. "What about the Inuzuka clan? It's only eight points, but..." He paused, reading the description more carefully. "Wait, there's an additional option here. For an extra five points, you can get a 'powerful ninja hound' instead of a regular companion."
"The Inuzuka clan?" Tom sounded surprised. "They're not exactly top-tier in terms of raw power."
"No, but they have unique advantages," Frank said, his mind racing. "Enhanced senses, the ability to work in perfect sync with a animal partner, and their clan techniques are pretty versatile. Plus, I've always loved dogs."
Jack was intrigued. "What kind of 'powerful ninja hound' do you think they mean? The regular Inuzuka dogs are already pretty impressive."
"That's what I'm wondering," Frank admitted. "The Inuzuka clan is generally considered mid-tier at best, but what if there's more potential there than people realize? What if the right partnership could take those abilities much further?"
He found himself genuinely excited by the possibilities. Unlike the Sharingan, which was a well-known quantity with established limits and abilities, the enhanced ninja hound option was a mystery. It could be anything from a slightly stronger version of Akamaru to something completely unprecedented.
"You know what," Frank said, his decision crystallizing, "I'm going to take that risk. Inuzuka clan with the enhanced hound option. That leaves me with seven points to work with."
"That's actually pretty smart," Jack said approvingly. "The Inuzuka sensory abilities would be invaluable in wartime, and if this enhanced hound is significantly more powerful than normal, you could have capabilities that no one expects. Could be interesting."
Frank was already planning his remaining point allocation. "I'll take Body Flicker Technique for movement speed—essential for close-range combat. And Wind Style: Gale Palm. That's four more points." He paused, considering his options. "I'll put my last three points into Taijutsu, bringing it up to five. With the clan's natural physical enhancements and an animal partner, focusing on physical combat makes sense."
Tom had finalized his selection: "Uzumaki clan, Shadow Clone Shuriken technique, and I'm ready to go!"
Jack nodded confidently: "Senju clan, Lightning Style for the Static Force technique, and Chakra Flow into Weapon. I'm set."
Frank took one last look at his choices: "Inuzuka clan with enhanced hound, Body Flicker, Wind Style, and three points in Taijutsu."
The interface seemed to pulse with approval as they confirmed their selections. Their character sheets materialized before them, showing their final statistics:
TomUzumaki Clan:Health: 100 + (4×2) = 108.Chakra: 100 + (4×2) + Uzumaki Bonus = 158.Taijutsu: 4,Ninjutsu: 4,Genjutsu: 4,Kenjutsu: 4.Abilities:Shadow Clone Jutsu.Shadow Clone Shuriken.
JackSenju Clan:Health: 100 + (4×2) + Senju bonus = 128.Chakra: 100 + (4×2) = 108.Taijutsu: 4,Ninjutsu: 4,Genjutsu: 4,Kenjutsu: 4.Abilities:Lightning Style (Static Force),Chakra Flow into WeaponSpecial: Enhanced strength and endurance + 20 points to health.
FrankInuzuka Clan:Health: 100 + (7×2) = 114.Chakra: 100 + (2×2) = 104.Taijutsu: 7,Ninjutsu: 2,Genjutsu: 2,Kenjutsu: 2.Abilities:Wind Style: Gale PalmBody Flicker TechniqueSpecial: Enhanced ninja hound and Heightened senses.
"Well," the cosmic entity's voice returned, sounding thoroughly pleased, "those are some interesting choices indeed. An Uzumaki with weapon multiplication, a Senju lightning user, and an Inuzuka with a mysterious enhanced companion. This should be quite entertaining to observe."
"So what happens now?" Tom asked, his excitement barely contained.
"Now, my dear fanfiction protagonists, you begin your new lives. You'll be reborn as eight-year-old Academy students in Konohagakure, just before the Third Great Ninja War begins to escalate. Your memories will remain intact, but your bodies will be those of children—you'll need to grow into your abilities."
Frank felt a mix of excitement and nervousness. "Any final advice?"
"Try not to die too quickly," the entity replied with obvious amusement. "I'd like to get at least a few good arcs out of this story before it ends tragically. Oh, and do try to avoid completely breaking the timeline in your first week. Some chaos is entertaining, but total narrative collapse is just tedious."
The white void around them began to shift and change, reality bending and flowing like water. The last thing Frank heard was the cosmic entity's chuckling voice: "Good luck, my little protagonists. I have high hopes for this story."
Then consciousness faded, and everything went dark as they prepared to be born into a world of wonder, danger, and infinite possibility.
The next time they opened their eyes, they would be in the Hidden Leaf Village, with the memories of their previous lives intact and the abilities they had chosen coursing through their new bodies.
Their second chance at life—and their first chance at becoming the heroes they had always dreamed of being—was about to begin.