Configuring Windows Update…
99% Completed
[Do not turn off your computer]
…
Hiroki Sawada's only goal in life was to live a stable, quiet existence—like a plant.
Bask in the sunlight, daydream a little, never take initiative, never cause trouble, never take responsibility—just quietly perform photosynthesis until the end of his natural life cycle.
That was the perfect life plan, carefully crafted after nine long years of watching a progress bar stuck at 99%, in a world overflowing with murderous intent.
Damn it. Nine years!
From the moment Hiroki opened his eyes and realized he had gone from being a forty-year-old office worker to a war orphan in Konoha Village, that cursed progress bar had been floating in his consciousness—never changing, always at 99%.
Configuring Windows Update…
99% Completed
[Do not turn off your computer]
At first, he had been thrilled.
This was it! His golden finger! The legendary cheat system every transmigrator dreams of! His ticket to survival in the dangerous world of Naruto!
Then came the waiting.
He waited a day.
A week.
A month.
The bar didn't move.
He waited one year, three years, five years—
That "99%" might as well have been welded in place, mocking him every single day.
You have a cheat, but it'll never finish loading.
Today, Hiroki was nine years old.
He had waited nine years. Even a Windows update didn't take nine years!
At this point, he had completely given up.
This thing was a bug, a corrupted piece of soul data that crossed worlds with him—an eternally unzippable file.
In life, you can only rely on yourself.
As a nameless war orphan without the Uchiha or Senju bloodline—or even the courtesy of having red hair—the best way to survive in this world obsessed with genetics was to lie low, avoid trouble, and stay far, far away from anyone important.
Especially those "plot characters."
"Hey! Hiroki Sawada! You're spacing out in the hallway again!!"
That sharp, energetic voice grated on his ears. He didn't need to look back to know who it was.
Long, fiery red hair—bold, brash, and full of life.
Uzumaki Kushina.
An "outsider" to Konoha, his nominal classmate, and number one on his High-Risk Plot Characters to Avoid list.
After all, she was the future Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, the mother of the protagonist, and the wife of the most perfect man in the ninja world. Her plot importance? Number one, hands down.
"It's dangerous to run in the hallway, Pepper." Hiroki sidestepped her charge without even looking, muttering her nickname that everyone used in class.
Normally, he didn't like using nicknames. But if everyone else called her that and he didn't, it would make him stand out. And standing out meant… trouble.
"Don't call me Chili, you bean sprout!"
Kushina puffed up angrily, hands on hips, her round face flushed. "The teacher said we have to gather behind the school for throwing practice! Don't tell me you're skipping again!"
"That's not laziness," Hiroki replied flatly, pushing up imaginary glasses. "It's called strategic avoidance of group activities. Essential for inner peace."
"I don't get you at all! Anyway, come on!"
She grabbed his wrist and pulled. Her strength was ridiculous.
Warm skin. Strong grip. Hiroki frowned.
This was bad. He had been hiding here precisely to avoid this sort of interaction!
His class wasn't ordinary—most of the kids were war orphans. Among them were Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina—two walking plot devices.
He tried to shake free but failed. Uzumaki strength, even in childhood, was inhuman.
He sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. I'll walk. Let go already."
Being dragged into her orbit was not part of the plan.
He had made himself invisible, a quiet nonentity in class. Kushina, by contrast, stood out everywhere she went—bullied for her hair, her accent, her temper.
He neither helped nor hurt her, keeping to his vow of neutrality. Yet somehow, she always found him.
Maybe because, to her, he was the only one who didn't look at her like she was different.
So, with a weary sigh, Hiroki let her pull him along toward the back hill.
"It's just throwing practice," he told himself. "What could possibly go wrong?"
…
Everything went wrong.
Practice was dull as usual. Hiroki blended perfectly into the background with his average performance.
Kushina, on the other hand, was trying too hard and got mocked for it.
By the time practice ended, dusk had fallen.
Red-eyed and furious, she stormed off alone into the forest.
"Forget her, that red pepper."
"Yeah, let's go home."
No one followed. Even the supervising teacher left early for "family matters."
Hiroki stood there, frowning in the direction she'd gone.
Every logical instinct screamed at him:
Don't go. Stay out of it. She's the Nine-Tails' future host. Trouble incarnate. Walk away, Sawada.
He took one step away.
Then another.
And stopped.
A memory flashed—Kushina shoving half her lunch bread into his hand, muttering, "You look like a bean sprout. I'm not being nice or anything."
He remembered the tears she tried to hide, the stubborn little chin lifting the moment she noticed him watching.
"…Damn it."
He clenched his fists.
Why did she have to cry so easily?
With a resigned sigh, he turned and headed into the forest.
Fine. Just watering the plants.
The forest grew darker and quieter. Leaves rustled softly in the wind. Hiroki moved cautiously, following faint footprints.
He wasn't worried about her getting lost—she was strong. But emotional breakdowns caused chaos.
Then—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound sliced through the air behind him.
Hiroki dropped and rolled instinctively—two kunai embedded in the ground where he'd been standing a heartbeat ago.
His heart pounded.
That wasn't an animal.
Ninja.
Three figures dropped from the trees, surrounding him in a triangle.
On their headbands—three lightning bolts.
Hidden Cloud Village.
"Oh? A stray kid," one said, voice low and cruel. "Tough luck, brat."
Hiroki froze.
Cloud ninja? Here?
And then realization hit him like lightning.
They're here for Kushina.
The infamous Cloud Village kidnapping attempt—the one where they tried to abduct Kushina Uzumaki to make her the next Eight-Tails Jinchūriki!
He'd stumbled right into the middle of it.
Why?! Why always me?!
Statistically, Konoha had hundreds of thousands of people. The odds of bumping into a plot event like this were infinitesimal! Yet here he was!
"Catch him," ordered the leader. "Make sure he stays quiet."
The other two moved in.
Panic shot through Hiroki's veins. He was just a student! Barely able to perform the Clone Technique!
Run? Pointless.
Fight? Impossible.
He was going to die.
Then—
"Wait!"
A trembling voice.
Kushina.
She stepped out from behind the bushes, clutching a kunai. Her face was pale, but she stood firm between him and the enemy.
"Y-you're not allowed to bully him!"
The leader's eyes gleamed. "Red hair… an Uzumaki! What luck!"
It was over.
Hiroki's stomach dropped. This was exactly what he'd feared.
A Cloud ninja appeared behind her in an instant, knocking her out cold with a single strike.
"As for this one…" the leader said, glancing at Hiroki, "Take him too. We'll deal with him once we're out of the village."
The kunai gleamed as one ninja stepped closer.
Death was inches away.
Hiroki couldn't move. His mind was blank—no escape, no hope.
After nine years of cautious living, he'd die here…
Pathetic.
Then—
For the first time in nine years, the frozen bar in his mind flickered.
[99%…]
[100%]
[Completing update. Please do not turn off your computer. This may take some time.]
Ding Dong——!
A cheerful system chime exploded in his head.
The world turned blue.
Time froze. The Cloud ninjas' movements slowed to a crawl.
[Hello]
[Preparing your system. This may take a few minutes.]
A loading animation spun gracefully.
Hiroki was anything but graceful.
Hello? A few minutes?! I'm literally about to die!
But his adult instincts kicked in—panic later, cooperate now. This might be his only chance.
[Location detected: Naruto World – Land of Fire – Hidden Leaf Village]
"Yes! Yes, that's right! Hurry up!"
[Is this input method suitable? (>^ω^<) Mind Input]
Whatever, yes!
[Let's connect you to the internet!]
[Connected to: Ninja Chakra Network 1]
[Please review the license agreement]
A wall of text filled the screen.
You've got to be kidding me.
He scrolled through and slammed "Accept" without hesitation. Sell his soul? Fine—just save him first!
[Let's name your device]
Hello, Hiroki Sawada
[Please create a password]
His mind scrambled. Fine, birthday from his old life. Confirm. Done.
[Choose privacy settings]
"Yes. Yes. All yes!"
He didn't care anymore. Take his data, his browsing history, anything—just finish already!
[Customize your experience]
[Games – Yes] [Family – Yes] [Creativity – Yes] [Business – Yes]
I'm a dying child, not a startup founder!
But he clicked yes to all anyway.
[Try Hakimi 365 for free with advanced ninja tools]
I'm being murdered, and you're asking about premium apps?!
He still hit "Free Trial."
Finally—
[Setup complete]
[Checking for updates]
[Almost done. Please keep device on and plugged in.]
Almost… there…
Hiroki stared at those words, his heart hammering.
And then—
Time resumed.
The kunai struck the back of his neck.
Darkness swallowed him whole.