Uzumaki Kushina sat down in the empty seat beside Chiba.
The moment she did, she felt something strange in the air. The entire class seemed to be watching her and Chiba, whispering with curious, judgmental eyes.
Masada Hayabusa clapped his hands. "Alright, settle down. Let's begin class."
Throughout the lesson, Kushina couldn't help glancing sideways at her new deskmate.
Since he was being avoided by everyone, she assumed he must be some kind of troublemaker. But... he didn't look like one.
He wasn't scowling or fidgeting—he was quietly listening, focused, and serious.
His face was calm and handsome, not the kind that drew fear.
Although it was their first meeting, Kushina found herself feeling oddly comfortable next to him. Most importantly, he hadn't laughed at her earlier when everyone else did.
She frowned slightly. "A guy like him—why would he be isolated?"
Still, she sighed. There were more pressing worries. It was her first day in Konoha, and it hadn't gone smoothly. Ridiculed the moment she arrived, she could already tell that life here wouldn't be easy.
Meanwhile, Chiba was having his own strange thoughts.
He could feel Kushina's glances every few minutes.
Maybe she was just curious—after all, no one ever sat next to him. But then she sighed, and that confused him even more.
Was she already tired of being his deskmate?
He could understand if she'd heard rumors about him… but she had only just come to Konoha. There was no way she knew anything yet.
Still, her sigh left him uneasy.
But that unease vanished the moment something else appeared before his eyes.
A faint, glowing message.
[Witnessed: The important character Uzumaki Kushina's enrollment. Reward: +50 Witness Points.]
[Total Witness Points: 100. Activation conditions met. Would you like to activate the system?]
Chiba's pulse quickened. After three long years—finally!
"Activate," he whispered.
A translucent panel flickered into existence before him, floating in midair. His breath caught.
Startled, he darted a quick glance at Kushina.
Luckily, she was propping her chin on her hands, staring at the blackboard blankly, clearly lost in thought. No one else reacted either.
He let out a quiet sigh of relief. It seemed the panel was visible only to him.
Text streamed across the glowing screen:
[Character: Chiba]
[Bloodline: Uchiha Clan, Senju Clan]
[Bloodline Limit: None]
[Chakra: One-fifth of Kakashi (Sharingan State)]
[Ninjutsu: E-Rank – Basic Three Techniques]
[Genjutsu: None]
[Taijutsu: Shuriken Throwing, D-Rank Basic Combat Skills]
Chiba stared blankly.
"One-fifth of Kakashi in Sharingan state? What kind of measurement is that!?"
He scrolled down and noticed another tab labeled Exchange Store. When he opened it, his eyes widened.
The catalog was massive—everything from the Seduction Technique to powerful Bloodline Limits was available.
Before he could even explore it all, the system spoke again in his head.
[Reminder: If the host lacks the prerequisites for a chosen ability, witness point cost will increase fivefold.]
[When the host witnesses a major event, the system will offer three random rewards. These rewards are not limited to the ninja world, but will never exceed its balance.]
Chiba frowned, quickly analyzing.
"So if I don't have the chakra natures for Ice Release, it'll cost five times more. But if I already possess Water and Wind chakra, it'll be the normal price, right?"
[Correct. As this is your first activation, the system grants you a bonus—choose one of three rewards.]
The panel shimmered, and three golden options appeared:
[Reward 1]: Awaken the Sharingan – both eyes gain Double Tomoe.
[Reward 2]: Master all forms of Thunder Breathing, with full Lightning Chakra Nature and Form Transformation bonuses.
[Reward 3]: Obtain the Yoyo Fruit (Paramecia) – side effects removed, swimming ability retained.
Chiba blinked. "Yoyo Fruit? From the One Piece world?"
He thought for a moment. That fruit could let him move along walls or roads like a wire puppet… but that seemed useless for now.
He turned to the Sharingan reward next. Tempting—but he hesitated.
He already carried Uchiha blood. It was possible he could awaken the Sharingan naturally—or purchase it later at a normal cost. No need to waste his first reward.
What he truly needed now wasn't potential—it was immediate power.
The Thunder Breathing style caught his eye. Sword techniques that channeled lightning, combined with chakra nature transformation—pure, explosive speed and power.
He smirked. "Every season, a new blade. Every blade—shines like lightning."
With that, his decision was clear.
"System," he whispered in his mind, "I choose Reward Two."
[Confirming choice. Would you like to claim the reward now?]
Chiba hesitated. "What happens if I accept it immediately?"
[Host possesses Lightning Chakra but no mastery of its form or nature transformation. The system will temporarily assume control of the host's body to simulate both, and transfer all Thunder Breathing techniques directly into memory through real-time execution.]
Chiba nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wait—no! Don't do that here!"
[Understood. Reward stored in system space. Host may claim at any time.]
He exhaled hard, heart pounding. The last thing he needed was to suddenly start slicing lightning arcs through the classroom.
Still, excitement simmered under his calm exterior. The system was real. And with Thunder Breathing at his fingertips, he'd finally have a way to grow stronger—fast.
He didn't plan to hide his power, either. In a world ruled by strength, pretending to be weak was meaningless.
But showing everything too soon was just as dangerous. The elders of Konoha were suspicious enough already. He'd have to reveal his abilities gradually.
Suppressing his excitement, Chiba clenched his fists under the desk.
He would go home after class… and claim his reward.
When he did, the entire shinobi world would start to change—beginning with him.