Naraku nodded, expressing his approval of the system's functions.
Speaking of which, ever since he transmigrated, he'd only been beaten up. Does this body look good? Looks are justice, after all.
Without personal charisma, it's hard to get a large number of fans even if you're not handsome.
He secretly pushed his hair aside and glanced at the classroom's glass window.
Hmm, good-looking. As expected of an Uchiha, quite pretty. When he grows up, he'll probably be as handsome as Uchiha Sasuke.
Naraku's face was expressionless, but inwardly, he was delighted as he let his hair down and called out to the system.
First, log onto the animator world's network and see how the current serialization is doing.
"Alright, Transmigrator."
Naraku stared intently at the blackboard, seemingly listening to the lesson, but in reality, he was looking at the panel only he could see in front of him, operating it with his mind. He quickly found the webpage.
As soon as he clicked in, the main page featured a large poster.
"Super popular animation 'naruto III' is here! More excitement awaits you!"
Good heavens, it's already the third part. What a big IP.
Naraku casually grumbled in his mind, then clicked directly into this part. He found that only 4 episodes had been updated, so he immediately started binging at triple speed.
He needed to know where the plot was now.
The first episode began with the Hidden Cloud Village suffering from an Eight-Tails rampage, struggling to find suitable countermeasures. The higher-ups were discussing whether to go to Konoha and bring back the little girl with special Chakra. Although some had reservations, most were in favor, displaying an arrogant attitude that didn't put Konoha in their eyes.
The bullet comments were dense and continuous from the very first second, indicating that 'naruto' was truly very popular.
[My youth is back!]
[Yay, it's finally updated!]
[The Old Thief, do you know what I've been through this past half year!?]
...[It must be Kushina. If Kumogakure isn't trying to kidnap Kushina, I'll wash my hair standing on my head!]
[Wuwuwu, my Hashirama, if you were still here, Kumogakure wouldn't even dare to fart.]
[If Hashirama and Madara were still around, it wouldn't be their turn to harbor ill intentions here.]
[Are you even capable, Hiruzen Sarutobi?]
[To the one before, if you can do it, you do it. Don't curse our Hiruzen.]
Good heavens, Hiruzen Sarutobi has such protective fans?
Naraku couldn't hold back his amusement.
The latter half of the first episode mainly depicted the teenage Uzumaki Kushina, who disliked Minato Namikaze but had to cooperate with him due to a mission.
[Understood, this part is about pure love, right?]
[Kushina, tsundere is already out of style (sad).]
[Hahaha, Minato's nickname'sissy' has stuck for so many years.]
[Blind guess: Minato will save the day next.]
[I specifically came back to post a bullet comment: Kushina will soon change her mind.]
[Don't spoil it, you bastards!]
Next, in the second episode, Kushina was alone at home when several mysterious Ninja broke in through the window, attempting to kidnap her.
Kushina fought fiercely but was ultimately overpowered and silently taken away from Konoha towards the border.
In desperation, she could only pull out some of her hair and secretly leave it along the way as a marker.
Kumogakure actually succeeded. Bullet comments expressed that this was outrageous, questioning if Konoha's defense system was just for show.
Konoha soon learned of Kushina's disappearance and dispatched a large number of people to search for her, but unfortunately, found nothing.
Time passed minute by minute, and Kushina was already close to the border, almost falling into despair.
Then came the much-anticipated hero-saves-the-damsel scene. Minato Namikaze made a dashing appearance, quickly defeating the Ninja who had kidnapped Kushina.
Under the bright moonlight, the red-haired Uzumaki Kushina's eyes widened. Minato Namikaze, known as Konoha's Little Sun, held her steadily while standing on a treetop, smiling gently at her.
A perfect match, the audience exclaimed, 'We ship it!'
[I knew you could do it, Minato!]
[Now the little firecracker won't think Minato is a sissy, haha!]
[The sweetness is so high, I'm going to get diabetes!]
[Checking in at the famous scene!]
Of course, there were also many viewers who found the plot suspicious.
[It's absurd, all the Jonin, Anbu, and tracking units weren't as fast as Minato.]
[Are the Kumogakure people blind? They didn't even clear their tracks, letting Kushina leave hair behind.]
[I suspect the entire Konoha is secretly shipping them.]
[Hiruzen said, 'Finally, I've arranged a wife for my grand-disciple.']
[Isn't that conspiracy theory a bit much? Minato is such a genius, it's not too strange that he was the first to save Kushina.]
Next came the bickering between Konoha and Kumogakure. Kumogakure had initially snuck into Konoha to make a move, but Hiruzen Sarutobi surprisingly didn't pursue the matter, causing viewers' blood pressure to soar, crying out for quick-acting heart medicine.
After the kidnapping incident, the third episode had already finished airing.
The fourth episode's focus was almost entirely on a white-haired boy in the Ninja Academy, around six or seven years old, carrying a short sword, with a slightly cold expression.
[Kakashi!]
[Kakashi!]
[Sakumo's cub, ahhhhh, I'm dying!]
[The cool guy's child is indeed a cool guy!]
[I can't marry Sakumo Hatake, but can't I marry his son?]
[The one before, that thought is quite criminal.]
[Crazy fangirls, don't do that at the barber shop.]
By the time Naraku finished the fourth episode, the content of the series was basically about Kakashi Hatake's school life, showcasing his formidable talent, even helping his teacher solve some problems.
As he suspected, the animator was very optimistic about Kakashi, believing he had the qualifications to become an important character, which is why an entire episode was dedicated to setting him up.
Naraku carefully reviewed it again and found that his own figure only appeared in a few fleeting shots in the corners, without attracting audience attention. Even Tsuchiko Brother, Asuma, Ino–Shika–Chō, and other minor characters had more screen time and lines than he did.
It seems the goal of getting screen time is a long and arduous one.
Naraku silently sighed, then remembered that he had just sparred with Kakashi in combat class, so there should be a bit of screen time in the upcoming episodes.
He needed to quickly find an opportunity to get close to Kakashi, join the main storyline, and show his potential to become a popular character. Only then could he gain the animator's favor and thus receive more character development and popularity.
Sorry, Tsuchiko Brother, the position of Kakashi's best friend belongs to me.
Naraku decided to steal Obito's storyline without any guilt... At dismissal time, Naraku, adhering to his current persona, remained in his seat. Only after everyone else had gradually left did he slowly exit the classroom and head towards the Uchiha Clan Compound.
Sigh, I really don't want to go home.
Naraku silently sighed.
From his original body's memories, it was clear that Uchiha Naraku had a difficult life, lacking food and clothing, and enduring bullying.
His mother died shortly after he was born, and his father was always neglectful, at most leaving some money to ensure he wouldn't starve, with even verbal concern being rare.
After he was old enough for Ninja training at three or four, his father finally paid him some attention, occasionally training him in hand-to-hand combat, but his father's blows were often heavy, and injuries and bleeding were common.
However, once he entered the Ninja Academy, he always lost to his classmate, Kakashi, who was called a "genius." His father was greatly disappointed, becoming increasingly extreme and irritable, often scolding and hitting him.
Uchiha Naraku could no longer distinguish whether those rough treatments were training or simply an outlet for frustration.
In extreme disappointment and anger, his father's alcoholism worsened, and he spent his days in a drunken stupor, often not even leaving enough money for food, which is why this body always looked thin and malnourished.
"I'm so miserable... miserable?"
A sudden thought flashed through Naraku's mind. He was so miserable; approaching Kakashi with that fact should be very effective, right?
Moreover, appearing in the audience's view with such a background would also garner more attention.
After all, who wouldn't pity a cute little boy who had a very tragic life?
With popularity points provided by the audience, becoming stronger would only be a matter of time.
Thus, all the essential elements for a popular character—beauty, strength, and tragedy—would be gathered. Why wouldn't he become popular in the future?