A cold, mechanical voice slammed into their minds again.
It carried no emotion. No warmth. Like an AI reading out a sentence it didn't care about.
Ichinose Chizuru, Sawamura Spencer Eriri, and the others froze mid-breath.
The confusion and shock from earlier hadn't even faded before their bodies locked up again.
No one dared move.
[Welcome to this round of the Reincarnation Game.]
[Current Instance: Naruto]
[Each round will assign a designated objective. Complete it to return to your original world. Rest assured, time in reality will be completely frozen during the game.]
[This world is filled with supernatural power. Survive, and you may bring those abilities back with you. Die here, and your real body dies with you.]
[There are no restrictions on how you gain power. Learn from natives, or explore on your own. Your choice.]
[Final reminder: survive.]
[Current Mission: Night of the Uchiha Massacre]
[Completion Condition: Survive until the event ends.]
[Warning: Revealing any information about players or the Reincarnation Game to natives is strictly forbidden. Violators will be erased immediately.]
[Good luck.]
The voice vanished.
Silence swallowed the classroom whole.
Those who had almost screamed clamped their mouths shut, but fear still clung to their faces. No one could hide it.
When the words Uchiha Massacre sank in, Makoto Nishikado paused.
He remembered it too well.
That night... when Uchiha Sasuke was eight years old. The massacre.
Coupled with Iruka addressing them as new academy students...
Makoto lowered his gaze.
Small hands.
Child-sized.
His adult body had shrunk into that of a six or seven-year-old.
Beside him, Akizuki Airi had changed just as drastically. The mature figure she once had was gone, replaced by a delicate little girl, barely six, with soft features and timid eyes.
Understanding clicked into place.
The system had rebuilt their bodies.
Which meant...
He could learn ninjutsu.
His heartbeat picked up, faster and faster, until excitement flooded his chest. The thought alone sent a thrill through him.
Those abilities from the original story...
He wanted them.
Badly.
"Mako-chan... you look... kind of happy?"
Airi had been watching him. Every subtle shift in his expression.
Makoto glanced at her, calm as ever.
"Don't worry. I'm here."
Just that.
And her heart skipped.
This boy... her stepbrother, the one who had grown up with her... she'd never admitted it out loud, not even to herself, but the feeling had always been there.
Makoto had always stood out. Sharp features and the kind of commanding presence you'd expect from a classic hero.
And before even finishing high school, he'd written Overlord and made a fortune.
Enough to make any girl's heart stir...
Makoto had no time for romance.
I want power.
Sitting on the sidelines was meaningless. If he wanted it, he'd have to take it with his own two hands.
Besides, with bodies like these, there wasn't much they could even do.
His gaze drifted across the classroom, landing on Naruto, Sasuke, and the rest of the familiar faces.
So that's it.
Same generation.
Which meant the Uchiha Clan Massacre was still two or three years away.
Just surviving?
Easy.
The system hadn't thrown him into the Uchiha clan. Even if he did nothing, he could probably coast through and return safely.
But that wasn't enough.
Not for him.
That night...
The Uchiha massacre.
A massacre meant a sea of Sharingans waiting to be harvested.
A literal treasure trove.
In the original story, Danzo and that masked bastard looted who knew how many.
If they could take them...
Why couldn't he?
The Sharingan...
He was taking it.
Even Sarutobi Hiruzen couldn't stop him.
That said, reality hit just as fast.
Right now, he couldn't even gather Chakra.
A nobody.
Trying to snatch Sharingan in a night filled with killing intent and clashing forces?
That wouldn't be easy.
While he was still running through possibilities, Iruka had already started class.
New students.
Peaceful times.
No one was being thrown onto battlefields like in wartime.
So they started with theory.
Makoto flipped open the textbook.
The first page read like a bad joke.
The brilliant pupil of Hashirama and Tobirama Senju The strongest Hokage in history. The Hero of the Shinobi World. A master of over a thousand jutsu... Third Hokage, Lord Sarutobi Hiruzen.
"..."
He closed the book halfway.
If it were practical training like Chakra control or shuriken throwing, he'd pay attention.
This?
Pointless.
The entire day passed in a blur of lectures.
Makoto sat upright the whole time, but his mind never left one thing.
How to take the Sharingan on that night.
By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, classes ended.
The native students filed out. Naruto headed home alone. Others were picked up by their parents.
The players stayed where they were.
No one moved.
No one knew where to go.
Iruka noticed, frowning slightly.
"What's wrong? Why aren't you heading back to the orphanage?"
Orphanage.
The word snapped into place instantly.
Yukinoshita Yukino stood.
So that's the identity the system gave them.
Orphans.
Which meant their base here...
The orphanage.
She straightened, slipping into the composed demeanor of a top student.
"Sorry, sensei. It's our first day, so we're still adjusting. We'll head back now."
Iruka nodded, satisfied, reminding them to be careful before leaving.
Once he was gone, Yukino turned to the others.
Her voice was cool, steady.
"We'll go back together and discuss what to do next."
Normally, she wouldn't bother.
Even as the founder of the Service Club back home, she had always been aloof, helping people from a distance.
But this wasn't that world.
Here, isolation meant death.
They needed to stick together.
Before she could finish speaking...
Makoto was already on his feet.
Walking out.
Without hesitation.
Airi followed him almost instinctively.
"Where are you going?" Yukino's brows knit together, irritation creeping into her tone.
Makoto didn't stop.
Didn't even turn his head.
"Training."
The system had rebuilt his body into one suited for this world. In theory, he could already start learning ninjutsu.
Even if he couldn't use Chakra yet...
He wanted to test it.
Now.
Yukino's frown deepened.
"It's dangerous outside. You shouldn't act on your own. We need to plan first."
No response.
His steps never slowed.
He walked straight out.
Watching his back disappear, Yukino's impression of him sank to the bottom.
All brawn. No brains.
That was her verdict.