The night was silent and still.
The villagers had long since fallen asleep. In the world of Naruto, where entertainment was scarce, nightlife was practically almost non-existent. Just like in ancient times on Earth, people rose with the sun and rested when it set. As soon as darkness fell, they would return home early, close their doors, turn off their lights, and dedicate themselves to the task of adding to the world's population.
On the streets, only a few ninjas remained on patrol, safeguarding the village.
Hiroshi found this rather puzzling. This world had electricity, cameras, and many other advanced technological devices, yet it lacked televisions and telephones. It was as if the world technological tree had grown crooked, which was quite strange! In the end, Hiroshi could only attribute it to the original author peculiar world-building.
At the moment, Hiroshi was sitting on a rooftop, gazing at the starry sky in a daze, holding a can of "Coca Cola," taking occasional sips.
Initially, Hiroshi had been quite resistant to the food and drinks obtained from the system daily sign-in.
That was until one day when Hiroshi decided to use Naruto as a guinea pig. After drinking it, Naruto became completely obsessed with the beverage, constantly pestering Hiroshi for more. Unable to resist his own curiosity, Hiroshi finally took a sip.
And then... he discovered that this "Coca Cola" tasted even better than the genuine product from his previous life. With just one sip, it was truly refreshing. Not just the heart, but the entire soul felt like it was soaring. From then on, Hiroshi became hopelessly addicted to the Coca Cola from the system.
"Eight years... it's been a full eight years since I came to this world."
Hiroshi muttered to himself on the rooftop.
As for why he had come to this world, Hiroshi had already learned the answer from the system. That night, while he was sound asleep in his house a small meteoroid had flown through space heading towards his house, pierced through his wall, and struck Hiroshi right as he slept. Poor Hiroshi had been killed instantly in his sleep by the meteoroid.
And within that meteorite was the system!
As for the system's origins, according to its own explanation, it had been born from the will of the world, specifically designed to select lucky individuals and transport them to other worlds to grow stronger.
And Hiroshi was the lucky one chosen by this system.
At this explanation, Hiroshi silently rolled his eyes. 'So, you killed me, and now I'm supposed to thank you, huh, you damn system? Believe it or not, I could sue you for murder!', But then again, in his previous life, Hiroshi had no attachments—he was a loner with no job, just an ordinary, aimless guy. So, there wasn't much to miss about that life.
"Since I'm here, I might as well make the best of it. After all, there's no going back. Besides, constantly training and growing stronger here isn't so bad. Isn't this exactly the kind of fantasy I used to daydream about in my previous life?" Hiroshi could only console himself with these thoughts.
"Speaking of which I'm currently at the level of a Peak Chunin. But in the grand scheme of things, this strength is nothing more than cannon fodder on the battlefield. I still need to find a way to get stronger."
"Based on my years of sign-in experience, the only way to grow stronger is through major event sign-ins. As for major events, the Chunin Exams four years from now count as one, and then there's Pain destruction of the Leaf Village. What else was there?"
Hiroshi racked his brain, trying to recall the plot he had seen in his previous life. But it had been so long, and many details were no longer clear.
"Ugh, so annoying. If I can't remember, I won't bother. I'll just keep signing in every day. If something big happens, I'll sign in right away. If not, I'll sign in before going to bed at night. That way, I won't miss it. Simple!"
"Forget it, I'll sign in quickly and then go to sleep. It's rare to come back after completing a mission. Finally, I can sleep without worrying about something, peacefully and soundly."
Hiroshi finished the last sip of Coca Cola in the bottle, stood up, and stretched.
"System, I want to sign-in."
Before he could finish his words, Hiroshi caught a glimpse of several white flashes in the distance. It was too dark to see clearly, but with his current level of Byakugan, he could still make out that it was the reflection of weapons.
"Isn't that the Uchiha clan's territory? Weird, what are they doing so late at night?"
Hiroshi shook his head, initially deciding to ignore it. But after some thought, he couldn't suppress his curiosity. With a swift movement, he dashed toward the Uchiha clan's territory.
...
When Hiroshi arrived outside the Uchiha clan compound, he noticed that the main gate was tightly shut, and there were no guards at the entrance. This made him even more puzzled.
"What's going on? The Uchiha clan doesn't even have guards? Do they really think of themselves as the top clan in Konoha, that no one would dare cause trouble here?"
Hiroshi thought to himself.
But then, he realized something was wrong. He caught a faint whiff of blood in the air.
"Something's not right. The Uchiha clan is in trouble."
Hiroshi quickly made his judgment.
"Byakugan... activate!"
Hiroshi activated his Byakugan and peered into the compound. The walls were as if they didn't exist under the Byakugan gaze, and Hiroshi vision penetrated directly into the courtyard.
What he saw next horrified him.
Inside the Uchiha clan courtyard, bodies were scattered everywhere. Judging from the wounds, they had all been killed with a single strike.
"Who would dare kill people inside Konoha? And not just anyone, but members of the Uchiha clan, the top clan in the village?"
Hiroshi heart was filled with doubt and unease.
At that moment, Hiroshi felt a surge of fear and considered retreating.
After all, if someone dared to attack the Uchiha clan, who were known as the strongest in Konoha then that someone must be very powerful, this was no small matter. The clan was filled with powerful shinobi. As a mere Chunin, wouldn't he be walking to his death if he encountered the perpetrator? Just as Hiroshi was hesitating, he heard footsteps approaching from the road.
Hiroshi quickly hid in a corner to observe. To his surprise, it was Uchiha Sasuke.
"Is Sasuke just come back? If he goes back now, wouldn't it be dangerous? Should I stop him?" Hiroshi mind was in turmoil.
Suddenly, a thought struck him.
"Wait, in the original story, wasn't it Sasuke who returned home late at night only to find his family slaughtered, and the killer was his own brother, Uchiha Itachi?"
"Could it be... tonight?"
The more Hiroshi thought about it, the more it seemed possible. Otherwise, with the Uchiha clan strength, who could have silently killed so many of them?
As Hiroshi was deep in thought, Sasuke pushed open the gate and walked inside. Moments later, a panicked scream echoed from within.
"Should I go in and take a look?" Hiroshi hesitated for a moment, but then quickly made up his mind.
"Go for it. Fortune favors the bold. I'll just go in, check it out, and leave. The annihilation of the Uchiha clan is definitely a major event. The rewards from checking in won't be small. Even if I'm discovered, with my Shunpo speed, I might not necessarily be caught by Uchiha Itachi."
With his mind made up, Hiroshi silently infiltrated the compound.