It has been a year since the Nine-Tails' attack. The wounds left by the demon fox are slowly healing, and the village is gradually regaining its former liveliness.
"Madam, you don't want your child to be bullied at the Ninja Academy, do you?"
In the bustling commercial district, in front of a dango shop.
The shop owner, Saiba Mieko, stared in disbelief at the little boy before her. He had black hair, black eyes, delicate features, and was as adorable as an exquisitely crafted doll.
She couldn't believe such threatening words had come from his mouth.
The young woman forced a smile. "Little one, if you don't have money, it's okay. Just go home, bring it next time, and—"
Before she could finish, a chubby little boy ran out from the back room, crying and begging her not to take the money.
Mieko instantly realized the child's words were not empty threats.
In the end, at her son's request, not only did she waive the payment for the dango, but she also added a few extra sticks of three-color dango.
The little boy smiled in satisfaction. "Auntie, you're quite understanding. Don't worry, I'll take care of your son at school from now on. My name is Shimura Yami."
With that, the little boy turned and left, carrying the takeout box as he disappeared into the crowd.
Mieko stood frozen for a long while before anxiously looking at her son, who let out a relieved sigh. "Taro, has that kid been bullying you at school?"
The boy, Saiba Taro, weakly shook his head. "No... no. But Shimura Yami is the grandson of the Hokage's advisor.
"Anyone who offends him has a miserable time..."
Taro shuddered as he recalled those classmates who had been beaten so badly they couldn't attend school for a whole week.
Not only did the teachers refrain from punishing Yami, but they even praised his combat skills.
If Mom had taken the money today, wouldn't he have been the next one to be beaten?
Hokage's advisor?! Mieko was stunned.
That's a high-ranking official!
Shimura... no wonder.
Even though she wasn't a ninja, Mieko knew that this was a powerful clan in the village.
Shimura Yami… Mieko silently committed the name to memory.
For the sake of her son's well-being and their livelihood in the village, she decided that as long as Shimura Yami visited her shop, she wouldn't charge him a single ryo.
[Congratulations! You have established a "fear" bond with Saiba Mieko and Saiba Taro. Reward: 'Grandmaster of Dango Making' & '0.1 Standard Unit Genin Chakra.']
A system prompt echoed in Shimura Yami's mind.
Seeing the reward, the corner of his mouth twitched.
This system is seriously unreliable.
Shimura Yami was a reincarnator, someone who had traveled to this world, a world of "The Five Great Shinobi Villages' Struggle for Supremacy."
The first thing he saw after being born was a woman giving him a gentle smile before closing her eyes forever.
His father had died in battle while his mother was still pregnant with him.
The classic orphaned protagonist setup.
But unlike others, he had something else, a grandfather named Shimura Danzō.
In this world, almost every major villain had their share of devoted apologists.
Uchiha Obito, the obsessive simp.
Uchiha Madara, the unstoppable warlord.
Even those who slaughtered their own kin and took on seven opponents alone were glorified.
Not only did no one defend him, but even those who excused other villains blamed everything on him instead.
The title "Nabekage" was well-deserved.
To be honest, when Yami first learned his identity, his future looked bleak.
But after a few days of pondering in his nanny's arms, he had a change of heart.
Actually… it's not that bad.
Compared to many other reincarnators who landed in the Naruto world, his starting position was decent.
Look at all the talented prodigies, sooner or later, Danzō would set his sights on them.
As long as he survived any potential assassinations from enemy villages, his childhood would be smooth sailing.
And by the time the main plot began, if he avoided the frontlines of the Fourth Great Ninja War, he could safely coast through it.
Heck, he could even enjoy a blissful dream inside the Infinite Tsukuyomi while the world sorted itself out.
As for facing consequences?
As a classic shōnen protagonist, neither Naruto nor Sasuke would hold a grudge against him for Danzō's actions.
Once he realized this, Yami stopped worrying and embraced his role as the eldest son of the Shimura clan.
After all, Konoha might be led by Sarutobi Hiruzen, but face mattered to him.
Danzō, on the other hand, wasn't Hokage, he had no such concerns.
Because of this, while Sarutobi Asuma was strictly disciplined and often clashed with his father, Yami enjoyed the privileges of being the village's number one second-generation heir.
Even Konohamaru's future antics wouldn't compare to his status.
And of course, being a reincarnator came with perks.
Ever since birth, he had a progress bar in his mind. Then, three days ago, on his sixth birthday, his system finally activated.
[The Strongest Shinobi Bond System]
By establishing a bond with someone, he could extract a unique trait from them as a reward.
These traits could be:
Chakra nature affinities
Mastery over a specific jutsu
The depth of the bond and the strength of the other person determined the quality of the rewards.
For instance, just now, he had exchanged names with the dango shop owner and left a deep impression, successfully forming a bond.
If he strengthened this connection, he could earn additional rewards.
Seeing the "Grandmaster of Dango Making" skill he just received, Yami immediately lost interest in pursuing a deeper relationship with the shopkeeper.
"Young Master, it's time for your training."
A man with a faint presence, wearing sunglasses, suddenly appeared behind him.
Despite the bustling crowd, no one even glanced his way.
Aburame Seiji. A Root shinobi, with the rank of Tokubetsu Jōnin, assigned as Yami's personal bodyguard.
He also had a partner, Yamanaka Ryo who remained hidden at all times.
Even now, Yami had never managed to spot him.
Yami responded lazily before spotting another shop run by a classmate's family.
Using the same tactic, he established two more bonds and walked away with a bag of round fans.
[Introduction to Round Fan Crafting, Standard Genin Chakra +0.1]
Satisfied, he left the commercial district and returned to the Shimura clan's estate.