"What!!"
"Sure enough, this burning youth can't escape the curse of ten thousand one-finger Zen!"
Hao Fan was tearfully digesting the memory of the Four-Leaf Clover Roaring Emperor—Asta. The miserable setting felt all too familiar. Once again, he found himself as someone abandoned by mainstream society. Before this, he was Rock Lee, unable to perform ninjutsu due to his physical defect. And now? He had transmigrated into Asta, the boy who couldn't use magic in a world where magic was everything.
Is this kid a magic insulator or something? At fifteen years old, Asta still couldn't use a shred of magic. His only hope was the upcoming [Magic Grimoire] awarding ceremony. Until then, he trained like a madman every day and chugged leaf miner juice as a post-workout "reward."
"He's really a pitiful and helpless boy," Hao Fan muttered, sitting on the soft soil and staring up at the sky. "Ten years of ridicule, and even the other orphans from the church don't respect him."
He sighed.
"Since he's so pitiful, I guess I'll be the one to roar today—bah, Asta!"
He slammed a thumb to the ground.
"Then let's do 500 one-finger push-ups today!"
Despite the pain, Hao Fan pushed forward. Asta's body was incredibly strong from years of relentless training, but even so, his fingers had never been tested like this. Doing one-finger push-ups suddenly carried the risk of fracturing bones.
Still, Hao Fan persisted.
"1!"
"2!"
He gritted his teeth and pushed through the ache. It took nearly two hours, but he finally hit—
"499! 500!"
"500 one-finger pushups… complete!"
By the end, his thumb was swollen, bruised, and purple-blue from overexertion.
"No pain, no gain!" he said through gritted teeth. "Now for the index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers!"
He collapsed backward with a triumphant grin, his thumb swollen and purple-blue from overexertion. The rest of his fingers were no better. He'd finished a brutal regime:
400 with his index fingers
300 with the middles
200 with the rings
100 with the pinkies
Every part of his body screamed in protest. But the youth inside him screamed louder.
"No pain, no gain!" Hao Fan panted. "This body is still way too weak… If I want to survive in a world where a sneeze of mana can destroy boulders, I'll need to go beyond what Asta ever dreamed of."
He tried to shake the pain from his hands, but it only got worse. His fingers now resembled overcooked sausages. Back when he was Rock Lee, chakra control helped manage fatigue and injuries. But here? Nothing. Or… was there?
He sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and focused on his core.
A flicker of something stirred deep within—white energy. Not magic. Not mana.
Chakra.
His eyes shot open. "This world has chakra too?! That means I can still use ninjutsu here!"
Suddenly, a mechanical voice echoed in his head:
"Ding-dong! Detected the presence of a second-dimensional energy body. Activating the [Wanjie Dao Teng System]. Naruto Mall now available for exchange!"
"What?! I didn't get this as Rock Lee!"
"Because your previous body didn't possess a cross-dimensional anchor. Now that you're in a magic-based world, the interference creates crossover energy."
"…Tch. Okay, that actually makes sense."
Grinning, Hao Fan called out, "Open the mall!"
A translucent blue screen hovered before his eyes:
****
Naruto Mall – Beginner Tier
Single Tomoe Sharingan – 10,000 points
D-rank Ninjutsu – 50 points each (Clone Jutsu, Transformation, Shadow Shuriken, Binding)
Items:
Bingliang Pills (10 for 1 pt)
Kunai (10 for 1 pt)
Healing Potion (1 bottle for 1 pt)
****
"Single Tomoe Sharingan," he whispered like it was the name of a lover. "Even with just one tomoe, I can see through beginner mages like glass."
> Sharingan – Single Tomoe
Effect: Improved perception, slows enemy movements, visual insight.
Bonus: 30% chance to copy low-tier magic. 30% chance to cast illusions.
The possibilities lit his brain on fire.
"But first—I need points."
Just then—
SNARL!
A mountain wolf lunged from the bushes, fangs bared. Weak and starving. A desperate predator.
But Hao Fan didn't flinch.
"Youth is a whirlwind of leaves!"
With a spinning heel kick powered by rage and reflex, he shattered the wolf's skull against a tree.
System Notification: Mountain Wolf killed. +1 point earned.
"Yes!" he grinned. "Let's go!"
He immediately exchanged the point for a healing potion.
Healing Potion: "Can be used internally and externally to treat bruises, muscle damage, and fatigue."
The potion tasted oddly sweet. Warmth spread through his limbs. The swelling began to fade. Then he rubbed the rest on his fingers—
"AAAAHHHH—IT BURNS LIKE PEPPER UP MY NOSE!"
Still, he kept rubbing.
"AHHHH!!! MOMMMM!!!"
After a minute of earth-rolling agony, the pain subsided. His fingers felt… alive. Reborn.
"Perfect. If I keep this up, I'll recover faster and train harder. And once I unlock the Eight Gates…"
He clenched his hand into a fist.
"…Even nobles with high mana won't see me coming."
****
The sun dipped toward the horizon as he staggered down the trail toward Hage Village. The church bell echoed faintly in the distance. Just a few more steps—
Rumble.
His stomach growled. He hadn't eaten all day.
As he reached the village square, he overheard whispers.
"Still can't believe that Asta kid thinks he'll become Wizard King…"
"Zero magic. Just a walking joke."
"Yuno's the real genius. That boy is blessed."
He ignored them.
Let them talk.
He wasn't the same powerless kid they remembered.
At the church, the door creaked open and Sister Lily stepped outside, feather duster in hand.
"Asta! Where have you been? You look like you fought a bear!"
"I kinda did." He grinned sheepishly. "It was more wolf-shaped though."
She sighed and shook her head. "Come in. You must be starving."
Before he could step inside, another familiar face walked out.
Yuno.
Calm as always. Sharp green eyes. Cloaked in confidence and silence.
"You're late," Yuno said, without even a hint of concern.
"You say that like I owe you time," Hao Fan shot back with a smirk. "Still as cold as ever, little ghost."
"We're the same age."
"Yeah, but I train harder. That's gotta count for something, right?"
Yuno looked him over, noting the fresh bruises, the battered fingers, the sweat-drenched shirt.
"You're an idiot," he said, brushing past him. "But…"
He paused at the steps. "You haven't given up."
"…Huh?"
"You're still serious about becoming Wizard King."
It wasn't praise. It wasn't mockery either. It was something in-between—acknowledgment.
Hao Fan grinned.
"You better believe it."
Sister Lily returned, holding out a plate of bread and soup. "Eat up, both of you. Tomorrow's the Grimoire Acceptance Ceremony."
Tomorrow…
Everything would change.