The sun blazed high above the training grounds of Konoha's Ninja Academy, baking the earth beneath it. Most of the students were out in the field, sweating buckets under Iruka-sensei's watchful eye.
Kobayashi Yifeng lay sprawled beneath the shade of a tree, arms folded behind his head, eyes half-lidded in the classic expression of total apathy.
Dead fish eyes. That's what the others called his gaze.
He couldn't argue. Motivation? Never heard of it.
After all, he wasn't from this world.
Ten years ago, he'd been just another guy at a comic convention, dressed up in some flashy cosplay. One moment he was walking out of the event center, the next—splat. Fell right into an open manhole. The end.
And then the beginning.
When he came to, he wasn't in a hospital bed. He was in the Naruto universe. Yeah, that Naruto universe—the one with chakra, death flags, and an average life expectancy of twenty-seven.
Before he could even finish teething, his new parents got blown to bits on a mission, courtesy of an enemy ninja with a thing for exploding tags. Boom. Orphaned.
He grew up in the Konoha Orphanage, and now, at ten years old, was just one of hundreds of nameless civilian kids trying to graduate and not die in the next war.
No cheat skill. No system. No secret bloodline. Nothing.
At first, he'd hoped something would awaken—maybe a hidden power, or the moment his eyes bled and turned red. But years passed, and the only thing that awakened was a deep desire to never get involved in anything.
Who said transmigrators had to be OP protagonists?
Why couldn't he just be a background character, live a chill life, maybe open a dango shop, and stay away from the whole "saving the world" thing? Konoha had its own chosen ones already.
Leave the peacekeeping to Naruto Uzumaki. Yifeng was content just being a good-looking nobody.
"Figures you'd be here."
The familiar voice came with an even more familiar lazy drawl. Nara Shikamaru walked over, hands in his pockets, hair tied back in that signature pineapple style.
Yifeng grinned faintly. "Too hot to move."
"Totally agree," Shikamaru sighed, slumping next to him. "Why the hell did Iruka-sensei schedule a sparring exam on the hottest day of the year? And what's with those guys getting all fired up about it?"
They both glanced toward the riled-up crowd of students, all buzzing with excitement.
Of course, most of the noise was focused on one boy.
Uchiha Sasuke—Konoha's golden boy. Cool, broody, deadly. The kind of kid who could glare at a kunai and make it blush. Girls swooned. Boys gritted their teeth. And one particular blonde sat in the corner sulking with a lip-bite of pure envy.
Yifeng and Shikamaru? Not impressed.
"Troublesome," Shikamaru muttered.
"Ah, the passion of youth," Yifeng said with mock reverence, hands behind his head again. "A beautiful flame that burns far too brightly."
"Then what does that make us?"
"Early retirees."
A distant shout interrupted their moment of tranquility.
"Nara Shikamaru! Kobayashi Yifeng! You're up!"
Iruka-sensei waved from the center of the field, clipboard in hand.
"Tch. So much for peace and quiet," Shikamaru muttered, rising with a scowl.
Yifeng sighed, brushing off his pants. "Let's just get this over with."
From the sidelines, a bruised and battered Naruto cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted, "Do your best, you two lazy punks! Make me proud!"
Choji, munching chips nearby, turned to Naruto. "Who're you cheering for?"
Naruto grinned, pointing to his black eye. "Whoever ends up looking like me wins!"
A collective silence followed, with several students exchanging awkward glances.
So… if you don't get beat up, you're not his friend? That's some criteria, Uzumaki.
On the other end of the field, Sakura Haruno frowned. "Can those two even fight? I don't think I've ever seen them do anything in class."
"Now that you mention it…" Ino Yamanaka leaned forward, eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I kinda wanna see what they can do!"
Even Sasuke shifted slightly, his hands still in his pockets but his expression more alert than usual.
No one had seen Yifeng or Shikamaru take combat seriously. They were known for sleeping through sparring drills, skipping practice, and inventing illnesses to avoid P.E. Their strength was a mystery.
But today, something was different about Yifeng.
His laziness was still there—but it felt... sharper. Controlled.
Like a cat who only looked asleep.
"Begin!" Iruka called out.
The change was instant.
Yifeng's dead fish eyes focused. His posture shifted. Calm, composed—but ready.
"Hey…" Ino blinked in surprise. "He's… actually kinda cool when he's not slouching. Almost as cute as Sasuke!"
Sakura gasped, snapping out of her trance. "Excuse me?! Sasuke is number one, end of story!"
"Relax! I'm just saying they have different vibes!" Ino smirked. "Different styles, both hot."
As the girls bickered, Yifeng raised one hand high into the air, a mischievous glint in his eye.
"Ninjutsu—Starry Sky Technique!"
A burst of smoke exploded from his palm. Glittering dust—sparkling with who-knows-what—rained down directly over Shikamaru.
"Gah—my eyes!" Shikamaru stumbled, waving his hands to clear the cloud of sparkles.
And then—
Thud.
A swift, expertly placed kick. Right between the legs.
Shikamaru crumpled.
The entire crowd fell silent.
Even Iruka looked like he didn't know whether to blow a whistle or throw up.
He rushed forward. "Shikamaru! You okay?!"
"...Give me a moment…"
Shikamaru winced, legs pressed together. He glared up at Yifeng, who was smiling like a fox and mouthing something.
[Yifeng: See? Told you it'd be quick.]
[Shikamaru: You kicked me in the—]
[Yifeng: I'll buy you barbecue. Deluxe set.]
[Shikamaru: …Make it wagyu.]
Moments later, the two were walking off the field, arms slung over each other's shoulders like nothing happened—just a pair of lazy best friends, leaving a stunned class behind.
Not everyone was disgusted.
A short-haired girl with pale lavender eyes—Hinata Hyuuga—watched Yifeng with soft admiration.
If Yifeng-kun helped me like that… even if I got hurt, I wouldn't mind…
Her face turned beet red, and she shook her head furiously, trying to banish the thought.
That evening, at Konoha's most popular barbecue joint, Shikamaru was already on his third helping.
"I'm still injured, you know," he said through a mouthful of grilled ribs.
"Sure, sure," Yifeng muttered, barely touching his food. He was too busy staring into empty air.
A glowing screen hovered in front of him, unreadable to anyone else.
[Welcome to the Love Life Option System.]
[This system will now begin serving you with 100% dedication.]
…A system?
Goldfinger?
After ten years in this world, he'd finally gotten a cheat?
But… why the hell was it about love life options?
In a world of kunai, bloodlines, and war—what use was romance?
Dear mysterious system distributor, Yifeng thought dryly. I think you sent me the wrong package.