Perhaps due to her childhood experiences, Setsu remained highly sensitive, even in her sleep.
Hearing a strange noise, she stirred, slowly opening her eyes.
"Mm…"
She rubbed her eyes groggily and looked at Naruto with concern. "Naruto-kun, is something wrong?"
Naruto smiled and gently patted her head. "Nothing to worry about. Go back to sleep."
Satisfied with his reassurance, Setsu snuggled back into the blankets, quickly drifting off again.
Once she was asleep, Naruto retrieved a few incense sticks from his system space, lit them, and carefully wedged them into the cracks of the wooden floor. Watching the tendrils of smoke curl into the air, he exhaled in satisfaction.
"Alright," he thought. "I've burned the incense. Now, let's get those stats."
With anticipation, he activated his system.
"System, start simulation."
[Ding! The host has consumed a simulation attempt. Creating character…]
[Extracting surname options: Aoi, Hatao, Mikami…]
Naruto frowned.
"Seriously? Did the system rig this because of what I did earlier?"
He glanced over the list. Most were completely unremarkable. But after skimming through them all, he finally found one that was passable.
"System, lock the surname Hatake."
Though not his first choice, it was still a well-known name. The Hatake clan had some history dating back to the Warring States period and was once respected in Konoha before Hatake Sakumo's downfall.
At least it wouldn't be difficult to steer this character toward his goal.
With that decision made, he proceeded to select the remaining attributes.
[Finalized Character Stats]
Surname: Hatake
Talent: Hyūga Neji
Health: Uchiha Obito
IQ: Jiraiya
Personality: Senju Hashirama
Social Standing: Hatake Sakumo (Before the Mission Incident)
Appearance: Yagura Karatachi
Hobbies: Orochimaru
Specialties: Haruto
System Evaluation:
You belong to the Hatake clan.
You have promising talent.
Your intelligence fluctuates.
You are kind, compassionate, and empathetic.
You are well-respected.
You have an inquisitive nature.
You are particularly interested in studying Ninjutsu.
You are adept at working hard.
Naruto nodded in approval.
This setup gave him good motivation, talent, and an innate drive to improve. Now, all that was left was selecting the right birth timeline.
The ultimate goal was to acquire Sage Mode—but which kind?
There were three primary types:
Ryūchi Cave's Sage Mode – Powerful but resulted in extreme physical changes. It also required an environment rich in natural energy, making it impractical for mobile battles.
Mount Myōboku's Sage Mode – Balanced, powerful, and enhanced Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Genjutsu. However, it was notoriously difficult to master. Even Jiraiya struggled to use it without external assistance.
Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode – The most versatile. It not only enhanced the user's abilities like Mount Myōboku's version but also accelerated Chakra recovery and healing. If paired with the Byakugō Seal, it would be near-perfect.
After careful consideration, Naruto decided:
Primary Target: Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode
Backup Plan: Mount Myōboku Sage Mode
He had little information on how difficult Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode was to learn, but he knew one thing—Senju Hashirama had mastered it.
Thus, the best way to learn it was to get close to Hashirama.
The ideal time period? Before the First Shinobi War.
[Finalized Simulation Parameters]
Time Period: Pre-First Shinobi War (Before Hashirama's Death)
Location: Konoha
Goal: Get close to Senju Hashirama, learn Sage Mode
[Simulation Begins!]
[You were born into the Hatake clan and were exposed to swordsmanship from an early age.]
Naruto smacked his forehead.
"Oh no… I forgot!"
The Hatake clan prioritized Kenjutsu over Ninjutsu.
If he was stuck training as a swordsman, attracting Hashirama's attention for Sage Mode would be significantly harder.
"Well… at least my hobbies lean toward Ninjutsu. Let's see if I can steer things in the right direction."
[At age three, you began training in swordsmanship under your father's guidance.]
[At age four, your talent became evident, earning recognition within your clan.]
[At age six, you were sent to the Ninja Academy, where you met Sarutobi Hiruzen, Shimura Danzō, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu, Akimichi Torifu, Uchiha Kagami, and Kosuke.]
[During a sparring exercise, you experienced Ninjutsu for the first time and became fascinated by its potential.]
[However, due to your family's traditions, you felt conflicted about pursuing it. You had to make a choice.]
Naruto grinned.
The decision was obvious.
"Forget tradition—start learning Ninjutsu!"
His plan was simple: Master Ninjutsu → Become Stronger → Attract Hashirama's Attention → Learn Sage Mode.
If everything went well, he'd have access to Shikkotsu Forest's Sage Mode.
[You began secretly training in Ninjutsu, using scrolls borrowed from the academy.]
[Despite your efforts to keep it hidden, your talent did not go unnoticed.]
[Your instructors were both impressed and concerned about your divided focus between Kenjutsu and Ninjutsu.]
[At age eight, you were approached by Senju Hashirama, who had heard of your potential and took an interest in your development.]
Naruto clenched his fists.
"Yes! This is it!"
Hashirama noticing him was the first step toward unlocking Sage Mode.
[Hashirama invited you to train under him, offering to teach you the ways of Senjutsu.]
[However, this caused tension with your clan, as they believed your path should remain in Kenjutsu.]
[Your father warned you that if you chose to train under Hashirama, you would be forsaking your place in the Hatake clan.]
[You had to make a choice.]
Naruto barely hesitated.
"Easy choice—train under Hashirama!"
His objective was Sage Mode, not preserving some outdated family tradition.
If abandoning the Hatake clan's swordsmanship meant gaining Senjutsu, then so be it.
[You accepted Hashirama's offer, officially becoming his disciple.]
[Your training in Sage Mode began.]
[At first, you struggled to balance natural energy, but Hashirama's guidance helped you improve rapidly.]
[At age ten, you successfully entered a pseudo-Sage Mode state, though your control was still unstable.]
[Seeing your rapid progress, Hashirama arranged for you to visit Shikkotsu Forest to refine your training.]
Naruto pumped his fist in excitement.
"This is it! I'm actually making progress!"
If he could fully master Shikkotsu Forest Sage Mode, his future combat abilities would be insane.
[However, just as your training reached a critical stage, tensions between the nations erupted into what would later be called the First Shinobi War.]
[Hashirama was summoned to lead Konoha's forces.]
[Your training was abruptly halted, leaving you at an incomplete stage of Sage Mode.]
Naruto's enthusiasm dimmed.
"Damn… So close!"
Still, partial Sage Mode was better than nothing. He was on the right path.
If only he had more time…
[Simulation Complete.]
[Final Score: 8/10]
[Rewards: Partial Sage Mode, +10% Chakra Recovery, +5% Physical Strength.]
As the system finalized the results, Naruto sighed.
He had gotten so close to mastering Sage Mode.
Still, this was progress.
And next time?
He'd make sure to finish what he started.
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