1:00 PM
Facing Uchiha Kazuki—a kid built like a mountain—you knew one thing for certain: dying before the fight even starts was not an option.
You tried to run back to the orphanage, but his lackeys teamed up and blocked your path. One-on-one, you were confident you could win, relying on your trained body and the wisdom of someone who had lived another life. But Kazuki's gang didn't give you a chance. They rushed you all at once, leaving no room to maneuver.
Then Kazuki struck from behind, forcing your arms behind your back.
...
2:00 PM
You struggled, but Kazuki's Strength easily overpowered you. Outnumbered and outmatched, you were forced to agree to his challenge just to avoid getting your arms broken. With no other choice, you followed him to the training grounds.
...
3:00 PM
You gave it everything you had—but all it did was earn you a few extra moves before the inevitable. The gap in power was just too great. At three years old, there was no scenario where you could defeat a six-year-old like Uchiha Kazuki.
Kazuki called over a bunch of younger kids—three or four years old at most—and had them hold you down while he beat you senseless. Then he tossed your bruised and broken body into a clump of bushes at the edge of the training ground, like you were nothing.
...
4:00 PM
You tried to protect your vitals, but some well-placed punches to the liver and a couple of low kicks left you gasping for air, nearly unconscious.
Pain consumed your entire body. Your mind was foggy, your body twitching uncontrollably as you lay curled in a corner of the field.
...
5:00 PM
You couldn't move. You genuinely thought you were going to die. Rage and humiliation burned in your chest. You swore—you would make them pay.
As pain consumed you, a single tomoe silently awakened in your left eye.
But you were only three years old, and your body had taken too much damage. You couldn't sustain the power. The Sharingan, freshly awakened, faded just as quickly. The strain on your body and Spirit knocked you out cold.
...
6:00 PM
A gnawing hunger woke you again, but you still couldn't move.
Just as despair settled in, a figure passed by—and stopped.
She knelt down and tended to your wounds with quick, skilled hands, then picked you up and carried you away.
...
7:00 PM
Thanks to her medical ninjutsu, your consciousness returned. And to your shock, your savior was none other than Uchiha Izumi.
You immediately began thinking about how you might warn her of Itachi's betrayal.
But before you could speak, a bloodcurdling scream echoed from deep inside the Uchiha compound.
You froze.
The Uchiha Massacre had begun.
...
8:00 PM
Though still weak, you could move again thanks to Izumi's healing. The screams outside were getting closer—angrier, more desperate. Izumi quickly hid you in the basement and told you not to make a sound. Then she geared up, her Sharingan spinning with three tomoe in each eye.
Moments later, you heard a startled cry—then a heavy thud.
Then came the sound of slow, ragged breathing.
You realized Itachi had used Tsukuyomi on Izumi and burned through his stamina. Right now, he was at his weakest point of the entire massacre.
But so what?
You couldn't even beat Kazuki. There was no universe where you could take on Uchiha Itachi.
Your will to fight vanished.
You could only pray that he wouldn't notice you hiding below.
But Itachi opened the basement door like he lived there. A shuriken flew toward your forehead, faster than your eyes could track.
You died.
...
〖Simulation Complete〗
〖Calculating Rewards…〗
Uchiha Kirin stared at the simulation text, then let out two long, shaky breaths, patting his chest to calm his pounding heart.
It was just words.
But it felt like he'd lived every second of it.
He glanced out at the pitch-black sky. Only now did the tension in his chest begin to ease.
"I can't believe there's less than a day left until the Uchiha Massacre…"
"And that bastard Kazuki!" Just thinking about those scenes made Kirin's body ache again. His hatred for Kazuki, even for just a moment, burned hotter than his fear of Itachi.
"Thank god for this simulation system… It might be my only chance to turn things around."
Just then, the simulation's evaluation appeared:
〖After evaluating the power difference between both parties…〗
〖Despite having a clear understanding of his own limitations, the user lacked the strength and suffered from extremely poor luck, resulting in death.〗
〖Simulation Rating: You Did Your Best〗
"You Did Your Best, huh…"
Kirin nodded slightly. Without the system, that's probably how things would've gone anyway. As for the bad luck? Yeah… running into Kazuki at the worst possible time. Not much he could've done about that.
In his past life, he was just an ordinary worker. He'd never shown any outstanding talent. It was foolish to expect to suddenly become a genius strategist just because he got reincarnated.
"So, what kind of reward do I get from this one?"
Kirin's attention snapped to the panel. Power was the only currency that mattered in this world.
If he wanted to survive the massacre—maybe even save more than just himself—he needed Strength.
Even if his goals were smaller, he still needed power to keep Kazuki from beating him half to death. Or better yet—he needed enough to beat Kazuki half to death instead.
〖Simulation Rewards Ready〗
〖Choose two out of the following three options:〗
『1』+1 Simulation Attempt
『2』Forcefully Unlocked Single-Tomoe Sharingan (Left Eye)
『3』System Storage Space — First-time "You Did Your Best" reward
Kirin hesitated. Each option had its appeal.
The extra simulation attempt was valuable. He'd just used up his one shot, and it would take an hour to recover naturally. With less than a day before the massacre, he couldn't afford to sit around and wait.
Then there was the System Storage Space. This was a one-time reward for receiving a "You Did Your Best" rating—and who knew if he'd ever get another chance? An invisible, portable storage dimension? That was the kind of thing you could build an entire strategy around.
As for the Sharingan… it was a power boost, sure—but it was forcefully unlocked. That couldn't be safe. And without chakra control, it was more of a burden than an asset. It might even backfire and hurt his body. Kekkei Genkai sickness was no joke.
It stung to pass up the Sharingan, but the system let him run multiple simulations. If he could unlock it once, he could do it again. Kirin was pragmatic—he saw the bigger picture.
"In that case, I'll take options 1 and 3."
A pulse of invisible energy swept through him. The countdown timer for his next simulation vanished from the panel, resetting his available attempts to full.
That meant he could start another simulation right now.
Without hesitation, Kirin opened the system interface again and began checking the details of his newly acquired System Storage Space...