Land of Fire — Konohagakure.
Kakashi stirred awake.
The first thing that hit him was the thick, metallic stench of blood.
His stomach churned violently. Why... why does it smell like a murder scene? Did I crash my bike on the way back from work?
Wait—no. His last memory was still at his desk...
Frowning, Kakashi opened his eyes—only to be greeted by the horrific sight of a man in a blood-soaked kimono lying lifelessly on the floor, stomach sliced open in a precise, cross-shaped cut.
His entire body jolted. He scrambled back instinctively, pressing himself against the nearest wall like a cornered cat.
"WHAT THE HELL!?"
Panting, his eyes darted around the unfamiliar, traditional Japanese-style room. The tatami mats were soaked in blood. The corpse hadn't moved an inch.
Kakashi's stomach finally gave up. He doubled over and vomited—loudly, messily, and without dignity.
It took a long while before he could even wipe the tears from his face and stagger outside, gulping fresh air like a drowning man.
Where the hell am I?
As if answering his question, a flood of unfamiliar memories suddenly surged through his mind—like someone had dumped an entire season of anime straight into his brain.
—Hatake Kakashi.
—Five years old.
—Fresh student at the Konoha Ninja Academy.
—Exceptional talent in ninjutsu.
—His father, Hatake Sakumo—the famed "White Fang of the Leaf"—was once a top candidate for Hokage...
Until he abandoned a critical mission to save his teammates, caused major damage to the Fire Country's interests, was condemned by the village, and eventually took his own life.
The pieces clicked into place.
Oh crap. I transmigrated... into Kakashi!? Right after his dad's suicide!?
Kakashi winced and rubbed his temples.
In his last life, he was a burned-out programmer—stuck in a 007 routine (that's 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for you lucky civilians). He'd just launched a product after three months of soul-crushing overtime.
Finally about to apply for leave… and boom. Lights out.
Seriously? I survived office crunch just to wake up in Naruto's blood-soaked lore dump!?
This was post-First Shinobi World War, just before the Second War would explode across the continent. The calm before the storm.
He sorted through the mental clutter—the canon timeline, the body's memories, and the inconvenient truth of his current situation.
This world was brutal.
The so-called "ninja villages" were just glorified mercenary factories, printing soldiers for the next war.
And Konohagakure? Sure, it had the strongest forces among the Five Great Nations—but it was also a political minefield.
The village's true power rested in the hands of the Sandaime Hokage and his advisors. The Uchiha and Hyūga clans made up the military core, while commoners formed the foundation.
Kakashi exhaled sharply.
But more importantly—he had to act normal.
If anyone noticed he wasn't the real Kakashi, he'd be dragged into T&I faster than you could say "Morino Ibiki." And from what he remembered... that guy was not into friendly chats.
Okay. Time to play traumatized child. Let's Oscar this sht.*
He stumbled out of the Hatake compound, blood still faintly splattered on his clothes, face pale, eyes wide with well-practiced horror. After a few panicked steps, he collapsed.
"Hey—look! Isn't that Hatake Kakashi?!"
"Wait, what's all that blood?!"
People gathered quickly. Konoha wasn't exactly known for its calm reactions. Nearby guards rushed over to maintain order.
Two of them darted into the house, then returned moments later, grim-faced.
"Captain, White Fang is dead. Looks like suicide."
"...This is serious. Report to the Hokage immediately. Get the boy to the hospital. Secure the scene. No one gets close."
"Yes, sir!"
Konoha Hospital.
Kakashi lay on the bed, pretending to nap as Hiruzen Sarutobi left the room with a heavy sigh.
He finally exhaled in relief.
Level one, cleared.
The Sandaime hadn't noticed anything wrong. Just gave the usual "sorry for your loss" speech, promised White Fang would be honored on the Memorial Stone, and said Kakashi would be treated as a hero's orphan.
If this was the real kid Kakashi, he might've cried.
But this was him, and knowing how Naruto turned out under Sarutobi's 'benevolent leadership,' he wasn't buying the sympathy act.
The room was silent now.
"...System?" he whispered cautiously.
Nothing.
"...System? Brother System?"
Still nothing.
"...Alexa?"
"...Siri?"
"...Xiao Ai Tongxue?"
He was about to start chanting 'Clippy' when—
[Hey, I'm here~]
Kakashi's eyes lit up.
"System! You're real! You had me worried!"
A voice echoed in his mind, calm and neutral.
[Welcome, Host. I am your personal assistance system.]
"Great! What are we working with here? Rinnegan on sign-in? Infinite gacha for Ōtsutsuki DNA? Tell me it's roulette time."
[Neither. This system is tailored to the Host's specific strengths and background. All functions are compatibility-based.]
Custom made? Sounded fancy.
[You will be able to instantly learn any technique you've seen performed. However, you cannot copy physical-based bloodlines such as dōjutsu or kekkei genkai reliant on unique biology.]
Kakashi's heart soared—then promptly sank.
"So, no Mangekyō Sharingan. No Byakugan. No Sage Body. Basically, no 'cool genes'?"
[Correct. However, kekkei genkai formed by chakra nature combinations—like Wood Release, Lava Release, or Dust Release—can be learned and reproduced if the Host has the required chakra affinities.]
"Ah, so you're saying I can copy all the flashy spells but not the hardware."
Still, he quickly realized the potential. This wasn't just Sharingan without the eye strain—this was Sharingan on steroids.
"Wait—what about chakra requirements? Do I still have to level up the old-fashioned way?"
[Yes. The system does not bypass physical, mental, or chakra-based limitations. You must meet the base standards yourself.]
"Ah, so it's a lazy man's Sharingan with a workaholic's workload. Got it."
Still, his mood lifted. Most ninja couldn't copy bloodlines because the body was the limiter. Even Sarutobi Hiruzen, with all five chakra natures, never managed to recreate a single kekkei genkai.
And Kakashi? With this cheat?
He could go beyond them all.
"...Wait. Can I fuse bloodlines if I already possess some?"
[Yes. The Host will eventually gain access to bloodline fusion, depending on compatibility.]
Kakashi grinned. So it's still possible to build toward the Bloodline Net—the ultimate evolution of chakra, like Kaguya's divine tree fruit!
He might've lacked the genes, but this world wasn't bound by modern ethics.
There was one man in this universe with all the answers.
"Orochimaru... you beautiful, terrifying, unethical son of a snake."
He smirked, eyes gleaming.
Let the games begin.