"Ninja Village Prosperity System: the more prosperous and powerful the village you lead becomes, the richer the rewards Uchiha Makoto receives."
"System unlock condition: become the head of a ninja village."
"Condition met. Loading system… progress 97… 98… 100. System online."
Overjoyed by the mechanical voice ticking down in his ear, Uchiha Makoto yanked open the system panel the instant it activated and studied it closely.
After a round of poking around, he felt like this mangy system was something a drunk oaf cobbled together while picking his toes. No fancy daily sign-in. No lotteries. No shop. Just a blunt function exactly like the intro said: the more prosperous the village, the bigger the benefits, his own strength rising with the tide—potentially without any ceiling at all.
And that was it. Nothing else.
Yes, that was all.
The potential looked sky-high, practically limitless, but the system offered no real help. Everything depended on his own effort.
"Damn this trash system."
He was helpless. After all that work to unlock it, this was what he got. A bit of mental self-care later, his mood eased. Crude as it was, at least it didn't just wave a boss's empty promises. If he truly built up the village, it would pay out in kind.
The moment it came online he felt it clearly: a tangible boost. Chakra and ocular power both rose.
He opened his personal panel.
Name: Uchiha Makoto
Age: 17
Chakra natures: Fire, Lightning, Yin
Chakra total: 2.5 units, formerly 1 unit
Rank: Kage. Evaluation: there are gaps even among the Kage; you are the gatekeeper.
He curled his lip at that last line. Could this junk system not talk like a normal being?
Beyond the personal screen was a village panel to track prosperity, split into five parts: Military, Economy, Politics, Culture, Influence.
Military was straightforward—can your village fight. Concretely: number of shinobi, number of shinobi clans, number of techniques, and so on.
Economy was simple—how rich the village was, how full the coffers.
Politics covered high-level cohesion and the integrity of officials.
Culture and Influence were equally easy to grasp.
In short, the system demanded he build across all five dimensions.
"A wonderfully awful start."
He muttered as he read. He'd been so excited he couldn't sleep, expecting the classic crosser's windfall the first night a system unlocked. At worst he'd awaken a Mangekyō Sharingan, right?
Instead, his system dumped a brick.
A soft chime sounded.
"Special warm reminder: as your village prospers, it will naturally attract all kinds of extraordinary, excellent talent. Each person drawn in is exceptionally valuable. Please make good use of this function and do your utmost to build your village."
Makoto shot upright with a startled roll. A village that could attract extraordinary talent?
He read the line word by word. At first glance, pure fluff. With care, still fluff. What did that even mean. This was the special reminder. As if he didn't already know prosperous villages attract people.
He flopped back down. Sleep. Just sleep. A long, restless night.
Dawn.
Bleary-eyed with faint dark circles, Makoto headed to the meeting room. Funds were tight, so the place was bare—just rows of stools and chairs. Today was the first general assembly since founding. Even with barely more than a dozen people, a meeting was a meeting.
People were already waiting. As he entered and took the main seat, he spotted three unfamiliar faces. Or rather, all too familiar.
Satō Kazuma jumped up.
"Lord Makoto, allow me to introduce them."
"This is Megumin from the Crimson Magic Clan, an expert in Fire Release."
"Kazuma, wait. Allow me to introduce myself."
Megumin sprang up, one hand half-covering her face, and declaimed:
"Lord Chief, my name is Megumin, master of the strongest offensive art—Explosion. My ultimate blast sunders mountains and splits the earth. Its power is too great. The abyss—"
After a flurry of dramatic poses, she sat back down, satisfied.
Kazuma looked mortified, but hurried to smooth things over.
"Lord Makoto, Megumin's mind is a little… anyway, I can guarantee her Explosion really is powerful. I've seen it with my own eyes."
"This is Aqua, with exceptional skill in medical techniques."
"And this is Darkness, a noble of the Land of Fire who set her heart on becoming a shinobi. Through sheer effort, she finally became a taijutsu fighter."
As the introductions went on, Makoto's expression shifted.
"So that's what last night's reminder meant."
"Things aren't as dire as I thought."