Chapter 1: Power—The Power of the Hokage
In the 38th year of the Hidden Leaf Village, the ninja world was in turmoil. The Second Great Ninja War had entered its second year, and the land was drenched in blood.
Minamoto Ren, once an ordinary civil servant in his previous life, had been so engrossed in reading Naruto manga while walking down the street that he got himself isekai'd into this world. Now, he found himself a proud—but utterly expendable—Genin of Konoha.
At this very moment, the Third Hokage stood high upon the platform, addressing the crowd. It was a war assembly—Konoha was about to launch a campaign against the Hidden Rain. Amidst the throng of black-clad shinobi, Minamoto Ren stared blankly up at the Hokage.
"This war is a just resistance against Hanzō's invasion! A glorious war, one worthy of being written into history!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"I swear to you! This will be the final war—the war that ends all wars!"
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
Crushed within the crowd of hollering shinobi, Ren felt suffocated. Every word from Hiruzen Sarutobi's mouth was a lie. And yet, it was these empty, hollow slogans that were driving countless people toward foreign lands… and toward their deaths.
Is this what power looks like?
The power of the Hokage?
And me? Did I come here just to die like cannon fodder?
Ren's heart was full of resentment. He clenched his jaw, his eyes fixed on the triumphant figure of the Third Hokage on the high platform.
"Oh? That child's got fire in his eyes. Very spirited."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, just forty this year and far from losing his ninja sharpness, immediately noticed the intensity in Ren's gaze. He didn't interpret it as defiance, but rather as the spark of the Will of Fire ignited by his speech. Pleased, he locked eyes with Ren and gave him an approving thumbs-up.
[You have entered the observation scope of the Third Hokage. Please perform well.]
A strange mechanical voice suddenly echoed in Ren's mind, catching him completely off guard.
"What… are you?" he asked in shock.
[System: A support system named Game of Power.]
"And your function?" Ren asked instinctively, slipping into his bureaucratic habits.
[To assist you in seizing and wielding power. Each time you control or manipulate a key power structure, you will be rewarded with a tangible manifestation of that power.]
Before Ren could ask anything further, the system turned the tables.
[The system's effectiveness depends on your own understanding of power. So, host… what is power?]
Ren didn't hesitate.
"Power, at its core, is violence—but it goes beyond that. The exercise of power comes in many forms: from personnel decisions to the enforcement of rules and regulations. They're all extensions of it."
[Excellent. Then how do you perceive the scene before you?]
Ren turned his gaze back to the crowd—jubilant, oblivious shinobi unknowingly marching toward hell. Then, he looked back at the Third Hokage standing above them, flanked by his three personal disciples and the rising star, Namikaze Minato.
After a moment of silence, he gave his answer:
"Power... this is the power of the Hokage."
[Target confirmed. Please advance toward the power of the Hokage.]
The system fell silent. The only sounds that remained were the fervent cries of the Konoha shinobi echoing around him.
Ren nodded. He understood everything now.
This system wasn't some gamey kill-loot-level-up cheat. Nor was it a multiverse chat group. It was a system that adapted itself to the host's knowledge of power—and that was something Ren had plenty of.
"Based on my understanding of power… display system panel."
With a swish, a layered interface unfolded in his mind:
[Village: Konoha — Ruled by the Hokage, co-governed by the clans]
[Current Power Core: Sarutobi Hiruzen]
[Secondary Power Nodes: Shimura Danzō, Hatake Sakumo, Mitokado Homura, Utatane Koharu…]
[Current Power Index: 0]
"No man of ambition can go a day without power," Ren exhaled slowly. It was time to return to his old craft.
If he wanted to seize power, the first step was to get close to the core of it. But that wasn't easy—he was just a lowly Genin. How could he possibly work his way into Sarutobi Hiruzen's inner circle?
"Sarutobi's too 'hot'—he's surrounded by layers of insulation. I need to find someone 'cooler' to approach…"
"Namikaze Minato isn't obscure, but he's not part of the current military operation, so he's out. Sarutobi's old friends? Also out. Jiraiya is too carefree—he's not someone who fights for power. Orochimaru is too cold and guarded; without talent or a Kekkei Genkai, I'd never catch his attention. Which leaves…"
"Tsunade."
"Tsunade's status is way too high! And her lover, Kato Dan, is still alive. If I try to get close to her, it'll look suspicious—she'll see right through it, and I'll end up dead!"
Ren's expression turned grim. After evaluating every possible candidate, it felt like there was no room to maneuver at all.
No… wait. There's still one more person!
His eyes lit up. He suddenly thought of someone—someone who wouldn't attract attention if approached, yet had the power to influence Tsunade's decisions.
Senju Nawaki—Tsunade's younger brother. I'll start with you!
Ren lowered his gaze, hiding the spark of excitement in his eyes.
"System, can you locate Senju Nawaki for me?"
With so many people gathered in the square, and since he wasn't a classmate of Nawaki's, it wasn't going to be easy to find him.
[Searching…]
A moment later, Ren's eyes locked onto a short, blond-haired ninja in the crowd—identical to the anime depiction.
That's him. Senju Nawaki.
Now that he'd identified his target, Ren began thinking about how to approach him. He hadn't dealt with kids much in his past life, and now, at the start of this one, his first mission was to win one over. He had to plan this out carefully.
---
Half an hour later, the rally concluded. The square buzzed with excitement as the shinobi dispersed to their assigned staging areas. Departure was scheduled for early the next morning.
Nawaki stood out as particularly energetic. Deeply influenced by the Will of Fire, he had taken the Third Hokage's speech to heart. At that moment, he was animatedly discussing the Hokage's words with his friends.
That's when Ren approached. At first, he simply stood nearby, quietly listening to Nawaki preach the Will of Fire. He took a moment to organize his thoughts—then interjected at just the right moment.
"That was incredible! I can't believe your views on the Will of Fire are so in sync with mine. A hero in the making, no doubt!"
Nawaki finally noticed the stranger beside him. The boy looked around fifteen or sixteen years old, with clean, handsome features and warm, intelligent eyes that gleamed like polished jade.
But more than the stranger's looks, what caught Nawaki's attention were his words. A complete stranger had recognized his insight and brilliance—something even his own sister brushed off whenever he tried to share his thoughts at home!
"Hmph, so you understand the Will of Fire too?" Nawaki asked proudly, chin tilted upward.
"Of course! 'Wherever the leaves dance, the fire burns brightly…' The Third Hokage has inherited the will of the original Ninja God himself. Honestly, while Lord Hiruzen is undeniably strong, it's the Senju clan—who produced two Hokage—that truly embodies the Will of Fire!"
Ren's eyes sparkled with fervor.