c1: Hokage System? But I'm a Genin!
Konoha Ninja Academy.
A line of students stood outside the classroom, waiting anxiously.
Inside, a black-haired boy was completing his final Genin assessment. On the observation platform above, Third Hokage Sarutobi Hiruzen watched silently, flanked by several senior Chūnin instructors from the Academy, including Umino Iruka and others.
In the practical exam area, the boy moved through each jutsu evaluation with calm precision.
Moments later
"Taijutsu: Excellent."
"Clone Technique: Excellent."
"Transformation Technique…"
"Excellent overall."
Sarutobi Hiruzen, dressed in his traditional fire-patterned robes and Hokage headgear, nodded in approval. He rose from his seat, took a freshly engraved Konoha forehead protector, and descended the stairs.
He approached the boy and extended the protector with both hands.
"Ryomine Kyohiko. Based on your performance and evaluation by the Academy, you are hereby granted early graduation. From today, you are a Genin of Konohagakure."
"Yes! Thank you, Hokage-sama!"
Kyouhiko accepted the forehead protector respectfully, eyes steady but his thoughts racing.
After more than a year of relentless training, I've finally earned the right to graduate early. All that effort paid off…
But just as that sense of achievement settled
[Congratulations, you have been officially recognized as Hokage. Activating the Hokage System serving your ambitions from now on.]
!?
That voice?
A system prompt?
Where was this earlier?!
He had reincarnated into the Naruto world over a year ago, endured brutal training regimens, practiced ninjutsu day and night, and pushed himself to the brink just to graduate ahead of schedule… and now the system wakes up?
Confused and exhilarated, he steadied himself.
According to the memories from before his transmigration, the Ryomine lineage had once been distantly connected to the Senju Clan. After the First Hokage, Senju Hashirama, encouraged intermarriage among clans to build unity, the Ryomine family gradually became ordinary villagers.
Kyouhiko was already the third generation born outside the clan system.
His grandmother had no Kekkei Genkai or special chakra nature. His parents were only standard shinobi sturdy and reliable but both perished in the Second Shinobi War during the campaign in Amegakure.
And as for him?
He had no bloodline inheritance, no hidden potential, no secret scrolls. Just a boy with grit.
That's why, once he realized he had transmigrated into the Naruto world, he decided the only way to survive was to train like Maito Gai: pure hard work.
But now…
"Wait. Hokage System? What do you mean I'm Hokage?! I'm just a Genin!"
Jingyan blinked and glanced between the forehead protector in his hand and the Hokage hat still worn by Hiruzen Sarutobi.
How could he possibly be the Hokage?
"Kyohiko, put on your forehead protector."
"Yes, Hokage-sama."
Snapped out of his daze, Jingyan tied the protector securely across his forehead.
Then another line of system text floated into his vision
[Winning hearts is the foundation of Hokage authority.]
[You have accepted the forehead protector with sincerity and loyalty. Trust established: 100%.]
[Reward: Instant Body Technique level increased by 1 rank.]
What!?
He wasn't hallucinating. He had really just received a power-up… by putting on a forehead protector?
This system was it absurd, or genius?
Still stunned, he quickly masked his expression and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
This time, the gratitude came from his heart.
If this system had attached itself to Sarutobi Hiruzen instead of him, it would have been utterly wasted. With Hiruzen's indecisive leadership style, would he have ever taken full advantage of such a cheat-level tool?
No way.
Better to fall into his hands.
"Hahaha, I look forward to your growth. Work hard."
Hiruzen patted him on the shoulder, then turned to call the next student.
As Kyouhiko stepped out of the exam room, he passed by several familiar faces from the Academy. Some were nervous, others excited.
But in his heart, he sighed.
A decade from now, only a handful of these students will still be around. The rest gone, buried by the shinobi world's harsh reality.
Without a Kekkei Genkai or a clan technique, survival was brutal.
During this past year, he'd seen firsthand how difficult it was for "normal" ninja to climb the ranks. No matter how hard they trained, most were stuck at the bottom.
Even with early graduation, he was no match for Kakashi Hatake, who had graduated at age five and became a Chūnin by six.
Under ordinary circumstances, Maito Gai was the ideal to emulate. Hard work over talent.
But now…
He had a system.
He was part of the "cheat-code generation" now.
He'd graduated early. More importantly, he had extra time to train outside the limits of Academy-level education.
The school taught basic three techniques and a few ninja tools. It couldn't unlock elite techniques or chakra control.
He walked out into the sunlight and, once alone, muttered a few test commands.
Eventually, the keyword "panel" worked, and a faintly glowing screen appeared before his eyes:
---
[Name: Ryomine Kyohiko]
[Age: 7 years old]
[Bloodline Limit]: None
[Skills]:
– Transformation Jutsu: Skilled
– Clone Technique: Skilled
– Substitution Technique: Proficient
– Body Flicker Technique (Shunshin no Jutsu): Master
---
Body Flicker: Master Level?!
Kyouhiko's jaw clenched, heart racing.
According to the system's classification, ninjutsu mastery had five ranks: Beginner, Skilled, Proficient, Master, Grandmaster.
He had invested most of his time into the Body Flicker and Substitution techniques essential survival tools for a Genin without flashy abilities.
But just a moment ago, Body Flicker was still stuck at Proficient.
Now, it had jumped to Master.
His mind buzzed with instinctual insights: micro-adjustments to muscle timing, advanced chakra suppression methods, even how to accelerate without creating shockwaves.
"So that's it. The Master-level Shunshin technique isn't just about speed. It's precision—fine-tuning chakra output, posture, and spatial control."
A sense of enlightenment flowed through him.
He took a deep breath.
He didn't know why the system mistook him for Hokage.
But he had no intention of correcting it.
If the world gave him this opportunity—he would use it to its fullest.
He would rise through this bloodstained world, not just as a survivor…
…but as a future true Hokage.
This sudden realization felt surreal like his body had already rehearsed the technique thousands of times. His mastery of the Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) now felt second nature, almost instinctual.
"If I had relied on training alone, reaching this level of mastery in Body Flicker could've taken years even with chakra control training on par with Leaf's elite."
"This system… it's ridiculous!"
The improvement wasn't just speed it was a complete overhaul of his execution: precise chakra bursts from his tenketsu, joint micro-adjustments, and efficient transitions in stance and momentum.
"So the real question is: How do I fully maximize the system?"
Without a Kekkei Genkai like Sharingan or Byakugan, or access to clan-exclusive secret techniques, Ryomine Jingyan knew his path through the brutal chaos of the upcoming Third Shinobi World War was dangerously narrow.
This system the so-called "Hokage System"—might be the only advantage he had to alter his destiny.
Everything the system had revealed so far pointed to a clear theme: it rewarded behavior consistent with a Hokage's path. But it wasn't a sentient being—it functioned like a structured protocol with scalable triggers.
"If I were Hokage, what would I focus on?"
His thoughts raced.
The previous reward was given after gaining another's complete trust a basic yet essential step in building the Will of Fire that Hiruzen constantly preached.
Jingyan reviewed the implied conditions:
Win the hearts of the people.
Maintain internal stability in the village.
Strengthen Konoha's power in wartime.
Manage village tasks and mission logistics.
"As a Genin… most of that is beyond me."
He was still just a rookie ninja. At most, what he could do now was complete missions efficiently, support his comrades, and earn trust within the ranks the foundation of a future Hokage.
Resolved, Jingyan stepped outside the Academy and into the quiet backstreets of the village, eager to test his new "master-level" Body Flicker.
He focused.
Muscle contractions synchronized with chakra flow. His breathing stilled.
Then
Whoosh!
His figure blurred, vanishing with a faint rustle of leaves. In the blink of an eye, he reappeared dozens of meters away, now standing atop a narrow street pole.
"Amazing...!"
His body hadn't become physically stronger. But his chakra efficiency and chakra shaping during movement had skyrocketed. The gap between his old technique and this new level was as vast as a Genin to an elite Jōnin.
"This must be what people like Shisui and Hiruzen feel when using this jutsu at high levels... If I can reach the Grandmaster level would that be similar to teleportation?"
But he quickly realized something crucial.
Although the technique had fully integrated into his system, his sensory processing hadn't caught up. He was fast but his eyes, reflexes, and sense of timing hadn't adjusted to this speed yet.
"Too fast. My spatial awareness isn't calibrated yet. I'm overshooting my targets."
Only one solution.
Practice.
Jingyan darted toward the outskirts of Konoha, arriving at the familiar forested cliffs where he'd been training in secret since he was six. There, with no distractions, he dashed repeatedly from tree to tree, pole to pole, learning to control deceleration, trajectory, and landings mid-flicker.
But just as he blurred past a bathhouse near the village's outer market
"Hmm?"
From inside the bathhouse, steam rolling behind him, a tall man with white spiky hair lifted his head.
He turned slowly, his eyes narrowing as he peered through the fogged window.
"That movement… Shunshin?"
He saw only a fleeting glimpse of a child darting past with almost no visible hand seal or chakra residue just a distortion in the air.
"That level of speed someone that young?"
The white-haired man stood up, ignoring the half-submerged women splashing in protest behind him. Grabbing his green haori and tightening the sash at his waist, he muttered to himself:
"That flicker technique… it's not just fast it's refined. Like Hiruzen's… or even Minato's footwork."
Interest sparked in his eyes.
"Who is that kid?"
But then he hesitated, glancing behind at the ruckus inside the bathhouse.
Finally, curiosity got the better of him.
With a slight grin
"Ero-sennin's research can wait. Time to investigate."
With a leap, Jiraiya of the Sannin took off in the same direction.
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