Gensou's grades at the Ninja Academy weren't exactly stellar, but at least he'd managed to get into Konoha's only shinobi school.
As long as he didn't do anything too reckless, life would be much better than that of those who toiled endlessly in the fields.
Just one thing—
Avoid the Ninja World War at all costs.
Unless you're a cheat-code level genius, you're just fodder.
Unfortunately, the Ninja World would soon face an unprecedented war.
Thinking of this, Gensou, slumped over his desk with dull eyes, glanced sideways at his deskmate—Naruto, who was fast asleep to his left.
Then he looked ahead to the student two rows forward, coolly resting his chin on his hands by the window: Sasuke.
Of all people, I ended up in the same class as these two...
Life was tough. Gensou sighed deeply.
As a reincarnator, he should have been dominating the world like the protagonists in other stories.
But his golden finger (system) still hadn't shown up.
With just personal effort, he could maybe become a jōnin after several years.
But what good would that be when the future held countless enemies like monsters?
So—Naruto, Sasuke… the fate of the ninja world was in your hands now!
Gensou had fully committed to lying flat.
He decided not to interfere with the original timeline and simply be a background character.
His goal? Become an unremarkable, invisible student.
How? Oh, he knew exactly what to do.
Looking at Naruto sleeping beside him, Gensou yawned and dropped his head onto the desk too. Within moments, he joined Naruto in peaceful slumber.
Sleeping in class just hits different.
Especially when you're doing it for the sake of world peace, not personal pleasure.
It made the nap even better.
And so—
As Iruka passionately lectured about the Will of Fire from the front of the class, Gensou and Naruto's heads lolled to opposite sides, snoring in perfect sync.
Across the hallway, Hinata nervously twisted her fingers, her eyes flitting anxiously between Iruka and the two snoozers, afraid they'd be caught.
Beside her, Kiba—who had almost dozed off himself—perked up with a sly grin.
He wished the entire class would fall asleep so he could stand out and become the top dog.
So—sleep, everyone. Sleep well.
He picked up his pen and studiously got to work.
In the front row, Shikamaru, having caught wind of the snoring, turned to see the two napping boys. His eyes lit up.
"I'm not alone after all."
He happily plopped his head down and went to sleep as well.
Chōji, seeing Shikamaru snooze, didn't disturb him. He just pulled out another bag of snacks and quietly munched away.
Sakura and Ino? They paid no mind to the chaos.
Their gazes stayed locked on Sasuke, sitting a few seats ahead.
If looks could burn, Sasuke's back would have a hole in it by now.
Sasuke, of course, ignored the commotion entirely.
His thoughts were elsewhere, burdened by the past.
Beside him, Shino wordlessly adjusted his sunglasses.
No one knew what those bug-eyed lenses hid.
And so the classroom stayed calm—
Until it didn't.
"Sleeping in class?! Gensou! Naruto! Shikamaru! Out! Go reflect on your actions!"
"And Chōji! How many times have I said no eating in class?! Outside! Now!"
Iruka's furious roar shook them all awake.
Gensou calmly stood up, yawning as he headed for the door like it was second nature.
The others followed, well-trained in this routine.
Sasuke's eyes finally moved from the window. He glanced at their retreating backs, then quickly looked away.
Those kinds of people wouldn't cross paths with him.
"You're the worst class I've ever taught!"
Same corridor. Same wall to lean on. Same teacher's scolding.
For a second, Gensou thought he was back in his old world.
Then he looked around at his "cellmates" in this detention group and remembered where he was.
"Well? Same routine as always?"
Leaning lazily on the wall, Shikamaru asked the others.
Gensou nodded and sprang into action.
"Let's go!"
With a wave, he led them all on a daring school escape.
Who had time for detention?
Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chōji agreed completely.
Soon, the four leapt over the school walls and hit the bustling village streets.
"Where should we go?"
Naruto asked excitedly, finally feeling a sense of belonging.
"You guys go have fun. I'm going to catch up on sleep."
Gensou waved them off and walked away.
He wasn't interested in fooling around with kids.
Especially not with Naruto, who was probably under heavy surveillance.
He was just an ordinary orphan who liked to ditch class.
Watching him leave without a second glance, Naruto's excitement dimmed.
As his deskmate, Gensou had never hated or bullied him, but they weren't close either.
Naruto began to wonder if it was his fault.
Shikamaru noticed and tried to explain:
"Gensou's always like that. He does his own thing."
"C'mon. I found a sweet rooftop for napping."
Chōji happily followed, snacking along the way.
Naruto, grateful not to be rejected, agreed too.
And so the Delinquent Four went their separate ways.
Naruto and crew went to the rooftop.
Gensou?
He didn't nap.
Instead, he headed to a secluded forest to train.
Yes.
He'd been secretly working hard this whole time.
Not for glory. Not for power.
But for self-preservation.
He didn't want to die just because he couldn't fight.
He at least wanted to survive the next village attack.
And besides—who could say what kind of butterfly effect even a "background character" might have?
Gensou thought the real changes wouldn't come for years.
But that moment… came much sooner.
[Ding!]
[System detected transmigrator status. System now activating.]
[Name: Gensou]
[Gender: Male]
[Age: 11]
[Rank: Student]
[World: Naruto]
As he was training, a mechanical voice rang clearly in his mind.
Gensou froze—then laughed out loud.
"Finally! You're here!!"
He'd waited so long, he thought it'd never come.
But now? A surprise system drop!
"Show me what you've got!"
[This is the Reversal System—designed to help the host overcome all barriers of talent, background, and resources to become the strongest in the ninja world!]
[Please claim your starter package.]
"Yes! Reversal! That's exactly what I need!"
He eagerly opened the starter pack.
With digital fireworks exploding in his head, the package burst open.
[Ding! Ding! Ding!]
[Congratulations! You have acquired: Clone Technique, Substitution Technique, Transformation Technique, Konoha Taijutsu, Kunai Throwing Technique, and Standard Genin-Level Chakra]
Gensou was overjoyed.
Sure, it wasn't anything outrageous like the Rinnegan or Sage Body—
But it was perfect for him at this stage.
"This system... really knows what I need."
Now he was no longer a clumsy newbie, but a fully trained Genin in all the basics—with a solid chakra core to match.
He was eager for more.
And the system didn't disappoint.
[Newbie Quest: Defeat Uzumaki Naruto]
[Task: As a so-called mediocre student, you refuse to stay ordinary. Crush the school's lowest-ranked student and begin your road to power!]
"Beat Naruto? Easy!"
Even before the system, he could've done it.
He just stayed low on purpose.
"Time to break out of obscurity."
He didn't know where Naruto was…
But he knew someone who could find him.
Gensou raced back to class.
Iruka was still lecturing.
Gensou feigned panic as he burst in.
"Iruka-sensei! Naruto, Shikamaru, and Chōji ran off! I tried to stop them!"
"What?!"
Iruka rushed out to check—sure enough, they were gone.
"Skipping school?! Unbelievable!"
He gave Gensou a few words of praise and stormed off in pursuit.
Gensou calmly returned to his seat, watching through the window as Iruka ran out.
He smirked.
"Now go fetch them for me, sensei."
Sure enough—
In less than thirty minutes, Iruka dragged the trio back by their ears, yelling the whole way.
This time, he made them stand in front of the entire school to reflect on their sins.
When Gensou approached, the three were hanging their heads in shame.
"Yo!" Gensou waved.
"You snitch!!" Naruto exploded, pointing at him.
"Sorry, I remembered that as students—entrusted by the village and the Hokage—we should never skip class."
"So I corrected my own mistake and brought you back too."
Naruto was speechless.
Even Shikamaru was giving Gensou a strange look.
He'd clearly underestimated him.
"Let's settle this the simple way."
Gensou beckoned Naruto forward.
"Come on, if you're mad—let's fight."
"You're on!!"
Naruto charged in confidently… and was instantly floored.
"I… lost?"
Even Shikamaru was stunned.
Only Chōji kept munching his snacks.
[Ding!]
[Newbie Quest Complete. Reward: Harem no Jutsu]
Along with the Harem Technique, Gensou also received knowledge of the Shadow Clone Technique.
A very decent reward.
And it was just the beginning.
Gensou looked at the new quests targeting Shikamaru and others.
He smiled.
With this system by his side—
A new age had begun.
(The END)