Arriving in the Naruto world by filling out a form

Before leaving, Ren made his way back to Juichi's hospital room to let his father know he was being discharged.

Juichi, still resting in his bed, opened one eye lazily as Ren stepped inside. "They're kicking you out already, huh?"

Ren shrugged. "Hospital's too full. They need the space."

Juichi let out a small huff of amusement before his expression turned serious. "Alright, listen up. Before you do anything else, you need to check if the house is still in one piece."

Ren nodded

"And if the house is gone?" he asked.

Juichi sighed. "Then go to the administrative building. The village is organizing temporary housing for those affected by the attack. They should have information about our situation."

Ren took a mental note of that. "Got it."

Juichi gave him a long look, then smirked. "And don't go picking fights or running off on some training spree the moment you step outside. Handle this first."

Ren rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Juichi let out a chuckle before waving him off with his one remaining hand. "Alright then, kid. Go on. Let me rest in peace while I still can."

Ren grinned. "See you later, Dad." With that, he turned and walked out of the roo.

As Ren stepped out of the hospital, the first thing he noticed was that the whole village was silent. The streets, usually filled with laughter and noises, were eerily subdued. People moved with tired, heavy steps, their faces etched with grief and exhaustion.

As he walked toward his house, he observed everything carefully.Buildings were in ruins, large chunks of stone and debris still littering the streets. Some areas had already been cleared, but others were still a mess. Shinobis worked to repair structures, stacking bricks and carrying wood to rebuild homes.Black-clothed families gathered in front of burned-out houses, mourning silently for those they had lost.

Ren tightened his fists.

"This is the cost of the attack."

He had known—of course, he had known—but seeing it firsthand was different.

For the first time, he truly understood that this wasn't just a world of jutsu and power.

It was a world where people died, where lives were shattered in an instant.

And if he wanted to survive—if he wanted to protect what little he had left—he needed to get stronger. Fast.

Pushing those thoughts aside, he continued toward his house, hoping it was still standing.

Ren finally arrived at his home, feeling a slight sense of relief as he saw the familiar building still standing.

Unlike the outer districts, which had suffered the brunt of the Nine-Tails' rampage, the area where he and Juichi lived was closer to the center of the village, meaning it had been spared from direct destruction.

The house itself was intact, with no signs of collapsed walls, fire damage, or debris.

"Looks like we got lucky."

Still, Ren didn't take chances. He cautiously stepped inside, checking for hidden structural damage—cracks in the foundation, weakened support beams, anything that could make the house unsafe.

After a thorough inspection, he confirmed that everything was in good condition.

"Good. At least we still have a home."

With a roof over his head, he wouldn't have to worry about temporary housing or relocation. That meant he could start focusing on his training sooner.

He let out a small breath, his mind planning his next move.

Ren sat down on his bed, staring at the ceiling as his mind raced with thoughts about the future.

"I have knowledge of this world, but how much can it really help me?"

He frowned, thinking it through logically.

"This isn't like a cultivation novel where I can just steal the protagonist's opportunities and instantly grow stronger. In fact, there's nothing in the Naruto world that can give me instant power."

He considered the Tailed Beasts, but quickly dismissed the idea.

"Even if I wanted one, ignoring whether they'd be willing or not, having a Bijū inside me would bring more problems than benefits at my current level. So that's out."

Which left him with only one way that is training.

His eyes flicked to his chakra stat in the system:

[CHA - 10]

"To speed up my progress, I'll need the Shadow Clone Jutsu."

He knew from his memories that Juichi used them at home to finish chores faster, meaning he likely knew the technique.

"But there's no way I can use it yet. An Academy-level chakra reserve wouldn't be able to support a Shadow Clone properly."

Which meant his first priority was increasing his chakra.

"System, does 1 point increase the stat by one, or do I need more points?"

[SYSTEM MESSAGE:]

[GENIN LEVEL STATS (10-20) REQUIRE 2 ATTRIBUTE POINTS FOR EACH INCREASE IN STATS.]

[MORE POINTS WOULD BE REQUIRED AS STATS INCREASE TO HIGHER LEVELS.]

Ren tapped his fingers against his knee. "So, as I grow, the points required will also increase."

That meant he had to be careful with how he spent his points.

"I shouldn't waste them on things I can train manually, like Strength or Agility. But Chakra? That's the one thing I can't increase fast enough on my own."

With that in mind, he asked, "System, how do I gain points?"

[SYSTEM MESSAGE:]

[POINTS CAN BE EARNED BY:]

ACHIEVING MILESTONES (ENTERING THE ACADEMY, RANKING FIRST, BECOMING A GENIN, ETC.)

GETTING INVOLVED IN THE PLOT AND MAKING CHANGES TO IT.]

Ren absorbed this information carefully.

"Right now, I don't have many ways to affect the plot. And the ones I could influence—like saving someone important—are extremely dangerous. So my best bet is to go with the first method and work through the ranks."

But another thought crossed his mind.

"How should I present myself to others? Should I take the genius route or stay low-key?"

If he stood out too much, he'd draw attention—both good and bad. But if he kept too low a profile, he might miss key opportunities.

Ren sighed.

"I'll have to think carefully about this."

Ren leaned back, staring at the ceiling as he thought about his next move.

If he chose to go the genius route, it would definitely have its benefits—recognition, better teachers, and access to stronger techniques early. But the real problem with that path was Cyclops.

"Danzo."

Even just thinking the name made his stomach twist.

"Hiruzen may be a failure, but he's at least a human failure. His emotions clouded his judgment, and he made terrible mistakes trying to balance a militant village with personal attachments. But Danzo? He's a completely different kind of problem."

Ren wasn't naïve—this wasn't an anime anymore. This was reality.

Hiruzen might not be as weak-willed as he was portrayed in the show. Danzo might be even more ruthless.

But right now, none of that mattered.

"Even a minor follower of either of them could off me easily if I stand out too much.

At this stage, he was too weak to get caught up in their political games.

Still, if he had to choose a side, the answer was obvious.

"Hiruzen's camp is still the safest option—for now. Danzo's obsession with the Sharingan, his paranoia, and his 'for the greater good' mentality make him way too dangerous."

More importantly, Hiruzen wins in the end.

When Danzo finally dies, his entire faction crumbles. Root gets disbanded, and his remaining followers either defect, die, or fade into irrelevance.

Ren wasn't going to bet on the losing side.

But this was all a problem for the future. Right now, he needed to train, and get strong enough to even have a choice in the matter.

As Ren processed his thoughts, a sudden realization struck him.

"Wait a second!" He sat up abruptly.

"If I remember correctly, Itachi should also be joining the Academy around this time!"

That single fact changed everything.

"Even if I perform my best, it would be very hard to overshadow Itachi Uchiha—no, it's basically impossible."

No matter how skilled Ren became, Itachi was a once-in-a-generation prodigy. Even in the original timeline, he blitzed through the Academy curriculum, graduated early, and became a Chūnin before most even understood the basics.

Which meant…

"I should settle for No. 2."

If he aimed for the second-best student, he could still gain all the benefits of being a genius—good teachers, better training opportunities, faster progression—without drawing the most dangerous attention.

"Itachi will always be the focus. He's an Uchiha. That Sharingan-loving bastard will definitely be keeping an eye on him."

Ren's lips curled into a smirk. "And while he's busy drooling over the Uchiha, I'll have time to grow in peace."

Ren chuckled to himself. "Yeah… this is the safest path."

Besides, remaining too low-key in a ninja village was basically impossible in a village full of sensors, Byakugan users, and spy masters and most of all that telescope master.

"No. 2 it is, then."

With his decision made, Ren felt lighter. This was the perfect balance between growth and safety.

Now… he just needed to start training.

Ren leaned back, closing his eyes as he developed his training plan.

"The village is still being repaired. That means most open areas are probably occupied or off-limits. Finding a good training spot is going to be tough."

"If I started intense physical training right away I would definitely be interrupted so it would be better to focus on light exercises to get adjusted to this body like body weight exercises and flexibility exercises"

Since physical training was limited for now, Ren decided to focus on chakra control.

"Leaf balancing, this is something I can do anywhere so I should start with this and since I have improved chakra control it would be easier, atleast I hope it would be easier."

Ren exhaled, satisfied. "This should work."