If one were to glance down one of the countless alleyways scattered across Konoha, they would see a boy no older than four lying in a pool of his own blood, staring at the sky with a grin plastered across his face.
His grin slowly turned into soft giggles, like those of a little girl, which quickly escalated into crazed laughter.
"Heh...heh...HEHEHAHAHA!" Daikuro laughed eerily.
The sound of his laughter sent birds, resting on the nearby rooftops, scattering into the night.
Daikuro's POV
In front of him, a blue screen hovered, displaying the words:
[Manhwa Template System]
Templates: None
Template Rolls: 0
[TEMPLATE SPIN]
Notification: 1
'If this isn't a dream come true,' thought Daikuro, his grin stretching even wider.
Using only his mind, he attempted to open the notification icon at the bottom of the screen.
[Starter Pack (open)]
'Open.'
[Template Spin x1, Memories x1]
As soon as he read his rewards, a cold breeze washed over his mind, and the memories of his new body began to fill his thoughts.
Taking a minute to sift through them, he gathered a few key pieces of information. First, his name in this world is also Daikuro, which is a relief—if you don't count the fact that the world he's now in is full of crazy maniacs who can either turn you to dust or drag you back from the afterlife to make you their puppet.
Other than the revelation that he's in the world of Naruto, Daikuro also discovered that he's an orphan, and around the same age as Minato. How did he know that? Well, he seems to recall some memories of seeing Minato at the orphanage. However, it appears that he never really talked to Minato—or to anyone else, inside or outside the orphanage.
Deciding he'd had enough of lying on the cold path, Daikuro pushed himself up, groaning as a heat built up in his chest, accompanied by a throbbing pain.
The sensation triggered a memory, one that explained why he had been lying in a pool of his own blood.
-Flashback-
Daikuro had never been much of a talker. His silence and withdrawn nature made him an easy target for the other kids. It didn't take long for them to start ostracizing him, eventually cornering him in a dark alleyway, far from the prying eyes of adults.
"C'mon, Daikuro, you're gonna help us test this kunai, right?" one of the boys sneered, twirling the blade in his hand.
Daikuro didn't respond—he never did, which only seemed to fuel their cruelty.
They shoved him around a bit before the leader stepped forward, eyes gleaming with malicious intent. "Hold still," he said, pressing the kunai lightly against Daikuro's chest. The blade barely pierced his skin, drawing a thin line of blood that trickled down to the ground.
Though they had only slightly cut him, Daikuro was still just a kid with no ninja training—heck, no training at all. He was just a child, and tears welled up in his eyes as he felt the sharp sting of the kunai slice through his skin.
Seeing the "freak" finally show some emotion, the leader of the bullies decided he'd had enough fun. He began to pull the kunai away.
An old lady's voice shouted their names from a distance.
The leader tensed, startled by the sound of his caretaker's voice. His arm jerked, and the kunai sank deeper into Daikuro's chest.
The boy's face twisted in horror as he realized what he'd done. "Shit," he muttered before turning to sprint away, his lackeys following close behind.
Pain exploded through Daikuro's chest as he gasped, blood filling his lungs. He tried to scream, but only gurgling sounds escaped.
After they scattered, Daikuro was left alone, suffocating in his own blood. While the matron's voice grew fainter as she walked further away, oblivious to what had just happened.
His vision clouded as he stared up at the sky, his thoughts slowly drifting away.
-Flashback End-
Daikuro chuckled, though the motion sent sharp pain through his body, quickly stifling his laugh.
Leaning against one of the walls, he mumbled to himself, "I wonder what they told the matron, if they said anything at all." A faint smile crept onto his face.
'Well, not that I care much anyway,' he thought, his focus shifting to the system, which now displayed a slightly different screen:
[Manhwa Template System]
Templates: None
Template Rolls: 1
[TEMPLATE SPIN]
Seeing that he finally had a roll brought a genuine smile to his face.
'Spin,' he thought, and the rest of the system blurred, leaving only the template spin visible as it whirled through various names—Vikir Baskerville, Pietro, Soh Woonhwi, Corin Loch, and many others.
His heart pounded in his chest as the spinning slowed, inching its way toward his first template.
"Thaddaeus."
[Pic](he also looks like him its not part of the system but i just think this guy is cool)