Chapter 1: A New Life, A Familiar Death

A splitting headache. That was the first thing he felt.

Iruka—or rather, the man who had suddenly found himself in Iruka's body—groaned, clutching his head as his mind swirled with chaos. Flashes of another life. A different world, one where chakra didn't exist, where ninjas were just fictional characters in an anime. My name was… Nick? The memories rushed in—his old life, the world he had once known, and then, darkness. Death.

And now, he was here.

'Holy shit. I got isekai'd into Naruto?!'

His eyes snapped open, and reality hit him like a Rasengan to the face. He was standing in a classroom, looking at a dejected blond kid—Naruto Uzumaki—who sat slumped over his desk. Around him, other students whispered and laughed, some looking at Naruto with pity, others with smugness. The words he had just spoken echoed in his head.

"Naruto… you failed."

A deep silence settled in his chest. Wait. Wait. This moment—this is the Graduation Exam! His newly inherited memories pieced themselves together, filling in the blanks. He was Iruka Umino, a Chunin instructor at the Hidden Leaf Academy. A guy whose most notable achievement in the Naruto series was getting knocked out in the Chunin Exams and being Naruto's moral support.

'Oh hell no. I refuse to be fodder!'

Then, a thought struck him. If I got reincarnated into Naruto… that means… SYSTEM?!

A surge of excitement shot through him. Every isekai protagonist got a cheat, right? He just needed to activate it!

'System, open!'

Nothing.

'Status?'

Silence.

'Inventory?'

Still nothing.

Iruka's eye twitched. Okay, maybe voice commands don't work? What about thoughts? He concentrated as hard as he could, pouring all his willpower into activating whatever divine hack he must've been given.

…

And got absolutely nothing.

'What the hell?! I got reborn into this crazy world, and I don't even get a damn system?!'

His excitement turned into dread. If he wasn't overpowered, then he was just… regular Iruka. That meant he had average chakra reserves, basic jutsu, and zero plot armor. That meant he was supposed to be a teacher for academy students like an NPC. Fuck I know teaching?!

'No, no, no, I refuse to be cannon fodder! I need to get strong. I need to survive!'

For the rest of the day, Iruka barely paid attention to anything else. He went through the motions—scolding Naruto, pretending to grade papers—but his mind was elsewhere. He needed a plan.

But his thoughts were so consumed with how to power up and survive that he almost forgot something crucial.

Meanwhile...

Naruto sat alone on the swing outside the academy, his head low as the villagers whispered about him.

Mizuki approached; his face filled with fake sympathy. "Naruto… I know a way you can still graduate."

At that exact moment, in his small apartment, Iruka was still pacing, planning his future. Alright. First step, train every day. Second step, stay away from major fights. Third step—wait… wasn't something supposed to happen tonight?

The loud sound of shinobi rushing through the streets snapped him out of his thoughts. A ninja ran past his window, shouting, "Naruto stole the Scroll of Seals!"

Iruka froze.

'…Oh. Shit.'

He turned ghost-white as the pieces clicked into place. The scroll. Mizuki. The forbidden Jutsu. Naruto's first Shadow Clone… HOW DID I FORGET?! He had been so obsessed with himself that he had completely ignored one of the most crucial early events of Naruto's story!

'Damn it, damn it, damn it!' Without wasting another second, he grabbed his flak jacket and bolted out of his apartment, sprinting toward the forest. If I don't get there in time, Naruto could be in real danger!

By the time he arrived, Naruto was panting, exhausted from hours of training. The stolen scroll lay open beside him, its ancient text glowing faintly under the moonlight.

And Mizuki was standing right in front of him, grinning like a snake.

"Do you want to know the truth, Naruto?" Mizuki sneered. "Why everyone in this village hates you? Why they look at you like you're filth?"

Naruto's eyes widened. "W-What?"

Iruka crashed through the trees, heart pounding. "Mizuki, that's enough!"

Mizuki turned, his smirk widening. "Oh? And here comes the ever-so-loyal teacher. You should've stayed out of this, Iruka."

Iruka clenched his fists. His old self—the original Iruka—had hesitated in this moment, but he wouldn't. This time, he wouldn't just be a side character watching from the sidelines.

"You're not laying a hand on him," Iruka growled.

Mizuki chuckled. "How heroic. Too bad it's useless." In one swift motion, he pulled a massive Fuma Shuriken from his back and hurled it straight at Naruto.

Iruka didn't think—he moved. His body acted on instinct, leaping in front of Naruto just as the shuriken came spinning toward them.

SHNK!

Pain exploded through his back as the blade sank deep into his flesh. His knees buckled, and he coughed, feeling warm blood drip down his lips.

'Damn… that hurts more than I thought it would.'

Naruto gasped, his eyes wide in shock. "Iruka-sensei!"

Mizuki laughed. "Hah! That's what happens when weaklings try to act like heroes."

Iruka gritted his teeth. His vision was blurring, his body screaming in pain. Is this it? Am I really going to die here? After getting a second chance?

And then—

DING!

A sudden notification sound echoed in his head. Iruka's eyes widened as bright blue text flashed across his vision.

[SYSTEM BOUND TO HOST.]

To Be Continued...