Naruto: Becoming Stronger through Bonds

Chapter 1: The Ninja bond System

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Fifty-two years of Konoha.

It had been a year since the Nine Tails Rebellion. The wounds caused by the demon fox were slowly healing, and the village's prosperity was gradually returning.

"Madam, you don't want your child to be bullied at the ninja academy, do you?"

In the bustling commercial street, in front of a dumpling shop, the owner, Mrs. Mieko, stared in disbelief at the little boy in front of her. He had black hair, black eyes, a handsome face, and was as adorable as the most exquisite doll.

She could hardly believe that such threatening words had come from his mouth.

The young woman forced a smile. "Little one, if you don't have money, it's okay. Just go home, bring it later, and pay me next time—"

Before she could finish her sentence, a chubby boy rushed out from the back room, crying and begging her not to ask for payment.

At that moment, Mieko realized the boy hadn't been bluffing.

In the end, at her son's desperate insistence, not only did she waive the cost of the dumplings, but she also packed several extra skewers of tri-color dumplings to go.

The little boy smiled in satisfaction. "Auntie, you're very sensible. Don't worry, I'll take good care of your son at school. My name is Shimura Ervin."

With that, the boy turned and disappeared into the crowd, holding the dumpling box in his tiny hands.

Mieko stood frozen for a long time before anxiously turning to her son, who now looked visibly relieved. "Taro, is that boy bullying you at school?"

The boy, named Taro, weakly shook his head. "No, no… but Shimura is the grandson of the Hokage's assistant. The students who cross him… their lives become miserable."

He shuddered, recalling the fate of those who had dared offend Shimura Ervin—students who didn't return to class for weeks after being beaten.

It was terrifying.

Even the teachers didn't scold Ervin for his behavior. Instead, they praised him for his 'skills.'

"If you'd taken his money today, Mom… I might've been next," Taro muttered, trembling.

Hokage's assistant? Mieko was shocked. That was a high-ranking official! Shimura...

The surname rang a bell. Though not a ninja herself, Mieko knew it belonged to one of the most powerful clans in the village.

Shimura Ervin. She silently etched the name into her memory. For her son's safety and her family's survival in the village, Mieko resolved never to charge Shimura Ervin a single ryo if he came to her shop.

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Meanwhile…

[Ding—!]

[Congratulations to the Host for establishing a Fear Bond with Saiba Mieko and Saiba Taro. Rewards: 'Grandmaster of Dumpling Making,' '0.1 Standard Unit of Genin-Level Chakra.']

The system's mechanical voice echoed in Ervin's mind. He glanced at the reward description, and the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

This system really wasn't reliable.

Shimura Ervin, a reincarnator who had traveled to the world of "Naruto," had been reborn in this world.

The moment he was born, he had seen a woman smiling at him tenderly before she closed her eyes forever. His father had died on the battlefield while his mother was still pregnant with him.

The classic protagonist trope: both parents dead.

But there was a twist. He also had a grandfather—Shimura Danzō.

In this world, no matter how evil a character might be, there were always loyal fans who tried to whitewash them:

The ever-loyal Obito.

The domineering and ambitious Madara.

Even Kisame, who had slaughtered his comrades, had his share of admirers.

But Shimura Danzō? He was the one villain no one ever tried to whitewash. In fact, when others defended their favorite characters, they often blamed their wrongdoings on Danzō.

"This isn't the fault of the ***. If you want to blame someone, blame that old guy, Danzo."

The title of Nabekage was well-deserved.

To be honest, after discovering his identity, Ervin initially felt that his future was bleak.

But after spending a few days thinking it over in his nanny's arms, he had a change of heart.

It seemed... it wasn't such a big deal.

Compared to other Reincarnators who ended up in the world of Naruto, his identity was actually advantageous.

Look at all the prodigies and geniuses—every one of them ended up on Danzo's radar as soon as they emerged. Ervin didn't have to worry about that.

As long as he managed to avoid assassination attempts from rival villages during his childhood, he could live without much trouble.

By the time the storyline reached the Fourth Great Ninja War, he wouldn't have much to worry about anyway.

All he had to do was avoid the frontlines, enjoy a peaceful dream in the Infinite Tsukuyomi, and wake up to a long-lasting peace.

Retaliation? That wasn't going to happen.

As a typical hot-blooded protagonist, neither Uzumaki Naruto nor Uchiha Sasuke would hold a grudge against his family because of Danzo's actions.

It will be a comfortable ride.

Having thought it through, Ervin abandoned his useless worries and began to fully embrace his identity as the eldest son of the Shimura clan.

In Konoha, while the Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had to maintain his dignity, Danzo—who wasn't Hokage—had no such obligations.

Because of this, while Sarutobi Asuma was strictly disciplined and often clashed with his father, Ervin had free rein as the village's most spoiled second-generation elite.

He was the real prince of Konoha.

Konohamaru's later antics as the Hokage's grandson paled in comparison to Ervin's status and influence.

And, of course, being a Reincarnator came with its perks.

Since birth, a progress bar had appeared in his mind. Three days ago, when he celebrated his sixth birthday, the system finally activated.

[The Strongest Ninja Bond System.]

As long as he established a bond with someone, he could extract their unique characteristics as rewards.

These characteristics could include chakra attributes, talents, raw chakra, or even mastered ninjutsu.

The depth of the bond and the strength of the individual determined the quality of the rewards.

For instance, earlier, he had exchanged names with the owner of the dumpling shop and left a strong impression on her, establishing an initial bond.

If the bond deepened, he could continue to extract rewards.

However, upon seeing that the dumpling shop owner's most notable trait was Grandmaster Dumpling Making, Ervin decided she wasn't worth further investment and dropped the idea of pursuing a deeper connection.

"Master, it's time to return for today's training."

A young man with a low-key presence and sunglasses appeared behind Ervin. No one in the bustling crowd even noticed him.

It was Aburame Seiji, a ROOT ninja with the strength of a Special Jōnin, assigned as Ervin's bodyguard.

He wasn't alone—his partner, Yamanaka Ryo, always remained hidden in the shadows. Ervin had never managed to spot him.

"Got it," Ervin replied lazily.

Before heading back, he stopped by another shop owned by one of his classmates. Using the same tactic as before, he managed to establish two more bonds and ended up receiving a bag of round fans as a gift.

[Introduction to Round Fan Making, Standard Genin Chakra +0.1.]

Satisfied with his small gains, Ervin left the commercial district with a dumpling box in one hand and the round fans in the other, making his way back to the Shimura clan compound.