Shikigami Summoning in Konoha

Chapter 1: Did the Transmigration Cheat Finally Arrive!?

"Call him Takanashi Katsuragi!"

"Takanashi Katsuragi? Who's that? And where am I? My eyes feel so heavy; I can't open them at all! Hey—who's touching my butt!? Damn it, did I run into a pervert burglar? And what's with all these explosions? Is someone setting off bombs!?"

With these chaotic thoughts swirling in his mind, the protagonist promptly passed out.

…

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, three years had gone by.

"I heard from Gou Sheng today that his dad gave him a shuriken!"

"Wow, really? A shuriken—the kind the grown-ups in the village use, long, black, and sharp?"

"I think Gou Sheng's father is a real ninja in this village. That's so awesome!"

In a rundown little park, a few three- or four-year-old children had gathered in excitement, chatting animatedly. From their tone, they clearly envied this kid named Gou Sheng.

Only one boy with short black hair and a pretty face stood smiling on the sidelines, watching them discuss, without joining in.

"Katsuragi, Katsuragi, let's go take a look together!"

The small group of kids must have made some sort of decision; one of them called to the black-haired boy, while the others looked at him expectantly.

"No, thanks. I have something else to do in a bit. You all go ahead." The black-haired boy, Katsuragi, smiled as he declined the invitation.

"Oh, right! I think I heard the director say that your parents were also ninjas, right? Don't you want a shuriken?"

"I do want one, but I don't want you brats' shuriken!" Katsuragi said silently in his head. Out loud, he answered, "But I have to go see the director, so I really can't go. I'm sorry!"

"Okay!" Hearing Katsuragi's excuse, the other kids showed disappointment for a moment, then quickly perked up and said with a grin, "Well, when we come back, we'll tell you how it felt to hold one!"

"Mm! Thanks!"

Watching the group of little rascals walk off together, Katsuragi let out a sigh. "Sigh, giving three- or four-year-olds a lethal weapon like a shuriken… Aren't they afraid something might happen?"

"But this is the Ninja World, after all. I guess that sort of thing is normal. At least this is Konoha!" Gazing off at the four giant faces carved into the stone cliff in the distance, Katsuragi's thoughts drifted back to three years ago.

He only figured out that his name was Takanashi Katsuragi after waking up on the second day, opening his eyes, and realizing he'd become a newborn baby.

At first, Katsuragi thought that simply being reborn was weird enough. But when he saw someone walk past him in a flak jacket with a forehead protector, he realized things could be even more bizarre—he was in the world of Naruto.

From conversations around him, Katsuragi gradually understood what had happened the day before. He was born during Obito's attack on Konoha, when the Nine-Tails was unsealed and caused chaos in the village.

The explosions he'd heard weren't bombs going off; they were the sounds of village ninjas battling the Nine-Tails.

He, just like Naruto, became an orphan. His mother died of illness giving birth to him, and after naming him, his father also perished in the fight against the Nine-Tails.

He couldn't quite pin down how to feel about these parents he never even got a chance to meet. Because of his memories from a previous life, he wasn't as innocent or ignorant as a typical newborn.

In the end, he decided to accept the name Takanashi Katsuragi—the only thing his parents left behind in this world. Besides, the name was already registered in the village records, and as a baby who couldn't even talk, he wasn't exactly in a position to change it.

After losing both parents, he was sent to the orphanage once he was weaned. However, because his father died fighting the Nine-Tails, Katsuragi is considered a "hero's descendant." That status granted him the best care among the kids at the orphanage.

As for how he transmigrated, Katsuragi wasn't sure. He vaguely remembered that he was playing a gacha-collecting mobile game, where he had insane luck pulling SSRs. Overcome with excitement, his vision went black—and then he was here.

"What bad luck! All those SSRs I pulled, that perfect collection… gone. Just like that."

"Whatever. No point in dwelling on it. I just hope the orphanage director can help me complete my request today." Shaking off those thoughts, Katsuragi got up, ready to return to the orphanage.

Because his parents were ninjas, the village had kept his parents' belongings for him. Normally, they would only hand them over once he was old enough to join the Academy, or at least older. Those belongings included a house, assets, and so on.

But Katsuragi didn't want to wait that long. Spending every day in the orphanage with a bunch of noisy little kids was torture—plus, he had to pretend to act like a real three-year-old, which was exhausting. So, he'd asked the director for permission to take possession of his parents' things and move out early.

Fortunately, he had a gentle, intelligent, and obedient reputation in the orphanage. If it were someone else, they wouldn't have even gotten the chance to apply.

Arriving at the director's office, Katsuragi knocked on the door.

Knock, knock, knock!

"Come in!"

"Director Grandpa!"

Katsuragi gazed respectfully at the white-haired old man wearing reading glasses—Tengen—who was in his fifties. This kindly elder managed the orphanage, providing shelter and support for all the children here.

"So, it's little Katsuragi!"

"Grandpa, did my application get approved?" Katsuragi looked at Tengen with anticipation, silently praying, Please let it be approved!

"Katsuragi," Tengen said, removing his glasses and wiping them with a handkerchief. In a serious tone, he asked, "Can you tell me why you're in such a hurry to leave the orphanage? Is someone bullying you?"

Katsuragi froze for a moment, quickly waving his hands. "No, no! Nobody's bullying me, Grandpa!"

"Then why must you leave? You're only three years old. Isn't it good to be with everyone else?"

Katsuragi fell silent. In truth, another reason he wanted to leave was that he planned to become a ninja. He knew exactly how dangerous the future of this world was.

He had neither the Sharingan nor the Byakugan, nor was he a Jinchūriki. Without effort, death would be certain down the line.

But in the orphanage, there was no way for him to properly train; all he could do were some simple exercises. Plus, he had to deal with a bunch of kids constantly pestering him.

His mind raced. He understood that if he didn't give a good explanation, there was a chance he wouldn't get permission to move out.

"I want to see the place where my mom and dad lived," he said at last. "Maybe… that way, I can feel closer to them."

After playing the role of a docile child for so long, Katsuragi's acting skills were decent. Besides, he really did want to experience that connection—though it wasn't his primary motivation.

"I see."

Looking at Katsuragi's calm expression, Tengen smiled kindly. Then he opened a drawer and took out a set of keys, some documents, and some money.

"Here: these are the keys to your parents' house, the property deed, and your ID. As for the things your parents left you, I've already had them moved into the house. You can go check them out in a bit."

"Oh, and remember to come see me on the first and the fifteenth of every month to collect your living expenses."

Staring at these items, Katsuragi looked up in surprise and gratitude. "Thank you, Grandpa!"

"It's no trouble. If you're going to live alone, you must take good care of yourself. If you ever feel lonely, you can always come back, all right?"

"Mm!" Katsuragi nodded solemnly at the kind old man. In his previous life, he'd been a bit of a shut-in, so living alone wouldn't be a problem for him.

…

"Living by yourself really is liberating." Katsuragi sighed, then stepped into the practice room inside the house. He had already been in his new place for two days, and most of the neighbors were aware of the new occupant.

He was shocked to learn that his father had been a Jōnin. Initially, he'd thought his parents would at most have been Chūnin, maybe even Genin. But it turned out his father had been an elite ninja—one of the top combat forces in the village.

"And there's also this item!"

Looking at the small booklet before him, Katsuragi felt a deep sense of gratitude toward his father, who had died in battle. It was a book on how to refine chakra, with very detailed explanations and notes in several places.

It seemed to be a gift his father had prepared for him before he was born. To Katsuragi, who was currently worried about how to begin training, it was a godsend.

Sitting down on a cushion, Katsuragi began to refine chakra. This was his only reliable method to gain power in this world. Yet, even though he'd been trying for an entire day, he still hadn't succeeded.

"This feeling…"

Following the booklet's instructions with his eyes closed, Katsuragi suddenly sensed something within his body that he had never felt before. His heart jumped for joy; it was just as his father's notes said it would feel when you were on the verge of success.

As the first thread of chakra emerged, Katsuragi felt a "boom" in his head. His surroundings changed in a flash, and he found himself in a completely different world. At the same time, a mysterious message surfaced in his mind:

"You have obtained x1 Summoning Talisman!"

Gazing at the courtyard around him, the cherry blossoms drifting down from a nearby tree, Katsuragi stood there, dumbfounded, and muttered under his breath, "Is this… my transmigration cheat finally showing up!?"

End of Chapter 1