What If Naruto Had a Leveling System | Anime Fanfiction | Chapter 1

Other Naruto Fanfiction Stories

A faint chime echoed in the back of Naruto Uzumaki’s mind.

(You have slept in your bed. HP and Chakra Points are fully restored.)

Naruto groaned and waved lazily at the glowing blue message hovering just above his vision. It flickered once before disappearing like a popped soap bubble. His hand flopped back onto the bed.

Clearly, he’d been up way too late grinding in his latest RPG. The thrill of leveling up, of managing stats and gear, of becoming powerful—it was addictive. Real life? Not so much.

He rolled upright, sitting at the edge of his bed, bare feet landing on the cold wood floor with a faint thud. “Tch… landlord probably shut the heat off again.” He sighed. It wasn’t anything new.

With a long stretch and a yawn that practically cracked his jaw open, Naruto greeted the morning as he always did. “Good morning,” he mumbled groggily to the three tiny potted plants lined up on the windowsill. His eyes were too bleary to register the faint yellow system boxes floating above the plants, offering messages he couldn’t be bothered to read.

He shuffled to his dresser, pulling out a clean pair of underwear and his usual orange track suit from where it lay in a heap on the floor. Technically it wasn’t dirty. Not by his standards anyway. It only needed washing if it got bloodstained, vomit-covered, or reeked of rotten vegetables from lingering too long in the market district. And even then, he’d think twice—water wasn’t cheap.

Naruto walked through the small apartment. The kitchen and living room were squeezed into one dimly lit space. A broken lightbulb overhead buzzed softly but didn’t turn on. He ignored it.

Reaching the cramped bathroom, Naruto shoved the broken door shut with his shoulder, then wedged a kunai into the doorframe to keep it closed. The landlord hadn’t fixed the knob in months—so he made do. Like always.

He glanced at the mirror. Words glowed above his head in soft blue letters, but he didn’t pay them any attention, instead squinting at his reflection and tugging at one of his whisker-like cheek marks.

Turning away, he flipped up the cracked toilet seat carefully. One more piece of junk the landlord wouldn’t fix. A long sigh of relief escaped him as he answered nature’s call. He put the seat down but didn’t flush. Not for a number one. Only number twos got flushed. And usually he went outside for that.

He stripped off and stepped into the shower, bracing himself. A second later, the water hit—icy, sharp, and unforgiving.

“GAAH!” he shouted, body tensing.

It was like being slapped awake by a bucket of winter. He didn’t waste a second—snatching the soap and scrubbing his body down in swift, practiced movements. Face, armpits, bits, feet, done. Then a quick rinse. Total time: two minutes flat.

Shivering, he hopped out, grabbed a towel that had seen better years, and dried off. With toothbrush in hand, he applied a pea-sized glob of toothpaste and attacked his teeth with sharp, rhythmic strokes. The water stayed off. Couldn’t afford to run it.

He walked to the window, toothbrush still in mouth, and opened it to retrieve a metal pail from the fire escape. It sloshed softly—half full of rainwater. Jackpot.

Back in the kitchen, he poured the rainwater into two pitchers, then filled a glass for himself. The pitchers went into the fridge—not because it kept things cold (it didn’t), but because it slowed down the souring. Another thing broken, another thing ignored.

He returned to the sink, spat out the toothpaste into a paper napkin, then rinsed his toothbrush with a tiny splash of rainwater. No waste. Always conserve.

As he dressed, Naruto stared at his reflection again, smoothing out his spiky blond hair. He adjusted his collar, smirked at himself, then finally noticed the words floating right above his head—bright, solid, impossible to ignore.

(Naruto Uzumaki – Academy Student – Level 3, Title: The Gamer)

He blinked.

“What the hell?”

He raised his hand and tried to wave the words away again. They didn’t budge.

“What the actual hell?” he said again, louder this time. He rubbed his eyes furiously, blinking hard.

“This… this is a hallucination, right? I must’ve been up too late playing Blade Scroll Online again. That’s gotta be it.”

Still, the text didn’t vanish. He turned his head. The words followed, like a tag above a character’s head in a video game.

“Nope. Nope nope nope. Shut up, Naruto. You’re being dumb.”

He slapped himself. Hard. The sound echoed through the bathroom. His head snapped to the side.

“OW—! Dammit!”

He scowled at his reflection. “Don’t ever say stupid shit like that again,” he muttered, poking himself in the chest.

The truth was, video games were the one thing that made his life bearable. When he was five years old, the Hokaageh had given him his very first console. It was top-of-the-line—Lightning Falcon 5. All the kids talked about it at school. Some had one. Most didn’t. Naruto thought, maybe if he had one, people would want to be his friend.

That didn’t last long.

Their parents found out. Told their kids to stay away. Some even threatened violence.

So, games became his best friends. They taught him right from wrong, good from evil, loyalty, strategy, courage. Things no one else ever bothered to teach him. Other than ninja training and classes, gaming was his whole world.

“You know what, forget it,” Naruto said to himself. “It’s probably just bad instant ramen. Messed with my head.”

Another sharp slap. This time, he pointed an accusing finger at the mirror.

“Blasphemy!” he declared. “You never insult ramen. Ever.”

Naruto Uzumaki glared at himself one last time in the cracked mirror, then flicked his eyes back to the glowing blue letters floating above his head. After a moment, he just shrugged.

“Eh… they’ll probably go away eventually.”

He stepped out of the bathroom, tugging on his sandals and cinching the straps of his hip pouch. He reached for his leg holster, buckled it tight, and double-checked his kunai count. All good. He gave his cluttered apartment a final glance—stove off, no scrolls left behind, no suspicious glowing system pop-ups lingering in the air.

Today wasn’t just another day.

It was the first day of his last year at the Shinobi Academy. His final shot.

The Konoha Shinobi Academy—KSA, as most people called it—was where kids trained to become future ninja. Naruto had already tried and failed to graduate. Twice. Most students passed on their first try. Naruto? This was his third run, and if he didn’t pass this time, he’d be cut for good.

No exceptions.

He had ten months left until his thirteenth birthday, and the final graduation exam was set for November 30th. That meant eleven months to prove he was ready—or it was game over.

The moment he stepped outside, he was met by a familiar face—and not one he liked.

Standing near the exit of the apartment building was a grizzled man with thick eyebrows and a stained button-up shirt. A golden question mark floated above his head, pulsing gently.

Michiya Ota. Landlord. Level 7.

“Rent’s due,” the man said gruffly, arms crossed.

Naruto blinked. “Okay, now that’s weird.”

He stared at the golden question mark over the landlord’s head. “What the hell… why not?” he muttered, more to himself than anyone.

DING!

A blue window blinked into view right in front of him.

(A Quest has been created.)

The window had a single arrow in the bottom right. Naruto tapped it instinctively.

(Quest Alert: Rent is Due: Pay Rent. Rent must be paid by 6:00 PM or you will be evicted. Pay the landlord 1000 ryo by 6:00 PM or clear out the chakra rat nest in the basement by 6:00 PM.) (Must bring their tails as proof of kill.) Completion Reward: 500 XP. Bonus: Increased reputation with landlord. (Reputation bonus is doubled if you clear the chakra rat nest.) Failure Penalty: Eviction Decrease in reputation with Konoha. (Yes or No)

Naruto just stared.

“You gonna say something or what?” Michiya grunted. “I don’t got all day.”

Naruto quickly jabbed the “Yes” button with his finger.

The landlord scoffed. “6 PM sharp, or you’re out on the street.” He shouldered past Naruto, slamming into him with zero care.

Naruto stumbled a little, catching himself against the wall. He turned, watching the man leave.

“What the fuck?” he muttered again. Then looked up at the floating tag over Michiya’s head.

(Michiya Ota – Landlord – Level 7)

He shook his head, trying to process it all. Then brought his hands together into a quick seal and flared his chakra. “Kai!”

Nothing changed. The glowing tags, the quest window—all of it remained exactly the same.

Naruto scratched the back of his head. “Okay… if I messed that up, I could still be trapped in a genjutsu. But if I didn’t mess it up… then this is all real.”

The hallway was empty now. The echoes of the landlord’s boots had faded. It was quiet, but Naruto’s thoughts were racing.

His walk toward the academy was slower than usual. His eyes darted around, watching the people he passed. For the first time, he could see them in a way he never could before. Glowing names and level markers hovered over their heads like tags in a multiplayer game.

Most kids were Level 1. Civilians topped out around Level 15. A few older tradesmen—blacksmiths, bakers, seamstresses—were around Level 12 to 15 too.

But the ninja?

Genin floated between Level 10 and 20. Chuunin, around 20 to 30. Above that… it was just a glowing word: Unknown.

He couldn’t even see the levels of the jounin. They were too high for him to comprehend. Just like in games—if a monster was way above your level, the system couldn’t even show you the number.

DING!

Another blue window appeared.

(A special skill has been created through a special act.)

Naruto blinked again. “Huh?”

He tapped the message, and a new window popped up.

(Through continuous observation, a skill to find targets’ information—‘Observe’ Level 1—has been created.)

“What the hell?” Naruto said aloud. “What the hell is Observe?”

As if to answer him, a soft orange glow lit up ahead.

(Akimichi Dogo – Master Baker – Level 15. HP: 500 | Chakra Points: 150. Master Baker of the Akimichi Clan.)

Naruto’s jaw dropped. “No way. That’s… that’s actually cool.”

He grinned and ran up the street, glancing at everyone he passed, mentally yelling “Observe!” at each of them. It worked. Window after window popped up. Farmers, guards, shopkeepers—they all had stats. Naruto was halfway through scanning a noodle vendor when a new message popped up.

(Observe has leveled up! Now Level 2.)

“Sweet!” he muttered. Then turned back to the Master Baker, eyes narrowing. “Let’s try this again.”

“Observe.”

Akimichi Dogo – Master Baker – Level 15, HP: 500 (500) | Chakra Points: 150. Master Baker of the Akimichi Clan. Well known for his baking prowess. Dogo serves the best breads in all of the Fire Country. He’s even baked for royalty on occasion.)

Naruto’s mouth curled into a grin. “So I can level up the skills… and get better info. That’s actually awesome.”

Just as he was about to test it again on a fruit vendor, a new blue message cut in.

(Quest Alert. Don’t Be Late: Arrive at the Academy on Time. You have ten minutes to arrive before you’re marked late. Completion Reward: 100 XP, Bonus: Increase reputation with the Konoha Twelve. Failure Penalty: Decrease reputation with Konoha. (Yes or No)

“What?!” Naruto gasped. He slammed his finger on the “Yes” button and took off running.

A giant digital timer appeared faintly at the corner of his vision, ticking down from 9:59… 9:58… 9:57…

He bolted through the streets, weaving past villagers, leaping over crates and barrels. One man yelled at him to slow down, but Naruto barely heard him.

His heart pounded. His legs burned. But he didn’t stop.

He cleared the final street corner and vaulted over the school gate with twenty seconds to spare, skidding into the hallway just as the bell rang.

DING!

(You’ve barely arrived before the start of class.) Quest Complete! Reward: 100 XP, +5 to reputation with Konoha Twelve.)

Naruto staggered to a stop, bent over and breathing hard.

“Hah… made it…”

Naruto Uzumaki dropped into his seat with a dramatic huff, still trying to catch his breath. The sprint across half of Konoha hadn’t left him that winded—his stamina wasn’t terrible—but damn, that timer had put the pressure on. He rested his arms on the desk and leaned forward, blinking away sweat and squinting at the glowing system messages in front of him.

(Quest Complete: You’ve barely arrived before the start of class.) (Completion Reward: 100 XP) (+5 to reputation with Konoha Twelve)

Naruto frowned, staring at the words as they faded away.

“Konoha Twelve…?” he muttered. “Who the hell are they? And why does my reputation with them matter?”

No answer, of course.

He sighed and looked around the classroom, only to immediately realize something that made his stomach twist. Every single one of his classmates had glowing blue names and level markers above their heads. They floated like transparent banners, clear as day—and far too clear for his liking.

Most of the students were between Level 3 and Level 6, right around his level. But eight of them… eight stood out.

(Haruno Sakura – Level 7, Yamanaka Ino – Level 7, Hyuga Hinata – Level 8, Nara Shikamaru – Level 8, Akimichi Choji – Level 8, Inuzuka Kiba – Level 9, Aburame Shino – Level 9, Uchiha Sasuke – Level 12.)

Naruto nearly choked.

Everyone was ahead of him. Way ahead. Even Sakura. Even the shy girl who barely spoke in class. Even Choji, who spent more time snacking than sparring.

And Sasuke…

Sasuke was double his level.

Naruto felt a hot wave of frustration and embarrassment crawl up his neck. He wanted to yell, maybe flip the desk, maybe just walk out.

But instead, he narrowed his eyes and whispered, “Observe.”

One by one, he began scanning them.

(Haruno Sakura – Academy Student – Level 7, HP: 100 (100) | Chakra Points: 50. Haruno Sakura is the smartest student in class. Though very intelligent, she is not very physically gifted. She pines after Uchiha Sasuke and is bitter rivals with Yamanaka Ino for ‘Sasuke-kun’s’ affections.)

Naruto growled softly. “Really? That’s what it says?”

(Yamanaka Ino – Academy Student – Level 7, HP: 100 of 100 | Chakra Points: 100. Yamanaka Ino is a member of the famed Yamanaka Clan known for their mind techniques. She is quite vain, placing too much value on looks instead of her skills. She pines after Uchiha Sasuke and is bitter rivals with Haruno Sakura for ‘Sasuke-kun’s’ affections.)

Naruto let out a dry snicker. “Hah. Perfect mirror match. No wonder they’re always yelling at each other.”

(Hyuga Hinata – Academy Student – Level 8, HP: 150 (150) | Chakra Points: 100. Hyuga Hinata is a member of the elite Hyuga Clan, known for their powerful dōjutsu and unique taijutsu style. She is a very sweet girl but extremely shy, and thus not well-known by her classmates. She finds the strength to improve from watching the person she most admires.)

Naruto blinked at that. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “That’s… kind of cool. She sounds awesome. I should talk to her more this year.”

DING!
(Observe has leveled up! Now Level 3.)

“Already?” he whispered. “Let’s see what that does.”

(Nara Shikamaru – Academy Student – Level 8, HP: 100 of 100) | Chakra Points: 150 of 150) Strength: 7, Vitality: 10, Dexterity: 11, Intelligence: 15, Wisdom: 35, Luck: 3. Nara Shikamaru is a member of the Nara Clan, known for their intellect and their ability to manipulate shadows. Shikamaru is considered the smartest Nara in generations… and also the laziest.)

“Damn,” Naruto muttered. “Shikamaru is a genius.”

The boy in question stirred a few seats over and cracked one eye open. He gave Naruto a lazy glare, then sighed and tilted his head back.

“Troublesome,” he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

Naruto grinned sheepishly and waved.

He was about to scan the rest of the class when the door opened, and two figures stepped into the room.

Their names lit up immediately.

(Umino Iruka – Academy Instructor – Level 25, Touji Mizuki – Assistant Instructor – Level 22)

A leaf symbol glowed next to both names, hovering like a badge of honor.

Naruto immediately used Observe on Iruka.

(Umino Iruka – Academy Instructor – Level 25, Affiliation: Konoha, HP: 1000 of 1000) | Chakra Points: 750 of 750) Strength: Unknown, Vitality: Unknown, Dexterity: Unknown, Intelligence: Unknown, Wisdom: Unknown, Luck: Unknown. Umino Iruka is a dedicated Academy Instructor who has found meaning in training the next generation of shinobi.)

Naruto frowned.

“Huh. That’s weird. Way less data.”

He tried the same on Mizuki. No difference. Same gaps, same vague entry.

“So, that’s my limit,” he muttered to himself. “The higher their level, the less I can see. Gotta level up Observe more if I wanna know what these guys are really packing…”

And then another thought hit him—something big.

“If this is really a game system… then where’s my own stat screen?”

He straightened up and whispered a few commands under his breath.

“Profile… Pause… Menu…”

Nothing.

“Status.”

DING!

An orange window blinked into place, and Naruto’s eyes widened as he read.

(Name: Uzumaki Naruto, Class: The Gamer, Title: Academy Student (+25% experience gain up to Level 10) Level: 3, Affiliation: Konoha, HP: 600 (600) Chakra Points: 600 (600) Strength: 10, Vitality: 20 (10 base) Dexterity: 5, Intelligence: 20 (10 base) Wisdom: 3, Luck: Unknown)

(Status Effects: (+10 Vitality, +10 Intelligence, +unknown experience to Unknown skill) (+100 HP & +100 Chakra Points per level) Prankster (–5% reputation gains, +5% experience to (Trap) skill, +5% experience to (Stealth) skill)

(Uzumaki Naruto is the dead-last of the Konoha Academy, having failed the graduation exam twice. Though underestimated by many, his past is shrouded in mysteries yet to be uncovered.)

(Points: 0 Ryo: 3,500)

“What the hell…?” he mumbled. There was so much here.

“Need something, Naruto?” came a voice just over his shoulder.

Naruto jumped in his seat.

Iruka was standing right behind him, looking suspicious.

“No, Iruka-sensei!” Naruto said quickly, closing the window with a tap.

Iruka raised an eyebrow. “Then maybe you can tell me what I just said?”

Naruto stared. Then blurted, “You introduced us to Mizuki-sensei?”

Iruka squinted at him, then sighed.

“I guess you were paying attention,” he muttered and moved on.

DING!

(Your Luck holds out and you save yourself from detention on the first day of class. Luck has increased by 1.)

Naruto couldn’t help the grin spreading across his face.

“Nice.”

Naruto Uzumaki clenched his fists beneath his desk, barely able to contain the excited energy bubbling up inside him. He wanted to jump out of his seat, fist-pump the air, and shout, “Yes! Luck increase, baby!”—but he knew better.

Still, he couldn’t help checking his status window again.

His eyes locked on the Luck stat.

(Luck: Unknown)

“What the hell?” he whispered.

Was it really that high? Or was it… negative? Could luck go negative?

That thought made him gulp.

He tapped the tiny (question mark) icon at the top corner of the window, hoping for answers.

Immediately, the orange status panel expanded with a soft chime. Yellow arrows branched out, each pointing to a stat block. Small black boxes appeared, filled with glowing yellow text like a beginner’s tutorial screen.

(Luck): Luck affects your chances of favorable outcomes in non-combat situations. Influences gambling, loot drops, rare item finds, critical event triggers, and random interactions.)

(Strength): Strength affects the damage of physical and weapon attacks, and reduces damage taken when parrying. If Strength and Dexterity rise together, Speed increases slightly.)

(Vitality): Vitality determines your total HP and stamina. The higher your Vitality, the longer you can fight and the faster you recover HP outside of battle.)

(Dexterity): Dexterity improves your ability to dodge attacks and land your own hits. Increases speed when raised alongside Strength.)

(Intelligence): Intelligence increases your Chakra Points, speeds up chakra recovery, and boosts the power of your jutsu. Also impacts learning and memory.)

(Wisdom): Wisdom governs how efficiently you use what you’ve learned. Greatly enhances Chakra Control and advanced ninjutsu handling.)

(Status Effects: Status effects can be temporary (such as Stun, Poison, Sleep) or permanent (like Sharingan, Ice Release, and unique traits). Some are genetic, others can be earned through quests or rare events.)

(Title System: Gain titles through actions or accomplishments. Titles can provide special buffs, bonuses, or unlock hidden quests.)

Naruto stared at the info windows as they slowly faded. He rubbed his head.

“That’s… a lot,” he mumbled. “So Luck is mostly for random stuff, Wisdom helps with chakra control… and my Strength is only ten?” He groaned. “Man, I really gotta train.”

The status window dissolved as he blinked, and Naruto tried—really tried—to focus on the lesson. But it was hopeless. Iruka was at the front of the classroom talking about training schedules and combat assessments, but Naruto’s mind had already drifted off into a gamer daydream.

What if I get a jutsu that levels up with use? What if there’s a way to upgrade a Shadow Clone into, like… an Elemental Clone or something? What if I can loot rare scrolls from strong enemies?

“Okay, students,” Iruka’s voice snapped him back, “we’re going to start today with a refresher. Please read through this booklet first, then we’ll head out to the training range for kunai and shuriken bukijutsu.”

Naruto slumped forward, letting out a long sigh. “Not this again…”

Mizuki walked the rows, dropping a worn booklet on each desk.

A thud echoed as Naruto’s copy landed in front of him.

Kiba immediately groaned from a few rows over. “Ughhh, why do we have to read this again? Every single year—it’s the same dumb booklet.”

Iruka’s glare cut through the room like a blade.

“Because every year we reinforce the basics,” he said flatly. “It’s the difference between a clean hit and a kunai in your own foot. Sloppy technique gets shinobi killed, Kiba.”

That shut him up fast.

Naruto rolled his eyes and looked down at the cover of the dusty little booklet. The same as always—black and white cover, faded leaf symbol, and blocky writing.

But just as he reached out to open it—

DING!

A new System window popped up, glowing blue.

(You’ve obtained the skill book: Kunai and Shuriken Bukijutsu.) (Would you like to learn this skill?) (Yes or No)

That’s it For Chapter 1. To Read More of This Story. Move Own to Chapter 2 Below.

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