Konoha!
{In Character Creator}
...
[Welcome to Elemental Nations]
[Choose Starting Village:]
[Aghari]
[Aidomari]
[Amegakure]
[Anmamoto]
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[Getsugakure]
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[Hoshigakure]
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[Ishigakure]
[Iwagakure]
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[Kirigakure]
[Kakasa]
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[Konohagakure]
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[Kumogakure]
[Kuōō]
[Kusagakure]
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[Shyaki]
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[Sunagakure]
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[Takigakure]
[Tanigakure]
[Tsukigakure]
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[Uzushiogakure]
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[Yugakure]
[Yukigakure]
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'Well, that answers the question about how the game expects to balance things out. There was not much information regarding the game, which is one reason it hadn't gained much hype.' The list was expansive. There were likely a thousand names, so at the very least, if only 100 people were added to one village, the overall landscape of the world wouldn't change, though I'm sure that number would be quite a bit larger.
It didn't take me long to find Konoha on the list. While it would be fun to play the game somewhere else, like Iwa or Kumo, if life and death were so important in the world, having as many advantages as possible would be better.
'And the only real way to do that is to be a part of the cursed clan.' I thought as I clicked on Konoha. The list vanished and was quickly replaced by another set of options. This one was a little more concise, but my choice was already made.
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[Choose Clan Background:]
[Aburame]
[Akimichi]
[Hatake]
[Hyūga]
[Inuzuka]
[Kurama]
[Nara]
[Sarutobi]
[Senju]
[Shimura]
[Uchiha]
[Yamanaka]
[Civillian]
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All of the known clans from Canon were there, along with an additional option to have Clan parentage. I could have debated the pros and cons of each option, and the premise of an option like Hyuga and Senju could have been intriguing, but honestly, not picking the Uchiha Clan was a crime, one that I have no intention of committing.
Was it a cliche choice? Absolutely. Would he think against it? Not in a million years. Was I worried about the massacre and having my character deleted by Itachi? Not likely. Considering that Uzushiogakure was an option for the village, the timeline most likely wouldn't be canon.
...
[Attempting to select Uchiha Clan as Clan Background... Current players playing as Uchiha Clan members<100]< strong>
[Uchiha Clan selected]
[Select Background Story:]
[Lone Wolf: Last remaining member of a branch of the Uchiha Clan, you practice diligently sharpening your fangs and waiting for your opportunity to take revenge.]
[The Shadow: You are the second son of the patriarch, overlooked by your family and your clan for the heir, your brother.]
[The Nameless: You are ordinary, a shadow in Konoha's war machine. With unknown parentage, you are just another kid, an orphan whose destiny is a blank slate.]
...
I read through the options, this time taking a little more time as I contemplated what each could mean. Each has its benefits. With the first option, I would largely be unsupervised, which means I can take advantage of my foreknowledge more easily.
'Plus, the descriptions especially mentioned the adjective diligently... Maybe I would start with higher stats or something compared to the other options like the Shadow or Nameless. Still, the option also has a drawback; with no family, the path to Sharingan's progression would be cut off at MS...' I hesitated.
I liked the first option a lot; it had a little more character, and I could see myself playing through it. However, simultaneously, the first and last options had the same drawbacks.
'The Nameless is clearly the worst choice. Bland and average are the words that come to my mind when I read this description. The only advantage of the last part is likely that I won't be under scrutiny by the village itself, as my Uchiha connection wouldn't be known to Danzo and the rest.'
...
'The shadow, on the other hand, reminds me too much of Sasuke's story. This contradicts my earlier hypothesis, which was that the world's timeline would be pre-canon. While I wouldn't like to be the edgelord, if it is the canon timeline, then at least that would mean my character would survive, right?'
I was still hesitating, but in the end, the EMS's promise of power won out, and I clicked on the second option. The screen in front of me blinked out, and another one appeared in its place.
...
[Background Story Chosen:]
[Trait {Uchiha Madara's Descendent} gained]
[Trait {Reduced Presense} gained]
...
The screen flickered and vanished before the void I had been in disappeared. Another sense of vertigo hit me as I noticed that my surroundings had shifted; earlier, I had been in a dark space, but now I was standing amidst countless others. I suppressed my surprise and looked down.
While avoiding the droplets of rain that were splattering against my head, my black kimono was quickly soaked in water as I paid attention to my surroundings without being obvious about it. From the corner of my eyes, I could see countless people who were standing in lines. Somber expressions were etched on everyone's faces.
I could count each drop of water as it collided against my head, and the sensations felt realistic. I didn't have to wait too long; moments later, a man walked in front of everyone. He had a stoic look, eyes hard as two red lines were etched onto his face.
'Tobirama Senju,' I thought, easily recognizing the legendary figure. His eyes looked around at everyone, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he turned his back to everyone and walked toward the Memorial Stone. He bowed toward the inanimate object before he vanished before everyone's eyes.
'...was that Flying Raijin?' I thought. People followed his example; they bowed to the stone, placed flowers, and paid respect their respects. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening, and when it was finally my turn, I followed the precedent already set. I didn't cry like many people, nor did I place any flowers. While the two people who had gone ahead of me had carried some offerings, I was empty-handed.
My eyes locked onto the photo placed before the cascade, and a tanned man with dark hair and eyes was smiling silently back at me. I bowed, then turned and walked away. My advanced knowledge likely would be futile as I realized I was a little too far back than even I anticipated.
'Hashirama Senju is dead... and war is coming.'
...
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AN: I have selected the timeline to be just before the start of the First Great Shinobi World War!