"I'm in the Dragon Clan, what the heck is the Naruto Counterattack System?"

"..."

After Zhang Lei uttered that slightly harsh remark in a joking tone, the previously noisy classroom suddenly fell into an eerie silence.

The earlier laughter and playfulness seemed to have never existed. It was so quiet that only the sounds coming from outside the classroom could be heard. Everyone looked at Zhang Lei with strange eyes, and then subconsciously shifted their gaze to the person behind him.

Although Zhang Lei's words were clearly directed at Lu Mingfei, they seemed to have thought of something and completely ignored Lu Mingfei, the person involved, looking at Qi Xiuyuan in perfect unison.

But Qi Xiuyuan still had a smile on his lips, seemingly not caring about what he had just said, but his black pupils were unfathomable.

At this moment, Lu Mingfei lowered his head, letting his long bangs, which made him look somewhat gloomy, fall naturally, obscuring the expression on his face shrouded in shadow. His hands were placed on his thighs and clenched silently.

His lips grew increasingly dry, and he subconsciously licked them with his tongue, only to taste a bitter flavor.

It felt as if someone had ripped open my gallbladder with a knife, and bitter liquid kept flowing out, coursing through my veins with each pounding heartbeat, spreading the bitterness throughout my body.

Parents who are archaeology experts?

Of course he does.

Having superhuman parents who are dedicated to exploring the civilization of all mankind is certainly something to be proud of and boast about. He even read a lot of books on archaeology just so he could talk about them with his classmates on the way home from school.

But what about the parents' archaeological experiences and stories?

Lu Mingfei couldn't say it.

My parents never told me this when I was a child, and I haven't had the chance to tell them since I grew up.

He hadn't seen his parents for a long time. Ever since he started junior high school, he had been sent to live with his uncle and aunt, and hadn't seen his parents since.

The perpetually absent parent-teacher conferences, the "parents" who only exist in his words, and the letters that arrive every six months without any mailing address, stating, "Things have taken a new turn, so the plan to return home has to be postponed again."

When all the other children were picked up by their parents, he was the only one who returned to this home that didn't belong to him, head down, kicking stones every day...

Feeling a tightness in his chest, Lu Mingfei took a deep breath.

But the air felt like it was burning, and when inhaled, it ignited his lungs through his trachea, making Lu Mingfei feel as if his chest was about to explode. The intense heat made him clench his teeth.

He wanted to punch this bastard in the face!

"Huh?" Seeing that no one was giving him the reaction he wanted, and even Lu Mingfei remained silent, Zhang Lei, puzzled, frowned. "Why are you all so quiet? It was just a joke, it doesn't have to be like this..."

Squeak!

Suddenly, the screeching sound of a chair leg scraping against the ground broke out, interrupting Lu Mingfei's impulsive thoughts and Zhang Lei's subsequent words. It also sent a shiver down his spine, making the hairs on his body stand on end.

He turned his head in the direction of the sound and was met with a pair of slightly curved eyes that seemed to be smiling, and a hand patting his shoulder.

"Zhang Lei," Qi Xiuyuan asked casually, "did you pick a pencil case when you had your first birthday celebration?"

"..." Zhang Lei was stunned for a moment, then blurted out, "What?"

"What I mean is, you've filled up all the pens."

Qi Xiuyuan smiled warmly, leaned close to his ear as if the two had a very good relationship, and said in a voice that only he could hear, "I've been watching you for a long time. You have a zebra's head and you talk so eloquently."

"But didn't your mother, who became someone's mistress and successfully took his place, and your father, who is sixty years old and could be your grandfather, and whose child is so late in life that it's uncertain whether he's even his biological son, teach you what manners and upbringing are?"

What, are you going to imitate Sakura Haruno and say Naruto has no parents in front of Sasuke, who is an orphan?

Lu Mingfei, who had been keeping his head down the closest distance, suddenly looked up, staring in astonishment at Qi Xiuyuan as his mouth gradually opened wide, seemingly unable to believe that such words would come out of his mouth.

Is this still the same good student that the homeroom teacher and other teachers described as never swearing and always being gentle and polite?

"you……"

Looking at Qi Xiuyuan, who still wore a warm and friendly smile, Zhang Lei seemed surprised that someone could say such things with such a friendly tone. He was stunned for a long time before saying incredulously, "What did you say? How could you...?"

How do you know these things?

Qi Xiuyuan didn't speak, he just looked at him quietly.

However, looking into those eyes that were meeting his gaze, yet taller and seemingly looking down at him, Zhang Lei's expression gradually changed, turning from flushed red to ashen.

His insecure, sensitive, and vain heart was ruthlessly exposed by Qi Xiuyuan with a single sentence, and even the gazes of the people around him seemed to turn into mockery. At this moment, all that remained in his heart was anger.

"Qi Xiuyuan!" Feeling the hand still pressing on his shoulder, Zhang Lei, driven by anger, raised his hand and slammed it against the arm in front of him, while cursing in a shrill, woman-like voice, "You fucking let go..."

Before he could finish speaking or his fist could land, Qi Xiuyuan, who had been smiling, suddenly released his arm, dodging the punch while simultaneously gripping the bamboo sword that had been resting in the corner, and took a step forward...

hum! !

Only a trembling buzzing sound could be heard, and the bamboo sword instantly magnified in Zhang Lei's contracting pupils, a chilling aura pouring down like a shattered wave.

It felt as if there was not a bamboo sword in front of me, but a sharpened blade pointed at my pupils, and the tidal wave of coldness went straight to my heart.

So, driven by his body's instincts, Zhang Lei's body suddenly tensed up, and his head involuntarily tilted back.

Bang!

Unsurprisingly, Zhang Lei lost his balance and fell backward, knocking over tables and chairs. With a loud crash, he sat down on the ground with a shocked expression.

But the bamboo sword that seemed to be slashing down mercilessly suddenly stopped.

"..."

Staring blankly at Qi Xiuyuan, who had one hand behind his back and the other firmly holding a sword, a bead of cold sweat slowly trickled down his forehead, which felt stinging even though he hadn't touched him.

"Hehe." Qi Xiuyuan glanced down at him and laughed, "It seems that although Zhang Lei has a lot of fire in his body, he is actually quite weak. If you are interested in self-cultivation, you are welcome to join the Kendo Club."

[Your courage in defying authority and choosing to fight violence with violence successfully awakened the "conscience" of the unruly child, earning you reward option three: Talent Branch - Rank C - Wind Attribute Chakra Talent]

[At the same time, because of your radical and reckless actions, this brat, as the older brother of a high-ranking Jonin in Konoha, may bring you and Naruto a lot of trouble in the future. You choose...]

[Option 1: Take the initiative and kill the culprit before trouble comes knocking, then frame them. However, there is a chance of being discovered. (Reward: Ninjutsu Branch - Rank B - Face Dissolving Technique, which melts away and steals another person's face, then pastes it onto one's own face for disguise.)]

[Option 2: Seek outside help. You know the Third Hokage must have learned of this through the Telescope Technique or an Anbu ninja. I believe he can help you solve this problem. (Reward: Genjutsu Branch - Rank C - Fox Mind Technique, causing the target to be trapped in an inescapable maze of illusions, constantly spinning in the same place.)]

[Option 3: Passive defense. Perhaps the brat's older brother is a reasonable person and won't cause trouble for you and Naruto, or perhaps the brat you've "influenced" won't go home and complain? (Reward: Ninjutsu Branch - D-rank - Body Flicker Technique, which allows for instantaneous movement of different distances using different amounts of chakra. Although it's easy to learn, it's a very convenient ability to use.)]

Glancing at the words appearing on the light screen, Qi Xiuyuan felt as if something had been added to his body, and a deep look flashed in his eyes.

Seemingly due to a difference in worldview, after acquiring the Wind Release chakra talent, he not only learned how to refine and use chakra, but also sensed some things around him.

That seems to be the element of "wind"?

Is this stupid system really usable in different worlds?

However, this subsequent choice...

"This is never going to end. Do you really think I'm a babysitter?"

Qi Xiuyuan isn't afraid of any trouble; if he were, he wouldn't have stepped forward. So what is there for him to worry about?

If he has to wipe even Lu Mingfei's butt clean for him, then Lu Mingfei deserves to die.

With this thought flashing through his mind, Qi Xiuyuan put away his bamboo sword, picked up his schoolbag, glanced one last time at Zhang Lei who was still sitting on the ground in a daze, and then turned and left the classroom.

"Wait, wait a minute!"

Lu Mingfei, who hadn't been able to say a word to him the whole time, snapped out of his daze and saw his back as he walked out of the classroom and was about to disappear from sight. He quickly shouted and subconsciously picked up his schoolbag and staggered after him.

Behind him, Zhang Lei finally snapped out of the inexplicable feeling of "dying once," his face turning pale and then purple under the gazes of the crowd, which were filled with pity, ridicule, or sympathy.

"Qi, Qi Xiuyuan!" he said through gritted teeth.

"...Tsk." Her thoughts interrupted, a girl averted her bright gaze from the doorway, frowned at Zhang Lei, who was sitting weakly on the floor, and said impatiently, "He's gone, but you're all tough now?"

Students who can come to Shilan Middle School are either from wealthy families or are particularly smart and outstanding. It's rare to find someone like Zhang Lei, who was spoiled from childhood because his father had him late in life at the age of sixty.

Moreover, even if they are only fourteen or fifteen years old, it is extremely wrong for them to make jokes about other people's parents.

For these students, poor grades don't matter; they can still get along. But if they have character issues...

If they had to choose between Lu Mingfei and Zhang Lei, they might hesitate for a moment, but if they had to choose between him and Qi Xiuyuan, they would definitely not hesitate at all.

After all, although Qi Xiuyuan came from a poor background, he was definitely good-looking. Although he was usually reluctant to get close to people, he always smiled when talking to others and was not too distant. He was very good at gauging the appropriate level of interaction with different people.

"Damn it!" Zhang Lei's face twitched with anger. "I was just joking with Lu Mingfei. What the hell does it have to do with him? Are you crazy?!"

He wasn't stupid; he knew Qi Xiuyuan was a favorite of the teacher, so how could he possibly provoke him?

But he didn't understand why Qi Xiuyuan would suddenly stand up, completely overturning his impression of a good student.

"You should be glad you weren't joking with him, but calling someone an orphan in front of a real orphan deserves a beating."

A boy shook his head and said, "You transferred here, so you don't know. The last guy who called him an orphan was supposedly a group of thugs from outside the school. He and another guy beat him with sticks until he was crying for his parents and ended up in the hospital."

"You should have heard of the other person's name. His name is Chu Zihang. The two of them are the president and vice president of the Kendo Club, respectively."

He just looks refined and polite, but people really think he's just a bookworm who only knows how to study. Has this guy always been this brave?

After saying that, he looked at Zhang Lei, as if he had thought of something, and said sarcastically, "If you're going to tattle, I advise you to give up. In our eyes, you were the one who bullied Lu Mingfei. It was perfectly reasonable for him to stop you. Besides, you fell down on your own. He didn't even touch you."

"And another question, can you guess the name of this teaching building we're standing on? Why is it called 'Xiuyuan Building'?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Lei's expression froze, his ashen face gradually turned pale, and finally became ashen.

------

"Eat without worry, and come back for more if you're still hungry."

Under Qi Xiuyuan's repeated calls of "sister," the cafeteria lady's face beamed with joy. Her hands stopped shaking, her back pain disappeared, and her Parkinson's disease seemed to have been cured as if by a medical miracle.

There wasn't a single green thing in the dish; it was all meat, and his plate was piled high with it.

Under the astonished gazes of the students, Qi Xiuyuan carried his tray and found a seat.

[You actually "redeemed" the brat! He voluntarily gave up his plan to tell his brother, and you received reward option three: Ninjutsu Branch - D-rank - Body Flicker Technique]

However, looking into Naruto's bewildered yet stubborn eyes, you choose to reach an agreement with him...

[Option 1: Strangers. Naruto Uzumaki is the reincarnation of the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and Ashura's chakra. You cannot risk approaching him just because of Minato Namikaze's dying wish. (Reward: Genjutsu Branch - D-rank - Mist Servant Technique, causing the opponent to see one black phantom after another, which will continuously split when attacked.)]

[Option 2: Master-disciple relationship. Become Naruto's teacher and teach him after he enters the Ninja Academy (Reward: Ninjutsu Branch - C-rank - Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique, which involves spitting a huge fireball forward from the mouth; it is a basic ninjutsu for Uchiha clan members to learn Fire Release.)]

[Option 3: Father-son relationship. You can try to persuade the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi. Perhaps he can let you adopt Naruto Uzumaki and have Naruto call you "father" (Reward: Ninjutsu Branch - B-rank - Fire Release: Great Dragon Fire Technique, a technique that gathers a large amount of chakra in the body and highly compresses it to form a fire dragon. It allows you to freely control the fire dragon to attack enemies, focusing more on power and accuracy than attack range.)]

Seeing the light screen that had disappeared not long ago reappear, Qi Xiuyuan's face showed no surprise.

If it were truly the Naruto world where individual strength reigns supreme, and if that brat really had an older brother who was a high-ranking member of Konoha, making that choice would indeed be very difficult for him, a commoner ninja.

However, Qi Xiuyuan has already determined that this idiotic system not only got the world wrong but also mistook people, mistaking Lu Mingfei from the Dragon Clan world for Naruto Uzumaki, the protagonist of the Naruto world.

If I'm not mistaken, the "mischievous kid" is Zhang Lei, and the "mischievous kid's older brother" is Zhang Lei's father.

This world values ​​more than just individual strength. With Qi Xiuyuan's financial resources and reputation for donating a building to the school, Zhang Lei should be questioning whether he is qualified.

Moreover, why would the system classify Zhang Lei's father as "the brat's older brother" instead of "the brat's father"?

In addition, knowing that Zhang Lei's father had a son late in life at the age of sixty, Qi Xiuyuan had some suspicions, which is why he said those things to him. Judging from Zhang Lei's reaction, he was probably right.

Now, if Zhang Lei saw him, he would probably be like a mouse seeing a cat, trying to hide as fast as he could, for fear that he really knew some secret, let alone take revenge as the light screen said.

"I don't know if chakra works in this world. I'll have to find a chance to try it out."

Thinking this to himself, Qi Xiuyuan looked up at Lu Mingfei, who had somehow ended up sitting opposite him, and casually said, "I've already told you, I'm not doing this to help you, because I'm the orphan, and I don't like his nonsense."

"Besides, you've already treated us to guests, haven't you?"

Qi Xiuyuan didn't stand on ceremony at all and ordered more than 20 yuan worth of dishes. Lu Mingfei felt a pang of pain when he thought about how he would lose his internet fee for the week.

However, upon hearing Qi Xiuyuan's words, he patted his chest and said, "What's this? Just for the revenge you just gave me, I'll cover all your lunches for this semester."

Qi Xiuyuan raised an eyebrow and said bluntly, "You said it yourself."

"Ahem." Lu Mingfei choked for a moment, then forced himself to continue, "However, I do have another question, which I feel is a bit silly."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Do you think a foul-mouthed jerk is more acceptable, or a lazy, good-for-nothing person is more harmless?"

"..."

Upon hearing this, Qi Xiuyuan, who was engrossed in eating, paused for a moment, then looked up and sized him up.

Finally, when Lu Mingfei felt uneasy under his gaze, he nodded and said, "You're right, this question is indeed stupid, so stupid that it makes me lose my appetite."

Does this guy really have to choose one of the two to eat?