Naruto: The Crimson Error

Chapter 1: The Birth of a Prankster

Chapter 1: The Birth of a Prankster

Konoha's grand library stood silent in the early morning light, its doors still locked. But for one small, red-haired boy, locked doors were merely a suggestion. With practised ease, 4-year-old Sora shimmed up a nearby tree, leapt onto the roof, and slipped in through a partially open window.

"Another successful infiltration," Sora whispered to himself, grinning as he dropped silently to the floor. "Now, where did I leave off yesterday?"

Navigating the towering shelves with the familiarity of a seasoned librarian, Sora made his way to the history section. He'd been working his way through the village's chronicles, piecing together the puzzle of Konoha's past – and more importantly, searching for any mention of his own origins.

As an orphan with no knowledge of his parents, Sora had learned early on that information was power. And in a village full of secretive ninjas, the library had become his favourite hunting ground for knowledge.

Settling into his usual hidden nook, Sora cracked open a dusty tome titled "The Founding Clans of Konoha." He was halfway through a particularly juicy chapter about the Senju clan when a strange blue screen flickered to life before his eyes.

[Congratulations! You have been chosen as a Beta Tester for the Ninja Prankster System!]
[Would you like to activate the system? Y/N]

Sora blinked, rubbed his eyes, and looked again. The translucent blue screen remained, hovering innocently in the air.

"What in the name of the First Hokage's wooden underpants is this?" Sora muttered, glancing around to make sure he was alone. "Is this some kind of new security system? A prank? Or have I finally cracked from reading too many dusty old books?"

Curiosity warred with caution as Sora stared at the screen. On the one hand, strange, floating messages generally spelt trouble. On the other hand... Beta Tester? Ninja Prankster System? That sounded way too interesting to pass up.

"Well, as the Second Hokage allegedly said, 'Knowledge is power, but knowing how to use it is true strength,'" Sora quoted to himself. "And I'll never know how to use this if I don't activate it. So... Y!"

The moment Sora thought 'Y', the screen expanded, flooding his vision with information.

[Welcome to the Ninja Prankster System!]
[This system will help you become the ultimate ninja through the art of pranking.]
[Current Stats:]
- Stealth: 5
- Chakra Control: 1
- Ninjutsu: 1
- Taijutsu: 2
- Genjutsu: 1
- Intelligence: 15
- Creativity: 10
- Luck: 3

[Current Rank: Academy Student]
[Prank Points: 0]

[For reference, average stats by ninja rank:]
- Genin: 100-200 in each stat
- Chunin: 200-400 in each stat
- Jounin: 400-600 in each stat
- Elite Jounin: ??? in each stat
- Kage: ??? in each stat

[Would you like a tutorial? Y/N]

Sora's mind reeled. A system that could quantify ninja skills? That would track his progress and help him improve? It seemed too good to be true. But if it was real...

"Y!" Sora thought enthusiastically.

[Tutorial activated!]
[The Ninja Prankster System allows you to gain Prank Points and increase your stats by completing pranks and missions.]
[Your first mission is available now. Would you like to accept?]

"Oh, you bet I do!" Sora grinned, already imagining the possibilities.

[Mission Accepted: Prankster's Debut]
[Objective: Successfully prank a chunin-level ninja]
[Reward: 100 Prank Points, Stealth +2, Creativity +1]
[Time Limit: 24 hours]