In Naruto as the Shadow Monarch

Waking up with a splitting headache, a boy with pitch-black hair glanced around the unfamiliar room.

"The last thing I remember... I was reading Solo Leveling in one sitting. I couldn't put it down — the art and story were just too captivating. I even ended up watching Sister Leveling for fun. Gotta admit, the sister was wild… and crazy hot."

Just then, the boy clutched his head as memories that weren't his flooded in.

"URGH!"

The boy groaned.

After a few minutes, the boy collapsed back onto the bed, drenched in sweat and exhausted.

"What the hell... why am I in the Shinobi world!?" he shouted, tugging at his hair in a panic.

"You've gotta be kidding me," he muttered to himself, "Why the Shinobi world? Sure, firing off jutsus and walking on water sounds cool, but it's not fun when you could die at any moment. I've watched enough Naruto to know that unless you're Naruto, Sasuke, or the useless Sakura, you're probably not making it out alive. Just look at Neji—he dropped dead just to move the plot forward."

A chill ran down his spine as he remembered Neji's fate.

Eventually, the boy managed to calm down, but his confusion remained.

Sorting through the memories, he discovered his name was Kuro Nara.

"At least I'm not a Hyuga with those weird eyes or an Uchiha."

Still confused about his situation, Kuro stood up and headed to the bathroom for a quick nature call.

After completing his morning routine, he made his way to the Ninja Dog House.

According to the memories, the original Kuro had worked as a caretaker for the Nara family's ninja dogs.

Arriving at the dog house, he saw a boy getting ready to leave.

"You're late!" the boy called out. "I had to work an extra five minutes because of you."

With that, the boy ran off.

"What a drag." Kuro picked his ear trying to imitate Shikamaru and took a seat that overlooked the yard where a lot of puppies are running around and having fun.

Seeing the puppies lifted his spirit a little and helped him adapt to his new reality.

"Not like I had anyone back in the old world who'd care about me," he thought, and with that, Kuro closed his eyes and drifted off into a light sleep.

Kuro woke up a few minutes later to the sound of barking and a soft whimpering. He opened his eyes to see a fluffy puppy nuzzling against his leg. The tiny creature wagged its tail, its innocent eyes full of energy and curiosity.

For a moment, Kuro just stared at it, his heart warming. Maybe this place wasn't all bad. He hadn't expected such simple things to give him comfort, but there was something peaceful about the sight of the puppies playing in the yard.

Kuro sighed, scratching the little puppy behind its ears as he was slowly coming to terms with the idea that this was his life now.

"What a drag…" he muttered again.

A loud bark interrupted his thoughts, and Kuro looked up to see a larger dog wagging its tail, clearly excited to greet him. It trotted up to him, standing tall on its hind legs, almost like it was waiting for some acknowledgment.

Kuro blinked, then stood and walked over to it. The dog was one of the more dignified ones, a bit older and a lot larger than the puppies.

"Well, aren't you a big one," Kuro said, patting the dog's head. The dog nudged his hand, and Kuro chuckled, feeling a little less out of place.

While this world might have been dangerous, Kuro had an important role here. He was a caretaker for the ninja dogs, and as absurd as it sounded, they seemed to accept him as one of their own.

Kuro's thoughts drifted back to his old world. He hadn't exactly had many friends. His life had been solitary, filled with long hours spent reading web novels like Solo Leveling, and gaming. He had lived a quiet, uneventful existence. Now, with this new identity and world, Kuro wasn't sure if that was a blessing or a curse.

But for the first time since he woke up in this world, a small sense of peace settled over him. The puppies running around, the simple task of caring for the dogs—it wasn't much, but it was something he could hold onto.

Kuro closed his eyes again, listening to the sounds around him, his heart a little lighter than before. At least, in this world, he wasn't entirely alone.

"I guess I'll just have to take it one day at a time," he said quietly, before letting out a soft breath, leaning back against the chair. "Just gotta keep going."