Naruto: Power in Play

AN: The first two chapters are in first person. The rest is in 3rd person.

I have once heard that people often hallucinate before dying. During this short instant, their sense of time becomes distorted as their mind grapples with the situation. Some people engage in a mental review of their life, seeking solutions based on past experiences. Others may have auditory or visual hallucinations involving significant people from their lives. Interestingly, a few individuals report dreaming of entirely random occurrences, akin to suddenly seeing an unexpected prompt flash before their eyes.

[Would you like to be part of a bigger adventure?]

Unfortunately, it seems like I am part of the latter. It would have been a lot nicer to see the faces of some of my loved ones instead…

A dry cough left my throat as I try to chuckle, the sensation accompanied by a hint of metallic taste. I tried to move, but I felt too weak to do so. I am probably bleeding out. No, I am definitely bleeding out… I can feel it. My body is growing increasingly cold as dark spots start to appear on the edge of my vision. Strangely enough, the glowing panel in front of me is showing no sign of disappearing.

[Would you like to live?]

Hmm, do I want to live?

Definitely.

It’s not even a question. I still have too many things I want to do, too many things left to experience.

[Can that be counted as a form of consent?]

I would have laughed if I could. Instead, I felt my consciousness slip away. The last of my thoughts, an unconscious part of me, replied ‘yes’ while my body just stopped responding.

And normally, I would have died there.

But the fog in my mind suddenly cleared up. I could ‘see’ the glowing panel explode into countless blue particles and rush into me. For a moment, I couldn’t see anything. Then, when I recovered my vision, I found myself ‘standing’ in a pure white expense with a blue orb floating in front of me.

[Welcome, gamer!]

The glowing orb transformed into a panel again.

[Your next adventure is about to start!]

[Please choose a starting avatar for yourself!]

I blinked in confusion as a character customization screen appeared in front of me. A million thoughts flashed into my mind as I simply stood there, in a daze. But eventually, I decided to go along with the flow.

As if I was dreaming, I ignored the abnormal situation I found myself in, and started designing the appearance of a kid that could be no older than 5. I settled for a basic look, black hair, brown eyes, light complexion, no height or voice modification. Then I pressed OK. A confirmation prompt showed up, followed by a status screen.

[World: Naruto]

[Customize your starting stats!]

Level: 5

Age: 5

HP: 40/40 [2/30mn]

CP: 90/90 [4/30min]

Vitality: 2

Stamina: 2

Agility: 2

Spirit: 12

Intellect: 2

[Available status points: 12]

[Perks: 3]

Reincarnated: +2 Spirit/Level.

Gamer’s Mind: Immunity to psychological status effect.

Gamer’s Body: Applies a certain set of rules to the user’s body.

[Available Perk Points: 0]

The first thing that struck me as incredible was the world choice: Naruto. I could hardly believe my eyes. Am I going to go in an adventure inside the Naruto world? Or will I simply be playing a game?

I could feel myself getting excited, forgetting my confusion for a moment. I started observing the status screen, and frowned at the lack of hint. What were the mechanics for HP and CP calculations? Thinking for a moment, I ran some test before settling for the next stats:

Level: 5

Age: 5

HP: 90/90 [4/30mn]

CP: 137/137 [6.4/30mn]

Vitality: 4

Stamina: 5

Agility: 5

Spirit: 12

Intellect: 6

[Available status points: 0]

I’ve been able to deduce the HP and CP calculation from the changes I’ve been observing while allocating my stats. HP = Vitality + (Stamina + Agility)/2, the sum was then multiplied by 10. The health points (HP) are calculated by adding vitality to half the sum of stamina and agility, and then multiplying the result by 10. The regen was equal to my Vitality points per minute. CP are determined by taking the average of vitality, stamina, and agility, dividing it by 3, and adding it to the average of spirit and intellect divided by 2. The resulting sum is then multiplied by 10. Basically, the average of physical and mental stats multiplied by 10. Regen was the sum of all my stats divided by 5.

It felt pretty elaborate.

I gave it one last look over before clicking on ‘Done’.

[Please, choose a name for your character.]

I gave it some thoughts. As my character will be living in a world with a lot of people with Japanese names, I should be giving myself a name that will not stand out too much. But again, do I really have to? I mean, it could be just a game… Thinking for a moment, I decided to click on the little dice icon next to the input field to generate a random name.

[Welcome, Ando Yoshio!]

[The settings for your adventure have been generated automatically.]

[Time: January 3rd, Year 517]

[Place: Konoha]

[Family: None]

[Commencing countdown: 4…]

3…

2…

1…

[Enjoy!]

Suddenly, the boundless white expanse before me began to shimmer, its surface quivering like a mirage in the desert. The next part came in abruptly: the solid whiteness fractured into a dazzling array of bright blue particles, each sparking with electric vibrancy. Instinctively, I closed my eyes, overwhelmed by the brilliance. But even with my eyelids tightly shut, I could feel the surge of energy coursing around me, a tangible force crackling in the air. I felt like something extraordinary was unfolding, a phenomenon far beyond my understanding.

In an instant, the ground seemed to vanish beneath me. I felt myself plunging into a freefall, my body weightless as I hurtled downward through an endless void. The rush of air whipped past, making me feel both exhilarated and terrified, as though gravity itself had released its grip on me.

The descent seemed infinite, but gradually, I felt the sensation of slowing down. Cautiously, I opened my eyes and saw that I was approaching a shimmering barrier—a translucent bubble-like shield. The radiant white light surrounding me pressed against this barrier, trying to pass through but meeting resistance. As I drew closer, the barrier began to crack, tiny fissures spreading outward as it struggled to contain the pressure.

I started to sink through the barrier, feeling a mixture of relief and uncertainty. Just as I thought I might safely pass through, a wave of darkness surged towards me from the depths beyond. It was an entity, formless and seething with malevolent energy, crashing against the barrier like a storm against a breakwater.

The white light enveloping me, my protective shield, held firm at first. But as the darkness pressed harder, I could see the cracks widening under the relentless assault. The darkness was filled with an animalistic rage, a primordial fury that sought to consume me.

Desperately, I searched for a way to counter this ominous force. Suddenly, from within my chest, a brilliant blue light flared to life. It radiated outward, momentarily pushing the darkness back. The blue light pulsed with pure, intense energy, like a beacon of hope.

For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though the blue light might overcome the darkness. But then, to my horror, the light began to falter. Instead of repelling the darkness, it shattered my protective white shield, the fragments dissolving into nothingness around me.

A wave of fear and helplessness surged through me as the darkness closed in. The sense of crisis was overwhelming, and as my consciousness slipped away, I was plunged into an abyss of oblivion.

Konoha, Civilian District, Bright Orphanage

With a gasp, I sat up in bed and looked around the unfamiliar room. My heart was racing, and my mind was struggling to make sense of the situation. The gears in my head turning nonstop while warning signs bombarded my senses. It took me a while to regain my bearings, to finally realize that I was not in immediate danger.

I took a deep breath, then some more. Finally, my heart calmed down.

Where the hell am I?

As I swung my legs over the edge of the bed, I felt an odd shift in balance. My feet dangled much higher off the ground than I was used to, and when they touched the floor, they felt oddly light and chubby. A wave of confusion washed over me as I took in my surroundings from this new, much lower perspective.

The room was sparsely furnished, with just a few small beds and a dresser against the wall. The windows were covered with heavy curtains, letting in just a sliver of light. The air felt cold and damp, and a musty smell hung in the air. Everything seemed larger, almost looming, as if I had been shrunk down to a fraction of my original height.

I stood up, wobbling slightly as I adjusted to my new center of gravity. My steps were tentative as I tested my balance, feeling the difference in my shorter legs and lighter frame. I looked down at myself and saw that I was wearing unfamiliar clothes - a plain white t-shirt and loose-fitting pants. But it was the sight of my bare feet that caught my attention. They were small and chubby, a stark contrast to the adult feet I had been used to.

I felt a wave of disbelief. Could this really be happening? I shook my head, trying to clear the fog from my mind. My senses seemed heightened, every sound and texture more pronounced, as if my new, younger body was more attuned to the world around me.

I began taking a few more tentative steps around the room, getting used to this foreign body. Without realizing it, I had unconsciously moved towards the other beds in the room. I saw that they were occupied by three other children - two boys and a girl. They were all fast asleep, their faces peaceful and innocent.

Feeling lost, I stood there for a moment, trying to process everything. It was as if I had been transported into another world, one where I was a child again. But how? And why?

[Would you like to start the memory integration process?]

[Y/N]

My eyes widened as I stared at the glowing panel in front of me. For a moment, I doubted my eyes, feeling as if I was hallucinating again. But as I reached out to touch the button, I knew that it was real. The memories flooded into me, overwhelming me with a sense of confusion and disbelief.

It was like suddenly recalling a cringe memory from your past, but instead of just a fleeting moment of discomfort, I was bombarded with the equivalent of years of memories all at once. It was strange, almost surreal, but somehow it didn't hurt.

As the memories settled into place, I felt a mix of emotions swirling within me - confusion, sadness, fear, excitement. It was a jumbled mess, and I couldn't quite put my finger on what I was feeling.

I just stood there, staring blankly at the glowing panel.

It was all so much to take in.

I took deep breaths, and tried to gather my bearings, I began to accept the reality of my situation. It was a lot to take in - the fact that the Naruto world actually existed was a shock that would take some time to fully digest. But somehow, I found myself coming to terms with it surprisingly quick.

I had to accept it. After all, I just had years of memory shoved into my head straight out of nowhere. I feel like this sort of experience is impossible to simulate.

I am lucid and logic enough to know that none of this could be faked. I reincarnated after getting shot. This kid, ‘Ando Yoshio’, was my new identity. An orphan with no known living family member. His, or rather, my only parent, my father, was killed on a mission. As was the case of most children who ended up in this orphanage.

As I stood there in the dimly lit room, I couldn't help but reflect on the strange turn my life had taken. The fact that I had been reincarnated into a new identity, as Ando Yoshio, was still a hard pill to swallow. But with the weight of my past life on my mind, I knew I needed to focus.

My heart ached as I thought about how young I was when I died. Just 23 years old, and my life was cut short by some random senseless act of violence. It was hard not to dwell on the regrets I had, the things I wish I had done differently. But I knew that wasn't going to do me any good in this new world. Not right now.

Instead, I took a deep breath and forced myself to focus on the opportunity I had been given. To start anew in a world that I had only ever dreamed of. A world where chakra and magic were real, and where I had a chance to be something more than just another victim of circumstances.

With the help of the gamer system and my new-found knowledge, I knew I had the potential to become stronger than anyone in this world. And I was determined to do just that. No longer would I be a victim. No longer would I let fear or regret hold me back.

AN: Review ;)