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AN
This is the last time I re write this chapter I promise :crying:
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--Unknown Coordinates, Space--
There was no sound.
No wind stirred the darkness. No distant rumble disturbed the silence. There was no sense of direction, no up or down, no ground beneath one's feet or sky above one's head.
There was only an endless expanse of darkness, broken by countless points of distant light.
Stars.
Worlds.
Life.
Entire planets floated through the immeasurable void, each following its own path, its own history, its own collection of stories that had no concern for the things moving between them. Some worlds were so distant that they appeared as nothing more than tiny specks of light. Others were close enough for the swirling clouds of their atmospheres and the enormous oceans beneath them to be visible.
Some contained civilizations that had existed for thousands of years. Others had only recently begun to crawl toward civilization, while some contained nothing but barren rock drifting endlessly through the void.
Among all of them, a lone figure drifted through space.
The man appeared completely unaffected by his surroundings. There was no suit protecting him from the vacuum, no vessel carrying him between worlds, and no visible source of energy keeping him alive. He simply floated there, his clothes remaining perfectly still despite the absence of gravity, while his gaze wandered lazily across the endless universe.
He had seen countless worlds.
Countless civilizations.
Countless lives.
He had watched civilizations rise from nothing, flourish, and eventually crumble beneath the weight of time. He had witnessed beings who considered themselves gods and others who could scarcely comprehend the existence of anything beyond their own planet. After seeing so much, there were few things left capable of surprising him.
Few.
Something had just managed to become one of them.
"Hm?" The man's head tilted slightly as something moved through the darkness. At first, it was almost impossible to distinguish from the countless stars scattered throughout the void, a tiny flicker of light so faint that it could easily have been mistaken for a distant celestial body. But the movement was wrong.
Stars did not drift like that.
Curious, the man changed direction, crossing the distance between them without any visible effort. As he approached the strange object, its nature became apparent.
It was a soul.
Or, more accurately, what remained of one.
A faint sphere of spiritual energy floated through the darkness. Its shape was unstable, constantly trembling as though an invisible force were attempting to pull it apart. A crack spread across its surface, followed by a tiny fragment breaking away and drifting for only a moment before dissolving into the darkness.
The man stopped, his expression becoming slightly more interested. "Strange." He reached out with his senses, examining the soul more carefully.
There was no response.
There couldn't be.
The soul possessed no awareness of its surroundings. No thoughts. No memories that it could consciously access. No understanding of where it was or what was happening to it. It simply continued drifting as another fracture appeared.
"Not often you see a soul make it through the dimensional gap." The man watched another fragment break away. "Though it doesn't look like this one will make it much farther."
He could leave it alone.
There was no reason he couldn't.
Souls passed through countless places. Some reached new worlds. Some returned to whatever cycle governed reincarnation. Others simply faded away. Such things happened constantly, and normally there would have been no reason to interfere.
Yet the man remained.
His gaze lingered on the unstable soul.
Perhaps it was curiosity.
Perhaps he was simply interested in seeing what would happen.
Or perhaps, after witnessing so many lives come and go, he had developed a fondness for the occasional unexpected possibility.
Whatever the reason, he eventually raised one hand and looked toward the soul. "I suppose I could give a little help."
A soft radiance gathered around his palm. The light wasn't violent. He didn't force the soul back into shape or attempt to repair every imperfection within it. Instead, his power gently surrounded the unstable spiritual structure, reinforcing it before the fractures could spread any farther.
The soul brightened.
The fragments that had been breaking away stopped.
The cracks remained, but they no longer threatened to consume the entire thing.
The man lowered his hand and nodded. "There. That should do."
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then-
The man's eyebrows rose.
"Predator?" His eyes shifted toward the soul, and a faint smile crossed his face. "That's interesting."
The soul offered no response.
It couldn't.
It remained completely unaware that anything had changed.
The man stared at it for another moment before shrugging. "Well, I suppose I'll see what becomes of you."
He turned away and began drifting toward one of the distant worlds.
There was no dramatic farewell.
No prophecy.
No declaration that the soul was destined to save or destroy anything.
Just one final glance.
"Good luck... Yuuki."
The man continued onward.
Behind him, the soul followed its own path through the darkness, completely unaware that its existence had just changed forever.
--Konohagakure, Nine Years Before Naruto Is Born--
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
The steady sound of a pencil's eraser striking against a wooden desk filled the otherwise quiet room.
A young black-haired boy sat hunched over the desk, his chin resting against one hand as he stared down at the small notebook in front of him. The room was modest, with a bed sitting in one corner and a small bookshelf occupying another. The wooden desk beneath the window was barely large enough to hold the notebook, a few sheets of paper, and the small lamp illuminating his workspace.
Outside, the village had long since fallen quiet.
Yuuki stared at the page.
The notebook was filled with English.
Not because English was useful here.
Quite the opposite.
The language didn't exist in this world.
That was precisely why he had chosen it. It gave him somewhere to store information that nobody else could casually understand if they happened to find it.
Names.
Events.
Techniques.
Clans.
Villages.
Important dates.
Anything he could remember about Naruto.
Unfortunately, the longer he wrote, the more obvious the gaps in his memory became.
"I suppose I really was reincarnated, huh?" Yuuki leaned back in his chair and let out a quiet sigh.
For the past week, he had tried to convince himself that there had to be another explanation.
A dream.
A hallucination.
Some elaborate coincidence.
Anything.
Unfortunately, the evidence had become impossible to ignore.
He was no longer on Earth.
He had been reborn into the world of Naruto.
And judging by the village outside his window, the timeline wasn't particularly forgiving.
Yuuki's eyes drifted toward the moonlit window. Beyond it, the enormous stone faces of the Hokage watched over the village from the mountainside.
Hashirama.
Tobirama.
Hiruzen.
The sight still felt surreal.
He had seen those faces countless times in anime and manga.
Now they were real.
Not pixels.
Not drawings.
Stone.
Massive enough to dominate the landscape.
He swallowed and tightened his fingers around the pencil. "Of all places I could have been reborn..." "Even worse, it's during wartime."
That realization had been one of the first things to truly frighten him.
He knew this world, at least, he knew the version of it that existed in the story. The problem was that knowing the story didn't mean knowing everything that happened between the pages.
And even worse-
The story hadn't started yet.
Naruto wouldn't be born for another nine years.
Which meant that whatever happened next wasn't something he could simply memorize from watching the anime.
He had been given a head start.
But that head start came with a fast approaching expiration date.
Yuuki looked back at the notebook, his expression becoming serious. "I need to get stronger." There was no excitement in his voice now, only seriousness. "If I don't, I might just die in a few years."
His gaze lingered on the pages.
The Third Shinobi World War was still years away from its conclusion.
The Nine-Tails incident was still in the future.
Akatsuki hadn't become the organization he remembered.
Naruto wasn't even born.
So much could change.
And unlike the people he'd watched in the original story, Yuuki didn't have plot armor.
He had no guarantee that the events he remembered would happen exactly the same way.
He didn't even know what his own existence would change.
That thought made him uncomfortable.
Yuuki closed the notebook. "Enough for tonight."
He clicked off the small desk lamp, allowing darkness to settle over the room. "I better rest early. Tomorrow is my first day at the Academy."
He climbed into bed and pulled the blanket over himself.
His mind immediately began running through everything he knew.
Academy.
Training.
Chakra.
Jutsu.
Kakashi.
Obito.
Rin.
The thought of actually meeting characters he had only ever known through fiction sent a small spark of excitement through him.
Then another thought followed.
'I'm actually going to have to interact with them.'
His excitement faded slightly.
"Maybe I should've thought this through more." A quiet laugh escaped him.
There wasn't much he could do now.
Tomorrow was coming whether he was ready for it or not.
Yuuki closed his eyes.
Within minutes, his breathing slowed.
Sleep claimed him.
--The Next Morning--
Yuuki groggily opened his eyes.
For several seconds, he stared blankly at the ceiling.
Then he remembered.
'Academy.'
His eyes immediately snapped toward the window.
The sun hadn't risen yet.
Yuuki sat up. "This should give me enough time to get ready."
He carefully climbed out of bed.
His movements were surprisingly deliberate.
Step...
Step...
Step...
Every movement seemed planned, as though he had mentally rehearsed the morning several times already. Yet despite his careful preparation, the excitement written across his face betrayed him.
Today was different.
Today, he was finally taking his first real step toward becoming a shinobi.
After quickly washing and dressing himself, Yuuki checked his belongings one last time before leaving.
The moment he stepped outside, the cool morning air brushed against his face.
Konohagakure was already beginning to wake.
Shopkeepers lifted shutters and arranged their displays. The smell of freshly prepared food drifted from nearby stalls. Shinobi moved through the streets with practiced efficiency, some carrying equipment, others already wearing their village headbands.
Families walked alongside children heading toward the Academy.
The sight made Yuuki pause for a moment.
Parents adjusted their children's clothes.
Some reminded their kids not to forget their lunches.
Others offered words of encouragement.
Yuuki watched them silently.
He didn't have anyone waiting for him.
He was an orphan.
He had learned that fact only a few days after arriving in this world.
His parents had been shinobi.
Jonin, according to the information he had been given.
They had died during an important mission for the Leaf.
That was all he knew.
He didn't know what the mission was.
He didn't know how they died.
He didn't know what kind of shinobi they had been.
And he certainly didn't know that the truth about them went deeper than the simple title of Jonin.
For now, all Yuuki knew was that they weren't coming back.
The realization had hurt more than he expected.
Even though they were technically the parents of a body he had inherited rather than people he had personally known in his previous life, the memories of this life still carried weight.
There were traces of them everywhere.
A few belongings.
Old photographs.
A kitchen table that had clearly been used by three people rather than one.
Small things.
Ordinary things.
The kind of things that made their absence feel much more real.
Yuuki eventually continued walking.
Being an orphan had its advantages.
Nobody was constantly checking where he went.
Nobody questioned what he was doing.
Nobody demanded explanations.
But those advantages came with an unpleasant reality.
If something happened to him, there was no parent waiting at home to notice.
If he "disappeared", there wouldn't necessarily be anyone asking where he had gone.
Yuuki's expression hardened.
'Another reason to get stronger.'
Soon enough, the Academy came into view.
The grounds were far busier than usual.
Children were being dropped off by their parents, while teachers attempted to maintain some semblance of order.
Yuuki entered the property and looked around.
There were far more students than he had expected.
He found the board displaying the homeroom assignments and squeezed through the crowd until he could read it.
"1-A..." He tilted his head. "Sounds important."
A pair of strangely dressed people nearby were loudly discussing something involving the springtime of youth and training.
Yuuki glanced toward them.
He recognized the pair immediately.
'I'm not getting involved in that.'
He turned away and headed inside.
A map handed out near the entrance helped him find his classroom.
Yuuki slid open the door.
The conversations inside briefly died down.
Dozens of eyes turned toward him.
They weren't looking at him because they were curious.
They were assessing him.
Yuuki understood immediately.
Potential threat? Friend? Weak? Strong?
Children raised in a shinobi village were probably taught to evaluate people from a surprisingly young age.
The scrutiny lasted only a few seconds.
Most students seemed to decide he wasn't particularly interesting and returned to their conversations.
Yuuki exhaled quietly.
'That could've been worse.'
His eyes wandered toward the back of the classroom.
Then stopped.
The legendary protagonist seat.
Except someone had already taken it.
A young boy with silver-gray hair sat there, his attention directed toward the window.
Yuuki recognized him instantly.
'Hatake Kakashi.'
For a moment, Yuuki simply stared.
Not the laid-back jonin who had taught Team Seven.
This was Kakashi before all of that.
A prodigy.
Quiet.
Aloof.
Serious.
Someone who already carried himself differently from the other children.
Kakashi slowly turned his head. "Is there something on my face, or are you going to keep staring?"
Yuuki blinked.
He hadn't realized he'd been staring that long.
He sat down in the empty seat beside him.
"How could I tell if there's something on your face? It's covered by a mask."
Kakashi froze.
His visible eye narrowed slightly.
For a few seconds, neither of them spoke.
Yuuki wondered if he'd just made a mistake.
Then-
"SQUEEEE! KAKASHI'S IN MY CLASS!"
The sudden shriek made Yuuki physically recoil.
A group of girls immediately rushed toward Kakashi's desk.
Yuuki stared at them.
Then at Kakashi.
Then back at them.
'Oh.'
He stood and gestured toward the surrounding desks. "I'll find another seat."
Kakashi's visible eye shifted toward him.
There was something remarkably close to betrayal in that look.
Yuuki ignored it.
'Yeah... I'm not dealing with that.'
He moved several desks away just as the girls surrounded Kakashi.
Kakashi's expression became increasingly irritated.
Yuuki couldn't help but feel slightly amused.
'So even as a kid, he has fans.'
Before he could dwell on it any longer, a loud clap echoed through the classroom.
"All right, everyone! Settle down!"
The children gradually turned toward the front.
A tall man with mid-length brown hair swept back from his face and a neatly trimmed beard stood there with his hands clasped together. "My name is Kazu Satou. I will be your homeroom teacher for the duration of your Academy education. You may address me as Kazu-sensei."
The classroom quieted.
Kazu picked up his attendance sheet. "Now, I'll begin calling attendance. When I call your name, announce your presence."
He began going down the list.
"Hatake Kakashi."
"Here."
"Nohara Rin."
"Here."
"Yuuki Mori."
"Here."
Yuuki listened quietly as the names continued.
Eventually, Kazu reached the final name.
"Uchiha Obito."
Silence.
Kazu glanced toward the door.
Nothing.
He sighed and marked the sheet. "All right. Since he's not here, I'll mark him absent."
The door slammed open.
"I'm here!"
An out-of-breath boy rushed inside. He nearly tripped over his own feet before catching himself and standing upright.
"Sorry I'm late, Sensei! There was an old lady and I obviously couldn't just leave her carrying all those groceries by herself!"
Kazu stared at him.
The boy stared back.
Kazu sighed. "It's fine this time. It's the first day. But don't make a habit of being late. Find yourself a seat."
"Yes, Sensei!"
The boy hurried up the stairs.
Yuuki immediately recognized him.
'Obito Uchiha.'
Obito dropped into the empty seat beside him, still breathing heavily. He leaned closer and whispered, "Psst. You. What's your name?"
Yuuki turned toward him. "I'm Yuuki. Nice to meet you." He extended his hand.
Obito looked at it.
Then his face split into a wide grin.
"Obito!"
He grabbed Yuuki's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "Nice to meet you too!"
Yuuki almost laughed.
'He's exactly how I expected.'
Obito's head snapped toward the front when Kazu called out.
"Obito!"
Obito immediately straightened. "Yes!"
Kazu gave him a suspicious look before continuing.
Yuuki settled into his seat.
The orientation continued.
"Obito, Yuuki, I hope you are paying attention because it's important to understand what your future here at the Academy will look like."
"Yes, Sensei!"
Their voices came out almost simultaneously.
A few students laughed.
Kazu clapped his hands. "All right. That's enough for now. We'll head to the training yard for Hokage-sama's speech. Follow me."
The class rose.
Soon, the hallways filled with students from the other classes.
Yuuki followed the group outside.
The morning sun had finally risen, bathing the village in warm light.
In the center of the courtyard stood a large wooden podium that had clearly been constructed specifically for the occasion.
Standing behind it was a man in his late forties, his dark hair just going gray at the temples, a short goatee neatly trimmed.
Yuuki stopped.
His stomach tightened.
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
The Third Hokage.
He looked younger than the white-bearded old man Yuuki remembered from the story, straight-backed and lean, with nothing frail about him. Yet there was something unmistakable about his presence. It wasn't simply authority. It was power.
Yuuki instinctively felt the difference between himself and the man standing on the podium.
If Hiruzen decided to attack him, Yuuki doubted he'd even understand what happened before it was over.
'Yeah.'
He swallowed.
'I really need to get stronger.'
The classes formed organized groups behind their respective instructors.
Once everyone had settled down, Hiruzen looked across the assembled children.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then he smiled.
"My young shinobi of the Leaf."
The courtyard gradually became silent.
"Every year, I have the honor of standing before the newest generation of students entering our Academy. Every year, I see the same thing."
His gaze traveled across the children.
"I see uncertainty."
Some of the younger students shifted nervously.
"I see excitement."
A few smiled.
"And I see potential."
Hiruzen's expression softened.
"Each of you has been given the opportunity to walk a path that will demand more from you than ordinary people could ever understand. You will study. You will train. You will fail. There will be days when your body aches and days when your confidence does the same."
His voice became firmer.
"There will be moments when you wonder whether you are strong enough."
Yuuki listened carefully.
Hiruzen continued.
"When those moments come, I want you to remember something."
He placed one hand against his chest.
"The strength of a shinobi is not measured solely by how powerful their techniques are."
The courtyard was completely silent now.
"A shinobi's true strength is found in what they choose to protect."
Yuuki's expression changed slightly.
Hiruzen looked toward the village surrounding them.
"This village is more than buildings and stone. It is the people who live within them. The families eating breakfast together. The shopkeepers opening their doors each morning. The children playing in the streets. The shinobi training in this very Academy."
He paused.
"Every person here has someone they care about."
His eyes returned to the students.
"Your parents."
"Your siblings."
"Your friends."
"Your teachers."
"Your neighbors."
"Perhaps even someone you haven't met yet."
A faint smile appeared on Hiruzen's face.
"Those people are the reason the shinobi of the Leaf continue to stand."
His voice carried farther across the courtyard.
"Long ago, those who founded this village understood that hatred could not be the only thing holding people together. A village could survive through fear, but it could never truly flourish through fear alone."
He slowly raised his hand.
"Instead, we chose something else."
"The Will of Fire."
Yuuki felt the words settle over the courtyard.
"The Will of Fire is not simply a phrase that shinobi repeat."
"It is the belief that the people of the Leaf are connected."
"That the older generation has a responsibility to protect and guide the younger."
"And that the younger generation has the responsibility to carry that protection forward when their time comes."
Hiruzen's eyes passed over the children.
"One day, you will become the ones standing where I stand now."
"Some of you may become great shinobi."
"Some may become teachers."
"Some may become leaders."
"Some may choose paths that none of us can predict."
He smiled.
"But whatever path you choose, remember this: you do not walk it alone."
The wind passed through the courtyard.
Several leaves drifted across the ground.
"Your fellow students will become your comrades. Your instructors will become the people who shape your foundation. And the people of this village will depend upon you to protect what generations before you worked so hard to build."
His expression became serious.
"The world beyond these walls can be cruel."
Yuuki's eyes narrowed slightly.
Hiruzen continued.
"There will always be those who seek to take what others have built. There will always be conflict. There will always be people who believe that strength gives them the right to decide the fate of others."
His voice hardened.
"But you will not become shinobi simply so that you can become stronger than them."
"You will become shinobi so that you can stand between those people and the ones who cannot protect themselves."
The words struck Yuuki harder than he expected.
Hiruzen smiled again.
"Your time at the Academy is where that journey begins."
"So study."
"Train."
"Make mistakes."
"Learn from them."
"And when you fall, stand back up."
He looked over the children one final time.
"The flame within each of you is small today."
"But a small flame is not something to be ashamed of."
"With discipline, courage, and the support of those around you, that flame can grow."
"And when your time comes, I hope you will use that fire not to burn the world..."
"But to illuminate the path ahead."
Hiruzen lowered his hand.
"Protect the people beside you."
"Protect the village behind you."
"And when the day comes for you to stand at the front, make sure there is someone behind you who can continue the flame."
His smile returned.
"That is the Will of Fire."
For several seconds, nobody spoke.
Then applause slowly spread through the courtyard.
Yuuki remained quiet. He felt a shiver run down his back.
He had heard variations of the Will of Fire countless times before.
But hearing it spoken by Hiruzen while standing inside the village itself felt different.
It wasn't just dialogue from an anime anymore.
These people were real.
The village was real.
The dangers were real.
And so was the possibility of losing everything.
Yuuki clenched his hand.
'If I'm going to survive in this world...'
His eyes hardened.
'Then I need to become strong enough that I don't have to rely on luck.'
Hiruzen stepped away from the podium.
The speech was over.
The students returned to their classrooms.
Kazu stopped them in the hallway.
"Remember what Hokage-sama said today." His gaze swept across the class. "Those words aren't something you listen to once and immediately forget. The Will of Fire is something you'll hear throughout your time as shinobi. Whether you understand it now or not, you'll eventually learn what it means to you."
He turned toward the classroom. "Now, inside."
Once everyone had settled down, Kazu pointed toward the desks.
"On each of your desks are textbooks and training manuals that you'll be using throughout this semester. Take them home tonight and begin studying."
He tapped the attendance sheet against his palm.
"Tomorrow we'll go over the first chapters of each book, and we'll also hold your first sparring exercise."
The classroom immediately became louder.
"A spar?"
"Already?"
Kazu raised his voice. "Your first spar will be used to establish an initial ranking for the class. Don't worry about winning or losing. I'm more interested in seeing where each of you currently stands."
The students quieted again.
"You are dismissed."
Yuuki gathered the books from his desk.
He could already feel his excitement building.
'Tomorrow.'
He looked down at the manuals.
'My first actual spar.'
He left the Academy with the books tucked beneath one arm.
But instead of heading straight home, he made a detour.
A short distance from his house was a small clearing surrounded by trees.
It was quiet.
Perfect for training.
Yuuki placed the books in the grass.
He picked up the first manual.
"Basics of Hidden Leaf Style Taijutsu."
He opened it.
Inside were diagrams showing different stances, movements, strikes, and basic defensive positions.
Yuuki studied the illustrations.
The movements looked simple.
That was the problem.
They looked simple.
After setting the manual down, Yuuki moved into the first stance.
He raised his fists.
Adjusted his feet.
Shifted his weight.
Then threw a punch.
His balance immediately disappeared.
"Whoa-!"
He hit the ground.
"Oof."
Yuuki remained there for several seconds before pushing himself up and dusting off his clothes.
"Okay." He looked at the diagram again. "That was... less impressive than I expected."
He tried again.
This time he managed three punches.
Then his feet tangled.
He stumbled forward.
"Come on."
He reset his stance.
Again.
And again.
And again.
The afternoon passed.
The sun moved across the sky while Yuuki repeated the same movements until his muscles began to ache.
His punches gradually became straighter.
His stance became more stable.
His breathing became more controlled.
But none of it came easily.
By the time the sun began disappearing behind the trees, sweat had soaked through his clothes.
Yuuki stood with both hands resting on his knees, breathing heavily.
"Wow..." He looked down at his trembling arms. "This really isn't easy, is it?"
He slowly straightened.
The exhaustion was almost overwhelming.
Yet underneath it was something else.
Satisfaction.
He had improved.
Not dramatically.
Not enough to call himself strong.
But he had improved.
Yuuki drew a deep breath.
"I suppose that's enough for tonight."
His eyes suddenly widened.
"The books!"
He spun around.
"I forgot about the books!"
He stared at the pile.
For someone who had spent the entire day worrying about becoming stronger, he'd somehow forgotten the most obvious part of his Academy homework.
Fortunately, Yuuki had one rather unusual solution.
He crouched beside the books and extended one hand.
Black smoke seeped from his palm.
It crawled over the first manual before spreading across the rest.
The books vanished beneath the darkness.
Yuuki's eyes widened as information flooded into his mind.
He staggered.
"Agh..."
His hand immediately went to his forehead.
The sensation was strange.
Not painful exactly.
More like trying to remember thousands of things simultaneously.
Words.
Diagrams.
Instructions.
Concepts.
Everything was being transferred into his mind at once.
After several seconds, the pressure eased.
Yuuki shook his head.
"Okay..." He took a breath.
He glanced at the empty patch of grass where the manuals had been.
He understood the information.
But that didn't mean he'd instantly mastered it.
His brain still needed time to organize everything.
What his ability removed was the tedious process of reading every individual word.
The information could be converted directly into something his mind could comprehend.
But comprehension wasn't mastery.
His body still had to train.
His muscles still had to learn.
And his mind still had to organize what it had absorbed.
Yuuki smiled.
"Still, that's incredibly useful."
He paused.
Then his expression slowly changed.
"Wait."
He looked at the manuals.
"Why didn't I just do this with the taijutsu manual first?"
Silence.
Yuuki stared at the book.
Then rubbed the back of his head.
"Whoops." He laughed awkwardly. "Looks like I got a little carried away."
He shook his head.
"Let's hope that doesn't happen a lot."
Yuuki gathered the remaining scrolls and repeated the process.
Black smoke spread across them.
One by one, the manuals disappeared.
Their information settled inside his mind.
Yuuki stood.
The forest had grown considerably darker.
"I should get home."
Dinner was short.
Yuuki ate quietly, his mind still sorting through the information he had absorbed.
Afterward, he returned to his room.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
For a brief moment, he found himself remembering his parents.
The memories weren't entirely his.
Or perhaps they were.
He still hadn't figured out where the boundary between his previous life and this one truly ended.
He remembered his mother's smile.
His father's voice.
The feeling of sitting at the table while they talked.
Small memories.
Ordinary memories.
Yet they were enough to make the house feel empty.
Yuuki looked toward the window.
Tomorrow would be another day.
Another step.
Another chance to become stronger.
He climbed into bed.
The blanket settled around him.
His eyes slowly closed.
"Just you wait, shinobi world..."
A grin spread across his face.
"I'll completely devour everything you have to offer."
With that, Yuuki drifted into sleep.
Tomorrow, his real journey would begin.
--
AN
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I am far more happier with this version of the first chapter, each time I went through and made the previous ones it seemed Shakey and I couldn't think of any ways to begin the next chapter, however with this it should be alot easier
Don't expect a chapter a day, I am far too busy to do that with my current schedule, however I should be able to produce at least one a week if not a few more. If this gets enough support I will work more on it and create a patreon since that seems to be what most people lead to.
Anyways leave any reviews/criticism in the comments so I know what to improve, thanks for reading!
5073 Words