As the world of Naruto fused with the Marvel universe, space itself began to tremble.
"A new world…"
Senju Haruto clenched his fists, bracing himself for the journey into Marvel's reality.
But what caught him off guard was how simple the process was. He had expected a long, unstable fusion, maybe even something dangerous. After all, he couldn't be certain which version of Marvel's universe they had entered—was it the cinematic universe, or the comics? And what about the timeline?
Yet the spatial turbulence came quickly—and vanished just as fast. In just a few breaths, it was over. Night turned into day.
The sudden transformation left everyone stunned, bewildered, and at a loss. Everyone except Haruto. He was the only one who understood what was happening.
Of course, he had no intention of revealing the truth. His sign-in system was the foundation of his survival. The fewer people who knew, the safer he was.
"Was this your doing?" Kaguya's pale eyes swept across the land. As the progenitor of chakra, her spiritual power was vast, and her Byakugan made it easy to notice anomalies.
"No," Haruto shook his head. And indeed, it hadn't been his doing—but the system's.
The moment the fusion completed, the familiar voice of his assistant chimed in his ears:
First Sign-In Mission in the Marvel World released!
Destination: Kamar-Taj!
Complete the sign-in to receive your reward!
"Kamar-Taj?" Haruto frowned. Before crossing over, he had read Naruto—but he had also watched plenty of Marvel films. There was no way he didn't know the name.
What surprised him was that his very first sign-in task was a high-difficulty opener.
Kamar-Taj was famous in both the comics and films. The hidden sanctuary in the Himalayas was home to the Sorcerer Supreme, the Ancient One. On the surface, it was just a small, unremarkable village. But with the rise of the Ancient One, it became one of the most legendary sanctums in Marvel. Countless disciples lived and trained there—even Stephen Strange himself had studied magic within its walls.
But above all—there was the Ancient One. Her power was terrifying. Haruto had already considered her as a future opponent, and anyone who knew Marvel knew she was no ordinary figure.
"So the very first sign-in mission… is to confront the Ancient One, huh?" Haruto muttered. "Well, that's fine too."
He didn't immediately set out for Kamar-Taj. Right now, the people of the Land of Fire—and all shinobi—were shaken to their core. They needed reassurance.
With that thought, Haruto descended from the sky. Kaguya hesitated a moment before following. She had no idea how to handle this sudden upheaval either.
"Haruto."
"Lord Hokage!"
"Big Brother Haruto!"
The moment he touched down, the others rushed to surround him, desperate for answers.
After all, how could anyone pretend nothing had happened when the night sky had suddenly turned to day?
"It seems something unusual has occurred," Haruto began, carefully choosing his words. "Perhaps it's related to Kaguya's revival. Our world has… fused with another."
"In other words, we seem to have crossed into an entirely different world."
His explanation, though half a fabrication, was enough to shock everyone into silence.
"This sudden change has nothing to do with me," Kaguya murmured softly, trying to distance herself from the catastrophe.
But her words held little weight. Faced with such a being, the shinobi instinctively chose to believe Haruto instead. And when they glanced at Kaguya, the oppressive aura she radiated made them all tense, treating her as an enemy.
Noticing their hostility, Kaguya fell quiet. It had always been this way, in the ancient past or now—no one had ever trusted her. Not her people. Not even her own children.
Only lies. Only betrayal.
And once again, she could feel that same rejection in the eyes of these shinobi. If it weren't for Haruto's Yin–Yang powers, she might have already turned them all into White Zetsu.
"For now, don't act rashly," Haruto said firmly. "Yes, it seems our world has fused with another—but until we understand the situation, we cannot risk unnecessary conflict."
"More importantly, we don't yet know the power level of this world's inhabitants."
Though he spoke with great seriousness, Haruto had already scouted the truth with his own senses. Not just the Land of Fire, but the Lands of Wind, Lightning, and Earth had all merged as well. The entire shinobi continent was here.
Fortunately, their continent hadn't overlapped with any of the major nations of this world. Instead, it now floated as an isolated landmass in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. A fortunate starting position.
"I'll go gather intelligence about this world myself," Haruto said after a pause, turning to Kakashi.
As a traveler, Haruto already knew Marvel inside and out. But he needed an excuse to head to Kamar-Taj and complete his sign-in.
"Kakashi, until I return, the affairs of the Land of Fire are in your hands. Also—contact the Tsuchikage and Raikage. Convene a three-Kage summit. This is an unprecedented upheaval. We need to unite every force we can."
"I understand." Kakashi nodded firmly.
Haruto then turned to Jiraiya. "And you can bring back Tsunade, can't you?"
"Tsunade…" Hearing her name again after so long, Jiraiya felt a pang of nostalgia. But in the end, he nodded. He would find her.
After giving out more instructions, Haruto created Wood-Style clones and sent them to the borders of the continent in the four directions. Their task was to erect the Four Crimson Ray Formation and shield the Land of Fire from foreign intrusion.
No matter what, he first needed to clarify the timeline—whether this was the film universe or the comic universe.
Just as he prepared to leap toward Kamar-Taj, Kaguya suddenly moved to follow him.
"…Hm?" Haruto glanced at her, confused.
"They don't like me," Kaguya said quietly, her expression unreadable. "So I'd rather stay with you."
Haruto frowned. Why… did that sound so much like a sulking child?