When Rob saw that his idea had been accepted, he exhaled in relief—but that feeling quickly turned into anger again. Those bastards were clearly toying with him, taking advantage of his crushing boredom inside this cell.
To Rob, this bizarre survey looked like nothing more than a prank by the prison guards. Given his past as a dangerous hacker and his hobby of reading manga, using something like this to mess with him seemed just their style.
What Rob didn't know, however, was that the ones playing with him weren't the prison guards… but actual gods.
"What do we have now?"
The small screen flickered again, and a new question appeared on the survey:
[Do you want to be strong from the start, grow from weak to strong, or just be a filler character with no power?]
This time, it seemed the survey was giving him the chance to choose the kind of fate he wanted. The question felt much deeper than it appeared at first glance.
Rob froze like a statue, lost in thought about his current situation.
What was his current situation, anyway?
Locked in a cell barely five square meters wide, waiting for a death sentence—even though officially he was supposed to be released in twenty years. But he knew the truth: those powerful families controlling the world from the shadows would never allow him to live that long.
What did that mean?
"Weak… too weak…"
Rob clenched his fists tightly. He hated the fact that he was powerless—unable to protect his freedom, unable to defend his own life. How had he ended up like this?
Before realizing it, his fingers typed on the screen:
{Strong from the start.}
In another timeline, he had made the same choice—but that time, it came from a childish desire for power, from a man who hadn't yet lost his freedom. This time, it was different. This Rob wanted overwhelming strength, enough to keep every possible threat under control. Both versions of him thought the survey was just a joke… but something deep inside this Rob whispered that something incredible would happen if he kept answering.
He relaxed a little when his answer was accepted, and then the fourth question appeared:
[Which era would you like to be sent to?]
Rob thought for a moment before replying:
{A few years before the Third Ninja War.}
To him, that was the perfect time to appear in the Naruto world. The Fourth Hokage would be around eighteen or nineteen years old, and most of the famous figures would still be alive—the White Fang of Konoha, the full Uchiha clan, even Itachi, Shisui, Obito, Rin, and Kakashi were still kids or yet to be born.
The screen flickered again, then stabilized, accepting his answer. Then came the fifth question:
[Would you like a random reincarnation or a specific one?]
"Wait… seriously? Can I actually become anyone in the Naruto world!?"
It was as if his question had reached the gods directly, for the response came instantly:
[Of course not! There are specific characters you can play, but you'll have to rely on luck to get one. If you choose an unavailable character, your survey will be rejected. Think carefully—or choose random reincarnation.]
For the first time, the survey responded directly to his words instead of showing preset questions. Rob was genuinely surprised, sinking into deep thought.
He didn't want to get involved in deadly conflicts. What if he chose random reincarnation and ended up as a member of the Uchiha clan just one day before Itachi's massacre?
He didn't realize the divine network's members were watching and laughing hysterically at that thought.
"Alright, I'll choose…"
{As long as it's in Konoha, I don't mind if it's random.}
Rob didn't want to risk getting the survey rejected. Leaving it to fate felt like the safer bet.
He sighed in relief when his answer was accepted, but then came the sixth question—one that left him speechless:
[If you were given the chance to wish for four abilities that could help you achieve your ultimate goal, what would they be?]
Right. His ultimate goal was to draw a Naruto manga inside the Naruto world… but he hadn't yet thought about how he would do that, had he?
Rob swallowed hard. His analytical brain, dormant for six months, began to spin again.
"I'll need a lot of things… but only four wishes. I'll have to narrow it down to what's truly essential…"
For a moment, Rob forgot that this survey might just be a prank and began seriously considering which abilities would best help him create manga in a ninja world.
"Can I pick abilities from any fiction, or am I limited to Naruto's universe?" he asked, the most important question so far.
[Ask for whatever you want, Rob. You've earned it.]
Rob didn't know why, but he could feel a strange warmth in those words—something almost affectionate. He wouldn't hesitate any longer.
{Photographic memory.
A supernatural ability to shape and control paper according to my imagination.
A high-level system that helps me publish my manga worldwide and includes a shop system.
And finally, legendary drawing skills.}
Rob chuckled internally at the thought of combining such powers—drawing mastery and paper manipulation—an unstoppable combo. If this turned out to be real, he would be invincible from the start. But above all, these powers perfectly served his main purpose: to create manga quickly, efficiently, and at the highest quality.
The reply didn't take long to appear. A final line formed on the glowing screen:
[Your survey has been accepted.
Thank you for your fascinating idea.
We wish you an enjoyable new journey, Rob—go forth and entertain us, Our King of Manga!]
"Huh? What the…?"
Before he could process the words, a small black orb appeared in the air above the screen. It grew larger and larger until it became a swirling void—something like a wormhole.
"Arg—"
Before Rob could even scream, he was swallowed by the vortex and vanished.
The cell fell silent—completely empty.
It was as if everything that had happened was just an illusion.
Moments later, sirens began to blare, and guards flooded the corridor.
…
Decades passed after the mysterious disappearance of the federal prisoner from his high-security cell. The case remained an unsolved mystery to this day.
…
Rob slowly opened his eyes. His vision returned bit by bit, and the pounding headache that felt like his skull would burst began to fade.
The first things he noticed were the lush greenery, the clear blue sky, the fresh air, and the tree shading him as he leaned quietly against it.
An unbelievable thought flashed through Rob's mind—could that survey have been real? Even if he wanted to believe it, he couldn't simply accept that this wasn't a dream.
Especially when he looked up and saw a familiar mountain—one carved with three faces:
The First Hokage.
The Second Hokage.
The Third Hokage.
"I'm dreaming… right?"
But before he could pinch himself to confirm it, a searing pain hit his head, and strange memories—memories that weren't his—flooded into his mind. He immediately knew they weren't his, because clearly—this wasn't his life.
"I…!? I'm Uzumaki Rubirō. No—I'm Rob! I was a prisoner about to die… what's happening? Why am I a young man from the remnants of the Uzumaki clan!?"
Rob—or Rubirō—sat there trying to process everything. Seconds passed, but nothing changed. Everything still felt overwhelmingly surreal.
Then, a strange voice resonated within him, shaking him to his core:
[The Network of Interesting Dreams congratulates you on your successful dimensional transfer!]
[The promised rewards will be delivered shortly. Please find a quiet place and avoid any disturbances.]
In that moment, Rob felt a powerful sense of déjà vu—but this time, it was clearer, sharper. It was as if he had lived through this before. He could even smell the scent of the sea… despite there being no ocean anywhere nearby.
A mysterious aura enveloped Rob, severing his link with reality and dulling his sense of connection to his previous life.
Right then, Rob had only one thought left—
What the hell is going on!?