Something strange happened — it was as if time itself had stopped in that instant.
Rob felt terror creep up his spine as a terrifying sound exploded in his ears like thunder!
[You have been sent to the Naruto World! Completed…]
___
"Are you doing that again? Turn off the Thunder Speaker, it's way too loud in here."
"Hahahahahaha! Look at his face! Talking to him through the Thunder Speaker makes his soul tremble, man! Hahaha!"
"It worked with the first Rob, so why not pull the same trick with the second Rob?"
___
What Rob didn't know was that the majestic voice he heard was nothing but a sound effect—added just for the gods' amusement.
[You have obtained a Special Title: Beginner Mangaka! Completed…]
[Beginner Mangaka: A title that grants its holder the ability to draw manga efficiently and tamper with the world's laws. (Note: This special title can evolve according to the user's progress into levels beyond imagination.)]
As soon as his Title took effect, Rob felt as if he had entered a state of enlightenment. Now he could start creating a manga from the very first chapter to the last and build a complete world—as long as he maintained that surreal feeling the title granted him.
[You wished to be strong… You have obtained a Special Title: The Strongest Man in the World! Completed…]
[The Strongest Man in the World: When activated by the user's will, this title summons a powerful being from another world into the user's body, allowing him to fight with that being's full strength. (Note: After deactivation, the user retains one random ability from the summoned "Strongest Man." The title can only be activated when the user's life is in danger.)]
After the mysterious enlightenment from the first title, the second one made him feel as though he could summon dragons and demon kings with a single thought.
But he knew it was merely an illusion. In short, the moment his life was in danger, the title would act as an anchor—pulling the strongest being from another world (or someone publicly recognized as the strongest) into his body, turning him into a vessel controlled by that entity. Whether power, instincts, battle wisdom, or reckless thoughts—he would inherit them all, randomly.
He learned all this in the blink of an eye and finally understood the true meaning of The Strongest Man in the World.
Rob had no time to put his feelings into words because, in the next moment, the terrifying, thunderous voice came again.
[You have been transferred to a suitable timeline according to your survey preference: Year 51 after the founding of Konohagakure! Completed…!]
The rumbling stopped briefly, allowing Rob to catch his breath.
"Year 51 after Konoha's founding? Isn't there a more precise calendar in this world?"
Then, the divine voice returned:
[You have obtained a Special Ability: Photographic Memory! Completed…]
[Photographic Memory: A major enhancement of the brain, increasing mental efficiency to 200% and turning the mind into a perfectly organized mental library.]
As the ability took effect, Rob's vision dimmed. Then came the sound of shattering glass, and he suddenly found himself in a boundless white space, standing still, wondering what in the hell was happening. In the next moment, countless forgotten memories began resurfacing since the moment he first became conscious.
Forgotten and vague memories alike grew clear. Cabinets appeared from nowhere, filling the endless white space, packed with books that contained his memories.
Rob walked forward and grabbed one book at random. Before he could open it, he froze—because before him stood a man who looked exactly like him, except with red hair and dressed in a traditional male kimono like a Japanese noble. The man had also picked up a book from a shelf and smiled softly.
"So, you're the intruder who took over my body… You kind of look like me."
Rob froze when he heard that.
"I didn't take over anything. I was dragged here against my will, too…" he said, his expression filled with guilt.
"My name is Uzumaki Rubirō. I assume you already know it. Your name's Rob, right, stranger?" said Rubirō, smiling as he flipped through his memory book.
"My name's Rob… but you already know my full name, don't you?" said Rob as he examined his own book.
"Robinson Howard—what a strange name," Rubirō chuckled, putting the book back on the shelf and picking another one.
At that moment, Rob felt something strange as Rubirō began dissolving into particles of light that started merging into him.
"What's happening?" Rob asked in alarm.
"This has already happened. You don't know yet, but we seem to be the same person from different worlds. We share the same soul… Man, I thought I'd die peacefully from that illness—not even the sealing jutsu could suppress it anymore. Who'd have thought I'd live again within myself from another world?"
"Come, take a look at my memories from this damned world. I've already seen yours from that damned modern one. At least yours was more civilized than the one you'll live in from now on."
Rubirō's consciousness faded into light shards and merged completely with Rob's, confirming that they were indeed the same person from different worlds.
Rob did as Rubirō told him, calmly accepting his memories.
…
He woke from his daze, realizing that tears were streaming down his face. Regaining Robinson's buried memories made him relive every painful moment—especially the tragedy of his parents' death when he was nine, which had sent him to an orphanage.
Rubirō hadn't lived happily either; he had lost his entire clan during the destruction of Uzushiogakure. His parents, among the few survivors, fled to Konoha—only to die later as Konoha ninjas. It seemed Rubirō himself would have died too, if not for Rob's arrival in his body, which triggered a chain of ongoing miracles.
Rob wiped his tears and put on a firm expression. Whether on Earth or in the ninja world, he had always lived in the shadows… but now it was time to step into the light and live by his own rules.
A single ability had refined the core of his once-fragile personality. Now Rob truly understood—he wasn't dreaming. He had left the prison behind for real… and as Rubirō, he had pulled his neck away from the Shinigami's guillotine.
"What comes next?" Rob stood up and looked toward the sky, as if gazing directly at the members of the divine network.
The answer came immediately:
[You have obtained a Special Ability: Paper Manipulation! Completed…]
[Paper Manipulation (Highest Level): Allows the user to create paper from nothing as if by magic, shaping and transforming it according to their will and imagination. (Note: Consumes energy sources—physical strength, chakra, or any type of energy.)]
Rob looked at his sleeve, which turned into soft white paper at his will. Then he wished his arm to become a sharp paper sword—and it transformed easily.
He tried to slash a nearby tree but stopped, touching the blade's edge. It wasn't sharp enough, and it felt too flexible—nothing like a real sword.
"Perhaps the right kind of paper could be sharper than steel… I'll need to learn from an experienced ninja before experimenting."
Rob deactivated his ability and braced himself for the thunderous voice again—it seemed to come every 60 seconds.
[You have obtained: The Art Publishing System! Completed…]