In a white void, sat two cushioned seats, with a low table between them. The cushions were impossibly soft and comforting. The table's craftsmanship was incredible and of the highest quality. In one of the cushioned seats sat a young man. He wore thick glasses and a teal school uniform. Sandy brown hair clutched his eyes, causing him to brush the hair away. He sat, shocked, staring at the middle-aged man in a full suit of bright peach-and-white clothing. The middle-aged man stuck out his hand, his gnarled brows furrowed, and his mouth twisted into a sheepish frown. He seemed to pulse with energy, which gave the older man a powerful aura despite his meek appearance.
"Matthew, I'm so sorry! A stray business underworld shuttle hit and killed you. It was an accident that should have never happened. It's truly my blunder," The older man said. His voice dripped with regret and disdain, yet the young man was distracted by something completely different.
"Excuse me? You have a special abbreviation for a bus? I got hit by a Divine Bus?" Matthew sat in pure shock. He recounted his last moments alive. He was sitting in a taxi, watching the Boruto movie as his brain soaked in the nostalgia. His childhood heroes, grown up and fighting gods toe-to-toe, filled Matthew with hope. He gripped his phone, nodding along as the Hokage Naruto and his destined rival Sasuke battled together. In some ways, Matthew was jealous of them. Their powers and drive to be noble heroes and protect their village and others were inspiring. But more than that, he was jealous of their freedom.
As the movie went on, Matthew felt the taxi slow to a stop and turn off. His gaze lifted towards the window. If regular anxiety was a pit in the stomach, Matthew felt a canyon. All he saw, inches from the window, was the lights and grill of a bus.
The memory flashed into mind as Matthew stared at the downtrodden man in front of him. "Who are you exactly?"
The man, as if waiting for this question, was already low in a bow by the end of the question. "I'm many things: Allah, the one above all, big G-o-d. I'm the god of all creation. The creator of your creator."
Matthew stared at the man absentmindedly, letting the information echo in his mind. "God huh? . . . God huh? God? HUH?" Recognition dawned in Matthew's eyes. "I- you're actually- man, atheists would hate seeing you right now, huh?"
"You were caught up in a freak accident that caused a B.U.S to fall off the Divine Highway. It ran around on your world and obliterated the area around it." The One Above All sheepishly looked to the ground. Matthew couldn't help but think that the god looked more like a child who had gotten caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"Well, man, that's actually a real tragedy. How many, well, you know." Matthew hung his head in contemplative silence. He may not have known them, but he figured he should show respect either way.
God looked past Matthew's face while they answered, "Well, that's the good news!" God started, "It was only one casualty, and I've already undone the damage to the world." Matthew smiled at the rapidly paling God, a chill settling between them. God continued rapidly, "And you're here because I've decided to give you consolation for the trouble!"
Matthew's calm, unblinking gaze settled on the trembling god before him, the smile still frozen on his face. It didn't take a rocket scientist to know that Matthew was somehow the only casualty in this accident. "Go on, sir. Please continue"
The God rubbed his hands together, occasionally rubbing one on his suit jacket. "I've decided to let you inhabit a world of your choosing." With a gesture, hundreds of screens lit up the nearly empty expanse. Some contained fantastical creatures and magics of an enthralling level; others had futuristic-looking mechs and exotic alien types. "I will also give you a random skill that will help you in your second life and set you on the right path!"
Flashes of Matthew's last moments went through his mind, and the corner of his lips curled up in excitement. "When you say worlds, are fictional worlds included?"
God paused, seemingly focusing on Matthew's face intensely. "Ah, so Masashi Kishimoto's Ninja world, Naruto." With a snap, a screen popped into existence. A familiar blonde streaked across the screen, followed by A black-haired man and a pink-haired woman. Matthew's eyes lit up, and his mouth sat agape in admiration. "Listen, young Matthew, this world will be independent from the Naruto on Earth. These people will be- no. They already are very real; your decisions matter, and it will be nothing like the anime or manga that you would be familiar with from the point of your creation in that world onwards."
Matthew's face dimmed a little. Sure, Naruto is a fantastical place with powers and lush forests and more, but it was also endlessly dangerous. It would be a miracle if anyone lived into old age, let alone adulthood. Matthew refocused on the screen. Naruto and Sasuke were now fighting each other in the Valley of the End. Their intense emotions and ambitions lay out in the open. The battle was at its peak, and the screams of effort echoed softly through the space. Matthew couldn't help it; he clutched his chest as he smiled as he viewed the fight. He had the opportunity to meet them. To meet the most cherished figures in his life. To even learn from them.
Resolute with his decision, Matthew turned to God. "I like that look in your eyes," God said. Pushing the excess screens aside, another gesture summoned a wheel of skills that crashed down from the sky, causing a yelp to leave Matthew's lips. In stride, God began his spiel, "Matthew, you will press the button that I give you, which will cause this wheel to spin. Whatever it stops on is the skill that will assist you in your second life. Whenever you are ready," God's smile was unnerving as a button floated up to Matthew. He stared at the button and, with a deep breath, he thumbed the button and started the wheel.
Click click click
The wheel ticked on passing amazing abilities that would make Matthew's new life that much easier. Hashirama cells, Otsusuki lineage, Jinchuriki, the list went on and on.
Click click click
The wheel started to slow, passing over the Sharingan and landing on Chakra God. Matthew, while confused, was excited about the potential of a skill with a cool title like that. He was practically bouncing in his seat while asking, "So? What does it do? The skill I mean?"
God wiped the wheel out of existence before answering, "Chakra God is essentially an assistant for anything chakra-related." God, now comfortable with the decisions made, conjured up a chair and lazily sat in it. "Any other complaints before I send you off, young Matthew? Last chances and all that."
Matthew scoffed in response, "Of course I have more requests. You know, I have thought about becoming a ninja since I was a kid. Hell yeah, I have specifics!" God rolled his eyes, then brought up a mini keyboard and motioned for Matthew to begin. "Number one, I want to be able to be a sage but not a toad or a snake sage. I always thought it was dumb that those were the only sage types shown. Number two, I would like to be in Boruto's time. I haven't watched his series yet, but being able to fight with or against my favorite characters' kids? Hell yeah! Number three, please start my consciousness at the beginning of my ninja academy days. I don't want to have to deal with learning the basics of basics. I'm lazy, so sue me. Number four, place me in a random village at your discretion, but also please make me an orphan with assistance from the kage of whatever village I am in. It's doable with the ninja war being within a decade." God looked up from his interface as if to say something, "I don't want to talk about why I want a lack of parents." With a firm nod, God carried on, "And lastly, Number 5, Thank you for doing this for me. I know you didn't have to, but I do appreciate it. You're making my childhood dream come true. You're an alright guy," Matthew chuckled to God, getting bashful at the end of his list of demands.
A warm smile spread onto God's face, loading the last of the requests into the custom Naruto world. "This is farewell, young man. Live your second life with pride. Be the person you were meant to be!" With a wave of his hand, Matthew disappeared from the space, leaving the well-dressed deity with their thoughts. With a final chuckle, the last thing the void heard was "I hope the extra present that I gave him aids him in the future."