A strange hum vibrated in the air—a sensation that prickled at the back of Ryo's neck as though the very fabric of reality was stretching, about to tear apart. It had been a long day. Or was it weeks? Ryo couldn't remember. He had been drifting in and out of consciousness for what seemed like an eternity.
One moment, he had been sitting in his small, cluttered apartment, the noise of his noisy city outside muffling into the background. The next, there was a light—a crack, a blinding flash, and a feeling of being pulled through time and space itself. The sensation was nauseating. His stomach churned as if it were made of liquid, and then—nothing.
The nothingness was brief, but the disorientation left a heavy weight on his chest.
"System?"
The word escaped Ryo's lips before he could stop it, more out of habit than a conscious thought. The word "system" had become second nature to him, as had the other strange phenomena he'd encountered before his reality shattered. The little things, the unexplainable glitches in his life, the knowledge he'd gained far too easily in the past—he had begun to suspect that something bigger was at play.
And now, it seemed, his suspicion had proved true. The flash of light, the eerie hum, and the sudden loss of his sense of space had led him here.
"System?" he repeated, but there was no immediate response. Instead, Ryo was only greeted by the crisp scent of pinewood and earth. He squinted against the sunlight that filtered through the canopy above, casting dappled patterns across the ground. Birds chirped overhead, their cries echoing in the distance.
The forest was alive with sounds, but everything felt… wrong. The air was thick with a certain energy—like magic, but unfamiliar.
He slowly rose to his feet, trying to make sense of his surroundings. The trees towered above him, each one an ancient sentinel guarding some secret. The earth beneath his boots was soft, but the ground felt oddly firm, as though it had been trodden on for centuries.
"Where the hell am I?" Ryo muttered, a chill crawling down his spine.
{Calculating Location… System Identified: Entering the World of Naruto. Welcome, User.}
The words appeared in his mind, cold and abrupt. He froze.
"Wait… what?" His voice cracked slightly as he looked around again as if expecting the trees to suddenly spring to life and answer him. "Did you just say—?"
{System: Entering World of Naruto. World Characteristics: Ninja, Chakra, Time Travel Detected.}
His mind spun with the implications. The world of Naruto? The anime? This was impossible. There was no way. His life had been normal, just a guy trying to make his way in a world that didn't care. Yet, here he was, thrust into a world he had only ever experienced through a screen.
Ryo staggered back, the sense of unreality making his stomach churn again. His breath quickened, and his heart pounded in his chest.
"Okay," he muttered to himself, feeling the slight tremor in his voice. "Okay. This is fine. I'm just dreaming. I've… I've got to be dreaming."
The system was quiet for a moment, and then it chimed in again.
{Affirmative. Simulation Theory is Correct. However, the User is Currently in a Fully Real World Environment.}
Ryo blinked. "Wait, wait, wait. What do you mean fully real? You mean I'm not dreaming?"
{Affirmative. This is a real-world environment, the same world where Naruto Uzumaki resides. The simulation has already begun.}
A sudden sense of vertigo hit him, the words reverberating in his mind. Ryo dropped to his knees, his hands shaking. The weight of the revelation was almost too much to bear.
"Okay, okay, okay," Ryo muttered under his breath, trying to keep calm. "So this isn't a dream. It's not a game. I'm here, in a world where ninjas exist."
The gravity of the situation hit him hard. He had watched the Naruto series countless times. He knew the plot, the characters, the jutsus. This wasn't just any anime—this was a world that existed, a place that had its own set of rules and dangers. And now, Ryo was part of it.
{Welcome to the Multiverse, User. You have been granted the Ultimate Multiverse System™.}
The system's voice rang out again, making him snap his head toward the space in front of him. The air shimmered slightly, and suddenly, floating in the space before him was a translucent screen. It was almost like a menu, but this one wasn't asking him to pick his character class or decide if he wanted to be a mage or warrior. No. This screen was giving him something else entirely.
SYSTEM MENU:
Abilities: Instant Mastery: Instantly master any skill you are exposed to.Instant Max Level: Reach the highest level in any ability or skill without effort.Multiversal Traveler: Travel between worlds (locked).Universal Store: Access items, techniques, and abilities. (Currency: Unknown)
Ryo blinked, feeling his heart skip a beat. His head was spinning, his hands trembling as he hovered his fingers over the floating interface. He could feel the power radiating from the system like a warm hum under his skin. This was… This was too much. Too much for anyone to handle, let alone someone like him—just a guy with no special talents, no extraordinary abilities.
But now, apparently, he had everything.
"Instant Mastery?" he whispered. "Instant Max Level? So, wait, I can just… instantly master anything? Every jutsu? Every ninja technique?"
{Correct. However, as with all things of great power, there are consequences. The more you use your abilities, the more you risk disrupting the fabric of reality itself. Proceed with caution.}
Ryo let out a long, shaky breath. The warning seemed almost… too convenient.
"I'm in Naruto's world, with god-like powers. You're telling me I have to be careful?" he said, exhaling in disbelief. "What am I, a hero? A villain? Some kind of cosmic entity?"
{That is for you to determine, User. The world is vast, and your powers are limitless.}
"Alright," Ryo said with a dry laugh. "Let's see what I'm working with."
He stood up, his mind racing. Around him, the forest remained eerily quiet, as though it too was waiting for him to make the next move.
He closed his eyes for a moment and concentrated. A fleeting thought passed through his mind—what if he could just learn the basic ninja skills first? He'd seen enough of the series to know that he didn't need to waste time with basic moves. His fingers twitched, and the world around him shifted. A deep surge of knowledge flooded his mind, as though he'd lived a thousand lifetimes learning every jutsu, every stance, every hand seal.
{Skill Acquired: Chakra Control. Mastery Level: MAX.}
He blinked. It was done. He felt the chakra flow within him, controlled, precise—like he'd always known how to harness it.
Ryo grinned. This was insane.
"Okay," he said aloud, testing the power in his hands. "Let's try this out. Fireball Jutsu." He formed the familiar hand seals he'd seen in the anime.
The flames that erupted from his mouth were enormous—far larger than what any beginner should be able to produce. He barely flinched as the fireball soared into the distance.
{Skill Acquired: Fireball Jutsu. Mastery Level: MAX.}
The heat from the blast lingered in the air as the forest around him crackled with the energy. Ryo stood there, a wide grin plastered across his face. "This is going to be fun."
And just like that, the world of Naruto was no longer just a television show to him. It was his new reality.
But as he looked up at the sky, something nagged at the back of his mind. This wasn't just a game. Not anymore. The time loop, the powers, the very reality around him all felt like unraveling at the edges.
He would soon discover just how deep the mystery went—and how far his powers could reach before becoming a danger to the world itself.