The heavy sludge clung to his consciousness, a brief melancholy lingering as time and space blurred into confusion. Yet, in a moment's struggle, the scene had completely transformed.
Under the soft glow of incandescent light, Logan tilted his head as he felt his breathing. The wall with modern craftsmanship stood there, with wallpaper, anime posters, and the apartment complex outside the half-drawn curtains.
His feet were no longer on a tree trunk, and the damp, oppressive atmosphere of the Forest of Death felt like a dream. A car horn penetrated into the room through the window glass.
"Hey, move your electric scooter..."
"With that much space, you can't just go through it?"
There was a slight dispute between residents in the community, and their familiar English language bring a sense of normalcy to Logan. A few seconds later, the sound of wheels rolling away and the low hum of an engine solidified Logan's heartbeat.
'I'm back again.'
Taking off his fox mask, Logan let out a long breath. The awareness of crossing between worlds still disoriented him, but it was soon replaced by the joy of drinking water after a long drought.
The reality dawned on him, bringing anxiety, fear and even hope.
The large monitor on the desk was locked in a black screensaver, the blue indicator light on the computer flashing. Logan glanced at the clock on the wall, which read six o'clock in the evening.
Looking through his memories, the different time spans between worlds made life feel unfamiliar. Logan remembered that he must have just had dinner when he was waiting for the new update of the manga.
In mythology, one day in heaven equated to a year on earth. He had added six more years to his life as a Ninja from this short time. How would that reflect on the black-and-white pages?
Rubbing his face, Logan decided not to dwell on unnecessary thoughts. After sorting out his mood, he took off the Ninja bag on his back. The Jonin Vest on his body was considered a Chuuni attire. It would be embarrassing if someone were to take a photo of him and he becomes an Internet celebrity. Logan prided himself on being mainstream handsome, not the eccentric kind.
After changing into ordinary clothes, Logan did not throw away his Jonin Vest like he did the first time he returned to this world. If his hypothesis was correct, he will have to change into these clothes to blend into that world for the new chapter in a week.
As for the Naruto World, will he appear in the Forest of Death after seven days like before... Logan felt troubled. There were too many difficulties. And before they were solved, he could only adapt to the environment.
"Logan, come down and have some watermelon!"
A gentle but impolite female voice came from the corridor. It was Logan's mother, Amanda.
Hearing the voices of his relatives, Logan suppressed his mood, looked at the computer with the screensaver on, and shouted back: "Mom, I'm not eating!"
The response was the usual double barrage, "Not eating watermelon, just staying in your room after dinner..."
"A high school student still a child, watching anime..."
"Hey, stop it, forget it, don't bother."
Amanda's nagging was accompanied by Logan's dad, Frank's firm agreement and distraction. Most of the whispers were not heard clearly. Yu Logan smiled, and at this time, he decided not to use his senses to listen.
Logan sat in front of the computer with a serious face, moved the mouse, and minimized a website in the taskbar.
Six years ago, or maybe just ten minutes ago, what he was opening was the official website of 'Naruto'.
"Next, let's take a look at the updates of 'this week'..." Logan's eyes deepened, "What has the so-called manga depicted?"
He navigated to the serial column and refreshed the page Sure enough, clear black-and-white pages appeared.
Before the serial update, he had been sent back to the Naruto World. And now he comes back, there's an update of the manga. In other words, the latest chapter every week reflected what he had experienced, with the story's presentation altered by his presence.
Logan focused on scrolling the mouse wheel. He could see very quickly. His improved skills brought unity of mind and spirit, and the freshly released untranslated Japanese posed no problem for him.
'There's nothing noteworthy in this issue...' Logan frowned as he read. This chapter largely skipped the time from Konoha's Year 54 to Year 60. He was hiding deep in the world of black and white paper, and he hadn't yet appeared prominently in the protagonist's perspective. This chapter mainly talks about Naruto's lonely life and being rejected by the villagers, and the events leading up to the Ninja Academy's graduation exam.
In the graduation exam, Naruto passed the Transformation Technique and Body Replacement Technique. After all, he was a man who could create Sexy Technique, an ideal and bold experimental technique. However, he failed completely in the Clone Technique. His Chakra control was so erratic that what he produced was essentially a gray, pixelated blob.
Afterward, everyone knew what happened. Mizuki encouraged Naruto, the child of destiny, to steal the Scroll of Seals unreasonably. And then, Mizuki also fulfilled his role as a stepping stone for the protagonist's growth. He not only deepened the bond between Naruto and Iruka, but also enabled Naruto to learn the Shadow Clone Technique, ultimately earning his forehead protector. It can be said that Mizuki is a very diligent villain.
"Naruto, congratulations on graduating!"
The dialogue box showed bold words and a close-up of Naruto's stunned expression... and in the background, a barely noticeable figure jumped into view. The fox mask obscured his expression, but behind this first arrival, other Ninja were seen jumping in, resembling a group of 'police' arriving after the incident to clean up the aftermath.
"To be continued."
Logan stared at the final page for a long time, seeing he had been drawn into this frame.
This cemented the fact that he was now part of the manga. The Chakra he felt within his body and the battle techniques ready to emerge at his command...
The shouts of exertion, the will embodied in countless kunai throws, the Ninja Villages, the quiet moonlit nights… doubts arise again and again. What is the Ninja World, and where did he, straddling both worlds, fit in?
The night should be dimmer, but the city lights extended layer upon layer. Modern nightlife was just getting warmed up. In the cool early autumn night, the elderly were taking walks, and a lot of people were gathering in parks to start their routines.
After closing the webpage, Logan stood in front of the window. The streetlights formed an endless chain, converging into a dazzling array in the heart of Fresno City.
'The future was looming, but what would tomorrow bring?'
"Logan, don't stay up too late, you still have to get up early to go to school tomorrow!" His mother's simple words from downstairs shattered his thoughts.
'Well, I have to go to school tomorrow.'
Logan rubbed his forehead in exasperation. Honestly, given his situation, academics had fallen way down his priority list. But how should he adapt? People live within society, and he was not alone in the modern world. Making choices that didn't fit his student identity would affect many aspects of his life. Could he just throw on a backpack and go on a trip on a whim?
The truth itself wasn't important, he wants to live a good life through it. The warmth from his parents, three years of high school, skyscrapers, traffic, the ebb and flow of youth with its laziness and energy, and the potential for beautiful romance.
Ah, that last one wasn't implying he was feeling miserable about being single.
Therefore, many things passed by in a flash in life, but they were all precious things. Logan wanted to hold onto them instead of sinking in the endless training and battles.
He needed to go to Japan, it was his only lead. But not in a rash and reckless manner.
Lastly, he had no money.