Kaiden Mizuno's first conscious thought after waking was confusion. The sound of waves lapping against the shore, the cries of distant birds, and the salty tang in the air were far removed from the sterile, humming hospital room he remembered before his death.
Pushing himself up, Kaiden blinked against the sunlight, his mind sluggishly processing the strange, vivid clarity of his surroundings. A rugged coastline stretched before him, lined with small wooden stilt houses and fishing boats. Behind him, dense woods swayed gently in the breeze. But the most startling revelation wasn't the unfamiliar environment—it was the window-like screen hovering in front of him.
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[Multiversal Aquarium System Activated]
Welcome, Kaiden Mizuno. You have been chosen to nurture and protect aquatic life from across dimensions. Establish a sanctuary, and your rewards will follow.
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The words made little sense to Kaiden at first. Was this some sort of hallucination? A fever dream? But as he stood, the vividness of the environment and the tug of something deep within told him otherwise.
"Chosen?" he murmured, his voice hoarse.
Experimenting with the strange interface, Kaiden discovered a starter package within the system: a glowing fishing rod, a small glass aquarium, and a handbook filled with indecipherable symbols. As he touched the fishing rod, intricate runes on its surface lit up, sending a pulse of warmth through his hand.
"Well, this isn't Earth," Kaiden muttered, trying to piece together his situation. A quick exploration of the village confirmed his suspicion—he wasn't just anywhere. He was in the Naruto world, a fictional universe he had only known as a series of stories. And this... was the Land of Waves.
The days that followed were filled with survival. Kaiden adapted quickly, using his system to catch strange, shimmering fish that thrived in his aquarium after they were captured. They were not just creatures but companions, each possessing unique properties and from famous franchises. An Alomomola from the Pokemon franchise healed small cuts when touched, and the Voidscale Guppy shimmered and disappeared entirely when startled. Slowly, Kaiden turned his newfound powers into a livelihood, selling fish and seafood to the villagers.
But one stormy night, his quiet life took a sharp turn.
Kaiden woke to frantic knocking on his door. When he opened it, he turned his head left and right seeing no one. Kaiden then looked down and was greeted by a heart-wrenching sight: a small baby, no more than a few months old, wrapped in a worn blanket.
A note was pinned to the fabric:
Take care of him.
The infant looked up at Kaiden with teary, blue eyes that mirrored the storm outside. Whisker-like marks on his cheeks and Kaiden immediately knew who he was.
"Naruto Uzumaki," Kaiden whispered, his heart sinking as he realized the weight of what was happening.
The storm raged on as Kaiden brought the crying baby inside, a mix of fear and determination gripping him. The protagonist of the world's story—abandoned on his doorstep.
Kaiden sat by the fireplace, cradling Naruto as he calmed down. The weight of the child in his arms felt surreal, but there was no hesitation in his decision, for he knew the pain Naruto would go through should he have stayed behind in Konoha.
"Guess you're stuck with me now," Kaiden said softly, his tone more resigned than bitter.
As Naruto drifted to sleep, Kaiden stared into the crackling flames, his mind racing. His life had already been upended, but now he was responsible for the future savior of this world.
"This is going to be... interesting."
In that moment, Kaiden realized his new life wasn't just about the multiversal aquariums or survival anymore. He was no longer just Kaiden Mizuno, the reincarnated keeper of a multiversal aquarium. He was a father now, and this world would never be the same.