First, I uploaded it in a different account, then I was like meh, and uploaded here.
Title: Naruto: Scavenger (Dungeon/LitRPG)
Synopsis: Daiki, a man limited by his genetics in the shinobi world finds all his limits broken away when a dungeon suddenly pops of in the middle of Konoha and he gains the title Scavenger.
What to expect: Smart MC, MC who can act, power stealing(Scavenger title's ability)
...
3746 words.
...
The chunins laughed as they strolled forward, barely glancing back at Daiki. He stood a few paces behind, eyes dull and unfocused. All these years after reincarnating, and I'm still just a useless bum, he thought bitterly, his fists clenched.
"Scavenger Daiki," they called him. It grated on him every time, but he didn't have the strength to make them stop. Not yet.
"Hey, genin!" One of the chunins turned, sneering as he yelled back at Daiki. "Don't lag behind. Hurry up with the corpses, we've got more enemies to deal with."
"Yes! Right away!" Daiki replied quickly, scrambling to keep up. His words carried none of the fight that burned inside him.
The chunin gave a curt nod and went back to chatting with his companion.
"Man, is the village really that short on manpower? Why the hell did you bring that weak-ass scavenger along?"
"Don't look at me, asshole!" the other chunin barked, clearly irritated. "I didn't have a choice other than that useless bum. Blame that psycho Uchiha for the shortage. We're scraping the bottom of the barrel because of him."
Daiki's jaw tightened, anger bubbling under the surface as he picked up discarded weapons from the battlefield, storing them in his scrolls. He could hear every word, and he knew they were saying it loud enough for him to hear too.
Control, Daiki reminded himself, forcing his fists to unclench. Losers don't get to complain. I learned that a long time ago.
He had tried standing up for himself in the past, but that had always ended with him flat on the ground, face bruised and spirit broken. No one cared about his pride. It was survival that mattered, and survival meant staying quiet.
Just keep your head down, do the job. The money's all that matters, Daiki told himself.
His mother had a disease—a cruel, relentless illness that demanded expensive medication just to keep her alive, let alone treat the condition. The Uchiha massacre, while devastating to the village, had been an unexpected stroke of fortune for Daiki. With so many shinobi lost, even a genin like him could take on higher-ranked missions.
The village had sent its true powerhouses to guard the borders against other nations, and with them went many of the more capable shinobi. Those left behind were weak, unfit for solo missions of higher rank. So, they banded together, forming small squads in hopes of tackling higher-ranked assignments. More risk, but more reward—better than barely scraping by with lower-ranked missions.
But these missions came with certain expectations. They had to collect proof—documents, items, or identity tokens—from anyone they killed. Jonins didn't need such verification; they were trusted.
But for the chunins, it was necessary. And gathering all these spoils took time and effort. Time they couldn't afford to waste.
That's where the position of "Scavenger" came in.
The chunins themselves coined the role, and it was simple: they needed someone to do the dirty work for them. Someone to sift through the dead, collect the weapons, and gather any proof of kills—essentially a glorified looter. The role wasn't new, but after the Kyubi attack six years ago, and especially after the Uchiha massacre, it became far more common.
The strong were deployed at the borders, leaving the weak to take on the more dangerous assignments closer to the village. Most shinobi avoided the scavenger role entirely—it was suicide if you couldn't defend yourself. But Daiki, weak as he was, wasn't afraid of getting his hands dirty.
That's how he gained a reputation.
He was still weak, yes, but unlike the others, he was willing to do whatever it took. He became the only one in the village willing to take on the job of scavenger.
The chunins continued hacking their way through enemies, while Daiki lagged behind, taking inventory of the dead. Hours passed, and the pile of corpses only grew taller.
These scrolls won't hold all the bodies, Daiki realized as he crouched near a fresh corpse. Better to just take the heads.
He began sawing away at a neck when the "corpse" suddenly shifted. In a blur, a kunai was pressed against Daiki's throat.
"You damn Konoha shinobi," the man growled, voice thick with hatred. "You—"
"I'm not—I'm not with them!" Daiki stammered, his heart hammering. "I'm from Katsuo Village. They forced me to come here!"
The man's eyes narrowed. He looked Daiki over, taking in his plain clothes, the lack of Konoha symbols. No visible injuries. Still, the man wasn't convinced so easily.
He pressed his fingers to Daiki's pulse, studying his panicked expression, his quickened breathing.
"I'm the advisor of Lord Oran. I've fooled Kages with my acting, boy. Don't think you can lie to me. I'll know."
"Ye-yes," Daiki stuttered. Sweat dripping from his head due to anxiety. His breathing fastened hearing the threat. The man smiled.
"Are you from Katsuo Village?"
"I am! I'm a farmer ther—"
The man's hand snapped out, smacking Daiki across the face. "Just yes or no!"
"I-I'm sorry!" Daiki whimpered, tears welling up in his eyes as the sharp sting spread across his cheek. The man groaned, clearly annoyed by the display of weakness.
"Did the Konoha shinobi force you to gather corpses and loot?"
"Yes."
The man sighed and released him. "Get lost, then." He turned, ready to chase after the chunins, but his momentary distraction was all Daiki needed.
With a swift motion, Daiki plunged his blade into the man's back. The man's eyes widened in shock.
The man tried to speak, but no sound came out.
The man's body collapsed. Daiki watched coldly, his hand trembling only slightly as he sawed off the man's head.
"Acting is all I've got," Daiki muttered, wiping the blood from his blade. "In this dog-eat-dog world, I'd be dead long ago if I didn't have that." Killing had long since become a task as routine as scavenging. Life had no value here. Everyone was just a tool, all working toward someone else's vision.
By midnight, the mission was over. The chunins returned to Katsuo Village to rest, while Daiki stayed behind, scavenging until the battlefield was stripped bare of anything useful. Konoha appreciated the loot as well—it meant less money spent on new equipment.
When Daiki returned to the Katuso Village, he finally realized why they were on this mission. Lord Oran, the minister of the Land of Tea was plotting to kidnap his own Daimyo. They were dispatched to end Oran and his hired blades before they could strike.
Daiki didn't bother listening to details. His mind too tired, too numb from the day's work. The weight of the scroll bag slung over his shoulder tugged at him with each step.
After dividing the spoils with the chunins, they all returned to Konoha, where Daiki collected his share of the money after the leader of the chunin group met with the Hokage to submit the report for completion.
They were talking about having to leave the village immediately as an emergency mission had come. Daiki didn't care. He wasn't needed for that mission.
His fingers tightened around the bills as if he could squeeze out more than the pitiful sum they gave him as he returned home.
At least its more than I could ever get from doing D rank mission by myself.
Home felt cold, silent as always. "Mom, I'm home," he called out, though he knew there would be no reply.
He moved through the dim hallway, the creak of the floorboards beneath his feet the only sound.
When he reached her room, the familiar sight greeted him—Kamisai, his mother, lying still in her bed. Half her body paralyzed, the illness had long since robbed her of speech. But the moment the door opened, her remaining eye fluttered toward him, and a faint, tired smile crept across half her lips.
Her hand, the one she could still move, twitched slightly, motioning for him to come closer. Daiki crossed the room, his footsteps slow, heavy, and sat beside her. He gently ran his fingers through her hair, the strands thinning more every time he touched them, and leaned down to place a soft kiss on her forehead.
"I hope Kanae took good care of you while I was gone," he whispered, his voice softer than usual.
Kamisai's hand formed the familiar sign, a slow nod of acknowledgment. Yes.
"Good. Did you eat?" he asked, knowing her caretaker had probably fed her but needing to hear the answer from her.
Another small motion of her hand. Yes.
"Alright. I'm going to get some rest, then."
Her fingers moved one last time before her hand fell gently onto the bed. Have a good night.
Daiki stood, watching her for a moment. He let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. He turned and left quietly.
.....
Daiki tried to sleep but couldn't. His mother always worried him, and it was no different this night.
Unable to sleep, he quietly got out of the house and made his way to the nearest jungle.
He choose a tree and started punching.
He was feeling a bit tired from the mission, but the cold air of the night and the pain building up on his knuckles kept his mood fresh.
Blood started trickling from his hand as a shape slowly formed on the tree stem. But he didn't slow down.
He kept increasing his speed.
Before long, his body was shaking in efficient turns, his arm blurring as he striked the tree multiple times in just a second. The tree shook with a frequent tremor. Birds perched on it took off, scared.
Fatigue built in his arms and he finally slowed down, and a few minutes later he stopped.
He let out a deep breath and made a hand sign. A green glow covered his arms as the wound closed up and healed.
He may have less chakra but that didn't mean he was bad with techniques. He made sure to learn all sort of useful jutsus that would be vital to his survival. He was no fool.
Done with the punching, he returned and slept.
...
..
.
Daiki jolted awake, the ground beneath him shaking violently. His heart hammered in his chest as the entire room rattled, the walls groaning like they were ready to collapse. What the hell is going on?
"Shit!" Daiki cursed, stumbling out of bed, his bare feet hitting the cold, trembling floor. Instinct took over. Mom. Without a second thought, he bolted down the narrow hallway toward his mother's room.
He slammed the door open, the quake still rumbling violently, shaking dust loose from the ceiling. Kamisai was lying helpless in her bed, her frail body barely moving. Her eyes darted to him, wide with fear.
"Mom! We have to go!" Daiki shouted, rushing to her side. He could see the panic in her eye, the silent scream trapped in her paralyzed body. Without wasting a second, he scooped her up in his arms. Her body was light—too damn light. The ground beneath them lurched again, harder this time, and cracks splintered up the walls.
"Fuck this!" he growled, kicking the window open with a loud crash. He didn't have time to think. He held his mother tightly against his chest, then leaped out of the window, aiming for the neighbor's roof. He hit it hard, rolling to cushion the fall, landing in a crouch.
Breathing heavily, he turned, his eyes darting wildly, trying to make sense of the chaos. The earth trembled beneath his feet, and debris tumbled from the rooftops around him. His mother clung to his neck, her good hand gripping him weakly as he scanned the village.
Then he saw it.
In the middle of the village, towering over everything, a massive, ominous structure rose from the ground like it had burst out of hell itself. Stone walls loomed high, black as night, jagged and twisted like something out of a nightmare. It was a dungeon—there was no mistaking it. But how the hell was it here? And why?
"What the fuck," Daiki whispered, eyes wide in disbelief. He was trying to grasp the impossible sight in front of him. How did a fucking dungeon just appear in Konoha?! I don't remember watching this in the Naruto anime!
The village around him was in chaos—people screaming, buildings collapsing under the tremors. But Daiki's eyes were glued to the dungeon.
Kamisai clenched her hand slightly and Daiki looked at her. "The situation seems dangerous mom," he said and looked back at his house. The Earthquake had done numbers on it. It looked like it was barely standing.
"I'll get you to the emergency bunker," Daiki said and moved toward the Hokage Mountain. There were plenty bunkers in Konoha but the one in the mountain was the closest and the most secure to Daiki.
Daiki was gently holding on to her head while carrying her, so Kamisai could see the destruction that took place. Plenty of house was destroyed. And the huge unknown building was in the village center occupying a lot of area.
Worry crept on her face and she prayed for the people's safety.
The newly formed Konoha Police force was rushing the streets trying to help as many as they could.
They were not experienced, it was easy to see. But they were trying their best. Daiki simply glanced at them and ignored them, moving to the Hokage mountain. Getting Kamisai to a safe place was his top priority.
Within a few minutes, Daiki managed to reach the bunker and entered. People were starting to come in huge numbers, a few elderly men were guiding them inside, making sure no stampede happen.
Daiki looked around, trying to find Kanae. She lived near the Hokage mountain. Though for a civilian, even reaching the bunker while living so close would take at least 10 minutes, Kanae was an academy student once, though she failed to graduate and become a genin. Travelling was something she was much faster at than a normal civilian.
It took him time but he did find her. "Kanae, please take care of my mother, I gotta leave!" Daiki said placing his mother on the ground.
Kanae who was sweating nodded at him seriously and said, "Go!"
The bunker was mostly filled with murmurs of prayers, Daiki took a glance at them and mentally noted how big the crowd was. He got out and saw how many were coming in. At this rate, this bunker will be overcroweded. People need to be redirected.
"OI! REDIRECT THE CROWD! THE BUNKER IS ABOUT TO HIT CAPACITY!" Daiki shouted at the nearby members of the police force who nodded and ran to the other members to inform them.
I need to see what's going on around the dungeon. What happened to the people that were in that area.
Using the body flicker jutsu to the best of his ability, Daiki flickered toward the dungeon. As he neared it, his eyes fell on a familiar person.
"Kakashi?"
The copy ninja turned and took a step back. "Daiki! Sorry won't be able to greet you properly due to the situation. Do you know anything about that building at the center?"
Daiki shook his head. "I was sleeping, felt a huge earthquake hit. I just left my mother in the bunker. I am as clueless as you."
"Can you keep up?" Kakashi asked.
"You go ahead as fast as you can, Kakashi. Don't worry about me!"
Kakashi nodded and flickered away immediately faster than Daiki could blink. Daiki couldn't help but be filled with regrets seeing that. I beat Kakashi once when we were in the Academy. But look at us now, that gap feels insurmountable. Being reborn in a body without a speck of potential is truly a curse.
Being an adult, Daiki trained since the moment he could walk. As a result, he was far ahead than others his age. Even geniuses like Kakashi were not a match for him. But as they grew, Daiki quickly realized he hit the limit of his potential. Low chakra, physically ungifted, and generic chakra nature.
People like Daiki had it the worse. Even if they tried to train a hundred times more than someone gifted like Kakashi, they would never reach it. Sure, some would say that 'look at Might Guy, hasn't he done it? Didn't he surpass most people in the world?'
But that would be wrong. Sure Might Guy wasn't gifted in ninjutsu but the mad lad was gifted physically. Rock Lee was the same. This doesn't mean the hard work they put was all for nothing.
Without hard work they couldn't achieve anything, but it is due to having a higher ceiling that they were able to grow to that height.
A tree was only as big as the soil around it. One can plant the same tree at a nutrient rich fertile big land, and in a small pot. Their size would be vastly different. Daiki worked hard. But it didn't matter when they was nothing to grow.
Due to that, despite shining as a child. He quickly faded to obscurity. It was also why most people liked to make fun of him and put him down.
A few minutes later, Daiki reached the dungeon. The Hokage, a few anbu, and Kakashi were the only ones present.
"Lord Hokage," Daiki said and greeted him.
Hiruzen gave a nod and said, "Its good that you are here, Daiki. I have a mission for you and Kakashi."
This surprised Daiki. "A mission for us?"
"That's right. You see due to the problems at the border right now, most of our forces are outside the village. I can't assign the anbu with the job, and as the Hokage, I need to be in the village if I'm wanted. You and Kakashi are the only ones I can assign the mission to," Hiruzen said. He had a serious face.
Daiki glanced at the dungeon and asked, "We need to see what's going on inside, I assume?"
"Correct," Hiruzen said. "Now, let us not waste anymore time. Thousands of innocents have disappeared overnight because of this building. See what is inside, and bring me a report."
"Yes!" Daiki and Kakashi saluted Hiruzen and entered the dungeon.
"The mission is of importance but let's be calm and slowly investigate Daiki," Kakashi said.
"The wall is weird," Daiki said as he touched it. "Its cold. But weirdly, it burns."
"Could be poison," Kakashi suggested looking at the wall closely. As Kakashi observed the wall, Daiki moved around the hall. It looked like a colosseum from the inside. But without any spectators.
It was night so, he couldn't see properly. But when he reached the middle, Daiki saw it.
"Kakashi, there is a big hole here! Looks like the entrance!" Daiki said aloud. His voiced echoed in the hole. It was pitch black inside. Daiki could see nothing.
With a flicker, Kakashi arrived by Daiki's side. "Hey didn't you have that Fire Spit jutsu or something?" Kakashi asked.
"You mean the Nano Fire Ball Jutsu," Daiki said. He didn't have the chakra to even execute a full-blown fireball jutsu, so with chakra control he came up with a small fireball. Though as Kakashi said, it looked like a spit of fire more than a ball.
"Can you do that and throw it in there? We should be able to see something," Kakashi said.
"Huhh?" Daiki said half annoyed half irritated. "You know I don't have the chakra to waste like that. Why don't you do that jutsu? Aren't you the copy ninja?"
"I just came to the village from a long mission. In fact, I have less chakra than even you right now," Kakashi said.
"Where were you even assigned?"
"Land of Lightning."
"Were you fighting the Raikage or what?"
"Well...something like that."
Daiki groaned hearing that. "Fine," he said and executed the jutsu with one hand-sign.
Kakashi stared deeply at Daiki when he saw that. But quickly shifted his focus and stared at the hole.
It wasn't deep. Only about 30 meters deep.
"Let's go," Daiki said and jumped down. Using chakra to shield his fall.
Daiki and Kakashi were friends since childhood. Knowing the story, Daiki even helped Kakashi deal with the death of his father somewhat though Kakashi didn't listen. But as he matured, Kakashi realized Daiki's kindness and appreciated him for trying to guide him to the right path even as a child.
"You seeing this Daiki?" Kakashi suddenly said.
"Huh? Wha--" Daiki stopped himself as a blue screen suddenly covered his vision.
[Individual Daiki Osamu has entered the dungeon. Creating a profile.]
[Profile created.]
[Name: Daiki Osamu
Title: Scavenger
Level: 0
Title: None
Profession: None
Strength: 10
Speed: 19
Toughness: 13
Chakra: 3
Skills: None]
"Dungeon? Is that the name of this place?" Kakashi said.
'The world has changed,' Daiki thought. 'It has changed too much. Why in the world is this happening?'
"Daiki?" Kakashi called out, seeing Daiki in daze.
"Sorry...I was just surprised."
"What do you think we should do?" Kakashi asked.
"Why are you asking me?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Well, you've always been the type to think outside of the box. I think this is right up you alley."
Daiki with his perspective from the modern world and anime logic sensibility had built a reputation in the Academy as being a genius who thought out of box.
Daiki looked at the blue screen as tried to close it. Just he thought to close it, it closed. "So we can mentally communicate with this..." he muttered. He turned to Kakashi and asked, "Have you made the blue thing go away?"
Kakashi nodded and explained what Daiki just experienced.
Putting his hand on his hips, Daiki said, "Let's venture deeper. Just reporting this blue thing won't be enough. Let's go and see what more this thing can do."
"Alright."
...
Hooked?
Comment here to let me know if you want it to be continued!