[What's this feeling? Why does this hurt so much?] No matter how many times he tried to open his eyes, his body just wouldn't listen. All he could feel was this immense pain pounding in his head and a disturbing sound he couldn't even recognize.
He had no idea how long he'd been stuck in this pain... heck, he wasn't even sure if he was lying down. All he understood was the relentless ache and that awful sound, like thousands of mosquitoes buzzing right next to his brain.
Finally, the pain started to ease up, and his thoughts became clearer. But then came a shocking realization: he couldn't remember anything—no name, no family, nothing. [Wait, what's my name? Who am I…?]
Before he could make sense of it, another wave of pain crashed over him. This time, though, it brought something else with it—memories. His name was Kaoru. Kaoru Takime. He was seven years old, and somehow, he was in the world of Naruto.
[WTF... this isn't my life. I remember the Naruto series. I remember the fight between Sasuke and Naruto at the end, and how Naruto finally became Hokage. So this can't be my life. But why the hell can't I remember anything else…?]
The pain finally settled, and he managed to open his eyes. The room he found himself in was small but clean and well-furnished. He recognized everything in the room, and memories flooded his mind, familiar yet foreign. They weren't his.
These were Kaoru's memories—the memories of the seven-year-old boy whose body he now occupied. Guilt and fear gripped him as the realization sank in. For a moment, he felt like he had stolen the child's life, maybe even killed him. But he quickly pushed those thoughts aside. Now wasn't the time to dwell on that. He needed to figure out what was going on.
Even though he understood he wasn't the original Kaoru, the strange part was he had no memories of his past life either. Nothing. No name, no details, just a vague sense of being. For now, his priority had to be acting natural. If he slipped up, Kaoru's family might get suspicious—and that wouldn't end well. Especially not with his sister. That girl, if she caught on, would absolutely lose it.
** From this point onward, I'll refer to the main character as Kaoru. **
Kaoru glanced out the window, noting that the sun was starting to rise. It was clearly early morning, the kind of peaceful start to a day that felt almost surreal after everything he'd just been through. He stood up, his thoughts focused on one thing: finding a mirror. He needed to see his reflection. If his memories were correct, there was a huge surprise waiting for him.
Climbing down from the bed was its own little challenge. Unlike what you'd typically expect in Japanese culture, his bed was surprisingly tall, and the furniture in the room was of relatively good quality. For a moment, Kaoru couldn't help but notice how fancy it all felt for a child's room.
His steps were unsteady, each movement feeling slightly off. The lingering effects of the immense pain he'd experienced just hours ago left his body in a state of shock. Still, he pressed on, determined. After a bit of effort, he finally found the mirror. Taking a deep breath, he leaned in and looked at his reflection.
Kaoru stared at his reflection, taking in the details of his appearance. His dark blue hair was slicked back, giving him a neat yet distinctive look. His face was a bit long, still round with plenty of baby fat—as you'd expect from a seven-year-old. Even so, anyone could tell that Kaoru was a cute and handsome kid.
But what truly caught his attention, what absolutely stunned him, were his eyes. In Kaoru's memories, he knew this child had inherited his clan's Kekkei Genkai—a rare ability that supposedly granted near-absolute control over the water element. Because of this, Kaoru's eyes were a striking cyan. Even more mesmerizing, when the Kekkei Genkai was activated, his eyes would glow—a sight that was both beautiful and awe-inspiring.
Curious and eager to test this power, Kaoru decided to try activating the Kekkei Genkai. He focused, diving into the borrowed memories to recall the feeling that triggered its use. After a moment of intense concentration, his eyes began to glow.
What he saw next left him speechless. He could perceive the flow of water in nearly everything around him—except, strangely, his own body. For reasons he didn't yet understand, he couldn't see the water within himself. Still, he marveled at the sight of water coursing even inside a small plant in the room, as if he'd unlocked a hidden layer of the world.
But the amazement was short-lived. Kaoru quickly noticed his chakra draining at an alarming rate. At this pace, he realized he wouldn't be able to maintain the Kekkei Genkai for more than a couple of minutes. Reluctantly, he deactivated it—and was immediately hit with a throbbing pain in his head.
[Shit, I got too excited. I need to take it slow,] he thought, wincing. Rushing to master his powers wasn't the answer right now. First, he needed to plan his next steps. Was he permanently stuck in this body? If so, then there was only one clear path forward: he had to become stronger. Much stronger.
This was a world where might made right, and unless he wanted to live in constant fear, he needed to build enough strength to ensure that picking a fight with him would be more trouble than it was worth.
He returned to the bed and sat down, letting out a small sigh as he began analyzing his situation.
[Not only do I have no idea how to return to my original body, but I don't even know where I lived, if I died in my previous body, or even who I was. For now, I have to assume I'm stuck in this body. There's no point obsessing over things I can't control. I need to focus on what I can do.]
He clenched his small fists, testing his grip. [This body is way too weak. Maybe it's just the lingering pain, but I can't ignore how fragile I feel. I need to start taking care of it. And then there's my chakra reserves—they're pitiful. If I don't work on increasing them, this Kekkei Genkai of mine will be completely useless. But I also need to take things slow. If I suddenly start training like a lunatic and stop acting like a normal kid, my sister and grandma are definitely going to get suspicious. I doubt the idea of someone possessing this kid's body would even cross their minds, but I'd rather be safe than sorry.]
Kaoru leaned back, resting against the headboard as he thought. [So, for starters, let's come up with a plan—a way to justify training while keeping it subtle. And slowly, I'll stop spending time with the other kids. I need to make this transition look natural, like I'm slowly developing my interest in ninja stuff. I need to also find out which timeline is this. Ive never read manga and don't know the details, but if 4th great ninja war is close then I'm kinda screwed. Well, lets first worry about things I can solve.]
A faint smile crept onto his face. [One step at a time.]
Kaoru began recalling everything he could remember about the Naruto world that might be useful at his current level. He started organizing his thoughts, focusing on what mattered most.
[There are two exercises I can think of that won't attract too much attention but will still be a huge help for my chakra control. First is the Leaf Concentration Exercise, where you stick a leaf to your forehead using chakra for as long as possible. It's a basic technique taught in every hidden village, but I can make it more challenging over time. Eventually, I'll start placing multiple leaves on different parts of my body and focus on maintaining all of them simultaneously. The second exercise—which I'm way more excited about—is the water droplet control exercise. This will be critical for me. Not only will it improve my chakra control, but it will also directly increase my chakra reserves, enhance my water affinity, and strengthen my mastery over my Kekkei Genkai. I can do this at home when no one is looking at me and considering my low chakra reserves, I won't even be able to train that long.]
Kaoru couldn't help but feel a flicker of excitement at the thought of his plan. Training his chakra felt like the first real step toward achieving his goals. But he quickly realized that chakra control alone wouldn't cut it—his body needed training too.
[This covers my chakra training, but I also need to work on this weak body, and that's going to be the real challenge. From what I remember, the only "exercise" this kid ever did was chasing his friends around. He was just a normal seven-year-old. If I suddenly start working out like crazy, people are definitely going to get suspicious. I need to ease into it gradually. Plus, I need someone experienced to help me figure out a proper training regimen. I mean, apart from push-ups, squats, and running, I have no clue what to do. I'll approach my sister and see if I can trick her into training me.]
Kaoru didn't even realize how he'd started shifting from thinking in third person to first person when it came to his new family. [My sister,] he thought, the words feeling oddly natural now. He was beginning to settle into this new life, and the speed of that acceptance was... unsettling, to say the least.
The satisfied smile still lingered on Kaoru's face as he realized the sun was now shining brightly. That could only mean one thing—it was time for him to step outside and meet his new family and clan members.
This would be his first interaction with others in this new world, and surprisingly, he felt more excited than nervous. Something about the prospect of starting fresh, of forging a new path in this unfamiliar life, filled him with anticipation he couldn't quite explain.
**
I'll leave a note at the end of every chapter to share my thoughts and ideas. This is my first novel, and I'm hoping to improve as we move forward.
Character notes:
Kaoru Takime – 7 y.o. – hopes to become stronger than Uchiha Madara!
**