As Rimuru-san's skill enveloped me, I anticipated excruciating pain, my existence torn apart by his overwhelming power. Yet, the agony was distant, as if my consciousness had detached from reality. Instead of my life flashing before my eyes, a familiar voice echoed in my mind:"Kishimoto-sensei, what would happen if a Hyuga and Uchiha had a child?"The question resonated deeply, stirring memories of a beloved ninja manga from my past. The response surfaced unbidden:"If a Hyuga and Uchiha banged, they'd have a Sharingan in one eye and a Byakugan in the other."As the memory slipped away, my surroundings sharpened into view.My arms were unnaturally short, like those of a four-year-old. A stool propped me up, allowing my legs, just as small, to reach places they couldn't otherwise.In the foggy mirror before me, I saw a face that didn't belong to me. My right eye glowed eerily, a pupil-less white Byakugan piercing through the mist. The left eye seemed normal, dark and nondescript, though something dormant flickered within it. Strange symbols faintly illuminated my forehead before fading, leaving behind a strange warmth that lingered in their wake.The face staring back at me was pale and gaunt, lips streaked with crimson from blood. My chest rose and fell with shallow, strained breaths, and water dripped from my chin, pooling onto the porcelain sink. My hands clutched its edges, knuckles pale from the effort. This wasn't my body.At some point, I realized I was dressed in a white kimono, its fabric marred by blood from my mouth."Akai Hyuga, are you deaf?"The sharp voice cut through my disorientation, laden with authority.Akai Hyuga?The name felt foreign, yet oddly familiar."The clan head has summoned you!"Fragments of memories flooded my mind—remnants of the body's previous owner. Elder Takahiro's impatience was palpable.I exhaled shakily, grounding myself. The air felt dense, heavy. My fingers traced the sink's edge, the cold surface anchoring me. Thoughts raced.Was this another loop? No, it didn't align with prior resets. This was different. I hadn't just returned; I was somewhere new. Or someone new.I glanced at the reflection, locking onto the Byakugan. Its faint glow was undeniable. The alien sensation of being 'other' settled deeper into my consciousness."Akai!" Elder Takahiro's voice boomed, rattling the door. "Do not make the clan head wait!"I straightened, swallowing hard. My body felt weaker, muscles sluggish. Yet, beneath the surface lay a dormant power, waiting to be unleashed.Fine, I thought, wiping blood from my lips. If this is my reality now, I'll navigate it. I've faced worse.With a final look at the unfamiliar face, I left the room.The corridor was dim, wooden floors creaking underfoot. A faint breeze carried the scent of incense and cherry blossoms.Elder Takahiro stood at the corridor's end, his stern eyes narrowing as I approached. An older man with silver-streaked hair and rigid posture, he regarded me with thinly veiled disdain."Finally," he said curtly. After scanning me from head to toe for a little bit, "Pathetic," he muttered, loud enough for me to hear. "You bring shame to the Hyuga name."I said nothing. Reacting to his insults was pointless. Words like his carried no weight against the backdrop of my new reality. He turned on his heel, motioning for me to follow."The clan head is waiting. Don't dawdle, Akai."The walk to Hiashi Hyuga's chambers felt interminable. My legs ached, my lungs burned, and my head feels heavy.Following him through winding halls, the weight of my situation pressed down. I didn't know where I was, who I was, or how I ended up here. But one thing was certain—I couldn't let my guard down.The Hyuga clan head awaited in the training hall, accompanied by two children my age: Neji and Hinata Hyuga. Recognition dawned—this world mirrored the Naruto universe.The same Naruto series I had asked Rimuru-san to replicate in manga form. He mentioned the series had concluded but hadn't completed it due to work commitments, limiting his engagement with other series."Akai," Hiashi began, his tone firm but devoid of malice. "Your condition has been a matter of concern for the clan. While we have excused you from training thus far, this leniency cannot continue.""I understand," I replied, keeping my voice level despite the itch in my throat that begged for a cough.Hiashi's gaze shifted slightly, but instead of him continuing, Elder Takahiro stepped forward with an impatient sigh. "The clan head has tasked me with this," he said brusquely. "Give me your hand, you defect."The insult didn't sting as much as his grip when he grabbed my wrist. Before I could process what was happening, Elder Takahiro's fingers danced across pressure points on my arm and torso. A searing warmth spread through me, like molten fire flowing under my skin."I've opened your tenketsu," he said, releasing my hand as though touching me had sullied him. "Don't waste the clan head's generosity. You've been given scrolls to help you start. Read them. Train. Try not to die before you make yourself useful."I nodded, keeping my expression blank. Resistance would only invite further ridicule. Takahiro stepped back with a look of finality, and Hiashi dismissed me with a curt nod.Back in my room, I sank onto the futon, its fabric sighing under my weight. My chest heaved, each breath rasping like dry leaves scraping the pavement.The truth was undeniable now: I—no, Akai Hyuga—was dying. A terminally-ill defect of the Hyuga clan. This body felt fragile, as if a single wrong move might shatter it like cracked porcelain."A Hyuga in a Naruto world, huh?" I muttered, the words slipping out as a soft, bitter whisper.The dim light from the shoji screen cast shifting rectangles on the walls, swaying with every tug of the evening breeze. Shadows stretched and shrank like restless spirits.The absurdity of it all churned in my mind. Could this be a simulation? Maybe I was trapped inside Rimuru-san's stomach, living out some bizarre, twisted narrative he'd concocted.Answers? None. Not now. Not while I'm dying. Even after the elder from earlier claimed to "open my tenketsu" or whatever cryptic technique that was, my body refused to cooperate. The supposed strength I gained felt like a cruel joke. Walking left me gasping for air within minutes, and simply changing clothes—twice—was enough to send me spiraling into unconsciousness.I'd been summoned to another world before, learned magic, mastered it, even. But now? This world plays by different rules, ones governed by chakras instead of Magicules.Surprisingly enough, «Confirm: Extra Skill, 『Magic perception』 has been acquired»Not only does this world still connect me to the Voice of the world, but magic still exists here, though it's much less abundant.Magicules are quite different from Chakra.After having my tenketsus "opened," I've started to understand Chakra. It feels like water—something that flows and circulates, much like boiling water.In this world, Chakra is similar to what's called "Mana" in the cardinal world. Both are blends of different energies, combining the body's vitality and the spirit's power.Mana works like stamina—it fuels both physical and mental strength. When it runs low, you feel exhausted. So, Chakra and Mana are essentially the same.For now, I'll just call it Chakra since that's what it's called here.But what about magicules?Unlike the formless, ethereal image that most people have of magicules, they don't just float around like some mystical mist. Instead, they behave more like radiation—dense particles of light, compact and brimming with power.Majins in the cardinal world wielded magicules with the ease of breathing, their bodies naturally resistant to the energy's toxic effects.Humans, however, without a similar resistance, prolonged exposure led to magicule poisoning—a condition eerily akin to radiation sickness or, in the long term of life, you'll simply have cancer.As for me, with magic perception acquired, I would now be at least a low-level majin. I shouldn't need to worry about Magicules poisonings."Hm? A heart defect?" Memories flooded back. My terminal illness was due to a weak heart—what people might call it simply.It was an atrial septal defect—a hole in the septum wall that allowed oxygen-rich and carbon dioxide-rich blood to mix. The elder wasn't wrong to call it a "defect."With magic at my disposal, I sealed the hole, preventing the blood from mixing. Almost instantly, breathing became easier—not as though there had been a blockage, but before this, I had to take in more oxygen to compensate for the inefficiency. Now, at least, I wasn't hyperventilating anymore.Satisfied with the improvement, I grabbed the scrolls the clan head had given me and stepped outside.The scrolls felt heavier in my hands than they should have as I stepped out into the dim courtyard. The evening breeze carried the faint scent of cherry blossoms, but my focus was elsewhere. Memories of the earlier events lingered, particularly the sudden unlock of Magic Perception.Magic Perception wasn't just enhanced awareness—it was an all-encompassing sensory upgrade. By detecting the interaction of light and sound waves with magicules, I could perceive everything around me in full 360 degrees. Darkness meant nothing, and even physical blindness or deafness wouldn't hinder me now.It almost makes the Byakugan that I have useless.More intriguing was its communicative side. Sound waves embedded with intent could now be deciphered, allowing me to understand any language. Even thoughts—if someone didn't shield their mind with magicules—could be processed as clear words.«Confirm: Common Skill, 『Thought Communication』 has been acquired.»The familiar mechanical voice announced its judgment. A smirk tugged at my lips. Handy.My steps led me to a garden path where Elder Takahiro stood. His face twisted into its usual scowl the moment he noticed me."So, where are you off to, defect?" His voice was sharp, dripping with contempt. "If you're planning to collapse somewhere, don't bother coming back. We won't waste time holding a funeral."Thought Communication Translation: "You better not die, brat. You need to make something of yourself."I blinked, confused by the dissonance between his words and the thought that followed. My mind sharpened as I focused on his thoughts, trying to make sense of them.Thought Communication Translation: "If this idiot doesn't get stronger soon, the other elders will crush him completely. I need him to grow, even if I have to insult him every step of the way."A snort escaped me before I could stop it. Elder Takahiro's glare hardened, and I could feel the suspicion in his thoughts."What's so funny, Akai?" His tone was cutting, demanding an answer."Nothing, I was... going to train." I quickly replied, suppressing my grin. I was still processing the revelation—this old man wasn't as heartless as he seemed. Under his harsh words, he was pushing Akai Hyuga to rise. A classic tsundere.Thought Communication Translation: "He doesn't even talk back anymore. What a useless brat. He's got the Hyuga blood and the arrogance of the Uchiha. Why won't he fight back? As much as I hated it, I shouldn't have let her marry that Uchiha idiot... Now that they're both gone, this brat's the only one left to suffer."Wait—Uchiha blood?The realization hit like a thunderclap. I sifted through his swirling thoughts, piecing the story together. His words about Akai's parents... It clicked. Akai was his grandson.I stared at him, dumbfounded. Takahiro noticed my silence and crossed his arms, his frown deepening."What are you standing there for? Go train or drop dead already!"Thought Communication Translation: "You've got potential, kid. Don't waste it."This time, I couldn't hold back the grin. "Right. I'll get to it," I said, unable to fully mask my amusement.As I walked away, I muttered under my breath, "What a tsundere."...To be continued.