DING!
You have learned a new Skill: Basic Dodge (Lv 1).
Through quick thinking and reflexes, you've begun developing the ability to avoid harm. Your ability to avoid damage depends on your primary stat Reflex.
I stared at the notification for a moment. That was new. My breath caught. Even something as simple as jumping back from falling debris apparently earned me a skill. But I had no time to celebrate. Following the one piece of advice that I remembered from somewhere, I bent down and started crawling. Keeping low to the ground—trying to avoid the worst of the smoke—I crawled around the large, burning beams that had collapsed from the ceiling. One step, two steps… The flames licked at my sleeves, and I had to suppress the scream of pain countless times.
My vision started to blur. 'I'm going to die here,' the thought surfaced with chilling clarity, not in a video game, but for real. The irony of being transported into an anime world just to be burned alive in the first five minutes nearly made me want to laugh—or sob.
Then, I saw a rectangle ray of faint moonlight near the end of the corridor: an exit partially blocked by collapsed plaster. Heart hammering, I mustered the last of my strength to stand up and bolt for it, ignoring the scorching floor under my bare feet. The short-run barely stretched across half a dozen meters, but it felt like forever as I made it, smashing my body into the debris that covered the doorway, and thankfully, it fell away. A wave of relief splashed over me as cooler air hit my face.
I stumbled out onto what used to be a small porch. The slats of wood were badly damaged, and tongues of flame crept over the railings. Through the swirling embers, I glimpsed at the Village Hidden in the Leaves—or what remained of it. Buildings burned left and right, their rooftops caving in under the onslaught. Ash drifted on the wind, illuminated by the infernal orange glow that swallowed the night sky.
[QUEST COMPLETE: Escape the Burning House (1/1)]
[Reward: +25 XP]
There was no hint of a swirl of dancing sparkles, no sense of progression, but opening my status window with a thought revealed the result. I watched, half-dazed, as my Experience had increased by 10%. A small sense of accomplishment flickered—short-lived, overshadowed by the monstrous BOOM that erupted from somewhere behind the row of houses. The ground trembled violently.
I staggered, nearly toppling off the porch. My eyes darted skyward. A colossal shape loomed, its fur glowing in the inferno's light. That hulking form was the Nine-Tails, thrashing its enormous tails. Each tail looked like it could demolish an entire city block in one swing. My gut clenched. 'This is real. I'm actually here.'
In the distance, I saw several shinobi weaving through the flames, their forms flickering in and out of view. Jutsu lit the night in bursts of fire and lightning, stacking the hulking form that didn't even bat an eye toward the small wave of elements. Some ninjas, the ones closer to me and injured, I noticed, wore the Leaf symbol on their forehead protectors. Some of them launched coordinated attacks at the fox while helping their comrades move, but the beast's tails swatted them away like gnats. The shockwaves of their clash sent burning debris flying through the air.
I craned my neck, searching the chaos for any sign of a safe path, a place to hide. A new interface prompt caught my eye:
[QUEST ALERT:]
[Survive the Night of the Nine Tails]
[Objective: Escape the immediate area and reach safety (0/1)]
[Reward: +200 XP, ???]
I coughed violently, feeling the weight of the swirling embers press against my chest. Even though I'd escaped the worst of the smoke, it was clear that I hadn't escaped unscathed. My mind raced. In many isekai or "Gamer" scenarios, the protagonist might be brimming with confidence or excited about leveling up. But here, all I felt was sheer terror. Most of which could be attributed to the hulking form of the beast in front of me, but at the same time, I was a five-year-old with no real skills in the middle of a demon fox's rampage. If I didn't want to die, I needed to move. Fast.
I hopped off the porch and stumbled into the dusty street. A wave of heat blew past, carrying sparks and swirling ash. The roars behind me were deafening. My interface flickered—smoke or dust must have interfered with my vision.
[Vision check: Failed.]
[You did not notice the incoming threat.]
My gaze snapped to the side, too late. A chunk of roofing slammed into the earth just feet from me, sending up a shower of splinters. I yelped, throwing my arms up in a feeble shield. Agony flared in my shoulder where a shard struck me, tearing through cloth and skin. I wobbled, tears blurring my sight. 'Get out… I need to get out of here…' The thought hammered into my skull as I moved again.
The chaos seemed unending—each time I tried to run, another collapsing beam or swirl of flaming wreckage blocked the path, making me readjust. Over the roar of the inferno, I heard shouts—a man's voice calling out for survivors. My heart soared with hope. A shinobi?
I nearly screamed for help, but my lungs seized in another coughing fit. Then, out of the smoke, a figure materialized on the street in front of me, wearing a Leaf flak jacket and a headband. They were lean but muscular, hair singed at the tips, eyes darting warily. The moment they spotted me, their gaze widened in alarm. They dashed forward.
I tried speaking, but it was a little less painful than shouting. "H-help…" My voice cracked. Whether I meant "Help me" or "Help me get me out of here," even I didn't know. But the shinobi understood. Instantly, they scooped me up, cradling me against their chest. Their grip felt reassuring, a barrier between me and the carnage as dull echoes of the combat echoed around us.
"Hang on," the shinobi shouted, voice low and urgent. Their eyes flicked to the battered remains of the house behind us, half of it still alight with flames. "This entire district is about to collapse. We need to move!"
I nodded, clinging to their vest. Each breath sent fresh jolts of pain through my ribcage. Yet, a flicker of relief shot through me: I wasn't alone right now. While the world of Naruto was cruel, at least in the way it was depicted, I wouldn't be abandoned.
...