In the Land of Wind, near a bush outside Sunagakure.
Qihai, crouching in the bushes, was very nervous.
As a devoted One Piece fan, Qihai had never watched the Naruto series. But unfortunately, he found himself transported here.
Of course, Qihai wasn't just any ordinary guy.
The heavens had gifted him a system, and he gained the ability to create Devil Fruits.
Overwhelmed with excitement, Qihai casually created the most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit—the Sea-Sea Fruit, which didn't even exist in the original One Piece!
Qihai had been in the Naruto world for seven years now. At 15 years old, he was now a handsome young man. For seven whole years, Qihai had been living in seclusion on a sand dune in the Land of Wind.
Fifteen hours of brutal training every day for seven years.
Qihai had fully mastered the Sea-Sea Fruit.
Using the system's methods, he had honed the Navy's Six Powers to perfection and had mastered all three types of Haki!
One could say that Qihai would be at least Warlord-level in One Piece. If he aimed higher, he could even reach the level of an Emperor!
However, Qihai was still trembling in fear.
He remembered his former dormmate saying that the Naruto world was full of overpowered characters who could destroy the world at the drop of a hat. That was terrifying.
In One Piece, the power levels were impressive but not outrageous. Sure, Admirals were powerful, but they could, at most, be called walking disasters.
Expecting them to destroy the world? Not likely.
Take the example of Golden Lion Shiki, a character who almost defeated Pirate King Roger, yet a mere storm wrecked his plans. Enough said.
This was why Qihai firmly believed that the Naruto world > One Piece in terms of power levels.
He wouldn't even dare to venture into the village recklessly. He lived quietly on his dune, being polite and helping wandering travelers by offering water and fruit. He figured that by being kind and humble, he could survive in peace.
But today, the cursed system issued a new mission:
[Become Kazekage of Sunagakure within one month. Reward: one random skill draw. Failure: Devil Fruit crafting ability revoked.]
Even as someone who barely knew Naruto, Qihai understood that the Kazekage was Sunagakure's leader. To become Kazekage, he would likely have to kill the current one.
Kill the Kazekage?
That was something Qihai would have never dreamed of attempting. The Naruto world was full of ridiculously strong ninjas. How could he even consider challenging the most powerful figure in a ninja village?
Heavy breaths escaped Qihai as he tried to calm himself.
His legs had gone numb from squatting too long, so he stood up.
The moment he did, swish, swish!
Four tall figures surrounded him. One of them held a kunai to his neck.
"Hmm? No chakra detected. He's not a spy?"
Feeling guilty, Qihai forced a goofy smile. "Ninja-sama, I'm just passing by, just passing by, hehe…"
"A traveler?" A man wearing a Sunagakure Chūnin headband frowned. "Tsumaru, let him go."
But the bald man named Tsumaru shook his head. "Sabo-sama, this guy's been squatting here acting all suspicious. Lady Chiyo said we're in a critical period and can't let any suspicious individuals go."
Hearing this, Qihai cursed the bald man in his mind.
Sabo nodded seriously. "Yes, he is suspicious. Traveler, tell us everything about yourself."
As soon as Sabo finished speaking, Tsumaru pressed the kunai closer to Qihai's neck, his intention clear.
With a bitter expression, Qihai said, "I… I'm from Sea Master Hill in the Land of Wind (a name he made up for his dune). I live there alone. I just came here today to see what Sunagakure looks like."
Trying his best to act like an honest bumpkin, Qihai forced out his most genuine smile. Honestly, he felt his friendliness was maxed out.
"Sea Master Hill?" Sabo's eyes widened. "Are you the so-called wild man of Sea Master Hill?"
Wild man?!
Qihai's face turned red with anger. What kind of language were these Naruto natives using? Just because he lived in the wild didn't mean he was a wild man!
Wait, living in the wild… doesn't that make him a wild man? He reluctantly accepted the term to make himself feel better. After all, picking a fight was out of the question. These Naruto natives were insanely powerful and could destroy the world!
Tsumaru burst into laughter. "So, you're the wild man of Sea Master Hill. My little sister was almost harmed by desert bandits once, and you saved her. My bad for being rude earlier."
Tsumaru sheathed his kunai and scratched his shiny bald head.
Qihai chuckled awkwardly. "Hehe, yeah, I've saved quite a few people over the years. Didn't expect to save a ninja-sama's family member. It's my honor, really."
"What's your name?" Sabo asked curiously.
"Qihai. Strange name, huh?"
Sabo smiled. "It's unique."
"Not strange at all!" Qihai grinned. "I named myself. The Land of Wind is full of deserts, so I thought, wouldn't it be great if there were an ocean? That's how I came up with Qihai, which means 'praying for the sea.'"
The group chatted for a while longer, becoming as close as brothers.
After sweating buckets, Qihai finally managed to bluff his way through.
Looking at the unique gorge leading to Sunagakure, Qihai turned to Sabo and said, "Sabo-sama, um… can I visit Sunagakure for a look around?"
He hadn't forgotten his mission to investigate. He wanted to see the Kazekage's strength. If the Kazekage turned out to be overpowered, he planned to give up on the system's task.
Better to be a lifelong recluse than lose his life!
Sabo glanced at Qihai's "sincere" bumpkin smile, hesitated for a moment, and nodded. "Let me ask Yura-sama for permission."
Qihai noticed a man in the distance standing atop the gorge, his head wrapped in cloth, and smiled. "Of course, of course."
Yura, a Sunagakure Jōnin, also happened to be a sleeper agent for Sasori of the Red Sand. However, with his memory seals still intact, he currently had no idea he was a traitor.
As the head of the gorge defense team, Yura was a kind person. Hearing Sabo's report about a good Samaritan wanting to visit the village, he squinted and nodded in approval.
"You may enter. But Sabo, remember to follow the council's orders in the future. This is a critical period."
Sabo nodded repeatedly. "Understood, Yura-sama."
Thus, Qihai finally entered his first Naruto world map location: Sunagakure!
To enter Sunagakure, one had to pass through the gorge. Honestly, when Qihai first saw the gorge, he felt something was… off.
But out of respect for the Naruto world, he quickly dismissed any inappropriate thoughts and followed Sabo step by step.
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