Chapter 1: Ch 1: The World of Naruto
"So, I came to the world of Naruto?"
It was drizzling outside, and Souta was hiding in a cave to avoid the rain.
Moments ago, he was sleeping peacefully at his home back on Earth, but for some reason, he woke up here the next second and found himself transmigrated inside the body of an unknown person.
Naturally, as a transmigrator, he also received a golden finger: the Multidimensional Character Template System.
Back on Earth, he was a disabled man with endless dreams, confined to one room, and was waiting for death. But now that he suddenly got this chance to change his fate, Souta almost jumped up in excitement.
However, when the system informed him that he had transmigrated into the world of Naruto, Souta immediately became serious.
As a fan of fantasy novels and anime in his previous life, Souta knew that this was a world where human life was cheaper than chocolate and danger was everywhere.
'What's a powerless person like me supposed to do here? Struggle just to survive?'
While Souta was still processing the situation and thinking about his future, a slightly mechanical voice suddenly echoed in his mind.
Ding!
[Host's emotional turmoil detected.]
[Note: The situation is not difficult for the host to accept. It is similar to many novels he has read.]
Rolling his eyes at the system's unhelpful A.I. commentary, Souta waved his hand, closing the system window floating in the corner of his vision.
He then grumbled begrudgingly, "Ugh! If I had to arrive in this world, couldn't I at least spawn in a ninja village? Hell, if the Five Great Ninja Villages were too much to ask for, even a small Ninja village would've been fine. What's the deal with giving me the identity of a civilian?"
It was one thing to read about transmigration in novels, but living it firsthand was an entirely different experience—especially with this pitiful identity.
After all, what was the most important thing in the world of Naruto?
Talent?
No matter how talented someone was, it wouldn't mean much without the resources to cultivate. And Souta was just a commoner, without even a proper surname, living in a small village in some remote area.
Perhaps it was due to some cosmic coincidence, but this body's name was also Souta, which might explain why 'he' had transmigrated into it.
"At least I'm not an ordinary person who can't even refine chakra," he muttered, trying to find some comfort in the situation.
The original owner of this body had a father who was apparently a ninja, and after his death, he left behind some scrolls as an inheritance for Souta.
Unfortunately, they contained nothing groundbreaking—just a basic chakra manual, detailing how to cultivate, extract, mold, and control chakra, along with the most rudimentary body technique.
'He must've been a Genin,' Souta sighed.
Luckily, this body's talent was quite good, which was the only redeeming factor for his current identity.
Relying on the basic body technique, the original Souta was somewhat of an expert in hunting.
But, as they say, if you walk by the river long enough, you're bound to get your shoes wet. While hunting a small bear, the original Souta had the misfortune of being discovered by the bear's parents.
The bears in the Naruto world were far stronger and fiercer than the ones back on Earth, and even with those basic body techniques, the original Souta was no match for the beast.
Furthermore, the original Souta was self-taught and had been practicing blindly for years without any professional guidance.
What happened next was history—the original Souta was gravely injured at the hands of the enraged adult bear and died due to excessive bleeding while hiding in this cave. The system then transmigrated the current Souta's soul into this body, healing it.
Naturally, Souta inherited the memories of this body, along with the techniques and knowledge of chakra extraction and molding.
"Maybe this is a blessing in disguise!"
Suddenly, Souta raised his hand and clenched his fist slightly.
Although he didn't have a good identity, this body was healthy, young, and full of potential—completely different from the disabled body he'd had back on Earth.
In truth, Souta didn't have much to complain about his situation. His mood was quite calm as he sat down on a large stone and quietly watched the light rain outside the cave.
"System, what year is it in Konoha now?"
Since he had come to this world, his first priority was survival, and for that, he needed to know the era he had been thrown into.
Fortunately, the system responded promptly.
[Reply to the host: It is currently the 45th year of the Hidden Leaf Village calendar.]
Hearing this, Souta's pupils shrank slightly, and he instinctively pressed his temples.
"This is a bit troublesome!"
In simpler terms, Souta had transmigrated to just before the outbreak of the Third Ninja World War.
The war began when the Hidden Sand Village launched an attack on the Hidden Leaf Village, using the disappearance of the Third Kazekage as their justification. Soon after, the Hidden Rock Village, Hidden Cloud Village, and Hidden Mist Village also joined the fray.
The Third Ninja World War was one of the most difficult battles for the Hidden Leaf Village, as they had to fight against all four of the other Great Ninja Villages.
Nonetheless, it was this very victory that solidified Konoha's position as the leader of the Five Great Ninja Villages.
However, Souta didn't care much about the historical significance of the war. What concerned him most was its widespread impact. The chaos of this war—like the future Fourth Ninja World War—would engulf almost the entire Ninja world.
Even if Souta wanted to avoid getting involved, it would be nearly impossible.
"So, where is my ninja village now?"
[Reply to the host: The host is currently located between the Wind Country and the Fire Country.]
"Damn!" Souta cursed under his breath.
At the start of the Third Ninja World War, the conflict was mainly between the Hidden Sand Village and Hidden Leaf Village, and now he was stuck right between these two warring factions.
In such a situation, it would be incredibly difficult to escape unscathed!
Standing up, Souta walked to the edge of the cave, staring at the drizzle outside. For a while, he stood in silence, digesting his predicament.
After taking some time to fully understand and accept this new reality, he turned his attention to the system—his golden finger, his one and only hope to not only survive but also thrive in this world.
"System, what can you do?"
[By randomly extracting a famous character's information from the Multidimensional Destiny, the system can transform it into a Character Template for the host to use.]
[The host must imitate the character whose template is being used to increase the synchronization rate. The higher the sync rate, the greater the power of the character the host can wield.]
[When a Character Template reaches 100% synchronization, the host will unlock the ability to draw another random Character Template.]
As a longtime reader of fantasy and transmigration novels, Souta quickly understood the explanation.
"So, since the emphasis is on 'famous' and 'random,' these Character Templates I draw could range from insanely powerful to utterly useless people."
Souta wasn't foolish, and he immediately saw through the crux.
"In other words, it all depends on my luck, right?"
[The host is correct. Does the host wish to draw a Character Template now?]