The last thing I remembered was fire. A deafening explosion. The rush of heat against my skin. And then—nothing.
Yet, instead of the endless void I expected, I found myself standing on something soft. Not ground. Not even solid. Just… clouds?
I blinked, trying to process what the hell was going on. My uniform was gone, replaced by a sleek black robe. My body—intact. No pain, no burns, no blood. I had been certain I died. I felt myself die. And yet, here I was, perfectly fine.
"Well now, you took your time waking up," a voice mused.
I turned sharply. An old man sat at a small wooden table, floating effortlessly atop the clouds. He had the kind of face that made you think of a wise grandfather—calm eyes, a knowing smile. A teapot rested beside him, steam curling into the sky.
I hesitated, but something about him radiated an unnatural sense of peace. Like I had nothing to fear. And so, I walked forward.
"Sit," he said, gesturing to the empty chair across from him.
I did, feeling the weightlessness of the cloud beneath me. "Where am I?"
"Heaven, the afterlife, the crossroads of fate—whichever you prefer," he said with a chuckle, pouring two cups of tea. "You've earned your place here. Your final act saved millions. Quite the noble sacrifice."
My mind flashed back to the mission. The enemy compound. The detonator in my hand. I had made sure my squad escaped before pressing the trigger.
"So that's it then?" I exhaled, leaning back. "I just… die a hero?"
"Not necessarily." The old man sipped his tea, eyes twinkling. "You stand at a crossroad. One path leads to eternal rest. The other…" He set his cup down. "Leads to another chance."
I frowned. "Another chance at what?"
"Rebirth. A new world, one unlike your own. Power beyond anything you've known. And a destiny that only you can shape."
I stared at him, half-expecting him to say he was joking. But his expression remained serious.
A new world. Power. A chance to carve my own path?
I leaned forward, fingers tapping the table. "Tell me more."
The old man grinned as if he had been waiting for me to say that. With a snap of his fingers, the sky around us shifted. The serene golden clouds darkened, swirling like a storm. Glowing runes spiraled beneath me, forming a complex seal.
"You have chosen the path of conquest," he said, his voice carrying an almost divine weight. "From this moment on, you are no mere man. You are a conqueror, a ruler of worlds."
A sharp pain struck my chest. I gasped, gripping my ribs as something inside me ignited. It wasn't a fire. It wasn't lightning. It was power. Raw, limitless, unchained.
[System Activation: Multiversal Conqueror Protocol Initiated]
A voice echoed in my head—cold, mechanical, absolute. Text appeared in my vision, glowing in front of me like a holographic screen.
Multiversal Conqueror System Initialized
World Selection Unlocked
Conquest Mechanics Enabled
Empress Ascension Protocol Activated
I inhaled sharply. "What the hell is this?"
The old man chuckled. "Your gift. The system will guide you, but the strength to rule must come from you."
I focused on the first option: World Selection. A list of names appeared—worlds I recognized from stories, anime, games. Some I had never even heard of.
[Choose your first world to invade.]
I scrolled through the list, heart pounding.
Naruto. One Piece. Bleach. Tensura. Fate. DXD.
Each world held legendary warriors, supernatural abilities, and women of unimaginable beauty. The implications hit me all at once.
"This lets me invade other realities?" I asked, a slow grin forming.
The old man nodded. "And every conquest will reward you. You will claim a piece of that world's power as your own. But more than that… each victory will grant you a queen—an empress to stand beside you."
I tensed as new text appeared.
First Conquest Reward:
Gain the bloodline or abilities of the strongest being in that world.
Claim one Empress—one woman of that world who will stand as your ruler.
Conquered worlds become territories of your empire.
This was insane. Beyond anything I had ever dreamed of.
"So, I fight, I win, I take their power… and I build a multiversal empire?"
"Exactly," the old man said, his voice filled with amusement. "And with each conquest, you grow stronger. Your empire expands. Your name will be spoken across worlds in reverence… or in fear."
I exhaled, my pulse racing. This was it. This was my new life.
The system screen pulsed again.
[First world selection: Choose your battlefield.]
I looked at the list again. A smirk tugged at my lips.
"Let's start with something fun."
I tapped a name, and the world around me shattered into light.
The moment I tapped Naruto, everything around me twisted. Colors bled together, my body felt weightless, and then—boom!
I crashed down into solid ground, dust kicking up around me. My senses exploded with information. The air smelled of damp earth and fresh leaves. The sky stretched wide, a perfect blue. Trees loomed high, their canopies rustling in the wind.
I was in a dense forest. Somewhere in the Naruto world.
[World Integration Complete]
[Conqueror Status: Hidden]
[First Conquest Mission: Establish Dominance]
I grinned, stretching my limbs. I felt good. No, I felt strong. This wasn't my old body. This was something more—enhanced by the system. I clenched my fist, feeling chakra hum beneath my skin.
I checked my reflection in a puddle. Same face, but my eyes had a faint glow, like power was barely contained behind them.
[New Passive Skill: Adaptive Chakra Mastery]
[New Trait: Limitless Growth]
"Nice," I muttered. The system wasn't holding back.
Now, the real question—where was I?
I climbed one of the massive trees, leaping from branch to branch with ridiculous ease. The height should've made me dizzy, but my body adjusted instantly. At the top, I scanned the horizon.
In the distance, I saw a village. Stone walls. Watchtowers. A massive red building at its center.
"Konoha," I whispered. The Hidden Leaf Village.
A rush of excitement hit me. This was it. My first world. My first conquest.
The system buzzed again.
[First Empress Selection: Identify the woman who will rule this world beside you.]
I chuckled. "We'll get to that later."
First, I needed to explore. Learn the state of this world. Find my first target.
With a deep breath, I took off toward Konoha, my adventure truly beginning.
Slipping into Konoha unnoticed wasn't going to be easy. The village was one of the most well-guarded places in the world, filled with shinobi trained to sense threats. Walking in casually would be asking to get interrogated—or worse.
That's why I needed a disguise.
I perched on a thick tree branch overlooking a dirt path leading to the village gates. Before long, my patience paid off. A lone ninja walked by, humming to himself, carrying a small bag over his shoulder. From his vest and headband, he was a regular Chunin, probably just returning from a mission.
Perfect.
I dropped down behind him, silent as a shadow. Before he could react, I struck—one quick jab to the back of the neck. His body went limp before he even realized what happened.
[Passive Skill Activated: Perfect Assassination]
I blinked. Damn, the system's giving me some real assassin vibes.
After dragging him into the bushes, I stripped him down to his basic gear. A dark blue undershirt, a Chunin vest, shinobi pants, and sandals. The headband was the most important piece—I tied it around my forehead, feeling the weight of legitimacy settle on me.
[Disguise Complete: Civilian and Low-Level Shinobi Will Not Detect You as a Threat]
Nice. I grabbed his bag, which held some rations, a kunai pouch, and a small mission scroll, then strolled toward the village like I belonged.
Welcome to Konoha
The gates loomed ahead, guarded by two Chunin. I recognized them immediately—Kotetsu and Izumo.
"Yo," I greeted casually, waving like I was just another tired shinobi coming home.
They barely gave me a glance. "Rough mission?" Kotetsu asked, yawning.
"You wouldn't believe it," I muttered, stepping past them.
And just like that, I was in.
Konoha was just like I remembered from the anime—bustling streets, food stalls lined up, shinobi hopping across rooftops. It was surreal.
Then I saw it—the Hokage Monument, and right in the center, the face of Tsunade.
A grin spread across my face.
I was in the Shippuden era.
This was huge. That meant Naruto was around, the Akatsuki were active, and the Fourth Great Ninja War wasn't far off. The world was at its peak in power struggles, and I was right in the middle of it.
I needed to act fast. Learn the power structure, find my first Empress, and start my conquest.
But first… I could really go for some Ichiraku Ramen.