The next morning, Vincent Fox returned to campus.
Months ago, Professor Charles Joe had distributed information packets about both the Fourth and Fifth Forbidden Zones. Many students had chosen the Fifth, since at first glance it appeared to be a less dangerous world.
Vincent sat down, pulled the file from his desk drawer, and flipped to the first page.
A young man with spiky orange hair stared back at him. His eyes were pale purple, etched with concentric circles. Black piercings ran across his nose and face. He wore a black cloak patterned with red clouds.
Vincent instantly recognized him.
Yahiko, long deceased. The image before him was the "Deva Path" of the Six Paths of Pain.
Straight out of the world of Naruto.
Turning to the second page, he found a blonde woman clad in a green robe, the kanji for "Gamble" emblazoned on her back. She was the leader of Konohagakure at the time the Fifth Hokage, Tsunade.
Known to fans of the ninja world as the "Legendary Sucker," Tsunade had inherited her grandfather's love of gambling, along with his disastrous luck.
It was now beyond doubt: the Fifth Forbidden Zone was none other than Naruto, one of the three great "Big Three" shonen worlds, alongside One Piece.
"Vincent, are you planning to enter the Fifth World?"
A calm voice broke his thoughts. He looked up to see Professor Joe standing there.
"Yes, Professor," Vincent answered with a nod.
"Then let me explain a few things," Charles Joe said, pulling up a chair. His expression was grave, but his eyes gleamed with approval. Twice already, Vincent had achieved Legendary Gold evaluations, even resolving an entire Forbidden Zone crisis. He was a student worth investing in.
"This world is divided into two opposing forces," the professor began. "On one side is Konohagakure of the Land of Fire, founded by the First and Second Hokage. Both are long dead. Now their granddaughter, Tsunade, serves as the Fifth Hokage."
"The other side is Amegakure, the Village Hidden in the Rain, now ruled by the organization called Akatsuki. They have strange methods of unlocking hidden potential in their ninja, and wield terrifying, unorthodox powers."
"The two sides have clashed repeatedly in what are known as the Ninja Wars. But at this point in history, it is Akatsuki who invades the Leaf."
Vincent's eyes narrowed. His guess had been right the timeline of this Forbidden Zone was during Pain's Assault on Konoha, one of the darkest arcs in the Naruto saga.
At this time, Konoha was already weakened: the Third Hokage had died repelling Orochimaru's invasion, many of the village's elite had defected, and Jiraiya had just been killed in Amegakure.
Now, the Six Paths of Pain had come to Konoha. Their Rinnegan eyes shattered the balance of traditional combat their attacks were overwhelming, and their defenses nearly impenetrable. Against such foes, the ninjas of Konoha were utterly helpless.
"Once you enter," Charles Joe continued, "you'll have to choose a faction: either Amegakure under Pain, or Konohagakure under Tsunade."
He listed the objectives:
For Amegakure:
Beginner: Kill enemy shinobi.
Intermediate: Intercept Konoha's messengers before they send intelligence to the Rain.
Advanced: Destroy Konoha.
For Konoha:
Beginner: Capture a Rain ninja alive.
Intermediate: Identify the 'god' the Rain shinobi worship.
Advanced: Defeat that 'god.'
Professor Joe's eyes locked on Vincent's. "So, which will you choose?"
Vincent's expression was calm. "I've already decided."
"Good," Joe nodded. "If it were me, I'd choose Amegakure too. Konoha may have home-field advantage, but Pain's abilities suppress nearly every shinobi skill. His coordination makes the Rain far stronger overall."
He stood, smiling faintly. "The Hokage and the Six Paths of Pain are on an entirely different level. Don't be foolish enough to challenge them head-on. Against such monsters, even you would be crushed."
With that, the professor left.
Vincent glanced around. Many students had been eavesdropping.
"So that's the Fifth Forbidden Zone, huh? Sounds dangerous, but simpler than the Fourth."
"Yeah, everyone's saying it's smarter to just side with the Rain, stick close to Pain, and pick off scraps."
"I heard the rewards are amazing Sharingan, or at least some powerful jutsu. Almost like innate talents."
Vincent smirked faintly. They thought Pain was invincible, but he knew the truth: in the original timeline, Pain was defeated by Naruto.
And Vincent had one advantage no shinobi did his Saitama Physique. Pain's Rinnegan was designed to counter ninjutsu, but Vincent didn't use ninjutsu. In a sense, his very existence was Pain's natural counter.
That night, he didn't linger at school. Returning home, he trained relentlessly, pushing his body into peak condition. With three types of Haki now at his disposal, his strength had leapt yet again.
The next morning, he packed his student ID and left his home alone.
The Fifth Forbidden Zone awaited.
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The deeper he goes, the more the truth unravels. Don't wait read ahead and witness Vincent's rise before the world catches up!
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