"Wow, that guy's so handsome…"
"I really want to ask for his contact info. Hey, does my makeup look okay?"
"He looks like he's heading into the Forbidden Zone. I'll go ask him myself!"
Chatter buzzed around him, but Vincent Fox ignored it completely.
"Excuse me, handsome."
A girl in a short skirt jogged up to block his path. "Are you heading into the Forbidden Zone?"
Vincent gave her a quick glance and nodded. She was pretty, sure, but compared to Autumn Summer, she was ordinary. And besides, he already had a girlfriend.
"Can I get your contact info? I'll make it worth your while." She arched a brow and tried to stop him with a sly smile.
Vincent simply stared at her, silent, his expression unreadable.
Thinking he didn't believe her, she pouted in annoyance. "I'm serious! I just came out of the Fifth Zone not long ago. I know some tricks. Give me your number and I'll tell you."
"Not interested." Vincent turned and walked away without hesitation. He had no time for distractions. The sooner he entered the Zone, the better.
"You!" The girl stamped her foot, hands on her hips, muttering curses at his back.
At the gate of the Forbidden Zone, armed guards stood in formation just like at the Fourth Zone. One lane was left open, soldiers checking IDs before allowing entrants through.
Professor Charles Joe had explained before: both the Fourth and Fifth Zones were highly contested and of equal importance. Which was why the crowd here was even larger than last time. Vincent scanned the area at least two hundred participants.
After nearly an hour of waiting, his turn finally came. Two soldiers checked his ID and waved him inside.
Beyond the line of guards, the space opened up into a broad staging area, packed with young people. Though they queued in orderly lines, the entrance ahead was still jammed.
Vincent joined a shorter line and waited quietly.
"Hey, want to team up?"
A man sidled up beside him, lowering his voice.
Vincent blinked. Teaming up?
The stranger noticed his confusion and quickly explained: "We'll all choose the same faction, then leave secret markings to regroup later. With partners, the missions get done faster, and the rewards are better."
Vincent gave a slight nod. Clever, he thought. These people would try anything for an edge.
Excited, the man extended his hand. "Great! There are seven of us already. Give me your hand, I'll mark you so we can"
"No need," Vincent cut him off, shaking his head. "I won't join."
The man froze, then forced a laugh. "Suit yourself. I'll leave the mark anyway, in case you change your mind."
He scratched a simple symbol into the air between them the shape of a weapon, easy enough to remember.
"What side are you choosing?" Vincent asked suddenly.
The man looked startled. No one had asked him that before. "Of course the Rain Village. Wait… don't tell me you're"
Vincent nodded. "I'm choosing Konoha. Want to join me?"
The stranger gawked at him, speechless. Others overheard and drifted closer, equally incredulous.
A moment later, the man muttered under his breath, turning away, "Whatever, your loss. Who picks Konoha? Idiot."
"Yeah," another scoffed. "What kind of fool passes up Rain? No wonder he picked Leaf."
They laughed and walked off, mocking him.
Vincent said nothing, only smiled faintly as he watched them go. We'll meet again inside, he thought. And then we'll see who chose wisely.
At last, the clock struck two.
The gates opened. One by one, the candidates filed into the Fifth Forbidden Zone.
Vincent stepped through.
The next moment, he stood once again in the familiar white preparation chamber.
"Please select your faction."
Option 1: Konohagakure.
Option 2: Amegakure.
Without hesitation, Vincent chose Konohagakure.
He had already decided. Partly out of confidence in his own strength, but also because of emotion. Watching Naruto in his past life, he had grieved for Jiraiya's death. He remembered Naruto's broken reaction afterward, and the sorrow still weighed on him.
He couldn't bring himself to fight against the people of Konoha.
A flash of white light engulfed him.
When his vision cleared, he stood in a bustling village with slanted rooftops and carved cliffs looming in the distance. The Hokage Rock, with its iconic faces, towered above.
Vincent's lips curved faintly. The world felt so real. Familiar figures moved around him, shinobi of the Leaf in their standard uniforms.
He checked himself. His clothing was still modern, but tied around his forehead was a protector etched with Konoha's symbol. His identity had been set. He was officially a Leaf shinobi.
"Perfect timing," he muttered, glancing at the date. Today was the day Jiraiya infiltrated the Rain Village.
Without wasting a second, Vincent left the village at full speed.
His legs powered forward, each step launching him more than ten meters, earth and grass cracking beneath his soles. Moving so fast he left afterimages in the air, he raced toward the Land of Rain.
The air grew damp and heavy.
He was close.
Vincent's legs powered forward, each step launching him more than ten meters, earth and grass cracking beneath his soles. Moving so fast he left afterimages in the air, he raced toward the Land of Rain.
The air grew damp and heavy.
He was close.
Vincent gradually realized why this place was called the Village Hidden in the Rain. The sky never cleared, and the endless downpour blurred the horizon into a gray curtain.
He pulled out the rain cloak he'd bought back in Konoha and wrapped it tightly around himself, blending in with the weather as best he could.
At last, the silhouettes of towering spire-like buildings came into view, their sharp outlines piercing the veil of rain. These were unmistakably the unique structures of Amegakure.
Vincent slowed his pace, advancing cautiously so as not to expose his presence too soon.
Before long, he reached the massive stone marker at the village gate carved with four vertical lines.
Just then, several masked shinobi appeared before him, their respirators hissing as they barked in unison.
"Who goes there?!"
----------------------------------------------------
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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