What happened next went far more smoothly than Ryota had anticipated.
As that gentle chakra flowed into his body, Naruto stirred a little before those unmistakable, bright blue eyes slowly opened.
He blinked in confusion, his tone hesitant, but the words "Lord Ryota" slipped from his lips almost instinctively.
He had never actually met Ryota.
But from the moment that strangely pure, almost primordial Nine-Tails chakra had poured into him, it was as if something deep in his consciousness had been awakened.
He sensed something both familiar and foreign—
As though a part of himself was overlapping and fusing with another complete whole.
That sensation was one he had never experienced before.
And now, standing before him was a black-haired boy who looked utterly ordinary… yet made Naruto feel an awe that welled up from the very depths of his soul.
Ryota smiled.
"You're awake."
"Ah… Lord Ryota, I… what's going on?"
Ryota didn't answer directly. Instead, he raised his hand and gently patted Naruto on the head.
"You'll understand in time."
"But for now, don't think too much."
Naruto opened his mouth, but in the end didn't press the question—he only nodded silently.
His instincts told him this black-haired boy wouldn't harm him.
In fact, he might be the very person who had saved him from the brink of death.
Even though Ryota carried none of the usual sense of gentleness, strangely enough, being near him gave Naruto a rare feeling of security.
Then Ryota pressed his right hand against Naruto's chest.
In the next instant, faint golden patterns spilled from his palm. They looked like the characters of some ancient covenant, appearing across Naruto's chest before slowly gathering into a complete Falna engraving.
It was a power system utterly different from the one of Orario's world, yet under Ryota's control, it merged seamlessly with Naruto's body.
[Ding! Asura's Chakra Reincarnate: (1/1)]
The mechanical voice hadn't even faded when Naruto's startled voice broke in first:
"What… is this?"
He could clearly feel it—where once there had been only emptiness, now something new filled that void. A fresh power, stabilizing his chakra flow in a way he had never known.
"A Falna," Ryota said calmly.
"From this moment on, you are also one of my Familia."
"Falna… Familia…"
Naruto repeated the words under his breath, his face full of confusion.
But then—something strange happened.
As soon as Ryota injected that mysterious "Falna" into him, Naruto realized in shock that the clumsy, uncontrollable grasp he'd always had over his chakra… had vanished in an instant!
"Eh?!"
"Th-this… this can't be real!"
His eyes widened as he stared at his own outstretched hands, his voice trembling with disbelief.
Ryota chuckled.
"A Falna is essentially a system of authority granted by the gods. It strengthens your body, sharpens your spirit, and even guides you in how to wield your power."
"You were never lacking in chakra. What you lacked… was a vessel to contain it."
As he spoke, his gaze deepened, as though piercing straight into Naruto's loneliness and yearning.
"And now—"
"You have a vessel. And a path."
"From today onward, your chakra will never again be a curse."
Naruto stared at him, stunned, and to his own surprise, his eyes grew wet.
For the first time, he felt that someone didn't shun him for the dangerous power inside him.
Instead, this person gave him acknowledgment—
And a true beginning.
"Um… Lord Ryota."
Naruto lifted his head carefully, his eyes full of hope, with just a touch of nervousness.
"Does this mean… I can really be considered a ninja now?"
"Of course."
Ryota smiled again, reaching out to pat his head once more.
"Next, I'll have Fugaku and the others teach you some ninjutsu."
"Fugaku…?"
Naruto froze, and the image flashed in his mind of that sharp-eyed, silent man with strange red eyes that glowed faintly in the sockets, a man who always looked like he could pierce straight through you.
"That scary red-eyed uncle?"
Naruto swallowed hard and muttered under his breath,
"The one who looks really terrifying…"
So in Naruto's mind, the Sharingan was directly linked to "scary," huh?
Still, the fact that he remembered Uchiha Fugaku at once meant he hadn't slacked off in the "training" Ryota had arranged for him.
Ryota chuckled softly.
"There's nothing to be afraid of. You'll come to understand in time."
Naruto suddenly seemed to realize something.
"So… that uncle is one of Lord Ryota's people?"
"Yes."
Ryota nodded.
"They all are."
Hearing that, Naruto's worries instantly faded away.
If the scary red-eyed uncle was one of Lord Ryota's people, then there was nothing to fear at all!
"Alright! Then I'll train hard!"
Naruto clenched his tiny fists tight, his expression dead serious.
"I'll definitely become… a ninja you can be proud of!"
Ryota saw the light burning in the boy's eyes, and his own gaze flickered.
Of course he knew this innocent, passionate child before him was destined to become the "Light of Konoha."
But right now, he was simply a newly blessed member of his Familia, setting foot on the path of shinobi for the first time.
Ryota nodded with a smile.
"Come on. Let's go meet your new friend."
"Eh? New friend?"
Naruto barely had time to speak before—
Whoosh!
The world seemed to twist. Space itself tightened as if wrung by an invisible hand, then snapped back all at once!
A wave of dizziness hit Naruto, making him instinctively shut his eyes.
When he opened them again, he was standing in a place he had never seen before.
"Th-this is…?"
A breeze brushed past, carrying the rustle of leaves.
Under his feet lay a stone-paved path. Not far away stood rows of houses.
This was the Uchiha Clan Grounds.
Naruto stared blankly at the scene, his mind slow to catch up—until he noticed a boy sitting on the stone steps ahead, chin resting in his hands, looking faintly sullen.
The boy, too, noticed the sudden presence.
He blinked, then upon seeing who had arrived, sprang up at once.
"Clan Head!"
Sasuke's voice was clear, tinged with reverence and nervous tension. He strode quickly forward, then bowed deeply before Ryota, his tone firm and crisp:
"Clan Head, what brings you here?"
Naruto's eyes bulged.
"C-clan… head?!"
He looked at Ryota, then at Sasuke, utterly bewildered.
Ryota only smiled faintly, calm as ever, and nodded.
"Good."
His gaze lingered on Sasuke for a moment, carrying a hint of satisfaction.
"Looks like Fugaku explained things to you properly."
Sasuke straightened, his tone steady with a maturity far beyond his years.
"Yes. Father has made everything clear. The Clan Head is our pillar, our future."
Ryota waved a hand lightly.
"Enough, no need to be so stiff."
"Step forward. I'll reconstruct your Falna."