[If you could travel anywhere, where would you go?]
"Of course, to the two-dimensional world!"
In the everyday anime world, Akiro Takahashi rubbed his hair in mild frustration. He had been living in this world for many years already.
He remembered back then—he had been playing on his computer when suddenly a prompt popped up on the screen, asking where he wanted to travel. Mischievously, he typed in the two-dimensional world. The next instant, his head spun, and he was reborn into the world of anime.
During more than ten years of growing up here, Akiro felt it was nothing short of paradise. There was the tsundere twin-tailed Eriri, the elegant upperclassman Utaha Kasumigaoka, and the famous child star Mai Sakurajima, along with countless other two-dimensional goddesses.
He thought he could live a beautiful, carefree life… until one day, he saw a high school detective solve a case, and at the same time Cat's Eye, Lupin the Third, and Kaitō Kid stealing treasures.
And soon after came the news of the Dorolibika Amusement Park Murder Case. At that moment, Akiro realized the timeline of this world had become utterly chaotic.
For someone who only wanted to enjoy a peaceful daily life, this discovery was exhausting.
Ever since learning that Shinigami (Death Gods) existed in this world, he felt as though he were walking on thin ice every single day.
Meiwa Grand Stage: "If you have a life, come and claim it."
As an ordinary person, Akiro was terrified he might be killed just because someone disliked him, or for some bizarre reason. After all, in Meiwa, murders never needed justification.
"Kenko, hurry up, we're going to be late!"
"Coming!"
Around him, the air buzzed with the lively voices of students in their youth. He didn't feel like paying them much attention, debating instead whether he should sign up for a martial arts class.
Then— ding! A crisp chime suddenly pulled his thoughts away.
"Ding! Multiverse Chat Group activated. Congratulations on joining. Please greet the members."
Goldfinger!?
Akiro's heart almost burst with joy—his golden cheat finally arrived!
Naruto Akiro: [Yo, hey guys, nice to meet you!]
One Piece Akiro: [Naruto world? Has Ōtsutsuki Akiro come online?]
Zombie Akiro: [What happened to two-dimensional? Why am I still in three-dimensional?]
Yōkai Akiro: [Oh? You're not satisfied? You've got the Saint Master, Jiushū, in your world!]
Daily Life Akiro: [Finally found my other selves. So this chat group really is just me across different worlds?]
The first batch of members included five worlds:
Naruto World — Uchiha clan member, Uchiha Akiro.
One Piece World — Rocks Pirates member, Aida D. Akiro.
Zombie World — Sole heir of the Shenshō Sect, 87th Sect Master, Akiro.
Yōkai World (Inuyasha) — Eldest son of the Great Dog General and Lady Setsuna, elder brother of Sesshōmaru, Akiroyasha.
Daily Life World (Detective Conan) — orphan raised in Meiwa Orphanage, middle-school student of Toyonoki Academy, and part-time convenience store clerk, Akiro Akizuki.
All of them… were him?
Naruto Akiro: [Bro, your name's kinda flamboyant.]
Akizuki?
Good grief! He could only laugh bitterly.
One Piece Akiro: [Cough, cough… well, if you can beat that guy, then you're my hero!]
Daily Life Akiro: [What are you talking about? This name was given to me by the orphanage director. I don't even know that person you're imagining!]
Back when he was first named, he resisted, but it was useless. Everyone at the orphanage called him that, and eventually he gave up. After all, it was just a name.
Zombie Akiro: [By the way, haven't you noticed something strange?]
Naruto Akiro: [What?]
Zombie Akiro: [Look at your timelines. One of you is right before the Uchiha massacre. One of you is at the eve of the God Valley Incident. And one of you is about to face the first great war between East and West.]
So basically, except for Daily Life World, every other world was extremely dangerous.
Naruto Akiro: [Don't panic. I'm already preparing to defect!]
Yōkai Akiro: [Why not try to change the fate of the Uchiha clan?]
After all, living together with them must have built some feelings. Shouldn't he at least try to save them?
Naruto Akiro: [Impossible. Absolutely impossible. Let me explain. Right now, the Uchiha clan is divided into conservatives, radicals, and neutrals.
The so-called "saint" Shisui and the dutiful Itachi have already been brainwashed by the Third Hokage. The radicals are too weak to fight back. Danzō has long been plotting to steal Sharingan. The Third Hokage silently allows it. Obito is lurking in the shadows. Honestly, there's no way to save the Uchiha.]
The massacre wasn't something that could be stopped by slogans or persuading the clan to change.
Danzō wanted them gone. Obito wanted them gone. The Third Hokage, though he never said it outright, condoned their elimination.
This was already a desperate situation.
Daily Life Akiro: [Then why didn't you warn Minato before he died?]
Wait—
Since he had transmigrated so early, couldn't he have saved Minato? If Minato lived, maybe the current disaster wouldn't exist!
Naruto Akiro: [I was only slightly older than Itachi back then. How could I possibly meet Minato?]
At that age, trying to get near Minato, the Yellow Flash, was a joke.
And after Minato became Hokage, it was even more impossible to see him one-on-one. Besides, what would he even say? Be careful, your wife's going to die in childbirth because of an ambush?
Get real.
He was, after all, from the cursed Uchiha clan.
Even if Minato bore little prejudice against the Uchiha, he still wouldn't have been able to change things.
Truthfully, Minato didn't need to die. The Nine-Tails could have been sealed back into Kushina again. Later, when Kurama was pulled out of Naruto, Naruto still lived after receiving replacement chakra.
And when the Uchiha were supposed to join the battle, they were ordered not to. With so many powerful shinobi in the village, restraining the Nine-Tails and resealing it wasn't impossible. If Obito had been taken out earlier, none of this would've happened.
Just as Naruto Akiro was about to continue, the chat group displayed bold red text:
[Rule 1: Members of the Chat Group gain the right to share abilities. Abilities adapt automatically based on the user's strength. For example, Daily Life Akiro cannot unleash jutsu at the same power as Naruto Akiro. Cross-world usage converts the ability cost into the world's local energy. If none exists, stamina will be consumed, and the cost doubles when converted.]
[Rule 2: Changing major events and altering the world's storyline grants one lottery chance. For instance, if One Piece Akiro changes a key event, he earns a lottery specific to the One Piece world, with prizes drawn from its abilities and items.]
[Rule 3: At certain times, new members will be invited. All members are variations of Akiro Takahashi across different worlds. Specific achievements may unlock earlier invitations.]
[Rule 4: Chat group items can be traded, but cross-world effects are unknown and must be tested individually.]
[Rule 5: Lifespan is shared. As long as any version of Akiro remains alive in one world, the others will not die of old age. Note: they can still be killed.]
...
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