The idea of transmigration was something anyone might daydream about. Hiko had fantasized too. But fantasy was fantasy, reality was reality. To truly experience it was harder to accept than he had ever imagined.
Back when he was obsessed with Naruto, he had pictured himself crossing into that world, becoming part of the Uchiha. Why Uchiha? Simple: the allure of Uchiha Madara, Uchiha Itachi, and the Sharingan.
When he first discovered the series, he had only one way to describe the Sharingan: damn, that was cool!
By contrast, the Byakugan left a weaker impression. Not until the later Tenseigan reveal did everyone realize how powerful the Byakugan could become.
But unlocking the Sharingan was notoriously harsh, and the Byakugan's evolution was no easier.
Hiko bore no ill will toward the Uchiha. If he gained the strength, he would guard them, even if that meant standing against dangerous enemies: the scheming Shimura Danzō, the legendary Madara himself, or the puppet master Black Zetsu. Each more ruthless than the last.
On a quiet grassy patch behind Konoha, Hiko chewed on a blade of grass and stared at the sky. It was bizarre, but true. He had really crossed into the Naruto world, and into the Uchiha clan, no less. Even stranger, he still had the premium gift bundle he had once spent half a month's salary on.
Well, fortune or misfortune, there was no escaping it. At least he was born Uchiha. If he had transmigrated into some nameless villager with no clan, no bloodline limit, that would have been tragedy.
Sure, the Uchiha weren't popular in Konoha, but it beat being ordinary. He had the clan behind him, and the Sharingan as a legacy. As for the future, he could think about that later. First, he needed to adapt... and check his premium bundle.
The thought of it left him conflicted. If he hadn't splurged on that recharge, maybe none of this would have happened.
"Heh heh! Finally found you."
The sly voice behind him made Hiko roll his eyes. Jiraiya.
Hiko felt conflicted about him. He had admired Jiraiya once while reading Naruto, but that admiration had long since faded, replaced with exasperation.
Spitting out the grass stalk, Hiko stood and turned away without a word.
"Uchiha Hiko, don't walk away!!!"
Seeing Hiko ignore him, Jiraiya shouted after him.
"Tch, acting just like that annoying Orochimaru."
Hiko didn't look back. Jiraiya grumbled, but there was almost a plea in his mutter: please grow up soon.
To Hiko, there wasn't much to say. This was the same five-year-old who skipped class to sneak peeks at adult books. What was there to admire? At five? Even if you looked, what could you do?
Classic case: eyes bigger than the stomach.
Hiko couldn't help but marvel at how early kids matured in this world. Five years old and already peeking at women bathing, already smuggling forbidden books. In his previous world, five-year-olds were still in diapers and playing with mud pies.
As for beautiful women bathing? Pointless.
Unbeknownst to Hiko, Jiraiya had only sought him out because he was shocked earlier. To snub Tsunade so directly--that was something Jiraiya himself had always wanted to do but never dared. Hiko had done it first, and Jiraiya thought he'd found a kindred spirit. He wanted to get close. But Hiko didn't care.
(God-Tier Evolution Potion!)
Hiko's face turned uncertain as he held up the treasure he had spent two thousand yuan to obtain.
A small transparent vial, filled with pink liquid.
In the game, when he had chosen the Uchiha as his main, advancing the Sharingan had been nearly impossible. So he had gritted his teeth and recharged for the premium pack.
And the pack had only one item: the God-Tier Evolution Potion.
In the game, this item was overpowered. For an Uchiha, it instantly awakened the Sharingan, then smoothed every evolution after that. For a Senju, it could awaken Hashirama's Wood Release. Sometimes, it even allowed fusions with rare bloodlines.
Back then, he hadn't cared about details. He just wanted his character to power up fast, to enjoy the thrill of overwhelming battles. Games were for fun, for crushing opponents, nothing more.
But the potion had crossed over with him. And now it was real.
Looking at the vial, Hiko hesitated. Should he drink it? What if one gulp killed him? That would make him the most tragic transmigrator ever.
Just because it was broken in the game didn't mean it would work in reality.
But shrinking back was death, and stepping forward was also death.
After a pause, he gritted his teeth and downed the potion in one go. He had already transmigrated--what was one more gamble?
The liquid was sweet, easy to swallow. Nothing unpleasant.
When the last drop was gone, he waited. Nothing. No pain, no surge of power. Maybe it was just useless here. With a sigh, he lowered the empty bottle.
Then dizziness hit. His vision swam, and he collapsed onto the grass.
"My eyes..."
When he woke the next morning, the world had changed.
His eyes had changed.
The Sharingan had awakened!!!
The God-Tier Evolution Potion from the game had actually worked in reality.
Hiko's heart pounded wildly. The Sharingan. In his previous life, people had bought fake contacts just to imitate it. Now he had the real thing.