I. The Final Moment
Mark had always considered himself a man of mediocre potential but extraordinary dedication. He was a history teacher, specialized in ancient military tactics, and, perhaps more relevantly, a devoted fan of high-fantasy and the anime world of Naruto. He knew the timelines, the jutsu matrices, and the tragic inevitability of the major conflicts.
His death was mundane, which struck him as a cruel irony after a life spent immersed in tales of grand heroism. It was a Tuesday. A delivery truck, distracted by a spilled coffee, drove through a red light. The sound was deafening, the transition instantaneous.
One second, he was crossing the street, debating the geopolitical implications of the Third Shinobi World War; the next, he was floating in a silent, endless void.
He wasn't panicked. He felt... complete. Like a data file that had been finalized and archived.
A voice, deeper than the ocean and smoother than polished obsidian, resonated not in his ears, but in the core of his disintegrated soul.
"Ah, another one of the observers. You cataloged the records well, Mark Dunning. Your life summary file is comprehensive."
Mark's consciousness coalesced into a flickering point of light. "The Weaver?" he thought, using a term from an old mythology book.
"A suitable moniker. Time is relative here, and space is merely a convenience. You are scheduled for recycling, but occasionally, the rules permit a diversion. Your dedication to the timeline you observed suggests a certain compatibility."
Mark understood. He, like countless others, was about to be offered the cliché of reincarnation into his favorite world. This was his chance to rewrite the tragedy he knew was coming.
"Naruto," he stated, his thought clear and sharp, cutting through the void. "I want to go to the world of the Shinobi."
"Expected. There are protocols. You may retain your memories, but you must select four fundamental boons to shape your existence—four wishes that will integrate into your new self. Choose wisely, for they must be compatible with the world's structure."
Mark didn't hesitate. He had spent years debating this exact scenario.
II. The Four Pillars
Mark knew that intelligence and physical strength in the Naruto world were meaningless without the foundational power: Chakra. And true mastery was about perception and control.
"My first wish," Mark stated, channeling all his strategic knowledge, "is for the Mind's Eye—not merely an analytical skill, but a perfected sensory and tactical perception that surpasses even the Sharingan's analysis. I want to see the future trajectory of a kunai, the exact point of chakra imbalance in an opponent, the perfect path through any complex jutsu or seals, and the absolute optimization of any strategic situation. It must be passive and require zero mental strain."
The Weaver hummed, a low vibration that shook the non-existent air. "A perfect perception engine. Granted. It will be the mind of a thousand geniuses working in parallel."
"My second wish is crucial: Perfect Chakra Control," Mark continued. "Absolute, innate control over my chakra flow, reservation, and shape manipulation. Every technique attempted has zero wasted energy. Instantaneous mastery over shape transformation, allowing for techniques like the Rasengan or Chidori to be formed perfectly and instantly upon learning the basic theory. Total efficiency and limitless fine-tuning."
"An Uzumaki with perfect control. Redundant, perhaps, given their resilience, but monumentally stacking. Granted. You will never fail due to inefficiency."
Mark smiled internally. With the massive Uzumaki reserves, perfect control meant he could spam high-level jutsu indefinitely.
"My third wish is for mobility—the most decisive advantage in any conflict. I want Instant Transmission (IT). True, flawless teleportation. It requires an acquired mental lock-on, but once locked, I can traverse any distance instantaneously, regardless of physical or dimensional barriers. The chakra cost must be negligible for short distances and moderate for intercontinental jumps."
"A high-level space-time manipulation technique, even without seals. Difficult, but manageable within the parameters of the world. Granted. You will be the fastest entity in existence."
Three wishes secured his survival and made him a strategic powerhouse. The final wish, however, was for leverage, for defense against the absolute worst-case scenario.
"My fourth and final wish is for a defense mechanism that guarantees a way out, or a way to eliminate an insurmountable threat. I wish for the ability of Instant Death (ID). A single, absolutely lethal strike or technique that requires no physical contact, no complex seals, and bypasses any defense—chakra barrier, armor, or regeneration. It must be a simple, instantaneous termination of the target's life force. However, to balance the devastating power, this ability can only be used once per terrestrial year."
The silence that followed was profound. Even the Weaver seemed to pause.
"A terrifying final resort. A nuclear option with a severe cooldown. The moral weight of carrying such an ultimate weapon will be immense. It shall be bound directly to your life force, ensuring the restriction is absolute. Granted."
III. The Placement Protocol
The wishes were set. Now came the final constraint of his new life.
"I have studied the timeline, Weaver. Too much hinges on the fate of one family. I request that I be reborn as the twin brother of Kushina Uzumaki. I want to protect her and prevent the destruction tied to her fate."
Mark had calculated this precisely. Being the twin meant he would be present in Konoha well before the academy, ensuring a strong bond from birth.
"Furthermore," Mark added, driving home his strategic social goal, "I want to be the closest, most trusted best friend of Minato Namikaze. This relationship must be forged early and genuinely, allowing me to influence their decisions down the line and mitigate the Nine-Tails tragedy."
"A complicated web of fate you wish to adjust. The Uzumaki lineage is volatile, and your presence will amplify it greatly. Your new identity shall be Kenji Uzumaki. Now, feel the pressure of the turning wheel, Kenji."
A fierce, painful compression encased Mark's soul. The void shattered, replaced by an overwhelming sensation of warmth, wetness, noise, and pain. The ultimate transition began.