Ugh... what the hell?
I groaned as consciousness slowly returned, my body protesting as I pushed myself up from the forest floor. The world spun momentarily, leaves and branches blurring together in a nauseating kaleidoscope. The portal's transit had felt like being shoved through a blender made of pure energy—definitely not the smooth experience I'd been hoping for.
Note to self: interdimensional travel comes with motion sickness. Fantastic.*
Blinking away the disorientation, I took stock of my surroundings. Tall trees stretched toward a canopy that filtered golden sunlight into dappled patterns across the forest floor. The air carried the crisp scent of pine and earth, peaceful in a way that felt almost alien after the constant tension of the supernatural world.
At least I landed somewhere relatively safe. Could've been worse—could've materialized in the middle of a battlefield.*
Standing and brushing dirt from my clothes, I realized my first major problem: I had absolutely no idea where I was or when I was. The Naruto world spanned decades of timeline, and showing up during the wrong period could be catastrophic. Landing during the Fourth Great Ninja War would be... problematic.
Time to find civilization and figure out what era I've landed in.*
I began walking through the forest, my enhanced senses picking up distant sounds of running water and, hopefully, human activity. The familiar weight of my abilities remained reassuringly present—Incursio's armor, my shadow soldiers, the Sage's Eye. At least the portal hadn't stripped me of my powers.
After several minutes of walking, I felt someone approaching at high speed. The energy signature was weak—barely above civilian level—so I remained relaxed as a figure burst through the undergrowth.
A man in his thirties, wearing torn and bloodied clothes, stumbled into the clearing. His face was pale with blood loss, and kunai wounds decorated his torso like grotesque flowers. He spotted me and immediately lurched forward with desperate eyes.
"Please!" he gasped, pointing back the way he'd come with a shaking hand. "They're... they're still alive! You have to help them!"
Before I could ask for details—who was alive, who was attacking them, what the situation was—the man's eyes rolled back and he collapsed. The light faded from his gaze as blood pooled beneath his still form.
Damn.*
I knelt beside him, gently closing his eyes before moving his body to rest against a nearby tree. Whatever had happened to him, he'd spent his final moments trying to save someone else. That deserved respect.
I sprinted in the direction he'd indicated, multiple energy signatures becoming clearer as I approached. Most were weak to moderate—chunin level at best—but there were definitely more attackers than defenders based on what I could sense.
The scene that greeted me through the trees was grim.
A man in his thirties, wearing a forehead protector, crouched protectively in front of two teenagers—a girl and boy, both around fifteen or sixteen. All three were injured, man's left arm bleeding profusely while the teens showed various cuts and bruises.
Surrounding them were thirteen men in mismatched gear, kunai gleaming in their hands. Rogue ninja, based on their scratched forehead protectors and predatory expressions. They were toying with their prey, advancing slowly with the confidence of those who knew they'd already won.
A Pathetic ambush. Probably figured a small team from a minor village would be easy pickings.*
As I moved closer to get a better view, I noticed another body near the treeline—a teenage boy with kunai embedded in his chest. Even in death, his hand stretched toward his teammates, as if he'd spent his final moments trying to reach them.
Brave kid. Probably created the opening for the survivor to escape.*
I paused to acknowledge his sacrifice, but my attention was drawn back to the confrontation when one of the rogues noticed my presence.
"Who the hell are you?" the man snarled, his scarred face twisting with suspicion and annoyance.
And here I was planning to give you all a chance to surrender.*
Instead of answering, I raised my hand and formed a blade of pressurized water. The technique was effortless, thanks to my high level water manipulation.
The rogue ninja's head separated from his shoulders before he could react.
The sudden violence grabbed everyone's attention. In the shocked silence that followed, I struck again. Seven more water blades materialized and found their targets with surgical precision, dropping the bandits faster than they could process what was happening.
The surviving rogues finally broke from their stupor and tried to flee, but the injured Takigakure ninja and his students seized the opportunity. Despite their wounds, they moved with the practiced coordination of a team, cutting down the remaining enemies before they could escape.
When the last body hit the ground, an uncomfortable quiet settled over the clearing.
"Thank you," the older man said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and grief. "I'm Yoru, Jonin of Takigakure. These are my students." He gestured to the two teenagers, both of whom were staring at me with a mixture of awe and wariness.
Jonin from Takigakure with students. But what are they doing out here?*
"What brings you to this area?" I asked.
Yoru nodded grimly. "We were on route to Konoha for the Chunin Exams when those bastards ambushed us. We lost..." His voice caught slightly as he glanced toward the fallen teenager. "We lost Kenji."
Chunin Exams in Konoha. That narrows down the timeline considerably. This could be exactly what I need or perhaps I could be wrong. What if this Chunin Exams is at the time of Kakashi or perhaps Minato*
"I'm sorry for your loss," I said, meaning it. "If you're heading to Konoha for the exams, I might be able to help."
Yoru's eyes sharpened. "What do you mean?"
"I was planning to attend the exams myself," I said, the lie coming smoothly. "But my teammates... didn't make it to the meeting point. If you're short a member now..."
The suggestion hung in the air. Yoru studied me carefully, his jonin instincts clearly at work.
"You want to take Kenji's place?" His tone was carefully neutral, but I could see the doubt behind his eyes. "Why?"
Good question. What motivation would make sense here?*
"I've trained alone for years," I said, mixing truth with fiction. "This is my chance to test my abilities against peers from other villages. If I miss this opportunity..." I shrugged. "Who knows when the next one will come. Besides, I want to see Hokage and Kazekage in person, I've heard lots of great stories about feats of Hiruzen and Rasa"
"You got great ambitions, I have no doubt that you won't be able to grab their attention during chunin exams" He paused, and said what I needed to know to confirm my decision "It will be a huge help if you join us, so please participate in the Chunin Exams"
The female student—a girl with short brown hair and worried eyes—spoke up. "Sensei, we can't just—"
"Can't just what?" Yoru interrupted, though not unkindly. "Return to the village having failed to even reach the exams? You know what that would mean for our reputation."
The girl fell silent, but I could see the conflict in her expression. She wasn't wrong to be cautious, but her teacher was thinking pragmatically.
"The only way this could work," Yoru said slowly, "is if you can perform transformation jutsu. The exam registration would expect Kenji's appearance."
Transformation jutsu. Right. Basic ninja technique.*
"I... don't actually know that one," I admitted.
The effect was immediate. All three Takigakure ninja stared at me as if I'd grown a second head.
"You don't know transformation jutsu?" the male student—a lanky boy with black hair—asked incredulously. "But you just... how did you..."
"What village are you from?" Yoru questioned, as his students followed the suit with curious gazes "Who trained you?"
"Look," I said, keeping my voice calm, "if it's too complicated, I can find my own way to Konoha. No problem."
The threat of losing a powerful ally—and the implication that I might not need them at all—had the desired effect. Yoru's expression shifted from suspicion to calculation.
"No, wait," he said quickly. "Transformation jutsu isn't difficult. I can teach you!"
The next hour passed in a blur of instruction. Yoru explained the hand seals, the chakra flow, the mental focus required for the technique. I listened carefully, adapting the principles to my own energy manipulation abilities.
While I practiced, the female student—whose name I learned was Miki—approached her teacher.
"Sensei, are you sure about this? We don't know anything about him. What village he's from, who trained him, why he's traveling alone..."
Yoru glanced at me, then spoke in a low voice that he probably thought I couldn't overhear. "Miki, that man's chakra levels are at least jonin-class, possibly higher. Did you see how he used water jutsu without hand seals? That level of mastery... we're lucky he's offering to help instead of seeing us as threats."
"But Sensei—"
"Listen carefully," Yoru's tone became deadly serious. "Whatever his reasons for wanting to join us, questioning him too aggressively could end with us sharing the fate of those rogues. Some shinobi are better left as allies than as enemies."
And he's politically savvy too. I like this guy.
"Is this adequate?" I called out, having completed the transformation.
All three turned to look at me, and I had to suppress a smile at their reactions. The technique had worked perfectly—I now wore the face and build of their fallen teammate, though I'd made some subtle improvements to the original.
Miki's face turned red as she stared, while the male student—Hiro—scowled with obvious jealousy.
"That's... very good," Yoru said carefully. "Though I should warn you—if anyone knocks you unconscious, the jutsu will dispel. And the Hokage might have been able to detect the deception through scent or behavior analysis, but no one knows you, so you've nothing to worry about"
Good to know. Though if someone manages to knock me unconscious, I'll have bigger problems than a blown cover.
"Understood," I nodded. "What about recognition? Won't people in Konoha know the real Kenji?"
"Unlikely," Yoru replied. "This was going to be his first time outside the village. As long as you can maintain the transformation and don't act completely out of character, you should be fine."
Perfect. This is actually going to work.
"We should clean up here before we leave," I suggested, gesturing toward the scattered corpses. "Don't want this incident causing problems during the exams."
Yoru nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. We'll bury them and clear any obvious signs of battle."
The cleanup took another hour, but it was time well spent. By the time we finished, the clearing looked like nothing more than a peaceful patch of forest.
"How far to Konoha?" I asked as we prepared to leave.
"About an hour by carriage," Yoru replied, pointing toward a horse-drawn cart they'd hidden in the trees. "I'll drive. You three should rest and prepare yourselves mentally for it"
As we settled into the carriage—Yoru taking the driver's position while Miki, Hiro, and I arranged ourselves in the back—my mind began cataloging the opportunities ahead.
Chunin Exams arc. That means Gaara's here, probably still with Shukaku sealed inside him. Orochimaru will be masquerading as the Kazekage. The invasion of Konoha will happen during the finals.
The potential for gacha rewards was staggering. Every major confrontation, every significant battle, every moment of genuine conflict could trigger the system. If I played this right, I could return to my own world with enough power to handle Georg and whatever he summoned with ease while clapping Hades and Cao Cao simultaneously.
And then there's the Third Hokage's sacrifice. If I can interrupt that battle at the right moment...
Lost in strategic planning, I almost missed the notification that appeared in my vision.
[ Enemy Defeated: Multiple Rogue Ninja ]
[ Gacha Reward: Rank 3 Ticket ]
[ Would you like to use this ticket? Y/N ]
Might as well see what I got this time.
[ Y ]
[ Rank 3 Gacha Result: Cooking Skills - Soma Yukihira (Food Wars) ]
[ Complete culinary knowledge and techniques of Soma Yukihira integrated into user's memory ]
The information hit my mind like a flood. Suddenly I knew hundreds of recipes, cooking techniques from around the world, flavor combinations that shouldn't work but somehow did, and an almost supernatural understanding of how to make any dish not just edible, but extraordinary.
Cooking skills? Seriously?
I supposed it could be useful. Good food was surprisingly important for morale, and having a way to win people over that didn't involve violence might actually be valuable. Plus, some of Soma's more... creative... approaches to cuisine could probably be adapted for other purposes.
At least it's better than getting something completely useless.
Dismissing the notification, I reached into my shadow storage and pulled out my Nintendo DS. The familiar weight and design drew curious looks from my traveling companions, but I ignored their stares as I booted up a puzzle game.
Might as well enjoy the journey.
One Hour Later - Konoha Village
The Village Hidden in the Leaves was exactly as imposing as I'd expected, and somehow more vibrant than the anime had managed to convey. The massive walls rose like cliff faces around the settlement, while the Hokage Monument dominated the skyline with its carved faces watching over everything.
Impressive. Though the security seems surprisingly light for a major ninja village.
The gates were busy with travelers, merchants, and ninja coming and going. Our small group passed through the checkpoint without incident—apparently Takigakure teams were expected for the exams.
"I'll go register our arrival with the exam coordinators," Yoru announced once we'd cleared the gates. "You three should explore the village, get familiar with the layout. We'll meet back at the designated lodging in two hours."
As our teacher disappeared into the administrative buildings, I found myself alone with Miki and Hiro. Both were looking around with wide eyes, clearly excited to be in the legendary village despite the circumstances of our arrival.
"I'm going to look around," I announced.
"Want company?" Miki asked hopefully, with Hiro tagging along with her with smile. Looks like sharing Nintendo, does makes friends fast.
"That's alright. I prefer to scout alone."
Plus, I have specific places I want to visit without curious observers.
I was already thinking about Ichiraku Ramen. All the praise I'd heard about the place in the anime had made me genuinely curious to try it. The only problem was...
Different currency.
"Actually," I said, turning back to my temporary teammates, "could I borrow some money? I don't have any with me"
Both immediately reached for their wallets, their faces bright with helpful enthusiasm. Miki handed hers over first, followed by Hiro, both smiling like they were happy to help their new teammate.
I opened the first wallet and counted the contents. Two hundred ryo. The second held another two hundred. Four hundred total—and judging by how carefully they'd handed the wallets over, probably it's most of their spending money for the entire trip.
They were probably looking forward to buying souvenirs or trying local food themselves.
The excited expressions on their faces as they waited for me to take what I needed made the decision easy.
"You know what, never mind," I said, handing both wallets back unopened. "I'll figure something else out."
Their surprise was almost comical. "But... you said you needed money?" Hiro stammered.
"Changed my mind. Thanks anyway."
There have to be other ways to get food that don't involve taking lunch money from vibrant teens.
"I'll see you both later," I said, walking away before they could ask more questions.
Konoha during the day was a fascinating study in contrasts. Traditional architecture mixed with subtle signs of technological advancement. Ninja moved alongside civilians with practiced ease, while the constant undercurrent of barely-contained power hummed through the village like electricity.
It's more alive than I expected. The anime never quite captured how vibrant this place actually is.
My stomach chose that moment to remind me I hadn't eaten since evening in my own world, producing an embarrassingly loud growl that drew amused looks from passing pedestrians.
Great. Now I really do need to find food somewhere.
That's when I heard it—a voice shouting with righteous indignation.
"Leave him alone!"
My head turned toward the commotion, and I couldn't help but grin at what I saw. A puppet-user with painted face markings had a small boy suspended by his collar, while two very familiar figures stood nearby in defensive postures.
Kankuro, holding Konohamaru, with Naruto and Sakura facing off against him. The scene was playing out exactly as I remembered from the anime.
My luck with running into trouble really is... Though...
I studied the situation with calculating eyes. Kankuro was clearly in the wrong here, picking on a kid. Intervening would be the right thing to do, establish my credentials as someone worth knowing, and potentially...
And if I play this right, someone might offer to buy lunch for the helpful stranger who saved the day.
Sometimes being opportunistic and doing the right thing align perfectly. Besides, I can't let the free food opportunity slip out of my hand.p
With that thought, I began walking toward the confrontation, already planning my approach.
. . .
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