At three in the morning, the fluorescent light in the cheap rental room buzzed incessantly.
Nara Toru (formerly Du Ziteng) was slumped over a table piled high with instant noodle cups, his hand still clutching a rolled-up volume of the Naruto manga.
In the latest chapter, Naruto was charging at Pain with a Rasengan, but Toru's eyelids felt heavy as lead. After staying up for two straight nights to catch up on the story, his body finally gave out, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
Just as his consciousness began to fade, a stray thought crossed his mind: If only I could visit Konoha Village... even just as a background character.
When he opened his eyes again, blinding sunlight was streaming through a wooden lattice window. A gentle breeze, carrying the scent of fresh grass and the chirping of cicadas, filled his senses.
Toru sat up abruptly.
He found himself in a room lined with tatami mats, dressed in a blue and white training gi. Embroidered on the cuff was a familiar symbol: the crest of the Nara Clan.
What is going on?
He instinctively reached for the table where his comics and snacks usually lay, but his hand found only a celadon teacup and a few string-bound books written in Japanese.
His chest tightened. He stumbled to the window and pushed open the paper sliding door. In that instant, his mind went blank.
In the distance, a vast forest carpeted the mountains, and a white tower was faintly visible on the highest peak. Closer by, traditional Japanese buildings filled his view. Teenagers dressed in black, carrying ninja tool pouches, sprinted across the rooftops and through the alleys.
Reflecting the sunlight at their waists were metal headbands etched with a leaf symbol—a symbol he had seen countless times in manga.
I... I couldn't have actually transmigrated, could I?
Toru covered his mouth, his fingers turning cold. He had followed Naruto since elementary school. He could recite the terms of office for every Hokage by heart and could write a thesis on the "Will of Fire."
But now that he was truly standing in this world, everything felt overwhelmingly surreal.
"Toru-sama, are you awake?" A gentle, cautious female voice called from outside the door.
Toru froze for two seconds before whispering, "Come... come in."
The door slid open softly. A middle-aged woman entered. Her hair was neatly styled, and she wore a kimono with the dark apron characteristic of the Nara clan tied around her waist. She carried a tray holding a bowl of miso soup and a small dish of pickles.
Seeing Toru standing by the window, she bowed slightly. "You had a high fever last night. Do you feel better now? The Clan Head said to come see him once you woke up."
Toru? The Nara Family?
A jumble of fragmented memories suddenly flooded his mind.
The original owner of this body was named Nara Toru. He was an orphan from a branch of the Nara family whose parents had died in the Third Great Ninja War. Because of his mediocre talent, he had always been overlooked by the clan. He had fallen ill from the rain yesterday and unexpectedly passed away, allowing the soul from the modern world to take over.
"I understand," he said, trying to mimic the original owner's timid demeanor from his memories.
However, as he turned around, his elbow accidentally clipped a vase in the corner.
Crash!
The vase shattered against the floor. Toru flinched, but then he noticed something impossible—the shadow in the puddle of shards on the ground moved in sync with his thoughts, not his body!
Just then, a cold, mechanical voice rang in his mind:
[Detecting complete soul fusion of the host. Binding conditions met.]
[Turntable Lottery System activating...]
[Warning: System inter-world transmission has depleted 99.9% of energy. Remaining energy supports only two draws. The System will enter permanent dormancy after the draws are complete.]
Toru's eyes widened.
A System? And I can draw prizes?
He forced himself to act calm and dismissed the woman. Once the door clicked shut, his heart began to pound against his ribs. As a web novel enthusiast, he was all too familiar with this trope. But now that such a miracle had happened to him, he couldn't suppress the excitement.
[First draw opportunity has been issued. Do you wish to draw immediately?]
Draw! Draw quickly! Toru shouted in his mind.
A translucent golden roulette wheel appeared before him, covered in glowing lights. Some familiar names flashed by: One-Tomoe Sharingan, Chakra Cultivation Technique, Exploding Tag x10...
But on the edge of the wheel, a dark, eerie light spot stood out from the rest.
The wheel began to spin rapidly. Toru stared intently at the black spot, his fingernails digging into his palms. He didn't want ordinary ninjutsu or incomplete abilities. To survive in this dangerous world, he needed absolute power!
[Ding — Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Shadow-Shadow Devil Fruit (Purified / No Side Effects Version)]
The black spot exploded with a poof, turning into a phantom of a purple-black fruit that burrowed straight into his chest.
Instantly, information about the fruit's abilities flooded his brain:
Control over all shadows.
Immunity to the standard weaknesses of seawater and Sea Prism Stone.
The ability to cut and steal others' shadows, mimic their combat abilities, and absorb their personalities.
The user's shadow acts as a clone; as long as the main body lives, the shadow cannot be destroyed.
Victims whose shadows are stolen will vaporize if exposed to sunlight.
Toru quickly looked at his own shadow on the wall. He concentrated, willing it to raise its hand. The black silhouette obeyed, even though Toru's physical arms remained at his sides.
He pushed further, commanding the shadow to detach from the wall. The silhouette peeled itself off like a sticker, crawling down to the floor and rising into a three-dimensional humanoid figure. Its eyes glowed with a faint, ghostly blue light.
"I've really become a Shadow Human..." he mumbled, testing the abilities that had been imprinted in his mind.
Swish!
The shadow split into ten strands, circling him rapidly, leaving only streaks of afterimages.
This wasn't a dream! He had truly obtained Gecko Moria's signature ability from One Piece, and it was a perfect version with no side effects!
Toru ran into the courtyard. It was midday, and the sun was fierce.
He stared at a Konoha ninja patrolling outside the courtyard wall. With a thought, the ninja's shadow suddenly floated up as if pulled by an invisible string, silently flying to Toru's feet.
"Sever," he whispered.
His own shadow extended a black hand and instantly snipped the connection to the ninja's shadow.
Outside the wall, the ninja stumbled. His face went pale, and he rubbed his head, sensing something was wrong. But after looking around and seeing no one, he shook his head and walked away.
Toru held the severed shadow in his hand, clearly feeling the fluctuation of Chakra within it. Although weak—merely the combat experience of an ordinary Genin—it was real.
"Return."
The shadow obediently flew back to the ninja's feet. The ninja immediately perked up, whistling as he continued his patrol.
Toru stood rooted to the spot, trembling with excitement.
He looked down at his own shadow; the black mass wriggled on the ground like a starving beast, yearning to devour more.
Black Box... Doppelman... Shadow Revolution...
Techniques he had only admired in manga were now his to command with a single thought. Even more terrifying was the ultimate ability of the fruit: Shadows' Asgard.
If he could collect enough shadows from powerful characters, there would be no limit to his strength. The Hokage, the Sannin, even the members of the Akatsuki... their shadows could all become his power!
[Remaining draws: 1. Do you wish to continue drawing?]
Toru took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of greed in his heart. He couldn't be too hasty; he needed to fully understand his current power first.
"No more draws for now," he said calmly. "Let me study this properly."
The System went silent, and the roulette wheel faded away.
Toru walked to the center of the courtyard, closed his eyes, and concentrated. Suddenly, his perception expanded. He could "see" every shadow within a hundred-meter radius: the shadow of a blade of grass, a bird flying under the eaves, even rats scurrying underground. They all flickered like tiny signal lights in his mind.
Shadow Horn Spear!
The shadow at his feet transformed into a long, sharp spear and shot toward a cherry blossom tree ten meters away.
Thud!
The spear pierced straight through the trunk, which was as thick as a bowl. The black shadow gleamed like cold metal in the sun. Toru waved his hand, and the shadow retracted instantly. The hole in the tree vanished as if nothing had happened—a property of shadow manipulation filling the void.
Doppelman (Shadow Swap)!
He stepped to the left while activating the ability.
In the next second, his body felt like it was passing through cold water. He swapped places with his shadow instantly. The pebble he had been about to step on clicked against the floor where his shadow now stood, while his physical body appeared under the eaves three meters away.
Black Box!
A black cube of solid shadow suddenly enveloped a stray cat in the corner. Toru clenched his fist, and the box shrank rapidly. The cat let out a terrified meow, but the pressure of the shadow pinned it down, rendering it immobile.
"Never mind." He dismissed the box. The terrified cat scrambled over the wall and vanished.
Toru looked at his hands and couldn't help but smile.
Although this body belonged to an ordinary member of the Nara family with average chakra, his soul was from the modern world. His mental energy was far stronger than the average person's, which meant his control over the Devil Fruit would likely surpass Moria's.
Furthermore, his greatest weapon wasn't the fruit—it was his knowledge.
He knew the Akatsuki's conspiracy, the location of Orochimaru's hideouts, and the timing of every major battle. While others were blindly cultivating, he held the script. Combine that with the heaven-defying Shadow-Shadow Fruit...
"Konoha Village... and the entire Ninja World..." Toru looked up at the Hokage Rock in the distance. The stone faces of the First through Third Hokages watched silently over the village. "Your era is about to turn a new page."
Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door, followed by a steady, lethargic voice.
"Toru, are you feeling better? Come with me. We're going to see the Clan Head."
It was Nara Shikaku.
Toru's eyes turned cold. The Nara family members were famous for their intellect, and Shikaku was the sharpest of them all. To establish himself in Konoha, Shikaku would be his first major hurdle.
However, the current Nara Toru was no longer that timid, fearful orphan.
He straightened his gi, pushed open the door, and put on a bewildered, innocent expression. But hidden deep in his eyes was the spark of ambition.
"Uncle Shikaku, I'm fine," he said in a flat tone. "Let's go."
The sunlight in the alley stretched his shadow long and far, twisting it until it looked like a black dragon awakening from its slumber.
From the moment he stepped toward the Nara Clan Head's estate, Nara Toru's story officially began.