Naruto lay on the thin mattress, staring at the cracked ceiling.
Three years old.
A jinchūriki.
Alone.
And fully aware.
Cold air seeped through the walls. His stomach ached with hunger, but his mind was far louder.
"If this world follows the rules I remember," he murmured, "then strength decides everything."
His small fingers slowly curled into fists.
"I won't survive here without power."
The thought surfaced naturally—too naturally.
"…Do I have a system?"
Silence.
Naruto closed his eyes and focused inward.
System.
Nothing.
He tried again, slower this time, more deliberate.
System… respond.
For a moment, there was only darkness.
Then—
[DING——]
Naruto's breath caught.
[One Piece Free Resource & Information System initializing…]
His eyes snapped open.
"…So I wasn't imagining it."
A translucent blue interface unfolded before him, hovering in the air—visible only to his eyes.
[Host detected. Identity confirmation required.]
Naruto answered calmly, but his heart raced.
[Previous life age: 37 years, 7 months]
[Current world: Naruto anime]
[Current identity: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Current age: 3]
The screen flickered.
[DING—SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Panels appeared one after another.
[Host: Uzumaki Naruto]
[Status: Restricted]
[Inventory: 1/100]
[Free Resource Store: Installing…]
Naruto focused on the last line.
"Free… Resource Store?"
[System Explanation:]
The Free Resource Store allows the host to obtain items, knowledge, and abilities from the One Piece world
at no monetary cost.
His heartbeat quickened.
"…No cost?"
[Correction.]
[Cost is measured in discipline and compliance.]
[Daily tasks are mandatory.]
[Failure will result in store lockout for 30 days.]
[Monthly tasks are required to maintain permanent access.]
Naruto was silent for a moment.
"So power isn't free," he said quietly. "I still have to earn it."
[Correct.]
[Power without effort is forbidden.]
A small, genuine smile appeared on his face.
"Good."
Another notification appeared.
[Beginner Gift Pack detected.]
Naruto's eyes sharpened.
"…Open it."
Light flooded the interface.
[Item Acquired: Zanpakutō (Unassigned)]
[Item Acquired: Kidō Learning Archive]
[Trait Acquired: One Piece Constitution — 'D Clan']
[Auxiliary Item Creation Cards — x5]
Naruto froze.
"…A Zanpakutō?"
That wasn't from One Piece.
[System Explanation:]
Beginner Gift Packs may originate from any world. Compatibility is the only requirement.
Naruto swallowed.
"System," he asked carefully, "do I need to train chakra, reiatsu, and haki separately?"
The interface paused.
[Answer: Necessary—but not mandatory.]
New text appeared.
[Option Available: Energy System Integration.]
Naruto sat up.
[Chakra and reiatsu may be merged into a unified energy source.]
[Haki must still be trained independently.]
A new panel unfolded—shorter, cleaner, but heavier.
[Integration Benefits:]
• Host may perform both ninjutsu and kidō without age restriction.
• Additional benefits: Locked
Further integration effects are visible to the host but will unlock only as the host survives, adapts, and matures.
Naruto stared at the screen.
His breath caught.
"…This much?"
His chest tightened.
"What's the catch?"
The screen darkened.
Red warnings filled his vision.
[WARNING — IRREVERSIBLE DECISION]
[Energy integration will permanently alter host physiology.]
[Reversal is impossible.]
Naruto's breathing slowed.
[If host dies, the soul will shatter.]
[Recovery may take thousands of years—or never occur.]
His fingers trembled slightly.
[All resurrection, reanimation, soul recall, and time-reversal techniques will fail.]
Silence pressed down on him.
[Minimum age to activate Shikai: 18.]
[Before that, Zanpakutō will function as a sealed weapon.]
One life.
One soul.
No second chances.
Naruto leaned back, staring at the ceiling again.
Two ANBU watched from the shadows outside—but this decision was his alone.
Two to three hours.
That's all the system would allow before the option disappeared.
Fear crept in—not of pain, not of death—but of finality.
If I choose this… there's no reset.
He thought of his first life—weakness, hospitals, waiting for a body that never improved.
He clenched his fists.
"I already died once," he whispered.
A faint smile formed, shaky but real.
"If I'm going to live again… I won't live halfway."
He lifted his gaze.
"Merge them."
[Confirmation required.]
No hesitation now.
"Confirm."
[System Integration Initiated.]
[Integration Period: One month.]
[Chakra, reiatsu, and physical constitution synchronizing.]
[Overexertion may result in permanent damage.]
A heavy pressure settled deep within Naruto's core—vast, restrained, waiting.
Then one final message appeared.
[Host may select one Zanpakutō during the integration period.]
Naruto exhaled slowly.
"One month to adapt… and one month to choose."
He lay back down, eyes closing.
"System," he asked calmly, "am I being watched?"
[Scan complete.]
[Two ANBU-level observers detected.]
"…Figures."
Outside, shadows shifted.
Inside the apartment, something far more dangerous than a sealed demon slept quietly.
Not a hero.
Not a weapon.
But a choice already made.