Chapter 1: Where Everything Begins
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A crack, much like glass shattering, appeared in reality, revealing a vast meadow beyond it. From within, the body of a boy barely thirteen years old was thrown into the void.
His body was launched out as if he had been expelled by the portal itself, rolling several times across the grass and raising a small cloud of dust.
When he finally came to a stop, the crack closed instantly, leaving him alone in that place. He was a blond young boy with three peculiar marks on each cheek.
His clothing also drew attention: a simple orange jacket with black details and matching pants, both visibly worn and damaged.
Several minutes passed before a faint groan escaped the small blond boy's lips.
"Tsk... tsk..."
The boy frowned in discomfort as he shifted slightly on the ground.
When he opened his eyes, a peculiar feature was revealed: his left eye was different, crossed by a thin scar that extended from his eyebrow down to his cheek.
The sclera and iris were both black, covered by concentric rings of an intense crimson red. In the first two rings, six tomoe could be seen arranged across them.
He looked around, but immediately had to shield his eyes as the intense sunlight blinded him.
When the stinging finally subsided, he remained perfectly still, looking around in bewilderment, as though everything surrounding him were utterly unfamiliar.
It was then that his senses fully awakened, flooding him with an overwhelming wave of sensations that left him momentarily stunned.
An avalanche of unfamiliar sounds, lights, and scents crashed into him, as if they were all trying to force their way into his mind at once.
His breathing grew heavy, and a sharp pain pierced his head as he struggled to make sense of the sensory chaos.
Little by little, the overwhelming stimuli began to fade, settling into something he could finally endure.
When he was finally able to open his eyes clearly, the world stopped spinning, and a gentle silence enveloped him, allowing him to think normally once again.
He raised a hand to his face, failing to notice the crescent moon symbol etched into the palm of his hand, and took a deep breath.
"Where am I? What happened?" he wondered, staggering slightly as he got to his feet. "Why is my name the only thing I can remember?"
As those questions echoed through his mind, he looked down at his torn clothes, curiosity stirring over whatever had happened to him.
Then, driven more by his amnesia than anything else, he began taking in his surroundings, seeing this place for the very first time.
Every sound, every shadow, every scent was engraved into his mind as though by instinct.
An endless plain stretched before him, so vast that he couldn't even make out where it ended. Beyond it stood countless strange objects—from towering buildings and the ruins of a city in the distance to several unfamiliar types of vehicles.
Then, right before his eyes, the air distorted.
Out of nowhere, a glowing message appeared on a gray holographic screen.
[Accept?]
Driven by curiosity, the whisker-marked blond simply nodded.
He watched intently as another message appeared before him.
[Installing System]
[Please wait...]
The blond stared at the glowing screen in front of him, his eyes fixed on the single word displayed across it.
"System."
He studied the word with curiosity as he stepped closer to the ethereal screen, passing straight through it as though it were nothing more than an illusion.
[...]
[System Successfully Installed!]
His expression shifted between anticipation and calm as he waited for something else to happen.
When nothing did, he found himself wondering what all of this was supposed to mean. Then, out of pure curiosity, he decided to try something.
"Hello..." he called out hesitantly into the empty air, waiting for some kind of response.
At that very moment, a woman's voice emerged from the deepest recesses of his mind. It was soft and velvety, carrying an unsettling sense of calm.
[Welcome, Naruto Uzumaki. What would you like to do?]
The boy frowned, his eyes reflecting both curiosity and a hint of suspicion—especially at hearing someone call him by name.
"Who said that?" he murmured, glancing around as if searching the air itself.
[I did, Naruto. My name is Aetheria. I am your guide and your servant. From this moment until the end of all things, I will remain by your side.]
Naruto tilted his head, like a genuinely curious child.
"Explain... what just happened?" he asked, uncertainty creeping into his voice.
[What has happened is that you have obtained the System—a tool that will aid you throughout your journey.]
[I will also be the one to accompany you. I will guide you and ensure that anything capable of sparking your curiosity will one day become yours.]
Naruto didn't fully understand those words, but the idea that everything which stirred his curiosity could someday belong to him etched itself into his mind.
It was... strange.
A faint glow suddenly began to radiate from his body. He felt no pain; instead, a pleasant warmth spread through him.
"What did you do to me?" he asked, his gaze innocent, though his eyes shone with curiosity.
[I merely made a few adjustments and granted you a passive ability called «Conqueror's Touch». It will prove very useful.]
"Oh... then... um... thank you?" Naruto replied with a small nod, not truly understanding what had just happened.
At that moment, a deep, barely audible voice whispered within his mind.
"This is how it should be."
He couldn't recognize the voice, and even when he called out, no answer came.
Seeing that, he set the matter aside and finally decided to get to his feet.
He began walking across the strange field, his gaze wandering toward the distant buildings. Most of them had been destroyed or left in a similar state of ruin. Far beyond them, he could even make out the remains of an entire city.
As he wandered, curiously taking in everything around him, he eventually came across a peculiar object. At first glance, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary car. However, as he drew closer, he noticed it was badly rusted, its paint faded and peeling away, while large sections of metal had been corroded by the passage of time.
Lifting his gaze and stepping away from the abandoned vehicle, he spotted something much larger in the distance, barely distinguishable against the horizon. It dwarfed the car before him, its imposing silhouette immediately capturing his curiosity.
So, without another thought, he made his way toward it.
With every step he took, the true scale of the structure became clearer, growing larger and more imposing.
What had once seemed like a distant, shapeless outline now towered before his eyes.
It wasn't long before he could finally make out what it was.
A massive aircraft carrier with two enormous side-mounted turbines—or rather, what was left of one.
The colossal vessel had been utterly destroyed, many sections reduced to an unrecognizable wreck. Huge steel plates had been torn apart and twisted as though ripped away by some unimaginable force.
The left half of its enormous hull lay buried beneath towering mounds of earth and debris.
Fragments of its flight deck jutted from the ground at impossible angles, and what had once been a masterpiece of engineering had become nothing more than a monument to devastation.
Stopping before the gigantic structure, Naruto stood in silence, staring at the enormous aircraft carrier with a mixture of awe and bewilderment.
The colossal vessel bore the unmistakable scars of time and destruction.
Before long, however, something else caught his eye.
Far off, barely visible beneath layers of dust and scattered debris, he noticed an object that was only partially exposed, almost completely swallowed by years of neglect.
Curiosity flared within him.
Without hesitating, he walked toward it, determined to find out what it was.
When he finally reached it, he picked up the circular object and carefully brushed away the thick layer of dust covering its surface.
Once the dust had been brushed away, he found himself staring at a strange object crafted from polished metal with a glossy red-and-black finish. At its center was a black emblem adorned with a crimson skull from which six tentacles extended.
[Name: Hydra Supremacy Shield]
[Bearer: Steve Rogers (Captain Hydra)]
[Universe: Marvel / Earth-1720]
[Type: Artifact / Defense-Offense / Ideological Symbol]
[Rank: B+]
[A shield forged from vibranium modified through Hydra engineering. Unlike the classic design, it is made from an alloy infused with experimental energy compounds, prioritizing offensive capabilities over passive defense.]
[Abilities: (Enhanced Kinetic Energy Absorption), (Greater Energy Redirection), (Absolute Durability), (Ricochet)]
Naruto studied the unfamiliar object with curiosity. He had no idea what it was, but that was exactly what Aetheria was there for.
"What is this, Aetheria?"
[What you are holding is a shield. It is primarily used for protection.]
[When danger approaches, simply place it between yourself and whatever threatens you.]
Hearing Aetheria's explanation, the little blond boy nodded slowly, not fully understanding everything the AI had said.
Even so, he continued examining the shield, his attention shifting to the straps on the reverse side—two meant to secure it to the forearm and another to keep it firmly in place. He ran his fingers across them before fastening the shield onto his arm out of curiosity.
Seeing it firmly secured to his forearm, he continued exploring the area.
During his search, he entered one of the ruined buildings—an apartment complex.
After looking around for a while, he found a set of clothes that fit him. He changed into a blue shirt beneath a slightly oversized gray hooded jacket, along with a pair of black combat pants and sturdy boots.
He kept the jacket zipped up, mainly because Aetheria had instructed him not to walk around exposing his torso to everyone.
With the shield strapped to his forearm, he resumed walking. Before long, however, something on the ground caught his attention.
Curious, he first examined the scattered fragments surrounding the small object before picking it up.
It was a small stone with a brilliant sapphire-blue glow.
[Name: Space Stone]
[Bearer: (-)]
[Universe: Marvel / Earth-3328]
[Type: Cosmic Artifact / Spatial Manipulation]
[Rank: S-]
[A crystalline stone containing the pure fabric of space itself. Within it lies an endless void streaked with countless stars, as though every point in the cosmos were connected inside.]
[Abilities: (Dominion over the Concept of Space)]
Naruto stared intently at the small blue stone resting between his fingers, examining it in silent curiosity.
"This thing... what is it? How does it work?" he murmured.
He received no answer.
Instead, a new screen appeared before him, leaving the little blond boy even more bewildered.
[Object Identified: "Infinity Stone – Space Stone"]
[Would you like to establish a bond with this object?]
[Yes] - [No]
Naruto curiously studied the new notification. He noticed the object's name, but without giving it much thought, he accepted.
The moment the bond was confirmed, the blue gem emitted a faint pulse of light.
Intrigued by what had just happened, he looked up and decided to ask the System.
"Umm... Aetheria, what just appeared?" the little blond boy asked curiously, staring at the screen before him.
All the while, he idly spun the small glowing stone between his fingers.
The blue light continued to pulse softly as Aetheria's voice echoed through his mind.
[Naruto. That is...]
Naruto listened carefully to every word, but when her voice suddenly cut off, he couldn't help but wonder what had happened.
"Aetheria... is something wrong?"
RAAAHHH—OOOMMMMM!
Naruto barely managed to suppress a cry as a monstrous roar thundered across the land.
He looked up in curiosity as everything around him was slowly swallowed by an immense shadow spreading across the clear blue sky.
He blinked several times, struggling to process the impossible sight before him.
There, emerging from the distance, was Alioth, the monster of the Void.
A massive, pulsating entity of dark violet, like a living storm of shadow and energy, surged toward him at a terrifying speed.
From far beyond Naruto's position, the beast had sensed the exact moment the Space Stone attained a new level of power.
To Alioth, that made him an irresistible target—a perfect source of nourishment that awakened its cosmic hunger.
Naruto watched in fascination as Alioth's enormous form drew closer.
The violet cloud crackled with crimson lightning dancing across its surface, while whip-like tendrils emerged from within, twisting like serpents as they lashed directly toward him.
He instinctively tightened his grip around the Space Stone, as though anticipating what was about to happen, feeling its power answer his will.
The gem began to shine brilliantly, flooding his face with radiant blue light.
In the blink of an eye, the Space Stone unleashed its power.
A blinding flash erupted—
And Naruto vanished from where he stood just as one of Alioth's tendrils was about to strike him.
The beast's deafening roar echoed across the endless expanse as it watched its prey escape before its very eyes.
The enormous cloud twisted and churned in frustration.
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