Because the five of them were originally one soul, they shared the exact same transmigrator memories and values. Combined with their mysterious mental connection, there was zero friction between them.
Moreover, they knew the Third Shinobi World War would break out in just a few years. If they didn't want to become cannon fodder on the battlefield, they had to work together. Thus, they talked about everything without any reservations.
The Land of Wind was plagued by constant sandstorms, so Tasaka Sensuke wore his signature goggles even in the Dream Space. Hearing Guy's name, he couldn't help but complain.
"Tsk, you're really lucky to be in Konoha. Not only is the environment great, but you get to see all the main anime characters! Unlike me in Sunagakure—I'm getting tanned to a crisp, and there are absolutely no familiar faces around. Just strangers."
The others were just as envious of Kyosuke's starting location. Kyosuke wasn't humble about it, either. He nodded smugly.
"I completely agree. Just keep being jealous; I love seeing those expressions. That's exactly why I'm the chosen one—the main account! You guys are just my alts."
That single sentence immediately sparked a riot. How could the others tolerate him acting so arrogant? They instantly dogpiled him, suppressing him with sheer violence.
"Bullshit! I'm the main account!" yelled Ooka Shin. "My whole village was sacrificed at the start! Now I face countless life-and-death battles, growing stronger through blood-soaked combat. If that's not a protagonist's backstory, I don't know what is!"
Having actually survived a warzone, Shin's eyes held a genuine murderous glint, making him the most ruthless of the bunch. He pinned Kyosuke firmly to the ground, the scar on his left cheek wriggling like a centipede as he shouted.
Kiichiro, who was fair-skinned and rather chubby, flicked Kyosuke hard on the forehead. "Hmph! Just as I started practicing swordsmanship, a wandering swordsman showed up to teach me! Whenever I need something, it arrives. I clearly have the heaven-defying luck of a protagonist!"
Pinned to the grass, Kyosuke remained totally stubborn.
"Shin, if it weren't for our shared physical buffs, you would've been killed ages ago! What kind of main account is that? And you, little fatty, what 'heaven-defying luck'? Your rich parents just hired a few third-rate mercenaries to humor you! Hmph, with my sword-like eyebrows, starry eyes, and perfect nose, it would be a crime against the heavens if someone as handsome as me wasn't the protagonist!"
Mishu's pale blue eyes darted left and right. He silently shifted behind Kyosuke, landing several hard kicks on his rear while pretending to play the peacemaker.
"Oh dear, stop fighting! We used to be one person, after all. We should love each other! Kiichiro, Shin... you aren't hitting him hard enough. Stop holding back."
Tasaka Sensuke adjusted his goggles and sighed deeply at the grey sky. "Am I really going to conquer the ninja world with these idiots? Are you guys my golden finger, or just extra baggage? I'm so exhausted."
Kyosuke twisted around under Shin's grip. "Hey, goggle-boy! Just because you were the first to learn ninjutsu—and low-level ones at that—doesn't mean you can act like a big shot! Guys, you can beat me, but don't let Sensuke off the hook either!"
"Don't worry," Shin muttered darkly. "I've already taken a few lives. I don't mind adding another."
Kiichiro crossed his arms. "I'm a merchant's son. If you want me to beat up another one of my own souls, you have to pay extra."
Mishu continued to kick Kyosuke. "Stop fighting, guys. Really, aim for the head."
In truth, the banter was their coping mechanism.
Over the years, the five of them had lived under immense mental pressure. They constantly worried about being assassinated, being sliced open for research if their shared abilities were discovered, and the looming threat of the Third Shinobi World War. They used these jokes to relieve their mounting stress.
There were simply too many secrets they couldn't share with the outside world. Only in this Dream Space, facing reflections of themselves, could they completely drop their mental defenses.
A few moments later, the chaotic dogpile ended. The five boys sat in a circle on the grass, getting down to business.
Kyosuke rubbed a sore spot on his head. "I'll officially enter the Ninja Academy tomorrow, which means I can finally train in ninjutsu out in the open. I'll need to focus on refining Chakra, so my physical training time is going to drop. Who's going to pick up the slack?"
Ooka Shin immediately volunteered. "Don't worry. As our shared baseline strength increases, my daily survival gets a bit easier. I can start adding actual physical conditioning to my routine."
Shin's living situation was by far the worst, so the others never pressured him.
Kiichiro waved a chubby hand. "Don't push yourself too hard, Shin. If you die out there, we don't have a way to resurrect you yet. Leave the heavy lifting to me. Practicing swordsmanship and Taijutsu requires intense physical conditioning anyway."
Mishu sighed helplessly and raised his hand. "Hold on, don't just worry about the workout schedule. I'm joining the Kirigakure Academy next month... in the exact same class as Zabuza Momochi. You guys need to help me brainstorm a survival plan. I really don't want to get slaughtered in the graduation exam."
Sensuke spread his hands. "What else can we do besides training like madmen to boost your stats?"
Kyosuke winked playfully at Mishu. "How about you pull a Haku and win Zabuza over with love and devotion? Maybe you two can become sworn brothers! Zabuza is only six years old right now, just like us. He's just a kid. He should be easy to manipulate."
Kiichiro nodded sagely. "Exactly. That's the lowest-cost, highest-reward strategy. What's the alternative? You can't exactly defect while you're still an Academy student; the Blood Mist village would hunt you down instantly. And the Kirigakure Hunter-nin are definitely scarier than a six-year-old Zabuza."
Seeing that his 'alts' had no better ideas, Mishu massaged his temples to soothe his growing headache. Defeating Zabuza, emotionally manipulating him, or fleeing the village entirely... none of these options were easy.
Shin frowned, bringing the conversation back to reality. "Listen, even though we can stack our progress, our base talent is completely average. We clearly aren't natural-born geniuses. No matter how hard we grind our physical stats, we'll only ever reach the peak of ordinary shinobi. We can't compare to the true monsters of this world. If we stick to standard training, we'll just end up as Jonin-level cannon fodder when the big wars hit. We need external power-ups."
Sensuke looked pointedly at Kyosuke. "For that, we'll be relying on you. Konoha is the center of the plot. You have the most opportunities to stumble into hidden inheritances or powerful mentors."
Kyosuke rubbed his temples; thinking about the sheer scale of power in the late game was daunting.
"We all know the plot. To become a true powerhouse in the ninja world, you need one of three things: an overpowered bloodline, a legendary inheritance, or mutant technology. None of our bodies seem to have a Bloodline Limit, which leaves inheritance and tech."
He counted off on his fingers. "If we can learn Sage Mode or get our hands on Orochimaru's research, we can scale up fast. Also, we absolutely need to find a way to learn Fuinjutsu. In this world, Sealing Jutsu is practically a cheat code. If you're good enough, you can seal anything. Once we're strong enough... maybe we can even set our sights on the Tailed Beasts."
Shin, living the harshest life of them all, was the most desperate for that level of power. He stared at Kyosuke with burning eyes. "What's the plan, then?"
Kyosuke's expression turned dead serious. "Don't worry. I'll work hard to prove my worth in the Academy and try to catch the eye of the big shots. I'll give it my all. But if I push too hard and end up dead... you guys better remember to resurrect me once you're overpowered. Use Edo Tensei if you have to."
Shin nodded thoughtfully. "Focus on getting close to Jiraiya or Minato Namikaze first. They're safer bets. Dealing with Orochimaru right now is practically suicide; we can trade with him later when we have enough leverage. On my end, I'll try to track down the Akatsuki. Given the timeline, Yahiko should still be alive, and they've probably just founded the group. It should be relatively safe for me to join them as a war orphan."
Kiichiro chimed in. "Since you guys are infiltrating the major hidden villages and the Akatsuki, I won't bother trying to get into Kumogakure. Researching forbidden tech and buying medicinal supplements takes oceans of money. I'll focus on the merchant route. I'll build a financial empire to fund our operations."
Seeing his other selves so focused and determined, Kyosuke felt a surge of hope for their bizarre future. He tipped his head back and laughed heroically.
"Hahaha! That's the spirit! In the future, I'll be the Hokage, Sensuke will be the Kazekage, and Mishu will be the Mizukage! Shin will pull the strings of the Akatsuki from the shadows, and Kiichiro will monopolize the global economy! The entire world will be in the palm of our hands. With all those resources, we won't just match the Sage of Six Paths—we'll ascend to become literal gods like Kaguya!"
After indulging in their grandiose daydreams, Tasaka Sensuke stood up, a proud smile on his face.
"Alright, time for the main event. I managed to learn Wind Release: Great Breakthrough from my so-called dad today. I'll demonstrate it now. Watch closely."
Sensuke slowly walked them through the hand seals, explaining the chakra flow as he demonstrated. The other four watched with absolute focus. Because of their shared soul, after Sensuke performed it, the others only had to practice the sequence once to perfectly lock it into their muscle memory.
Kyosuke hadn't officially started refining Chakra in the waking world yet, so he couldn't physically cast the jutsu, but his hands effortlessly memorized the seals. The moment he gathered enough Chakra and found a valid excuse to "invent" or "learn" the technique, he could unleash it flawlessly.
As the dream space began to waver, signaling it was time to wake up, Sensuke offered one last reminder.
"By the way, Kyosuke, don't forget: we inherently possess all five basic Chakra natures—Wind, Lightning, Water, Fire, and Earth. Be careful about who you reveal that to."
Kyosuke nodded. "I know."
Though Kyosuke hadn't officially tested his affinities with Chakra paper, Kiichiro, Sensuke, and Mishu already had. All three of them had tested positive for all five elemental natures.
Their running theory was that they were sharing each individual body's natural affinities, combining them into a complete set. It was highly likely they also possessed Yin and Yang Release, but they currently lacked the means to verify it.
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