Well, there probably won't be a chapter this week. One day I went out to get drunk (sorry, but I needed it), and the rest of the time I've been working, so I've barely made any progress—maybe 500 words on the chapter.
The rotating shifts are messing with my head, especially the night shifts.
Anyway, that's not why I'm writing this.
Well, partly yes, but what follows is much more important.
It's about several things. First, to explain my initial purpose with this fanfic, as well as other projects I started working on many years ago and other fanfic ideas I've come up with—or rather, ones that are already much more developed than the current one.
Let's start by explaining the goal of this work.
There are a lot of Naruto fanfics, and when I say a lot, I mean a lot. And to be honest, those are the ones I've consumed the most. Even now that I barely have any time, I still follow some stories from this universe.
I can't say that most of them are great works on their own, and maybe that's what motivated me to create my own Naruto fanfic. I mean, since I complain so much about other people's works, I might as well make my own.
My main gripe with the vast majority is that they promise a lot, but in the end they become repetitive, or they get so obsessed with one tree that they lose sight of the rest of the forest. (Or something like that, as the Chinese proverb goes.)
The main issue is that most of the protagonists are inconsistent and poorly developed, but interestingly enough, I get it. After starting this fanfic without planning almost anything (compared to my other, so to speak, works), the biggest problem I've had is reconciling all the ideas I had about the protagonist.
After all, a one-dimensional Sukuna doesn't work well as the protagonist of a long series, let alone a harem one. (I told you—at first I planned almost nothing for this story; after all, that was the point: to just go with the flow.)
Anyway, even though I say it's a problem, it's not a big deal, so you could say I've already found a way to reconcile this. (Damn, I've rambled too much.)
Anyway, the point is that since there are so many Naruto fanfics, there's too much trash out there, and it's hard to find a good one.
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A quick aside for recommendations I've really come to appreciate.
Life of a Villain in the Naruto World. (The scene where the MC decides not to abandon the path he'd originally chosen, even though there was a better option, and everything that follows is… if it had been finished, this could have been the best Naruto fanfic in my humble opinion.)
Naruto: Systematic Shinobi. (Although updates are sporadic, it's a series worth waiting for—at least based on what I've read so far. It also incorporates romance without neglecting the rest of the story, and the interactions between the characters are quite good and natural; perhaps that's the best aspect of this series.)
Naruto: The Wind Calamity. (Who hasn't heard of this one? I just hope the author gets past his writer's block and comes back inspired.)
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Well, if you've read these novels, you'll understand what sets them apart from the rest.
For example, Systematic Shinobi promises a harem and romance, and it delivers, but that doesn't mean it stops focusing on other themes like the MC's growth, the battles, and following the canon.
Others, on the other hand, promise harem and romance and focus solely on that, or they become overly obsessed with avoiding romance—probably because they've read too many bad works that include it and are fed up—but that turns their protagonists into strange characters who either focus only on their strength and have no interest in relationships, let alone the opposite sex (this happens in *The Wind Calamity*, but its other strengths are enough to keep you reading) or they drop hints that there could be a relationship, but never follow through even though they have all the elements.
But above all, there are those blessed systems that hand everything to the MC on a silver platter and ultimately undermine the logic and tension. A system that just gives you things isn't suitable for a serious story. It only exposes the author's lack of creativity.
One last point: there are also those that aren't decisive. For example, *Reborn into Naruto World with Tenseigan* is pretty good, but from what I've read—and even though it already had all the necessary elements—the MC still couldn't kill his damn enemies and kept dragging it out forever. Way too frustrating.
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(Damn it, I've rambled on too much again, though at least now you know my tastes and preferences)
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Anyway, what I want to achieve with this work is to introduce a "monster" into Naruto and have him climb to the top, without cheating, while dealing with a large number of complicated relationships and significant psychological complexity.
Too ambitious?
Without a doubt.
Especially considering I haven't planned much of this, but hey, who cares. This can only turn out two ways: either really bad or really good.
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Well, the time has come to talk about the other things I've done before Yashin Haruno.
Do you think five stories are enough?
Damn, if I didn't have enough time back when I was unemployed, it's even worse now.
I hope I don't die before I've finished everything I've come up with.
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Alright, let's cut the crap.
To tell the truth, this wasn't the first Naruto story I came up with.
The first one was Naruto: Ashes of Shinobi.
Why are all the stories set in the pre-Naruto era, or like this one I'm writing, in the timeline of the original story? What about after Shippuden?
Let me guess: There's nothing left to tell, and Naruto and Sasuke are too broken.
It's practically a blank canvas and a pretty interesting challenge.
But more important than that is that the elements (fire, wind, earth, water, lightning, yin, and yang) are way underutilized. We haven't seen any real monsters or the limits these elements can reach if someone focuses entirely on them. But why does just one person have to master them all? Why can't there be one person for each element?
And you know what?
I want the most reviled element of all to be the protagonist.
Same thing—no set system, no cheats, with a little romance, though not as over-the-top as in *Yashin Haruno*.
Just thinking about everything I planned for this gets me excited.
I hope that someday we'll get to see *Kagutsuchi* in all its glory.
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Now, the second work.
*Dragon Ball: Monster From Beyond*.
Damn, at first the idea for this work was so simple; I guess I got carried away.
It all started with a question: Why aren't there any good Dragon Ball works?
(with a few notable exceptions: the forgotten Dragon Ball Alternative and the current Dragon Ball: Reborn as a Low-Class Saiyan)
So I thought I should do something, but I soon realized the limitations of the series itself. Unlike Naruto, Dragon Ball is too simple. No political subplots, no overly unexpected techniques, no philosophical or ideological conflict.
So instead of limiting myself to classic Dragon Ball, I thought I could use it as a foundation.
And what could be a better match for Dragon Ball?
That's right, Warhammer 40k.
How about some runaway Saiyans in a world as chaotic and over-the-top as Warhammer 40k?
I don't mean I'll insert the Saiyans and other characters into 40k; rather, I'll turn the Dragon Ball universe into one that's just as over-the-top.
Just imagine it.
Saiyans, humans, Namekians, cold demons, and many other races, locked in constant war.
Seven words: ESSENCE. (A little joke that only Spanish speakers will get… I think.)
Anyway, if it were just this, it would be fine, but while I was coming up with this, I was a little too obsessed with Reverend Insanity and then with Dao Bizarre Immortal.
Nothing good can come of that.
So, what do you think about the universe being as ruthless as RI's, with mythical figures equivalent to the Venerables and an equally heavy philosophical weight, plus iconic supporting characters?
On another note, has anyone read Dao Bizarre Immortal? That shit would go so well with 40k, or at least that's what I thought at the time.
Shit.
The world is so well-conceived.
The protagonist can't be left behind.
How about a mix between Musashi from Vagabond and our beloved Fang Yuan from RI?
Inhuman perseverance paired with character development that's as human as it is heartbreaking.
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The story arcs are already laid out, the first chapters are already written, the protagonist starts out as a helpless underdog who can barely fend for himself, and the whole journey will be… well, I won't say more, except for the MC's name.
Skallion
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About the third series.
Well, one of the things I dislike the most are series that hand everything to you on a silver platter and anime crossover worlds.
Not because of the concept itself, but because of how they're executed.
High School of the Dead, Danmachi, DxD, My Hero Academia, Fate, etc.
You guys probably know them better than I do.
Most of these are unwatchable, at least for me, and believe me, I've tried several, but the problems with these works are always the same.
Collecting waifus like Pokémon, taking themselves too seriously, or being too pretentious.
(I'm very critical, but I could easily fall into this trap myself at some point; I hope that if it happens, someone will set me straight.)
Anyway, very few works of this type are tolerable, let alone good.
However, there are some, and one of them inspired me to create a novel with these characteristics.
I'm talking about: Reborn with Steve Stand.
Although the title is silly, it's great.
When I started reading it, I didn't expect anything from it, but maybe that's what made me like it so much.
It's a complete comedy (especially the Fate arc) and doesn't take itself seriously at all.
So I said, I should make my own.
And that's how it was born: An Insane Journey Across The Multiverse.
I don't know exactly how to describe it, so I'll just say what it has (or will have, if I ever write beyond the fourth chapter).
A system that's more of a hindrance than a help, a touch of romance, an outrageously narcissistic and inhuman protagonist, crossover worlds where everything imaginable gets mixed together, a bunch of travel companions who aren't just women or bags of… ahem, ahem. And above all, plenty of comedy and craziness.
Behold the great Sakano Ren.
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Now for the fourth work that will never be published (just kidding, but writing all this crap even though it's just for fun has taken me way too long, and then I have to correct the spelling mistakes and translate and…)
Well, the idea for "Social Animal" (working title) came to me when I was at the hair salon over a year ago.
At the time, I was a bit sick of Chinese superstar novels and that sort of thing.
My top references (I'm Really a Superstar and My Elder Sister is a Superstar)
I liked those back then, though if I were to read them again now, I probably couldn't handle them.
Anyway, "Social Animal" was my brain's response to the things I didn't like about that genre.
First, the waifus—the Chinese aren't very good at that, but I wanted to give it a special twist.
How about the femdoms? Lots of them.
They should give me an award for that idea.
(In case anyone's worried, don't worry—the MC isn't a submissive who fits into the story and with the women.)
The system is another matter; there won't be anything like that here either, so the things the MC creates will be his own.
What else?
This story takes place in a utopian future—and why do I call it utopian when this is a world that emerged from something worse than a third world war?
Well, it's better than ours: AI is truly regulated, only those who want to work do so, there are robot waifus, artists are valued in society, and so on.
Well, so as not to overthink the waifus' appearances, I decided to pick one of each color from existing waifus, so in addition to a wide variety of femdoms, we have familiar faces.
And as for the protagonist, the shy guy who comes out of his shell is the best prospect, I think, so here is the nameless protagonist.
I never found a good name for the guy. Maybe someday, when I really get started on this idea.
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Finally, my most important work, the one I've actually been working on for years.
Word of Pain.
A dystopian world similar to ours, but with an extra continent in the Pacific.
But who cares about this damn world mired in war and political intrigue?
The real focus is on the characters. (Well, if anyone's wondering why I'm so obsessed with the characters, it's because I'm a psychologist—or at least that's what I'd like to say—but I still have to do my practicum and thesis; everything else is already taken care of.)
A truly broken protagonist who can only degenerate further and further, in a world that's even more rotten and hopeless.
Almost 400 pages, over a hundred thousand words, and so much more to tell. (Seriously, so much more—even though I finished the first book, things are just getting started.)
Well, I don't want to talk too much about it; I can only say it's not for everyone. Even for me, writing it has often been painful. It's too much, too heavy, too hopeless, and it doesn't really fit on this platform either. As I said, it's a book—even though I've divided it into more than thirty chapters—it just doesn't fit. Plus, it's impossible for me to publish it here since it touches on very sensitive topics. Also, I have to finish the whole thing first before publishing anything, because I often change things I've already written, even when I'm already far along in the story.
There will be no image of Hellhound.
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You know, something curious is that all my stories are connected and stem from this last one, and by "connected" I mean that they exist in the same reality.
That's why I say that, when it comes to *World of Pain*, even though I've made more progress on it than on any other project, it's the one I still have the most left to tell.
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Well, if anyone made it this far, thank you. It seems you now know the author a little better—and, above all, what he wants to do and may never achieve.
It's good to have goals; at least that's what's kept me alive and given me a purpose.
Maybe there aren't any comments in this section right now, but if I ever manage to do everything I've laid out here, I'm sure many will share their views.
Thanks for reading this far.