This story begins with death. Everything originates from emptiness and returns anew. I wanted to use a quote from Fullmetal Alchemist about equivalent exchange. Does equivalent exchange truly exist? I don't know. There may or may not be main heroes in this novel, but antiheroes are planned. So, let's begin.
A god of dreams descended to Earth, and some percentage of people began dying in their sleep. Some learned to live in two worlds simultaneously: in our world on planet Earth and during sleep—in the Naruto world. Briefly put, the recipient's body enters an anabiosis or a coma-like sleep.
That was the case at first, but later chakra came to Earth as well. More on that later. Initially, people were engulfed in a war of clans—ronin and samurai. In other words, for the pioneers, everything started with an MMO game and a crutch in the form of the internet. Imagine inhaler-like cigarettes that, depending on talent, training, and habits, allow you to perform tricks similar to Asuma Sarutobi spitting ash and creating explosions at a level stronger than the Uchiha clan—thanks to a microwave from the Naruto world (figuratively speaking).
You gather sorrel, put it in a microwave, get packs of inhalers, and then you can spit fire.
I described this process conditionally in that reality. The cigarettes are made from frost-covered herbs gathered either in frozen soil or in Kirigakure, allowing you to gain perks like spitting out "grandpas" or icy shurikens and kunai from your mouth, blowing them into battle, or blowing frost walls and freezing surfaces—like a kid in Naruto who could create ice, although he wasn't from the Haku clan and didn't have that genome.
So, a kind of lollipop from Kumogakure grants the owner basic swordsmanship techniques, for example. A kid who spat out "Zhaba Buba" in Boruto created explosions.
The first to realize the value of dream battles were freaks, otaku, social recluses, lazy people, and other slackers who launched the dream battle process. To summarize, a meteorite hit Earth, or rather, a small fragment placed under the head was enough to launch the server. The system was created by the god of dreams based on Naruto Shinobi Striker, with the only exception being the possibility of using larger skills, mechanisms, and other mechanics—not just the four selected ninjutsu.
At the beginning of the alpha test, classes and pre-assignments could not be chosen. I was both lucky and unlucky: I was assigned the Kohaku clan with the Suiton element. Creating a character was similar to the white faceless White Zetsu—you get a copy of appearance and abilities. The only taboo was to maintain the masquerade.
Players were deeply immersed in their roles.
Compared to others, our main character found himself in the era of warring kingdoms on the Naruto Shinobi Striker server. The Naruto world here differs from canon and resembles twisted fillers, as far as I know. You simply get a black-and-white chakra form upon awakening.
The number of White Zetsu is comparable to an army the size of a three-meter war or more. At first, it was an alpha test, then beta—more on this later.
The player feels like they have emerged from a tree as a White Zetsu. Their task is to find a ninja corpse or collect several corpses to improve talent. Usually, only one body can be chosen to copy the appearance and partial memories of the corpse, which can be done using wooden clocks with a simple black-and-white screen.
Thanks to the mechanics of natural energy built into the clocks, chakra forms can appear. I spawned somewhere on the border between the Land of Rain and the Land of Water. The wooden clock acted like a compass, pointing toward the direction of corpses.
Far away, I saw a fight, which I later learned involved a member of the Chinoike clan and the Kohaku clan, both at the Genin level. The cause of their dispute was a summoning scroll of the underworld—some ancient tomb from the Sengoku period, where a samurai of the world was buried, predating the ninja kingdoms.
The Chinoike ninja used blood body enlargement techniques and brass knuckles similar to Asuma's, but different—more like kokushin. The Kohaku ninja wielded two sickles on a rope, exchanging strikes and jutsu.
The Kohaku clan used techniques of drawn beasts, presumably related to Sai or a descendant, or simply learned the techniques from Danzo's scrolls. Techniques of clans like Nara or Ino aren't inherited by blood but rather grant a natural boost; with knowledge and skill, anyone can replicate and emulate them.
For example, Sarutobi used a body enlargement technique in battle with Orochimaru and blew fire in his direction. This suggests that with experience or talent, even outsiders can replicate clan techniques.
A member of the Chinoike clan cut his wrist, increased his physical abilities—similar to the Hozuki clan technique—and created a couple of blood clones. Periodically, he fired blood bullets from his brass knuckles and created chakra slashes resembling Danzo's air carving technique, at least visually.
The Kohaku ninja responded with ink clones and ink bullets from his hands, partially deflecting blood bullet techniques using ink sparrows. They exchanged blows rapidly. Kohaku wielded sickles but was losing to the Chinoike member, who had an ink sparrow on his head and used Ino clan techniques to see the world through the sparrow's eyes.
The Chinoike member also used a body enlargement technique similar to Chōji's but slightly weaker. The Kohaku clan is more versatile because, besides drawn beasts, they can use techniques of the Inoshika Chō clan or similar analogs—perhaps a technique of a drawn human with special body markings that boost ninja strength, endurance, and agility, though without Tsunade's healing effect.
Meanwhile, the Chinoike member tried to trap the Kohaku member in a genjutsu of bloody fog, impairing vision and perception to gain an advantage. Drawn wolves counterattacked Kohaku's almost successful strike, but the Chinoike member spat out a bloody three-headed hydra and charged, exchanging damage.
The more blood you spill and the longer the fight lasts, the stronger the Chinoike member becomes. Kohaku was losing on timing and time management. The Chinoike member had bruises and cuts; the Kohaku member's body was covered in cuts, his left arm broken and hanging by remaining flesh.
At least the Genin Kohaku couldn't even clench that hand into a fist. Kohaku jumped back from Chinoike, threw smoke bombs, summoned ink clones and a defensive wall of ink animals, then began retreating, leaving a replacement with a distracting stone.
The Chinoike member picked up a summoning scroll, got distracted but managed to retreat at the last moment. Ink clones could have cut off his head or limb, but for some reason, he didn't press his advantage or attack further. Then the Chinoike ninja also left the battlefield. The mission to get the corpse failed.
There was nothing to do but survive as a wounded but still strong newbie without skills.
The mission was eased due to the high difficulty for beginners: gather drops of those ninjas' blood and quickly complete the transformation of your external body into a new subject. Otherwise, the dream body system will consider you an unprofitable participant and exclude you from transfer.
In short, you risk becoming mentally disabled, but this was discovered only later, and even then, only as rumors—nervous breakdowns and such in mild cases.
I hurriedly collected blood drops from the Chinoike and Kohaku clans. Half of my hair turned orange, the other half white; my pupils became like that guy's, and I gained the ability to use the Ketsuryugan.
Ding! All abilities were granted to you by the dream god for quick adaptation and immersion into subculture. From now on, it depends only on you. Blessings are over.
My appearance was from the real world, plus changes granted by the blood of the Chinoike and Kohaku clans. Since the map embedded in the clock was conditional—without open villages, settlements, clans, etc.—I decided to move toward the Land of Rain village.
I considered other locations: the village of the waterfall or whirlpool, hot springs, or the Land of Waves, but ultimately headed toward the Land of Rain village. It's simple: the larger and richer the territory, the more infighting; the smaller, the more united and possibly safer, with fewer internal intrigues and less tension. But I'm not sure about this.
Why not choose Konoha? Simply put, according to fillers, all small villages that made peace with Konoha were later destroyed by the Iburi clan from Orochimaru—the clan of the kid who could blow up an entire village, Tsuchigumo. The Uzumaki clan is, in my opinion, the most treacherous village, even worse than the Bloody Mist.
I consider their philosophy—the theory that man is a wolf to man—close to the truth in a philosophical sense. The Kohaku clan, for example, was no help to Konoha when their ninja were wiped out by defenders. It was like the destruction of the Uzumaki clan—too simple: four ninja took out over 200 others. Doesn't that seem strange? Couldn't they resist? Moreover, all died at the hands of four elite Jonin.
What about the theory that quality can lose to quantity, like with Zabuza, who was killed by bandits? After I obtained their genomic traits, joining a clan became impossible—checks would be too strict, unless through marriage, and even then, no guarantee.
So, at the moment, it's unrealistic unless you save someone from a clan who can pressure others. Even then, it's a stretch—unless you become a mercenary in the era of warring kingdoms. Even clan ninja hired other ninja.
I think clans accept only under the pretext of a lost member, and usually into a side branch.
So, I decided to move toward the Land of Rain and then think about infiltrating the Chinoike clan, and maybe be a mercenary guarding caravans for a few coins. Maybe something better will come up later.
But yes, in the Land of Rain, I simply ended up in slavery, and along with the caravan, my dream body was sent to the slave market in the Land of Demons.
There's no choice but to fight to the death in the arena, then be used for experiments, and so on.
Why did this happen? Because a stranger without information and skills finds it hard to survive.
I was captured by Kumogakure ninja hired by Ishiroki researchers from the Land of Paratroopers, plus nobility from the Land of Demons and guests from other countries. It's a big opportunity to place bets, discuss fresh news, conduct negotiations, and so on.
There were also hired scientists trying to sabotage the research.
It's all clichés: what ruler wouldn't want to acquire better genetics or some physical or other boosts without training? This is already evident in the example of Mitsuki—not the one from Naruto, but the one from Boruto—a weakling without chakra and his ninjutsu. To me, this clearly shows degradation.
A merchant decided to take advantage—you get the idea. I think even Mitsuki from Naruto could defeat him. After all, he's a chunin, even without using Orochimaru's tricks.
It's very likely that the First Hokage killed either the Third Raikage or an unknown ninja. I lean toward this version, although it might have been a ninja like Kakuzu or others. Most likely, the First was killed by Hanzo Salamandra in his prime or youth.
More on that later.
Surviving was fun, eating broth and various chemical concoctions given by the torturers. Also, some ninja kept messing with my mind, washing it for loyalty. After slaves fought in the arena and brainwashing, they were sent on missions.
This was some clan from the Water, maybe from Kumo, or they migrated to the Land of Water later. It's hard to untangle these intrigues.
In short, through water-based techniques, the head is covered with a water veil, the body is held by water chains. Water gets into the mouth, nose, and eyes, then Kisaragi ninja somehow read information—something like Yamanaka's technique but working differently.
For some time after the technique, Kisaragi ninja can implant their thoughts. The body doesn't obey, and under commands, you're like a puppet.
Fortunately, Kohaku blood somehow partially helps to counteract this.
I managed to escape and moved toward the hot springs territory, hiding there temporarily like a beaten dog.