Chapter 4: New Lives, New Names!
The first sensation Frank could feel was warmth, sunlight streaming through a window onto his face. The second was the distinctly odd feeling of having a much smaller body than he remembered. Frank, no, that wasn't right anymore, he thought as he blinked his eyes open, finding himself staring at a wooden ceiling he didn't recognize, yet somehow knew intimately.
Kōzaru, his mind supplied automatically. My name is Kōzaru Inuzuka...
The memories came flooding back in two distinct streams. There were his original memories as Frank, the car accident, the cosmic entity, and the character creation process. But interwoven with those were eight years of new memories. Growing up in the Inuzuka compound, training with his mother Mika, learning to work with ninja hounds, and attending the Academy for the past year.
Sitting up in his small bed, Kōzaru looked down at his hands, smaller, more callused from training, with slightly longer nails that came naturally to his clan. His hair was wilder than it had ever been, a messy light brown that seemed to have a mind of its own. Most distinctive were the red fang-like markings on his cheeks, the traditional clan tattoos that all Inuzuka bore with pride. He could smell things with startling clarity, the breakfast cooking downstairs, the scent of his mother and sister elsewhere in the compound, even the faint traces of various dogs throughout the building, everything new yet familiar to him all at once.
But what made him nearly fall out of bed was the translucent interface that appeared in the corner of his vision when he focused on it:
Kōzaru Inuzuka - Level 1
HP: 114/114.
Chakra: 104/104.
Taijutsu: 5 | Ninjutsu: 2 | Genjutsu: 2 | Kenjutsu: 2.
Abilities:
Wind Style (Gale Palm),
Body Flicker Technique,
Special: Enhanced ninja hound and Heightened senses.
"Holy shit," he whispered, then quickly looked around to make sure no one had heard him. The game-like interface was actually real. He could see his health and chakra bars, his stats, everything you would expect from an RPG game.
"You had better be up you runt, breakfast is ready!"
The sudden yell from his mother catching him off guard. Quickly getting dressed in the standard Academy uniform, throwing on a fur-trimmed hood and jacket, giving him a more rugged appearance. Kōzaru made his way downstairs, trying to act natural despite the surreal nature of his situation. His mother, Mika had wild brown hair, intense eyes, and a personality that matched her fierce appearance.
"About time you got up, runt," she said gruffly, but there was affection in her voice. "You don't want to be late for the Academy. Today's supposed to be an important day, they're starting to separate the students into more advanced training groups." She said as she plated up the breakfast.
"Right, I'll head out now," Kōzaru replied, grabbing a piece of toast and heading toward the door, causing his mother to yell as he rushed out the door, hearing every word thanks to his heightened senses.
The walk to the Academy was surreal. Everything looked exactly like it had in the anime, but with all the detail and depth of reality. He could smell the ramen from Ichiraku's, hear the sounds of early morning training from various compounds, see the Hokage Monument looming over the village in perfect detail, everything was blowing his mind over and over again, almost forcing him to pinch himself.
As he approached the Academy building, his enhanced senses picked up two familiar scents, one carrying the distinctive chakra signature of the Uzumaki clan, the other the earthy strength of the Senju bloodline. How he could tell this he didn't know, but he simple put it down to his enhanced senses.
Tom and Jack. Or rather, their new identities stood waiting by the Academy entrance as they chatted to each other, and the moment their eyes met, he could see the same mix of excitement and bewilderment that he was feeling.
Tom had become Tatsuma Uzumaki, and the transformation was striking. His hair was now a brilliant crimson red that seemed to catch the sunlight as it spiked out of his beany hat on his head. His blue eyes practically glowed with energy. Wearing a dark green hoodie and tan/brown shorts, with white leg wrappings and dark sandals. He has a confident, determined expression. Even standing still, there was an almost electric sense of vitality about him that spoke to his dramatically enhanced chakra reserves. He was grinning widely, barely able to contain his excitement.
Jack had become Aotaka Senju, and the changes were immediately noticeable. His build was more solid than it had been, with broader shoulders and the kind of natural strength that came from his bloodline, wearing a layered outfit consisting of a dark blue long-sleeved shirt under a green vest or tunic, with brown shorts, white leg wrappings, and dark sandals. Most striking was his stark white hair, eerily similar to the Second Hokage's distinctive silver locks. His eyes held that same sharp intelligence Frank remembered, but now with an underlying confidence that came from enhanced physical capabilities.
"This is actually happening," Tatsuma, AKA Tom, whispered so no one else could hear them. "I can see my chakra bar, my stats, everything. It's like we're living in the most detailed RPG ever created."
"The level of immersion is incredible," Aotaka AKA Jack, agreed, unconsciously flexing his hands. "I can feel the enhanced strength from the Senju bloodline. It's not overwhelming, but it's definitely there."
Kōzaru nodded, then touched the red fang markings on his cheeks. "The clan markings feel natural, like they've always been there. My senses are incredible too, I can hear conversations from blocks away." He paused, looking slightly confused. "Though I'm wondering where my ninja hound is supposed to be." He said, remembering he had spent a whopping 5 skill points for a stronger one.
"Maybe you haven't been assigned one yet?" Tatsuma suggested. "You're still pretty young, maybe they wait until you're a bit older or further along in training?"
"Could be," Kōzaru agreed, though he couldn't shake the feeling that his enhanced ninja hound was supposed to be something special. "I guess I'll find out eventually."
"Have you tried accessing any menus?" Tatsuma asked quietly as they entered the Academy building. "I figured out how to check my abilities list. Shadow Clone Jutsu is actually listed there, and I think I could use it if I needed to. The chakra cost shows as thirty points, which is manageable with my enhanced reserves, but I haven't tried it yet."
"I've got my Lightning Style available too," Aotaka confirmed. "Static Force is listed as costing twenty chakra points. And I can see a my channel chakra to weapons ability too." Jack said, looking at his menu as they walked.
The three of them made their way to their assigned classroom, somehow knowing where it was at the same time. The same one they'd been attending for the past year according to their implanted memories, though it felt new and exciting from their perspective. The room was filling up with other students around the same age as they were, and Kōzaru, AKA Frank, found himself studying them with new eyes.
As they settled into their seats, Tatsuma suddenly grabbed Kōzaru's arm. "Holy crap, look over there by the window," he whispered urgently. "That's Asuma Sarutobi! I can see the resemblance to the Third Hokage, and he's already got that confident look about him." He said, trying not to yell.
Aotaka followed their gaze and nodded slowly. "And that girl with the red eyes near the front, that has to be Kurenai Yuhi. I can't believe this!" He also said trying to contain his excitement.
Kōzaru's enhanced hearing picked up excited chatter from across the room, and he turned to see a boy with impossibly shiny black hair practicing hand signs under his desk. "Guys," he said quietly, "I think that's Guy... Might Guy, over there."
All three of them looked over to see the young boy who would become a legend, watching as he practiced in the class room.
"No way," Tatsuma breathed, staring at the energetic boy. "We're actually in the same class as some of the legendary jonin from the series. This is insane."
But there were also many students he didn't recognize—original characters living their own stories in this world. It was a reminder that this wasn't just the anime brought to life, but a fully realized universe with countless individual lives and narratives.
"I keep expecting this to feel like a dream," Tatsuma, AKA Tom, murmured as they took their seats together. "But everything is so detailed, so real. I can smell the chalk dust, feel the wood grain on this desk, hear every conversation in the room."
"The sensory input is overwhelming," Kōzaru agreed, his enhanced hearing picking up dozens of different conversations and sounds throughout the building. "I can hear what's happening three classrooms over. The Inuzuka senses are no joke." He said, feeling a sense that he had picked his class correctly.
Aotaka was studying the other students closely. "This is unreal... I still can't believe that this is real." He said, amazed as he clenched his fists in excitement.
"This is going to change everything about how we approach training and combat," Tatsuma realized. "We're not just going through the motions anymore. Every technique, every strategy, every piece of knowledge we have from the anime, it all has real, measurable effects now."
"Have you guys thought about what this means for the timeline?" Aotaka asked quietly, seeming to change the mood. "We're here right before the Third Great Ninja War escalates. That means Obito's mission to Kannabi Bridge is coming up, the Nine-Tails attack on the village, all of it..." He said, causing the others to realise just how real things were about to get.
"The question is, do we try to prevent tragedies, or do we focus on getting strong enough to survive them?" Tatsuma wondered aloud, causing the others to do the same.
"We're eight year old's with academy-level abilities," Kōzaru said. "Even with our advantages, we're nowhere near strong enough to change major events yet. We need to focus on growing stronger first."
Suddenly their conversation was interrupted by the sound of footsteps in the hallway. The three friends exchanged glances, wondering who it could be.
The door slid open, and their teacher walked in—a chunin with several scars across his face and the weary look of someone who had seen real combat. His eyes swept across the classroom, taking in each student with practiced assessment.
"Good morning, class," he said, his voice carrying the authority of experience. "I am Instructor Hayashi, and today marks an important transition in your Academy training."
He moved to the front of the classroom, his presence commanding immediate attention from every student. "You've all been learning the basics for the past year—chakra control, basic taijutsu forms, academy jutsu. But with the current... political situation... it's been decided that your training needs to accelerate."
Kōzaru felt his heart rate increase. The Third Great Ninja War was clearly already affecting Academy policies.
"From today forward, your curriculum will be more intensive, more practical, and considerably more challenging," Instructor Hayashi continued. "Those of you who show promise will be fast-tracked toward graduation. Those who don't..." He left the implication hanging.
The classroom was completely silent, every student understanding the gravity of what they were being told.
"Your first test begins now," the instructor announced. "Everyone outside for practical taijutsu evaluation. I want to see what you're actually capable of, not just what you've memorized from textbooks."
As the students began filing out of the classroom, Tatsuma, Kōzaru, and Aotaka exchanged excited yet nervous glances. This was it, their first real chance to test their new abilities in this world.
"Ready?" Tatsuma whispered, his crimson hair seeming to glow with anticipation.
"More than ready," Aotaka replied, electrical chakra already beginning to flow through his system.
Kōzaru grinned, his fang markings seeming more pronounced as he smiled. "Time to see what we can do."
As they walked toward the training grounds, their game-like interfaces updating in real-time, all three friends knew that their new lives as ninja were truly beginning. The Academy, the war, the countless adventures ahead, everything they had dreamed about was finally within reach.
The only question now was whether they were strong enough to survive it.