The wind was calm. Too calm.
Soft white mist rolled over jagged mountain peaks like silk sheets over sleeping giants. Pine trees whispered ancient songs through their needles, and the sun—neither harsh nor warm—hung motionless above a sea of clouds.
He stood there barefoot, atop the highest peak. Alone.
Tall. Bare-chested. Skin pale, unscarred. His long white hair swayed in slow waves behind him, like it too was unsure if it belonged to the wind or something greater. His eyes glimmered silver, sharp and unnatural—like polished steel drenched in moonlight.
He blinked. Once. Twice.
"…Where the hell am I?"
He turned, scanning the endless horizon. Forests stretched endlessly below. Rivers curved lazily through valleys. No cities. No cars. No people.
Just silence.
"Wait…"
His brow furrowed.
"Wasn't I just—?"
He blinked again. The last thing he remembered was sitting on the bus. Window seat. Headphones in. Rain tapping the glass. He was halfway through a raunchy Naruto doujin on his phone when—
Nothing.
He touched his chest.
Heartbeat: steady.
Breathing: smooth.
Body:… different.
No pain. No fatigue. Just this strange, serene pressure in the air… and the soft hum of something otherworldly in his bones.
"Did I fall asleep…?"
Before the thought could settle, a sharp chime echoed across the mountain—like a bell being rung inside his own skull.
[DING]
[System Message Received]
Welcome, "???".
Cause of Death: Public Transport Accident (Bus Crash — Bridge Collapse).
Status: Deceased.
Reincarnation: Approved.
He stood still. Silent. The wind stopped with him.
"Wait, what—"
[DING]
[System Message Received]You have been granted the Power of Knull.You are now Host of the System.World: NarutoRules: None.Restrictions: None.You are free to do as you please.
He stared at the message. Blank. Still.
"…Knull?" he muttered. A low hum crawled through his bones—cold.
Another line appeared in front of him, glowing blood-red:
[All-Black has chosen you.]
A sword rose from the shadows—long, jagged, alive. It pulsed like it was breathing.
He didn't think. He just reached out.
The moment his hand closed around the hilt, the sky dimmed. A ripple spread across the horizon. Birds stopped flying.
[Moon – Sealed Temple Ruins]
Toneri Ōtsutsuki
The stillness of the Moon shattered.
Toneri's eyes snapped open — the Tenseigan glowing violently in his skull like twin suns.
The stars recoiled. Even the light from Earth faltered for a moment.
He stood, robes floating around him as gravity bent slightly.
His gaze pierced the planet below.
"…What is that?"
He could see it — not chakra, not life force — but something darker.
The Moon's natural chakra began to ripple.
"This… isn't of the Ōtsutsuki."
His breath caught.
[Mount Myōboku]
Great Elder Toad
Eyes rolled open.
He gasped once. Then stopped breathing.
"Darkness…"
Shima and Fukasaku ran to him.
"Sensei?"
[Back on the Peak — MC POV]
The sky above him had dimmed — not like nightfall, not like clouds — but like the world itself was holding its breath.
The sword in his hand… pulsed. No, it breathed. Black metal, fluid and jagged, shimmered under the still sun.
Veins of shifting crimson ran across its surface like molten blood, constantly moving, constantly alive.
He raised it slowly.
The weight? None.
The pressure? Absolute.
"…Damn," he muttered, turning the blade in his hand. "It really is All-Black."
It looked exactly like the panels. From the hilt to the serrated edge — identical to the sword Knull used to butcher gods in that one Marvel arc.
He gave it a little swing.
No resistance. No effort.
"Holy shit," he whispered, grinning.
The tendrils coiled lazily around his wrist now, like a pet snake, like they knew he belonged to it as much as it belonged to him.
And then it hit him.
"…Wait."
His smile faltered just slightly — not fear, just dawning clarity.
"This is the Naruto world?"
He looked out across the valley again. Still no cities. No tech. No chakra flares in sight.
"Is this pre-War era? Post-War? Are we talking Naruto part one? Shippuden? Boruto?"
He narrowed his eyes, scanning the land.
Nothing. No chakra signatures. No explosions. Not even a toad.
"…No way to tell. But this definitely ain't home."
He exhaled slowly, the sword still humming in his grip.
This wasn't a dream.
It was real.
He turned the blade over in his hand once more. It twisted — slightly — reacting to his will, as if hungry for more.
"Alright," he muttered.
He turned his gaze down to the blade again.
"All-Black," he said aloud, voice calm, firm. "That's enough."
The tendrils paused… then obeyed.
They slithered back down his arm like ink being pulled into a drain, disappearing into his shadow without resistance. The blade followed, melting into liquid darkness and seeping into the earth beneath his feet.
Total submission.
No drama.
Just raw respect.
He stood silent for a few more seconds, wind brushing against his pale skin.
Then he smiled.
"…Okay."
So what now?
Did he want to save people? No.
Did he want to be a hero? Hell no.
Take over the world? Too basic.
He dropped to a seated position on the rock, legs crossed, elbows resting on his knees. His eyes scanned the clouds.
"I've got power… more than anyone on this planet. No rules. No limits. No story rails."
A pause.
"So…"
He grinned, wolfish and calm.
"…Let's see what happens when you drop a monster into a world that thinks it's safe."
Kael walked down the mountain, his bare feet silent on the soft moss. The black sword's shadows moved around his feet like quiet animals.
Below him, a small village came into view—a crumbling collection of huts and fields, barely alive. The ground was cracked like old skin.
A barn in the distance was still smoking. The air smelled like hunger and something worse—giving up.
Kael smiled.
His silver eyes lit up.
"Perfect," he said.
He kept walking.
No shoes. No shirt. Just loose black pants tied with a rope. He looked like some lost monk who never found a temple. The villagers didn't notice him right away—they were too busy being scared.
By the old well, five men were yelling. Beating up crates. Demanding food that clearly wasn't there. Two of them had headbands and kunai—shabby ones. Probably low-level ninja. The others were just guys with swords. Dirty, loud, and full of fake confidence.
"Taxes, old man!" one of them shouted, knocking a farmer to the ground. "You live here, you pay. That's the rule. This land's under protection now."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Protection," he said quietly.