When I opened my eyes, sunlight filtered through the swaying leaves above, casting dappled patterns across the forest floor. A cool breeze brushed my face, carrying the crisp scent of pine and damp earth.
I lay there for a moment, simply observing. Then my gaze dropped to my hands—large, rough, scarred. Definitely not a child's.
Sitting up slowly, I felt the weight and strength of the body I now inhabited. Long legs, solid muscle, a responsiveness that came from years of training. I flexed my fingers experimentally, noting the precision of every movement.
A small grin tugged at my lips."So I'm not a kid this time… good. No academy, no exams, no babysitting. Perfect."
Before I could move, a crisp electronic tone echoed through my mind.
[Absolute Mastery System Online.]
A faint blue interface materialized in the air before me, a welcome message pulsing softly:
Welcome to the world of Naruto. Your request has been approved.
Two options appeared beneath it:
Absolute Mastery System
Custom Ability
I tapped the info icon for Absolute Mastery.
Absolute Mastery System — Instantly master any ability you witness. To execute jutsu, you must possess the required chakra nature. Kekkei Genkai abilities, such as the Sharingan, can be used if you have the target's chakra.
Next, I opened Custom Ability.
Shadow Requiem — Your shadow absorbs the shadows of the dead, inheriting their chakra and skills. For a limited time, any attack on the shadow reflects onto the chosen target.
Three tabs then unfolded neatly across the screen:
Info
Inventory
Techniques
Beneath them, a prompt blinked expectantly:
"Host, merge your memory with that of the body's previous owner?"Yes / No
I didn't hesitate. Yes.
A surge of memories flooded my mind—battles in the dark, ANBU missions, silent kills, smoke-filled nights, and razor-sharp tactical calls. When the torrent settled, the picture was clear:
Shikako Nara.Brother to clan head Shikaku Nara.Uncle to Shikamaru.Former ANBU Division Commander.Retired five years ago.Currently training newly graduated genin.
The timeline slotted into place perfectly—right before the main story began.
The system's voice returned, delivering a barrage of notifications in rapid succession:
[Chakra Control — Mastered][Fire Release — Mastered][Water Release — Mastered][Lightning Release — Mastered][Earth Release — Mastered][Wind Release — Mastered][Yin Release — Mastered][Genjutsu — Mastered][Ninjutsu — Mastered][Taijutsu — Mastered][Kenjutsu — Mastered][Barrier Techniques — Mastered][Available Techniques Mastered]
The list went on until I muttered, "Silent mode." Instantly, the stream of notifications stopped.
I tapped the Info tab.
Name: Shikako NaraAge: 31Village: Hidden LeafRank: Elite JoninStrength: Kage LevelMore…
Inventory—empty, as expected.Techniques—every available skill in memory mastered, each glowing gold.
I flexed my fingers again. My shadow responded immediately, stretching and coiling like a living thing.
Leaning back against the tree trunk, I exhaled slowly. No panic. No disbelief. Only clarity.
This body. These abilities. This world.They were mine now—and I had no intention of walking in anyone else's shadow.