"Is he awake?" the medical ninja asked with concern, eyeing the boy sprawled on the bed.
The boy stirred, his arms twitching slightly before his eyes snapped open. He looked around in shock.
"That's the fifth one today," the medic muttered under his breath. "Why are kids suddenly passing out like this?"
Now fully conscious, the boy stared at the medical ninja. I'm… alive? he questioned silently.
Wasn't I hit by a truck? The vivid memory of metal crushing into him remained disturbingly clear.
"Kid, head home now," the medical ninja said briskly. "I've got others to look after. It's nothing serious, so don't worry."
The boy nodded on reflex, rising from the bed before walking out of the room.
But… where is my home? What is this place? Why does it look so familiar yet so strange?
____________________________________________________________________________
As he walked down the stairs, his foot slipped slightly, and suddenly a barrage of memories crashed into his mind. The boy clutched his head in agony.
Nine Tails… Naruto? Wait—did I reincarnate into Naruto? he thought in disbelief.
Raito Yagami, six-year-old orphan, joined the academy a month ago… interesting. But still, Naruto has to be one of the worst worlds to reincarnate into! Raito sighed internally as he stepped onto the Konoha streets, taking in the scenery he once believed existed only on manga pages.
Still, with future knowledge, I have a chance. The academy instructor already awakened my chakra. If I start training now, I might become strong enough to survive the ninja war… or I could just run away outside Japan, he mused, finally arriving at his home.
"It's quite small," Raito muttered. The house was indeed cramped but manageable for someone living alone.
It held a mini fridge, a single bed positioned right next to a tiny dining table, and one washroom.
"No way to cook for myself?" he groaned.
"I only receive 1,000 ryō per month from the instructor. How am I supposed to afford both training supplies and food with that?" he complained.
"Food alone is about 200 ryō. A basic pack of shuriken costs 650 ryō, and it only contains six. That leaves me with just 150 ryō. I still need stationery, kunai, and other essentials. Even if I get them, there'll be nothing left for savings."
Raito exhaled deeply before brushing aside the immediate concerns.
Right now, all my focus should be on increasing my strength—not on food and kunai, he decided.
He sat cross-legged on his bed, adopting a lotus position, and began recalling the lessons from the academy.
A subtle blue aura formed around him as he concentrated.
So this is chakra… it feels… dark. Wait, what? His eyes widened as he sensed the flow within him.
According to academy teachings, one needed basic chakra sensing abilities to identify chakra and discern chakra signatures.
But even with his minimal talent for chakra sensing, Raito could feel an incredibly ominous presence emanating from within.
It was so overwhelming that he nearly vomited.
Is this… chakra? No, it was never described like this. This feels like pure negativity masquerading as chakra, he thought.
[Conditions Met!]
[Activating Golden Finger!]
[Jujutsu Kaisen Template System]
[Would you like to roll? Y/N]
A massive blue screen appeared before him. Shock washed over his face—then quickly shifted into unrestrained excitement.
A golden finger! Nice. Though… it's Jujutsu Kaisen. If it were something like Bleach or Dragon Ball, I'd be way happier, he lamented.
Not wasting time to indulge his greed, he said, "Roll."
[Rolling!]
[1…2…3…5…6… DONE]
[Character Template: Fushiguro Megumi]
[Template Percentage: 5%]
Raito considered his situation and smirked. Even if it's not Gojo or Sukuna, this is good. If I can gain more templates, I can defeat Mahoraga. With Mahoraga, all this would be worth it.
He could already feel it, a faint yet distinct connection to his shadow, almost as if it wanted to be touched.
[No new template will be issued until you complete this one!]
His excitement plummeted. Eh? Isn't that unfair? How am I supposed to beat Mahoraga with just Fushiguro's abilities?
No previous Ten Shadows user ever fully tamed Mahoraga except Sukuna but Sukuna had his own cursed technique and domain, Raito thought with frustration.
[Making excuses won't help you! I suggest you actually do something. You won't be complaining when you're one of the thousands of fodder in the Fourth Great Ninja War, will you?]
"I guess you're right," Raito muttered, standing up with renewed resolve.
It was time to grind and hopefully not die again.
____________________________________________________________________________
Raito glanced at the clock. I still have some time before I sleep. I can use it to get familiar with my abilities.
He extended his shadow forward. Carefully, he reached out and placed his hand into it, only for it to sink smoothly inside.
It's pretty spacious. I know I can store anything in here, but I'll still have to bear the weight myself. That could be useful for training, he thought as he experimented, manipulating the shadow in different ways.
But after a while, he felt his control falter. I can't maintain this for long… my chakra reserves are too low, he realized.
Still, it's a relief this ability uses chakra instead of cursed energy. Otherwise, I would've been like Lee—unable to use ninjutsu at all.
With that in mind, Raito began formulating a training plan.
He would wake at 5 AM, run laps around the village, and push himself with as many push-ups and stretches as possible. Afterward, he'd focus on chakra control using the leaf concentration exercise, and then dedicate time to mastering his Ten Shadows.