Chapter 1: The Ghostly Audience
[Ding! Congratulations, host. You have successfully died from sudden death and obtained the Undead Live Stream System!]
The voice echoed through the fog of sleep, a mechanical sound that should have been alarming, but Ren Arakawa was too deeply submerged in exhaustion to care. He merely rolled over, pulling the thin blanket tighter around himself, and sank back into unconsciousness. Last night's marathon streaming session had left him completely drained, and all he wanted now was the sweet embrace of sleep. Everything else could wait.
When he finally awoke, sunlight was streaming through the window, indicating it was well past morning. He sat up slowly, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfying pop of joints.
"That was the best sleep I've had in years," he mumbled to himself, feeling strangely refreshed and energetic. His body felt light, his mind clear.
But the feeling of well-being vanished the moment he took in his surroundings. This wasn't his messy apartment with its computer setup and energy drink cans. This was a small, sparsely furnished room with tatami mats on the floor and paper-screen walls.
"What the hell is this place?" he whispered, a cold knot of dread forming in his stomach.
A flat, emotionless voice responded directly in his mind, [Host, this is the world of Naruto. Your current identity is that of a war orphan.]
"A war orphan? Wait... I think I heard you yesterday... you said I died? What happened?" Ren's voice rose in panic as he remembered the disembodied voice from his dreams.
[Replying to the host: You suffered a sudden death yesterday and have been reincarnated into the Naruto world. You should be grateful.]
"The Naruto world? No way... that's incredible!" The initial shock began to morph into a spark of excitement. "System, give me my skills! Sage Mode, chakra control, the Rinnegan—hit me with it all! I'm not picky, I'll take whatever you've got!"
He grumbled half-heartedly, but a genuine anticipation was building. In every isekai story he'd ever read, the system always provided an incredible newbie gift pack.
[Host, I have activated the Undead Live Stream System for you. You may now begin live streaming and posting short videos to the Pure Land, soliciting donations. This is your newbie bonus.]
Ren stared blankly at the empty air before him. "Live streaming? Short videos? Donations? What kind of garbage is that? I want something useful! If you can't manage that, just give me some S-rank ninjutsu! I'm not asking for much!"
[Sorry, host, this system cannot fulfill your request.]
"You've got to be kidding me..."
[Ding! Due to your highly emotional state, the system reserves the right to remain silent!]
"Damn it! You useless system, get lost!" Ren muttered, swiping a hand through the air as if he could physically dismiss it. He focused his will and managed to pull up the system interface. A transparent blue screen materialized in his vision.
What he saw made his heart sink.
The "Undead Live Stream System" was as barebones as it sounded. Aside from two primary functions—[Live Stream Mode] and [Post Short Video]—the only other option was a [System Pack] that seemed marginally more useful.
"Forget it. Even without a good system, with my knowledge of the Naruto world, I can still make it here," he told himself, trying to muster some confidence. He went to close the interface, but his focus slipped, and he accidentally tapped the [Live Stream Mode] option.
[Ding! Live stream view activated...]
[Ding! Successfully connected to the Pure Land...]
[Notification: You have entered live stream mode. The audience from the Pure Land will arrive in 3 seconds!]
"Damn it! This stupid system isn't just useless, it's actively working against me!" Ren cursed. He tried to shut down the live stream, but a system prompt informed him he was required to maintain the broadcast for a minimum of sixty minutes.
Resigned, he watched as his perspective shifted to a first-person view of a bustling Konoha street. He could see people moving about, hear the sounds of the village, all through this strange, immersive lens.
Then, a name he recognized instantly appeared in the lower right corner of his vision.
[Notification: Minato Namikaze has entered the live stream!]
The Fourth Hokage?
No way.
Did this "Undead Live Stream" actually connect to ninjas who had passed away? To the Pure Land itself?
Ren began to understand the system's bizarre purpose.
A moment later, a line of text scrolled across his view, a real-time message from a viewer.
[Minato Namikaze: Huh? Where is this? I believe I am looking at a scene from Konoha Village!]
"Hello, Fourth Hokage. Welcome to my live stream," Ren said, his voice a little awkward. As the first spirit to join his broadcast, he felt he should be polite.
[Minato Namikaze: Live stream? What is that?]
"Uh... well, to be honest, even with your intellect, it would be difficult to explain clearly in a short time."
[Minato Namikaze: ...]
A rapid series of notifications then flashed before his eyes.
[Notification: Uchiha Fugaku has entered the live stream!]
[Notification: Kushina Uzumaki has entered the live stream!]
[Notification: Yuhi Kurenai has entered the live stream!]
[Notification: The Third Raikage has entered the live stream!]
[Notification: Pakura of the Scorch Style has entered the live stream!]
[Notification: Yagura Karatachi has entered the live stream!]
Just as Ren was grappling with the awkward silence from the Fourth Hokage, a flood of legendary figures began pouring into his live stream room. The chat immediately exploded with activity.
[Kushina Uzumaki: Minato! Was that you? I just saw you type something!]
[Minato Namikaze: Kushina! It's me, it's really your Minato! I never thought we'd be able to communicate like this!]
[Kushina Uzumaki: Minato, I've missed you so much!]
[Minato Namikaze: I've missed you too, my love.]
[Yuhi Kurenai: Ahem~ Minato, Kushina, perhaps you should maintain some decorum. There are shinobi from other villages present. Many are watching.]
[Minato Namikaze: Ah, Kurenai. My apologies. My wife and I... we got carried away. It has been so long. Forgive us. But, may I ask, how did you come to be here? Did you also... fall in battle?]
[Yuhi Kurenai: Yes. During the Nine-Tails' attack on the village, I was struck down by one of its tails while defending the perimeter.]
[Minato Namikaze: What a coincidence. My wife and I were also killed by the Nine-Tails. It seems we share a common fate.]
[Yuhi Kurenai: ...]
[The Third Raikage: Why is it only Konoha shinobi in here?]
[Yagura Karatachi: Not all. I am from Kirigakure.]
[Pakura: And I am from Sunagakure.]
Ren could only watch the surreal conversation unfold, a sense of profound disbelief washing over him. This was his life now.