This story idea was inspired by "Uzumaki & Sabaku" by jCOOLn and "Death's New Entertainment" by zed019.
Rated M for future swearing and because I'm paranoid.
Disclaimer: Familiar characters and references you see here belong to their respected authors and owners.
Chapter 1: The Beginning
3rd Person POV:
When Genji was born, the medical staff saw initial signs the expectant mother's baby was a stillborn since he made no noise at all. The babe eventually showed movement and everyone breathed a sigh of relief for a safe delivery.
The mother that recently gave birth panicked asking if her baby lived and they reassured her that the infant is breathing and showing signs of being healthy. A couple of minutes later confirmed the newborn didn't have a problem with his vocal cords as he babbled a bit.
The nurse handling the baby asks the new mother for the baby's name for his documentation papers.
"Genji. The name of this newborn will be Genji."
The head doctor replied in a hearty tone, "Oh hoh! Naming this boy after the main character of that book? Maybe he'll be a legendary ninja or figure one day."
She decided to name the child 'Genji' referencing a book she once read called [The Tale of Genji] believing her little boy will be a gifted individual when he grows up. She watched her son slowly open his eyes as to adjust from the bright lights, dazed for several moments, and noticed he's curious of his surroundings.
Indulging in his desire, she helped Genji by moving his body in different directions before reorienting his point of view towards her smiling face. Eventually, he refocused his wandering eyes onto her before going to sleep in her embrace.
She heard that babies are usually loud when they're born, but thought her son is the silent type. But for now, she's trying to think of how she's going to afford his upbringing, ever since she had a gut feeling of relocating to this village.
Genji's POV:
It's weird knowing that you died recently and yet still find yourself alive with your conscience intact. I thought death will be like experiencing an eternal sleep.
I'm still waiting for something to happen, unless this place is actually hell or maybe even limbo where I'll suffer from eternal loneliness and my mind breaks.
Reflecting on my past actions, I can definitely say that I'll miss all the video games, anime, manga, and stuff that I'll never get to finish or read. I was so close to graduating from college, but everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.
Hah! Just joking, it all changed when I started choking on some food and found myself in this place. Stuck floating around inside this void-like dimension surrounded by eternal darkness in silence.
Subsequently, the soundlessness stopped when I heard creepy laughter reminding me of a villainous laugh. The voice sounded like several people speaking in unison and soon it stopped. Then an ominous voice started conversing with me.
It said "I suppose you'll do to fix this world's problems and for my entertainment. I was looking for several others to show up, but I'm tired of waiting and you'll be their replacement."
Well isn't that great? Even in the afterlife, I'm still the last player to be selected when somebody is choosing teams in sports. Talk about a self esteem killer.
"... I'll have to modify your soul and body just a bit to increase your chances of survival and slightly influence some people and events to accommodate your presence. Let me see what you choose to do with this new life."
"Don't worry yourself ragged thinking you hijacked and stole the baby's body that you'll be inhabiting soon. It was destined to be a stillborn after all! Hmmmhmmmhm!"
Modify my soul and body?! AAH! Then I felt a sharp pain all over myself that lasted a couple of seconds before the sudden feeling of my body's senses. I can't move much and I feel a blanket or cloth wrapped around my entire body.
Opening my eyes, I was assaulted by the bright lights and adapted after a moment to see several floating blue transparent windows with words on them. It actually reminds me of those important message pop-ups or blue skill tables you usually see in [Moonlight Sculptor] and [The Gamer].
However! The first message had me twitching a bit due to its reminder on how I died along with a penalty. All I can say is that my death on Earth was totally avoidable, but it happened.
You died by asphyxiation via food in your previous life, instead of natural causes.
-5 INT and -5 WIS!
Yep, that's right! I died choking on a large bite from a Subway steak and cheese foot-long sandwich. Damn piece of beef lodged in my throat and I tried to do the Heimlich maneuver on myself. There's a reason why your parents tell you to eat your food slowly, chew carefully, and swallow.
Huh? Did you expect me to die from the cliché crossing the street and ran over by a random speeding vehicle? Or maybe saving some moron crossing the street from said vehicle? NOPE!
Can you imagine the penalty I would've received if I crossed the street without looking both ways? If I did, I bet my INT and WIS would be in the negatives or zero for being a moron not listening to common sense advice you hear as a kid.
Anyways! The main point is that I got another shot at life and I'll make sure to live a fulfilled life this time. Is it even possible to choke on food now that I'm [The Gamer]?
Remembering my previous life, I will miss my parents and brother though. I regret not being able to take care of my mentally handicapped brother after our parents will pass on from old age.
He's the reason why I studied to attain a computer science major, because I required a lot of money to take care of his needs, myself, and a possible family if I ever choose to start one. But that's all in the past.
It might be possible to return to Earth, but that depends on this world's setting. I'm not sure if I've been reincarnated on Earth or another world, but I'm thankful to whoever did this giving me the opportunity to experience the saying "Life is a game, play to win."
Why curse my mysterious benefactor, when I should be praising it instead? I never understood why after death, those SI's curse their patron for another chance at life? Unless the backer put them in a horrid setting where they're a slave or something else horrible, then I can understand their reasons.
Frankly, I was tired of waiting for VR, also known as Virtual Reality, to become a reality on Earth ever since reading many fanfictions and novels like [Moonlight Sculptor], [Ark], and [The Gamer]. By the time VR games like [Moonlight Sculptor] become available to play, I'd be dead from old age.
Dismissing the window by willing it to go away, another one appeared before me.
Please speak or mentally think the command word 'Pause' to begin the tutorial!
A tutorial! That's certainly helpful. Pause.
DING!
Welcome to the Beginning Tutorial!
You are now [The Gamer] of this particular world!
Whenever you 'Pause' the game, you'll see the Main Menu.
You can access most functions on the menu.
Main Menu:
Character Status
Skill List
World Map - Unavailable
Inventory
Relations
Save Data
Quest Log
Options
Game Manual
Then I realized around me that time itself froze. This was evident by the nearby nurses and medical staff standing completely still without blinking, moving, or even breathing.
To see your current stats, mentally think [Character Status]!
This can be accessed in the real world or from the Main Menu.
Easy enough, follow the instructions the words are stating to say. Character status.
Character Status
Name: Genji K. - Class: The Gamer - Age: Newborn
Titles: None
Status: Normal
Level: 0 - EXP: 0/100
HP: 60 - HP Regen: .05 per 5 seconds
CP: 135 - CP Regen: .3 per 5 seconds
STR: 0
VIT: 1
PE: 1
WIS: 3
INT: 3
SE: 6
DEX: 0
AGI: 0
LUK: 1
Fame/Infamy: 0/0
Unspent points: 0
Money: 0 Ryo
What's with my low INT and WIS? I'm a reincarnated person, so shouldn't I have at least 7 including the penalty?
Huh, so my new name is Genji? What's with the 'K' for my last name? Is it an initial or is the game system deliberately hiding it for me to discover later on? Maybe my new parents will tell me after I grow old enough to start asking them questions.
The layout of the [Character Stats] window was designed like this. The words 'Character Status' on the top of the window, my stats listed on the left hand side, and a full 3D model of myself on the right. The model is currently depicting my baby self in a fetal position.
Whenever you say 'Pause', your surroundings will freeze including yourself.
To skip the tutorial and resume gameplay, say 'Resume'.
Moving on, mentally think or loudly say [Skill List]!
No way am I skipping the tutorial. Skill list.
Skill List
Gamer's Mind (Passive) Level: MAX
+Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Enables a calm and peaceful sense of mind and immunity to psychological status effects.
+Provides an impenetrable mental shield against memory modification and blocks foreign entities like the Yamanaka Clan or Genjutsu users from viewing the memories of your previous life, current memories, and Gamer abilities.
Gamer's Body (Passive) Level: MAX
+Grants a body that allows the user to live the real world like a game.
+Sleeping fully recovers your HP, CP, and removes all negative status debuffs afflicting you.
Automatic Iron Sand Defense (Passive) Level: 1 EXP: 0.00%
-An ability given to you by your benefactor to ensure you don't die prematurely from dangerous threats before making your impact on the story.
-Whenever you feel you're in danger, this ability will summon nearby Iron Sand automatically from the environment to protect its master from physical harm as it has a will of its own.
+The black sand can be given a spoken or mental command by the master to follow a specific order.
+10% attack damage and +3% particle speed.
? Bloodline Limit (Passive) [Locked]
-You haven't met the prerequisites to know what this trait is!
-[Chakra Control Mastery] skill
-Learn who your father is and what he's famous for.
? Bloodline Limit (Passive) [Locked]
-You haven't met the prerequisites to know what this trait is!
-[Chakra Control Mastery] skill
-Learn who your mother is and what her heritage is.
This is your skill list.
It lists all the skills that you know and your body currently knows.
Some skills require you to fulfill prerequisites so you can use them.
You can learn skills via several different methods.
It's up to you to discover what those methods are.
That explains why I'm not panicking or thrashing about and its all thanks to [Gamer's Mind]. The clues in the skill's descriptions tells me where my current location is.
The Yamanaka Clan, Chakra, Chakra Control, bloodline limits, and an ability similar to Gaara's automatic sand defense? It doesn't take a genius to figure out what world I've been reborn in.
So if I'm in Naruto's world of ninjas, what village or locale was I reborn at? Hopefully, someplace peaceful and not the Bloody Mist era of Kirigakure.
I should've paid more attention to the series like reading the manga, but I do remember key events and characters. Characters like who the final villains and such from all the various people talking about it in their Chapter or Anime episode reviews on YouTube.
The anime on the other hand, I've stopped watching after Madara dropped those two meteorites in the 4th Shinobi War because I was busy with life. I do know of some side characters should I ever see them and memorized the Naruto's hand seal for the Shadow Clone Jutsu.
When you see Naruto spam that Jutsu multiple times, the type of seal is ingrained into your mind. It helped that I was curious enough to google what seal I was looking at too. Besides, a skill that like that is essentially a cheat code and EXP modifier for those with massive Chakra reserves turning them from zero to hero.
Now for those two bloodline limits, I'll probably figure them out when they teach me Chakra Control at the Ninja Academy. If and only if there is one where I'm currently living in. If not, I'll join the Academy of whichever the 5 major villages is nearest to my location because fuck those minor villages.
World Map is the map of the Elemental Nations and lands surrounding it.
This function will be unlocked when you take your first step outside the village's walls.
So this claims I'm already living in a village, but it doesn't tell me which one.
Inventory is a personal pocket dimension that you can store your belongings inside.
Please proceed to mentally think or loudly say [Relations].
Relations.
Relations
R.O.B: Neutral 0/1000
Mother: Loved 500/1000
Relations is your current relationship with other people.
This value increases and or decreases with day to day actions.
So why isn't my father listed on it? If he's not on the list, then I guess he's probably dead or incapacitated.
By forming a conclusion based on the information presented, you gained +1 WIS!
Now then, mentally think or loudly say [Save Data].
Save Data.
Save Data
Save File 1: Empty
Save File 2: Empty
Save File 3: Empty
This is your Save Data.
Use this to save your game progress as go further into the story.
Whenever you die via game over or decide to go back in time, you can reload to whichever save file you choose and you can continue to play.
If for whatever reason you want to permanently die after a game over, then do not use the Save Data function at all and kill yourself.
Hell no! I just got another shot at life, why would I commit suicide?
To save your game, mentally think or loudly say [Create Save File #].
To replace a save file with another, mentally think or loudly say [Overwrite Save File #].
You'll receive a confirmation notice if you want to overwrite the file and answer with a [Yes] or [No].
When I read the instructions on how to save my game progress, I saw multiple adages pop into my brain like "Constant vigilance", "Be prepared", and "The save button is your friend."
Create Save File 1!
Save Data
Save File 1: 1st Day of Life Mid-Tutorial
Save File 2: Empty
Save File 3: Empty
Excellent, now mentally think or loudly say [Quest Log] to see your current quests.
Quest Log.
Quest Log
None
This is your Quest Log.
Currently, you have no quests to see or reread.
The function's purpose is if you want to reread the details of any quests you're undertaking that are currently active.
The second to last function is [Options].
Do I need to repeat the instructions on how to access it?
Yes, I understand already. Options.
Options
Background Music: [On] - [Off]
Subtitles: [On] - [Off]
Health & Chakra Bar Display: [On] - [Off]
Mini-map Display: [On] - [Off]
Tutorial Videos: [On] - [Off]
This is your options.
You can turn these on or off whenever you want to customize your playing experience.
Looking at what's being offered, I'll turned everything on. I'm not sure whether I'm in the Dub or Sub of Naruto, but the subtitles will be immensely helpful in learning the language. I'll have to turn it off later after I learn how to read and write the language because I can't have it distracting me during a fight.
Background Music: [On] - [Off]
Subtitles: [On] - [Off]
Health & Chakra Bar Display: [On] - [Off]
Mini-map Display: [On] - [Off]
Tutorial Videos: [On] - [Off]
Wonderful!
Now onto the final function on the Main Menu!
For additional assistance in understanding Gaming terminology and mechanics, mentally think or say out loud [Game Manual].
Game Manual.
Game Manual
Name: The name you are called by others on this world.
Title: An achievement that grants bonus effects to your stats. Currently, you can only equip one title at a time.
Status: This represents the current condition of your body and any status effects like buffs or debuffs affecting you.
Level: A representation of your overall power and combat experience. The higher it is, the more powerful the person is.
EXP = Experience Points: Represents the amount of experience needed to advance to the next level.
HP = Hit Points: A representation of your current life force. When it reaches 0, you'll die resulting in a Game Over.
CP = Chakra Points: A form of life energy all individuals produce to some degree that can be controlled and manipulated for various purposes. When it goes below 0 to a certain degree, you'll die resulting in a Game Over.
STR = Strength: Affects melee damage, how much you can lift, and how hard you can swing and throw weapons.
VIT = Vitality: Affects your hit points, stamina, and the body's endurance against attacks.
PE = Physical Energy: The physical energy component of Chakra.
INT = Intelligence: Affects chakra points, jutsu damage, and being able to remember things.
WIS = Wisdom: Affects your chakra regeneration rate, decision making, and jutsu resistance.
SE = Spiritual Energy: The spiritual energy component of Chakra.
DEX = Dexterity: Affects attack speed, weapons handling, aiming, damage when you land a critical hit, and any activity that uses your hands.
AGI = Agility: Affects movement speed and any activity that uses your feet.
LUK = Luck: Affects how lucky you are, enemy drops/loot, helpful or dangerous encounters, and etc. Basically everything.
Fame/Infamy: Your reputation which will affect people that you meet and whether they'll be friendly, hostile, or neutral towards you.
Unspent Points: Whenever you level up, you'll receive 5 stats points to appropriate to whatever stat you choose. This represents the number of points you have left that you can spend.
Money: How much of this world's currency you're currently carrying on your person or inventory.
How your HP, HP Regen, CP, and CP Regen is calculated
Current HP = Base HP + (VIT X 10)
Current CP = Base CP + Bonus CP + ((PE + SE) X 5)
HP Regeneration per 5 seconds = (VIT X .05)
CP Regeneration per 5 seconds = (WIS X .10)
Tips and Tricks to survival:
1: Do you have a hard time remembering things? Then allocate your bonus points in INT!
2: Major Quests are the types of quests you cannot refuse. You either succeed or fail.
3: Spend your bonus points wisely. Otherwise, you'll have to go back to an earlier save file to change them.
4: Whatever you kill will leave behind a corpse and will not disappear, unless you're inside an ID Create dungeon.
5: If you want to see what the level and description of an individual skill, say 'Show Name skill'. For example, 'Show Cooking skill'. If you want to see all the skills you have without their information except level, say 'Abbreviated Skill List'.
6: Some skills require a vocal command or hand seals to activate.
7: Some skills grant additional bonuses when they pass certain milestones.
8: To see your status without going into the character status screen, say 'Show Current Status'.
IMPORTANT NOTICE!
If you use too many Chakra points and go past zero into the negative numbers, you'll receive the status debuff [Chakra Exhausted]. This debuff will leave you bedridden for a full day even with the [Gamer's Body].
If you use a Jutsu or a technique that goes deep into the negative numbers and exceeds your current CP Regeneration, then you'll die.
Congratulations!
You have finished the tutorial, good luck!
That was interesting and very helpful. Now that the tutorial is over, I can now take the time to consider my current situation. While I was blessed with the power of [The Gamer], I'm not sure if being reborn in this particular world is a blessing or a curse.
Depending on the time period I was reborn in, I'll have to endure and deal with an endless cycle of killing and risk of being killed my entire life. It's not paranoia when you know they're out to get you after all.
Hell, people like Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Hiruzen are still expected to be able to fight enemies despite being old. Even though it pays a ton of money, there is no retirement plan unless you're crippled or dead.
But having power is better than none at all. Civilians have no say here as might makes right.
Hmm, I'm going to have to distribute a lot of points into my INT stat. If a Jutsu requires three or more hand signs, then I'm going to need a high INT to compensate for my shoddy memorization skills. It's a miracle that I still remember the Shadow Clone Jutsu uses the clone hand seal for activation.
Reviewing the game manual once more, I then mentally thought 'Resume' to continue playing the game. Time unfroze and I heard a lot of shuffling around me.
I made a small noise and I felt somebody gently embrace me from behind. I wanted to look around and that person indulged my request as I looked around. Then that somebody turned me around and I saw it was a lady reclined on a hospital bed who was hugging me.
Scrutinizing her appearance, she wasn't a main or side character I recognize. Which means she's probably a background or unknown character. But there's several iconic features about her that stuck out to me.
Her hair color was somewhat white and gray, she had a zig-zag hair line right in the middle of her head, and she had two reddish circles above her eyebrows. Looking at her reminded me of Kimimaro of the Kaguya clan.
There is a possibility that I'm a part of their clan or an offshoot of it. The other possibility is an unknown clan I'm unaware of that starts with the letter K. In fact, I believe I am a part of their clan because in the Skill List, it showed I had two locked bloodline limits.
I continued rationalizing my conclusion that I'm a Kaguya and a message appeared in front of me.
By observing the details of your mother and remembering certain aspects and features on what makes certain clans unique, you've figured out her heritage and earned +1 WIS!
She coos at me and I giggle a bit bringing a smile to her face. It was then I saw the subtitles of conversation between the medical personnel around me.
"I'm glad I chose to become a doctor, cause medical professionals are always in demand."
"Do you think Sunagakure's economy will recover soon?"
"At least the war is over. Hopefully Suna can rebuild itself back up to where it was."
Thank you gossiping nurses for telling me my location. So I was reborn in one of the five major hidden villages and it happens to be Sunagakure. Isn't that somewhere located in Wind Country?
As I look at my supposed mother again, I observed every little detail about her. She's tired and sweaty, but joyful that I'm alive.
Ding!
A skill has been created from observing the details of your mother.
Observe (Active) Level: 1 EXP: 0.00%
-Enables [The Gamer] to see and read detailed information of an object, person, living being, and etc he's looking at. The higher the level, the more information about your target is revealed.
+CP Cost: 0
Reading the skill's description, I then tried using it on my mother.
Name: ?
That's pretty pathetic, I didn't learn anything useful at all. Unless her name is actually a question mark, which I highly doubt.
Is it because the skill level is only level 1? Maybe the issue is the difference in our character levels?
It's probably one of those two things and there's nothing much I can do right now. So I decided to take a nap to pass the time and fell asleep in my mother's embrace gently swaying me back and forth.
Character Status
Name: Genji Kaguya - Class: The Gamer - Age: Newborn
Titles: None
Status: Normal
Level: 0 - EXP: 0/100
HP: 60 - HP Regen: .05 per 5 seconds
CP: 145 - CP Regen: .5 per 5 seconds
STR: 0
VIT: 1
PE: 1
WIS: 5
INT: 3
SE: 8
DEX: 0
AGI: 0
LUK: 1
Fame/Infamy: 0/0
Unspent points: 0
Money: 0 Ryo
Author's Note:
The story will follow some canon events but is an AU because certain characters are alive instead of dead like in the original source.
The SI/OC will do several things that will cause minor and major repercussions later on.
While you might think Genji is broken with two bloodline abilities and the powers of [The Gamer], he'll have to use these three abilities to survive against enemies who are even more hax or OP or broken than their canon counterparts.