Chapter 1 — Rebirth. Konoha, the orphan... and the monster template
Darkness.
The feeling of a cold vacuum. Lightness in the body, but not that of relaxation. There is no weight. There is no form. There is emptiness inside. Eclipse.
Then a flash of pain. The pain, as if lightning had struck every cell, simultaneously with a ragged rupture throughout the body. He breathed sharply, instinctively, and with each breath, his sense of reality began to recover.
"What the... where am I?"
He opened his eyes convulsively. His gaze was blurred, but soon the outlines took shape. Walls, dim light from a battered window. There was a simple wooden cupboard nearby, an old blanket, and the smell of damp and musty air.
It all seemed strange, as if he had suddenly found himself in another world. A world where he had no place. Everything was too pale, too alien.
He looked down at his hands again. Thin, dark-skinned, with features that couldn't be his.
He tried to stand up, but his body... it wouldn't budge. He felt weak, the same helplessness he felt when he was just born.
Child. Why me…
It took a few seconds before the memories began to seep into his mind. He was alive, but not in the world he had lived in before. The last thing he remembered was the sharp impact of the car that tore his life apart in the blink of an eye. But now he's here.
Suddenly, a familiar voice pumped through his consciousness. A bright flash of information, like in a computer game, is all encompassing and clear.
[The Template system is activated.]
Welcome, User. Template No. 1 — The Third Raikage (Ai) — is being uploaded…
Sync: 3%.
"What is this?"
A momentary panic gripped his mind. What is a Template System? He remembered the existence of such things in anime. But this... this wasn't just a fantasy. It was a reality. His reality.
He struggled to his feet. His body was heavy and weak, but he felt something more. It was as if a hidden force was beginning to seep into his organs, into every muscle. But this power was someone else's.
He read the message that was floating in front of his eyes again.
Template Description:
Body: Increased strength, strength, speed.
Abilities: "Lightning Armor", "Penetrating Strike", "Pressure Regeneration".
Access level: Limited.
Current condition: Physical weakness. Training is necessary.
Synchronization is necessary: 100%.
The third Raikage…
His eyes widened. He knew this man, Ai, the Third Raikage, one of the most powerful Shinobi in history. Lightning strike, incredible physical strength, resistance to any damage, and his fighting skills were considered unheard of. The name echoed in his mind. He had seen him in the anime, but now he was his heir.
His breath caught in his throat.
Ai. Power. Lightning armor, the power with which you can destroy mountains, unstoppable will.
Syncing the template
Full synchronization with the body is necessary. The power of the template will not be available until you reach 100%.
He felt the internal tension tearing through his body, but nothing happened. He was just a kid who couldn't use that power. While. It seemed unfair.
⸻
The next day:
Reiji was sitting on the floor of his room. There were things lying around his bed, and a lot of questions in his head that he couldn't find an answer to. Where does this system come from? Why him? What's going on with him anyway?
There was a knock on the door of his cell, and one of the children entered, apparently the same age, with a mocking expression on his face.
—Hey, can't you talk at all?" Everyone here is kind of fast, and you're as silent as a brick! — said the boy, pushing him in the shoulder.
Reiji raised his head. The gray eyes looked at him, but without fear. Just with an empty but firm expression.
What's wrong with him?
No aggression, no fear. Just a cold look.
"You think you're so cool?" — the child continued, however, less confident in himself. He nudged Reiji with his shoulder once more, trying to provoke him.
Reiji stood up silently, looking him over.
—Try again,— he said softly, but his voice sounded as if he hadn't expected any other answer.
The boy froze. He didn't know why, but he sensed intuitively that something was wrong. This was not an ordinary, defenseless child, as he was at first glance.
[Passive template effect activated: +10% pressure resistance.]
And at that moment, Reiji felt his body immediately become lighter. He didn't feel threatened, but he felt a power inside that he couldn't even fully understand.
No one will put pressure on me.
The boy retreated, quickly backed away, and Reiji sat in silence again. He didn't know what would happen next, but now it seemed like he wasn't an ordinary orphan in an orphanage.
He was Reiji, the bearer of the power of the Third Raikage, and the future began with this new life.