Chapter 1: Rebirth. Konoha, the orphan... and the monster template
Dark.
The feeling of a cold vacuum. Lightness in the body, but not relaxation. There is no weight. There is no form. There is emptiness inside. Eclipse.
Then a flash of pain. Pain, as if lightning struck every cell, simultaneously with a ragged rupture throughout the body. He took a sharp, instinctive breath, and with each breath his sense of reality began to recover.
"What the... where am I?"
He opened his eyes convulsively. His vision was blurred, but soon the outlines took shape. The walls, the dim light from the broken window. There was a simple wooden cupboard nearby, an old blanket, and it smelled damp and musty.
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 could not belong to him.
He tried to stand up, but his body... it wasn't moving. He felt weak, the same helplessness he felt when he was just born.
Kid. 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 a car that tore his life apart in the blink of an eye. But now he's here.
Suddenly, a familiar voice pierces his consciousness. A bright flash of information, like in a computer game, comprehensive and clear.
[The template system is activated.]
Welcome, User. Template No. 1 — The Third Raikage (Ai) — is being uploaded…
Sync: 3%.
"What is it?"
A momentary panic gripped his mind. What is a Template System? He remembered the existence of such things in the 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 had begun to seep into his organs, into every muscle. But this force was someone else's.
He read the message that was floating in front of his eyes once more.
Template Description:
Body: Increasing strength, power, speed.
Abilities: "Lightning Armor", "Penetrating Strike", "Pressure Regeneration".
Access level: Limited.
Current condition: Physical weakness. Training is necessary.
Synchronization required: 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 head. 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 to destroy mountains, unstoppable will.
Syncing the template
Full synchronization with the body is necessary. The template's power will not be available until you reach 100%.
He could feel the internal tension tearing through his body, but nothing was happening. 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 there were a lot of questions in his head that he couldn't find the answer to. Where did this system come from? Why him? What's going on with him anyway?
There was a knock on his room door, 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. Gray eyes stared 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.
"Do you think you're that cool?" the child continued, however, less confident in himself. He nudged Reiji with his shoulder again, 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 intuitively felt that something was wrong. This was not an ordinary, defenseless child, as he seemed at first glance.
[The passive effect of the template has been activated: +10% pressure resistance.]
And at that moment, Reiji felt that his body immediately became lighter. He didn't feel threatened, but he felt a power inside that he couldn't even fully comprehend.
No one will put pressure on me.
The boy retreated, quickly retreated, and Reiji sat down again in silence. He didn't know what would happen next, but now it felt 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.