Sunlight spilled through a gap in the curtains, drawing a bright line across Naruto Uzumaki's face.
He stirred, groaned, then slowly sat up with a yawn that rattled the walls.
"Ugh... what a weird dream," he mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "No, wait..."
He blinked twice.
It wasn't a dream.
The thoughts were still fresh, vivid, and strangely detailed. That wasn't just some strange genjutsu trick—those were memories. Real ones.
Naruto stretched, scratched his head, and looked around the small apartment he called home. The place was still a mess, just as he'd left it. Ramen cups stacked high. Dirty clothes on the floor. Some shuriken sticking out of the wall from last night's practice.
But something felt different. Not the room—him.
He stood up and gave himself a look in the mirror. His reflection blinked back. Same spiky blond hair. Same whisker marks. Same confident grin.
Only now, he had two lifetimes worth of memories jammed into one head.
"So I really was someone else before this," he muttered.
Not a legendary ninja. Not some chosen hero.
Just a regular college student who watched way too many anime.
Naruto turned away from the mirror and started digging through the mess to find a clean shirt. Bits and pieces of his past life were still sorting themselves in his head—school assignments, late-night ramen, arguing online about anime logic, falling asleep during lectures...
And shows. So many shows.
He chuckled.
"Man, I used to go all in on that stuff. Ninja series, magic battles, robot pilots... and yeah, transformation heroes. Especially that green-watch alien show."
The image clicked into place. A kid with a strange device that turned him into different aliens.
Naruto snapped his fingers. "Right, Ben 10. That one was gold."
It wasn't just nostalgia. Those shows used to get his mind buzzing with ideas.
Especially one idea that always stuck with him: transformation.
Not the cheap kind. Not illusions. Real transformation. Shifting form to fight smarter, faster, better.
"And now I've got chakra," Naruto said with a grin. "Which means... I can finally try it for real."
---
It didn't take long for him to wolf down breakfast (three instant ramen cups, expertly reheated), wash up, and step into the middle of his apartment like he was about to make history.
Naruto cracked his knuckles.
"Alright, let's start with the classic."
He formed the seal, focused his chakra, and shouted:
"Henge!"
A puff of smoke filled the room.
When it cleared, he looked older—taller, more defined, like someone five years ahead in his training.
He moved his arms and legs, testing the balance. Then he punched the air.
Whomp.
The force behind it nearly knocked over a stack of magazines.
He whistled. "Okay, that wasn't just a visual change. That had mass."
His grin widened.
This wasn't the Transformation Technique taught in class. This was something else entirely. Most people could only alter their appearance—make illusions that looked good from a distance but fell apart in real contact.
But Naruto? Thanks to his massive chakra reserves—a perk of being the Nine-Tails' Jinchūriki—his Henge wasn't just a disguise. It changed his body. Real weight. Real strength. Real potential.
"Alright," he said. "This isn't the regular transformation technique anymore. This is the Uzumaki Transformation Technique!"
He dropped the jutsu and spun around, fired up.
Now that he knew what he was capable of, he wasn't going to sit around waiting for his story to happen. If the academy didn't teach this stuff, he'd teach himself.
He glanced at the mess around him and smirked.
"Time for field testing."
He formed another seal.
"Uzumaki Transformation Technique: XLR8 Mode!"
Poof!
His limbs slimmed. His legs bent into a sprinter's angle. A stabilizing tail flicked into place behind him. Blue chakra lined his limbs like stripes.
"Built for speed," he said.
Then he launched.
---
Zwoooosh!
In seconds, the apartment turned into a whirlwind of motion.
Books sorted. Laundry dumped into a basket. The floor swept clean by a mop Naruto dragged behind him mid-run. Ramen cups flew into the trash like they were being vacuumed.
He skidded to a stop next to the doorway and dropped the transformation with a sigh.
"Okay," he huffed. "That was awesome."
He looked around the now-clean apartment.
"But man, that drained chakra fast. Might need a lighter mode next time."
Then he checked the clock.
He froze.
"...I'm late!"
He paused at the door.
A slow smirk crept across his face.
"Unless..."
---
Poof!
A blue blur rocketed down the village streets.
Naruto zoomed past market stalls, leapt over carts, dodged through alleys, and came to a perfect stop just outside the Academy gates.
He shook off the transformation, adjusted his headband, and strolled inside like he'd been there the whole time.
---
Classroom
Iruka looked up from the front.
"Naruto? Early?"
Naruto flashed him a peace sign and flopped into his seat.
"Took the fast route," he said.
Sasuke glanced at him.
Sakura narrowed her eyes.
Naruto leaned back with his hands behind his head, grinning.
Let them wonder. I'm not here to show off yet. But soon? Oh yeah.
Iruka cleared his throat.
"Today we'll announce the three-man teams."
Naruto closed his eyes, half-listening.
He already knew the basics. Team 7. Him, Sasuke, Sakura.
And Kakashi. The late guy.
But this time, I'm not just the prankster or the punching bag. This time, I've got my own style. My own ideas. A whole new kind of jutsu.
He opened his eyes slowly.
Let's see how far I can take this.
---