In the Land of Fire, within the Hidden Leaf Village—Konohagakure—the Sanada clan's compound was a scene of carnage, bodies strewn across the ground.
A young boy named Sanada Kazama was being relentlessly beaten by ninja from the Root, the shadowy organization under Danzo's command.
Truth be told, Kazama wasn't from this world. He was a transmigrator from the 21st century.
But even after five years in the *Naruto* world, he still couldn't muster a single spark of chakra. To everyone around him, he was nothing but a useless nobody.
Yet, Kazama's unyielding spirit kept him going.
In this treacherous ninja world, he survived against all odds.
But tonight, Kazama faced the greatest crisis of his life.
His clan was slaughtered, his parents gravely wounded.
And now, he himself was pinned beneath the foot of a Root ninja named Kato Taka.
"Your Sanada clan is pathetic, rejecting Lord Danzo's generous offer to form an alliance. You dare defy him? You're as good as dead!"
Kato Taka unleashed a flurry of strikes, leaving Kazama battered and broken on the ground.
Kazama felt the raw power of a Root ninja firsthand, and it was overwhelming.
But even so, he refused to give in.
"Danzo wants to use our Sanada clan's wealth to build his private army and overthrow the Third Hokage. We'll *never* betray Lord Third!"
"Hmph! A worthless brat who can't even form chakra dares to mouth off to me?"
With a vicious kick, Kato Taka sent Kazama flying dozens of meters.
"Why waste time on this trash? One shuriken could end him!"
Two other Root ninja, having finished looting the Sanada clan's treasures, sauntered over with cold sneers.
"You don't get it," Kato Taka said, grinning wickedly. "The tougher in a pirate crew like the Straw Hats would know—nothing's more fun than breaking a stubborn kid who won't give up!"
Laughing maniacally, Kato Taka began forming hand signs.
"Let me show you how I'm gonna burn this brat to ashes, nice and slow."
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" (*Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique*)
"Is this it?" Kazama muttered, staring at the massive fireball hurtling toward him.
"No! I won't give up! If I die, how will I avenge my clan, my parents? I *refuse* to accept this!"
With a gut-wrenching roar, Kazama braced himself as the searing fireball closed in.
*Ding!* "Absorbed Fire Release ninjutsu. System successfully bound!"
Just as Kazama thought his life was over, a heavenly voice echoed in his mind.
"This system can absorb any ninjutsu and convert it into a higher-level technique! It will also create corresponding *Different Flames*! All of the host's attacks will now carry the power of these flames!"
*Ding!* "Congratulations, host, on obtaining your first Different Flame: Flame! Flame can envelop the host's body, boosting defense. All of the host's attacks will now deal Flame damage!"
*Ding!* "Successfully absorbed C-rank Fire Release. Congratulations, host, on obtaining B-rank Fire Release: Karyuu Endan!" (*Fire Dragon Flame Bullet*)
Thanks to the System, Kazama not only gained the Flame and the B-rank ninjutsu Karyuu Endan, but his previous injuries were completely healed.
The half-dead Kazama was now brimming with energy, as lively as a Straw Hat crew member after a good meal.
Meanwhile, Kato Taka, seeing that Kazama hadn't been burned to a crisp, was utterly stunned.
"Taka, what's wrong with your Katon? You can't even kill a useless kid like him?" one of his comrades taunted.
Kato Taka's mind reeled in disbelief.
"Impossible! I'm a Root ninja! How could I fail to kill a nobody like you?"
"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"
Another massive fireball roared toward Kazama.
But this time, Kazama didn't even bother dodging.
With a casual wave of his hand, he absorbed the giant fireball into his body like it was nothing.