Chapter 1 – The Shadow Behind the Hourglass
That night, Tokyo was as usual: the hustle and bustle of neon, the sound of vehicles, and a life that never stopped. However, for Kazuki Akihiro, all that noise was nothing more than empty shadows.
The 27-year-old man sat alone in his spacious office. As the CEO of a multinational technology company, he was known as the perfect man—smart, handsome, rich. But behind it all, there was a wound that never healed.
The wedding photo on his desk showed the happy smile of a young woman, Arisa. That smile was frozen forever on their wedding day, when an accident took her life.
Kazuki (whispering):
"Arisa... if only I could turn back time. If only we could be in another world... a world where this pain would never exist..."
...
Suddenly, golden light shimmered from his desk. An hourglass appeared out of thin air, floating slowly with its grains of sand spinning upward.
Kazuki (stunned):
"What is this…? An illusion?"
A faint whisper was heard.
"Choose your path. Change your fate."
In an instant, the light swallowed his body.
...
When Kazuki opened his eyes, he was no longer in his office. A gentle breeze, the smell of leaves, and the sunlight dazzled his eyes. He looked around.
He was in a strange village—wooden houses in traditional style, people wearing metal headbands with a leaf symbol.
Kazuki (confused):
"This place… it feels familiar to me.."
"Is this... don't tell me… Konoha?"
He recognized the place. The Village Hidden in the Leaves, the fictional world from the anime he had watched since childhood. But... something was strange. Children were running, calling out a name—
Child A: "Oi, oi! There he is, Akihiro! The weird kid from that no-name clan!"
Child B: "Hahaha, he's going to fail again in the Academy exam!"
Kazuki froze. That name—Akihiro. That was his name.
But... why did the children here know him?
An old woman passed by, whispering to her neighbor.
Old woman: "Poor boy… his parents died during the Nine-Tails attack. He's been alone since he was a baby."
Those words pierced Kazuki.
"This outfit, this body (appearance of 12 years old), and I also have whisker-like marks on my cheeks… is this real..."
He realized. He had not only entered the world of Naruto. He had replaced Naruto's role itself.
Naruto Uzumaki… never existed. He was the one filling that position.
The following days, Kazuki began to grasp his new life. Trapped in a 12-year-old body, but with the full awareness of a 28-year-old man. A strange mixture—the soul of a young widower, the mind of a CEO, and the body of a child hated by the village.
At the Academy, he sat in the back row. The other children were noisy, while he gazed out the window.
Iruka-sensei: "Akihiro! Are you listening or not?!"
Kazuki (smiling faintly):
"Yes, yes, sensei. I hear you. It's just… this lesson is too easy for me.."
The other children burst out laughing mockingly.
Student A: "Hah, acting all cool! Even though he can't make a proper bunshin!"
Student B: "He's going to fail again, haha!"
Kazuki remained silent. He was used to condescending stares. But inside, he said:
"You don't know… I'm far more than what you think."
...
That night, in his small, lonely house, Kazuki sat deep in thought. Suddenly, the golden hourglass appeared again, floating in front of him.
Kazuki: "You again… You're the one who brought me here, aren't you? What is your purpose bringing me into this world?"
The sand inside the hourglass stopped, then spun rapidly. A light enveloped Kazuki's body. In an instant, foreign memories surged into his mind: harsh training, loneliness, the shouts of the villagers. All memories of Uzumaki Naruto… replaced by his own existence.
Kazuki staggered, panting.
Kazuki: "So… I really have to live this life? As… the Substitute Main Character in Naruto's story?"
...
The next day, the Academy test began. All students gathered, waiting for their turn. Kazuki stood in the middle of the room, facing Iruka-sensei.
Iruka: "Alright, Akihiro. Your task is simple. Make three bunshin."
Whispers began to echo among his classmates.
Student A: "Hahaha, this is the best part! He's definitely going to fail again!"
Student B: "What a loser!"
Kazuki closed his eyes. He knew his body was weak, his chakra a mess. But… there was something inside him. Another power.
He raised his hand. Blue energy swirled, not an ordinary bunshin, but a whirling sphere of energy that hissed loudly.
Iruka (shocked):
"That… what are you doing, Akihiro?!"
The sphere exploded, creating a shadow of himself that shimmered like a hologram. The other students fell silent, both amazed and afraid.
Student A: "What the hell is that…?!"
Student B: "That's not an ordinary Academy jutsu…"
Kazuki gave a small smile.
Kazuki: "If it's just regular bunshin, that's too boring."
Iruka smacked Kazuki's head with a book.
Iruka: "Kazuki, what I asked for was bunshin, not something else!"
All the students laughed at him.
But before Iruka could grade him, the classroom door burst open. A ninja with a scar across his nose, Mizuki, entered in a hurry.
Mizuki: "Iruka! There's an emergency. The village needs you for a moment."
Iruka quickly left, leaving the class. Mizuki turned to Kazuki, his eyes narrowing.
Mizuki (whispering):
"Akihiro… tonight, I'll give you the chance to prove yourself. Don't miss it."
Kazuki stared back, a bad feeling creeping in.
That night, just like in the story he knew, Mizuki tricked him with the Forbidden Scroll.
But unlike Naruto, Kazuki knew exactly where this story was going.
Kazuki (thinking):
"If I'm truly replacing Uzumaki Naruto's role… then soon, the truth about the Nine-Tails will be revealed. Then… what will I do?"
The night wind blew, carrying a sense of mystery.
In his hands, the Forbidden Scroll glowed faintly.
Behind him, Mizuki's footsteps drew closer.
Mizuki: "Hehehe… take that scroll, Akihiro. With it, you'll become the strongest ninja. You want to be acknowledged, don't you?"
Kazuki looked at the scroll, then up at the shining moon in the sky.
Kazuki (whispering):
"If this is truly the path I must take… then I cannot back down."
TO BE CONTINUED...