Arthur blinked against the blinding darkness until everything in his vision turned white.
The pod he'd been in moments ago was gone, replaced by an all-white room devoid of any features except a floor beneath his feet.
He was sure he wasn't outside, yet he could feel cold air permeating the void. This was it. He was inside an authentic virtual world.
While things seemed exciting, he felt a tad weary of things. Something that Dr. Kapoor had said, but he couldn't remember right now, nagged at his head.
Whatever it was, he didn't have much time to dwell on the thought since a holographic screen appeared before him, floating a few feet away. He approached it and touched it, causing a series of holographic pages and scenes to materialize before him.
The scenes depicted the characters, objects, and places within the world he would embark on. On the first page, it displayed various texts identifying the pod he was currently in. These things were already explained to him, so he skipped them.
The next page displayed a series of bulleted points titled "Important Notes".
Arthur skimmed through the list, each point raising new questions. It appeared hunger and thirst were real concerns within the simulation. His body would feel exactly like it did outside the pod if he didn't give it its needed sustenance.
The same applied to the other players, so it seemed.
This was strange. Why would Elysian introduce something like this into the experiment?
Arthur continued to read that ignoring these warnings could lead to exhaustion and even dehydration, mirroring real-world consequences. Hygiene, too, seemed to be critical. Contracting an illness was possible if proper hygiene wasn't maintained.
This level of detail was unexpected.
The following points dealt with the world itself. Before reading whatever that entailed, something caught Arthur's eye: "Friendly Fire Enabled".
A brief explanation outlined the lack of restrictions on player interaction. He could team up with others, yes, but he could also attack them as if it were a player-versus-player scenario (or PVP).
The uneasiness of it all finally settled in. Elysium was trying to make this feel as real as possible.
Perhaps he didn't have ideas of teaming up with anyone; that didn't mean they wouldn't attack him. Arthur could already tell from some of their personalities that people like Jasper would relish the idea of fighting anyone he pleased.
With a final swipe, the holographic pages dissolved, replaced by a warning glowing in red: "This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to real or fictional worlds is purely coincidental."
Arthur scoffed a little.
The warning then changed to display a detailed breakdown of the world Arthur was about to enter. Text flowed across the surface, accompanied by visuals that brought the narrative to life.
Naruto, the character, was born in a village known as the Hidden Leaf Village. A monstrous fox, the Nine-Tails, named Kurama, was released by one of the antagonists and attacked the village. Its enormous size and ferocious visage were enough to frighten men.
The texts and images further described its immense power and how a single swipe of its tail could cause widespread destruction.
This creature was known as a "Tailed Beast." Nine of them were created out of the chakra from the original tailed beast called the "Ten-Tails".
The scene then shifted, showcasing Naruto's father, Minato Namikaze, who was also the fourth Hokage—the previous leader of the village—facing off against the Nine-Tails. The text explained his valiant act of sealing the fox in his newborn child.
As Arthur read the story, he couldn't help but find it strange that the father didn't reseal part of the fox back into his wife, the original carrier of the beast (known as a Jinchūriki).
The image of Naruto appeared next. He was a young boy with spiky blond hair and bright blue eyes. Though he was smiling in the hologram, Arthur could vividly tell that there was a hint of sadness lurking beneath his features.
The text revealed the truth—Naruto was the reincarnation of the son of the ninja who spread his teachings, which led to the creation of the ninja world. That ninja's name was Hagoromo Ōtsutsuki, son of the real antagonist of the story, Princess Kaguya Ōtsutsuki.
Arthur could hardly make sense of what he was reading. He hoped the story would gain some clarity as he watched the scene morph into an active village filled with traditional Japanese architecture.
This was the Hidden Leaf Village. The text explained how the villagers, despite celebrating the fourth Hokage's sacrifice, ostracized Naruto. They viewed him as a monster—the embodiment of the Nine-Tails they feared.
The images and texts dissolved again. This time, it described Naruto's childhood as one filled with loneliness, devoid of friends or family.
Shunned by the villagers, he resorted to pranks and mischief in a desperate attempt for attention. He would eventually accept the idea that the only way for him to garner respect was to become the Hokage himself—despite never knowing who his father and mother were.
A new scene unfolded, showing Naruto facing a series of enemies.
The text explained how his actions to protect everyone revealed every turning point in the plot. Through these encounters, he not only learned to tame the Nine-Tails inside him, but he also managed to redeem Sasuke Uchiha and later become the Hokage in the end.
As the holographic screen flicked off, Arthur felt a tad uncertain.
The story of Naruto wasn't at all good. Filled with themes of isolation, friendship, and perseverance, it contradicts itself one too many times, having copied things from other anime, including that of the Christian bible.
The characters are inherently overpowered and inconsistent with said power. It was also filled with convoluted techniques that could even raise the dead, yet hardly anyone really tried it.
To further add on to how much Arthur disliked this story, he understood how it undercuts its own message: that hard work profits despite the main character being gifted everything from birth.
Perhaps the worst thing was that Naruto can redeem even the most hardened villains through a simple heart-to-heart conversation that fans lovingly, or not-so-lovingly, refer to as "Talk No Jutsu." While their change isn't hard to believe, it's the notion that it happens one too many times, causing poor pacing.
After Arthur refreshed himself on these facts, he considered the overall goal of the game. It was a little vague, but if there's one thing he knew about surviving in another world, it was to stay strong and faithful.
The ninja world had a variety of ways to get strong. All one truly needed was a large chakra reserve.
Chakra, as he understood from the ninja world, was the force made up of spiritual and physical energy that ninjas used to perform jutsus. It flows through a network of channels in the body and can be moulded and released through pressure points.
Skilled ninjas can build up large chakra reserves over time and control them precisely to create powerful techniques. That or they could steal from others.
Chakra itself came in different colours unique to each person and could even be sensed by other ninjas. It takes time and training to develop good chakra control, which is essential for using jutsu effectively.
There are also different methods for manipulating chakra, such as shape transformation (controlling form and movement) and nature transformation (adding an element like fire or water). Other than that, chakra can come in various forms, such as Tailed-Beast chakra, sage chakra, and dark chakra.
Arthur skimmed back to the "Important Notes" section.
The mention of certain characters having watered-down abilities intrigued him. Zetsu was one of those mentioned characters. This creature was Kaguya's manifested will, and it spent centuries trying to revive its mother. His notable skill was to travel to almost anywhere in the world and spy on others without being detected.
Because of that, apparently the character was nerfed to create a more balanced playing field for newcomers. Conversely, since the creature was weakened, other unnamed characters were boosted to add a layer of unpredictable danger.
The timeline the story would also begin was a couple weeks just before Naruto's official ninja graduation. That meant Arthur would be starting things out during the first episode of the first part in the original series.
This buffer period seemed to offer precious time to acclimate to the ninja world.
There was more in regard to these character changes.
Since every interaction and every choice made will have lasting consequences, characters, including the main ones, could be killed permanently. There would be no way to revive them without special techniques.
The final bits of information clarified things for the participants in this world: all players would be registered as citizens of the Hidden Leaf Village, with their starting resources—money, chakra, and power—determined squarely by their chosen character.
Interested in what characters could be chosen, Arthur hovered his finger over the "Character Creation" option.
A holographic image materialized before him. Unlike the detailed avatars he'd expected, this was a reflection staring back at him. A younger version of himself, to be precise. He looked about twelve or thirteen years old with boyish features.
It was understandable that he'd be limited to his youthful self. Considering that the main characters were also still young, after all. And since he was going to be a child, the other six players likely were too.
However, his own character hardly looked imposing. He stood at barely 4'6" with a lanky one-hundred-pound build. His curly brown hair stuck out in all directions, and his brown eyes held trepidation.
Upon pressing the image, a tingling sensation spread through his body, starting at his fingertips and crawling its way upwards. His clothes then dissolved, replaced by a simple brown tunic and loose-fitting trousers.
He flexed his hand as he noticed the calluses and rough skin being replaced with soft flesh. It all felt quite real, like he had actually regressed in physical age and size.
The holographic screen then flicked again, displaying a new prompt: "Clan Selection."
Clans were hereditary lineages within the ninja world, each renowned for unique abilities passed down through generations. They're like family units in their respective villages. And though they were used to fighting each other, many of them came together to form said villages.
Seven options materialized before Arthur. The first five were names that he recognized—Uzumaki, Senju, Uchiha, Ōtsutsuki, and Hyūga. These are undoubtedly the world's top clans, according to the story.
The Uzumaki's immense chakra reserves, the Senju's crazy ninjutsu, the Uchiha's Sharingan eyes, the Ōtsutsuki's otherworld lineage, and the Hyūga's Byakugan eyes with their near-360-degree vision.
All of those traits seemed quite alluring for the average fan.
Following these illustrious names stood a sixth option: "Random Hidden Leaf Village Clan."
The prospect of a surprise lineage held a certain appeal. It could be one of the many well-known clans that were raised to be just as strong as the aforementioned.
Finally, the last option gleamed at the bottom: "Clan-less."
Arthur ignored it as his gaze drifted towards the Uzumaki clan again. It, unlike the other texts, was greyed out for some reason.
Their clan was remembered by their symbol, a spiraling circle. In addition to being the main character's clan, they were associated with powerful sealing jutsu—techniques that could seal almost anything.
There was an option to see what each clan would provide a player. But Arthur didn't feel like reading them. From what he understood already, selecting anything close to the main character's clan would be extremely advantageous.
So he reached out and tried to select that clan. Yet the text remained stubbornly greyed out. A red message then appeared beside it: "Unavailable Selection."
He quickly shifted his focus to a selection that wasn't greyed out: the Uchiha clan. This clan had the infamous legendary Sharingan, powerful eyes to be used for both offense and defense.
Before he could tap the option, a new message materialized: "Clan Selection Pending. Wait For Other Players."
Arthur furrowed his brows. It's then that he remembered something Dr. Kapoor said before entering the pod. He'd been the last one to enter HQ, so that meant he had to wait last to select his character.
"First-come, first-serve, huh?" he said to no one in particular.
As the seconds went by, his frustration intensified. The Uchiha clan faded to grey, followed by the Senju clan, the Ōtsutsuki clan, and then the Hyūga clan.
He couldn't even tell who was choosing what.
With a defeated sigh, he watched as the "Random Hidden Leaf Village Clan" option also vanished, leaving only the "Clan-less" selection. The other players, whoever they were, had now claimed their legacies, leaving him with the barest option.
All he could do now was choose Clan-less. But before he did, he was interested to know what he could have received had he just arrived on time at Elysium.
As such. he flipped through the taken clans with a growing sense of resignation. Each one offered unique advantages, hinting at the diverse strategies his fellow players were likely pursuing.
The Uzumaki clan allowed the player to start off with a seemingly endless well of chakra. A sum of one thousand ryō, the currency of the world, would also be provided. One thousand ryō would be equivalent to one hundred fifty thousand American dollars!
Perhaps the most enticing perk is the ability to select any sealing technique of their choosing.
It was no surprise that this was the first clan to become unavailable. Arthur himself would have also chosen it if he could. With such a potent mix of advantages, it would be a prime target for any aspiring ninja.
Whoever had the deepest knowledge of Naruto lore had to have snagged it first.
Next was the Uchiha clan, whose symbol resembled a stylized white and red fan. Choosing this clan would give the player a one hundred percent success rate in awakening the Sharingan.
That was quite insane to believe.
The Sharingan was a powerful eye technique (known as a dōjutsu) exclusive to the Uchiha clan. It awakens with intense emotions, often involving loss. And once activated, it grants the user special abilities.
Such abilities include, but are not limited to, seeing chakra flow, taijutsu (ninja martial arts), and predicting movements.
Awakening the Mangekyō. Sharingan, a more advanced form with unique abilities like amaterasu (inextinguishable black flames) and tsukuyomi (a powerful illusion), requires experiencing great emotional trauma, often the death of a loved one.
While interesting, overuse of the Mangekyō can lead to blindness. There are ways to restore one's sight if this happens, but they typically involve transplanting the Mangekyō eyes of another Uchiha.
The player who selected that clan not only has a guaranteed chance of awakening the Sharingan, but if they advance it to the Mangekyō, they'd have a choice between Susanoo, a powerful spectral armour, and either Amaterasu or Tsukuyomi.
There was more.
Upon reaching the Mangekyō Sharingan, the player would automatically develop a third, unique ability based on their personality, adding a layer of customization.
Not only would the player receive a respectable sum of five hundred ryō, but they would also be offered village protection against greedy individuals seeking their Sharingan.
To anyone who read this, they'd immediately understand that this clan screamed power!
Arthur could easily imagine someone like Jasper, the player with a clear desire for dominance, choosing that clan.
Next up was the Senju clan, the clan in which the main character's spiritual ancestor formed. It was also the clan the Leaf Village's first Hokage was in.
The benefits here felt more balanced but no less potent. Similar to the Uzumaki, the player who selected the Senju clan would have formidable chakra reserves.
Chakra was essential in this world. With a lot of it, a ninja wouldn't run out of stamina too quickly during a fight.
The player would also have a fifty percent chance in three different categories. They could inherit wood style, one of Tsunade Senju's signature techniques, and have the potential to possess a passive regeneration ability!
If that player achieved all three, they'd essentially have won the Naruto lottery.
Wood style was a unique nature manipulation technique that allowed its user to control and shape wood itself. The character known as Tsunade was stated to become the fifth Hokage and was physically strong—strong enough to throw large objects miles away. As for regeneration, it was a rare thing, allowing the user to recover from injuries at an accelerated rate.
And there were still more benefits to this character.
A pre-existing pact with the slugs, a race of powerful and intelligent creatures known for their healing abilities, was already established. That meant they could summon aid from slug creatures from the get-go.
The player could also choose two elemental affinities, the basic building blocks of jutsu, to specialize in. And lastly, seven hundred ryō awaited the player.
This clan was a powerhouse in its own right. It was a formidable option because of its potential for wood style, Tsunade's techniques, and self-healing.
Why it wasn't chosen first was because there was a drawback: if the player chooses this clan and their background is discovered by anyone outside of the Leaf Village, they'll constantly be targeted for their DNA—through force if necessary.
Arthur would have never chosen this if he had the choice. While yes, there were benefits, those benefits were left to chance. And if those chances fell short, such a player would have a difficult time navigating the ninja world.
He continued to flip through the next clans.
The Ōtsutsuki Clan, a clan symbolized by a crescent moon. A player who chose this would have a blend of power and risk.
Like the Uzumaki and Senju, they get immense chakra reserves. Then there was a fifty percent chance they'd awaken either the Byakugan, an eye technique with near-360-degree vision and the ability to see chakra flow, or the Sharingan.
They would also acquire a unique trait called "Tailed-Beast Whisper," an aura surrounding them that could help them befriend the Tailed Beasts better than others. As a start, the player could choose any one jutsu from a pre-made list of techniques used by various Ōtsutsuki clan members.
This clan was the epitome of high-risk, high-reward. Perhaps the only downside to choosing this clan was that the player would start with zero ryō.
Like that was a downside!
Arthur suspected Alexender, an analytical type, might have gravitated towards this option.
Next was the Hyūga clan. The benefits here were more focused on combat.
Similar to the Uchiha's Sharingan, the player was guaranteed the awakening of the Byakugan. Unlike the Sharingan, the Byakugan couldn't evolve further. However, the player could refine its vision, unlocking the full 360-degree view instead of the standard near 360-degrees.
The player would also have an easier time learning taijutsu, a fighting style focused on hand-to-hand combat and utilizing the body's natural potential. Following, the player could choose one jutsu each from Neji Hyūga and Hinata Hyūga, two prominent members of the clan with unique fighting styles.
A significant drawback existed—the player would start as a member of the Hyūga branch family, a subordinate group within the clan. This meant having a cursed seal on their forehead, a mark of subservience.
The final one was like clan roulette, in which the player would be randomly assigned one of the three clans: Nara, Akimichi, or Yamanaka. These clans, though powerful when working together, weren't as individually renowned as the others.
Regardless of which of those three clans a player would start with, they would automatically receive five thousand ryō.
Having understood what the other players were all likely to have, it was time for Arthur to see what exactly it meant to be Clan-less.