I...what? Where am I? Looking around I saw only darkness. Then I slowly drifted off towards a blue box. There was...something written on it.

Hello!

I stared dumbly at the box until the words upon it erased and new text materialized.

Glad to see you!

...what?

You have been chosen!

"It's...dark." I mumbled, "What is this place?" my question prompted new words to appear,

Information Locked!

Okay then. "What happened to me?" I asked not completely sure what I was doing here,

Information found! You were minding your damn business when a drunk driver crashed into your living room. Since you were sleeping on the couch you were flattened!

Huh...well that sucks. "So what now?"

As a gift for your untimely demise, the gods have granted you a second chance! You get to live in the worlds of your favorite anime, games, books, and movies! As an added bonus and not because you need this to survive...you will receive the abilities of the Gamer! Please select a world to begin...

A list appeared on the box. The Gamer? Oh, I remember now. I've even read a few fanfictions about the main character having that. Seems useful...maybe a little overpowered like the box said, but hey! I'm not complaining. I've got a second chance to live my dream! Let's just see what we've got here. I scrolled down the list and found only two worlds unlocked.

Naruto/Naruto Shippuden

LOCKED

RWBY

LOCKED

Harry Potter

LOCKED

LOCKED

Alright, so I've got two choices then. Naruto was my favorite show when I was a kid and I loved Shippuden just as much when I got older. The Harry Potter book series was fun till the seventh and I didn't really enjoy the movies all that much. And with RWBY...well let's just save that for later eh? With my choice made clear, I selected the Naruto universe. Suddenly I was enveloped in a bright white light.

You have chosen the Naruto/Naruto Shippuden universe! Your mission is to ensure that the main character survives until the ultimate evil of that universe is destroyed. Please select a name!

Name? Well, I guess I'll use my own...

Information Locked!

Wait, what? I tried recalling my past life and found very little available to me. Only glimpses of what I liked and disliked in my life. I...I'm not even allowed to know what I looked like? Why?

Information Found! The beings that chose you erased all memories of your previous life.

I stared at the box for what seemed like hours. Memories of my previous life...erased. Who has the power to do that?

Information Locked!

What?

Please select a name

Well...fuck. I guess my name will be...Tetsu, a name that roughly translates to philosophy. I guess I remember bits and pieces of my old life. As soon as I thought of the name the screen changed,

DEFAULT SETTINGS IMPLEMENTED

Name: Tetsu

Age: 5

Clan: Orphan (None)

Please, select village:

Konohagakure

Kumogakure

Sunagakure

Kirigakure

Iwagakure

I guess I'll start off in Konoha. I tapped said village and the screen flickered,

You have chosen Konohagakure as your village! Here is your status page. The game will begin when you finish reading

Tetsu, (No Title)

Level: 1 (0/200)

HP: 100/100

SP(Stamina Points): 15/15

CP(Chakra Points): 15/15

Control: 10%

Allegiance: Konoha Civilian

STR(Strength): 3

VIT(Vitality): 3

DEX(Dexterity): 3

INT(Intelligence): 5

CHA(Chakra): 3

CC(Chakra Control): 1

LUC(Luck): 1

Stat Points: 0

Money: 0R

An orphan born in the Third Shinobi War. Tetsu was lucky enough to grow up after the war was over saving him from being forced to fight an unforgiving battlefield. His destiny remains uncertain. His potential is limitless.

The world spun and I awoke in a dark room. I sat up and saw that I was in a small bed. I wriggled my little feet over the edge of the bed confused. Oh right...I was just a toddler. In my left peripheral I could see three bars. Each marked Health, Stamina,and Chakra, each being red, blue, and green in that order.Well, my stats aren't too bad for a five-year-old and the unusually high intelligence stat probably explains my self-awareness. But the real question remains...why am I not freaking the fuck out right now? Suddenly a menu appeared before me...

Information Found! Skills List:

Gamer's Mind Lvl: MAX- Allows the user to calmly and logically think things through. Allows peaceful state of mind, immune to psychological status and effects.

Gamer's Body Lvl: MAX- Grants the user a body that allows the user to live the real world according to the status he possesses.

Observation Lvl: User(1)- The skill to learn about an object or person by observing them.

Ping! Your INT has gone up by 1 for taking the time to look up your skills!

Alright then, glad to have Observation early in the game. So let's review...I think I can do alright here. If the Third Shinobi War ended that means Minato just became the Yondaime Hokage. Which also means I have about a year and a half until Obito or 'Tobi' frees the Kyuubi. Since I'm just a kid I don't think I can do much about that. What I can do now is explore I guess. This must be the orphanage. I got up and flicked the light switch on the other side of the room. It didn't look too bad. At least not the way some fanfics describe it.

I exited the room and looked around a dark hallway. Slowly I made my way to an open door at the end of the hall, a small bathroom with a single flickering light bulb. I checked the mirror. I had a face reminiscent of an Uchiha but instead of jet-black hair mine was stark-white. My eyes were light-blue which kind of made me look like Raiden from the Metal Gear series, to be honest.

I was fairly tall for my age around 4 and a half feet with a skinny build. But that was to be expected especially for an orphan. Suddenly kids started filing out into the hallway giggling excitedly as they went downstairs.

'Must be time for breakfast' I thought as I followed the kids downstairs. I used Observe to scout the stats of these kids and what I found was...disappointing. Barely any of them were past Level 2. I followed the kids downstairs to a large kitchen and sat down to eat. There was nothing special about the matron or the other orphanage workers either as they were simply civilians at Level 5. As I ate a thought occurred to me.

I died...and was given a second chance. A blank slate in an anime I loved with no boundaries as to what I could become. With knowledge of the future of this world, I could let it rot, I could rule with an iron fist, or I could save it from certain doom...but why do any of that? I can just leave it all come to pass as it was on canon. After all...the good guys win in the end, right?

But even so...there are those who didn't deserve what happened to them. There are countless lives I could save with my knowledge of the future. The memories of my past life were taken from me...I don't know what kind of man I was back then. This is a new slate for me given as a gift from a most likely bored deity. It might be best not to think too much about that and to see what kind of 'Gamer' abilities I'll have. What little I remember of that particular genre was that there were 'dungeons' you could visit to grind and later on you could create some of your own.

You could also build your stats with chakra control exercises giving you perfect control thanks to Gamer's Body. So the first real step if I plan on becoming a shinobi is to look up some of these exercises and maybe pick up some taijutsu as well. As I pondered this a new menu screen appeared,

Ping! A new Quest has been added!

A Fresh Start!

Train to survive this cruel world with some basic shinobi training!

Learn at least 1 Chakra Control exercise!

Learn at least 1 Taijutsu style!

Rewards:

?

Failure:

You never become a shinobi, leading to your eventual death.

Do you accept? Y/N?

...huh. Well if I were to hazard a guess...I think I'm supposed to be a shinobi in this world. Not becoming one simply isn't an option if I want to survive. I discreetly tapped the yes button and accepted the quest. Asking around after breakfast I found out that the orphans pretty much do what they want outside of the orphanage if they weren't already in the academy.

So I explored the village. As I walked aimlessly through Konoha I wondered why entering the fabled 'Academy' wasn't prompted yet. I eventually made my way to the library and found my answer. Students start the academy at age 8 which gives me 3 years to prepare for what's to come. I read up on the history of the world and wars that came before to refresh my knowledge of the Naruto universe.

Ping! Your INT has gone up by 1 for catching up on history...NERD!

Sweet...this thing has a sense of humor however immature it may be. Still, at the rate my INT stat is rising I'll surpass even Shikamaru's intellect when he was at his prime. No doubt I'll have surpassed it already when I enter the academy. But I need to be smart about this. Danzo will have his cronies drag my ass into his little group if I'm not careful. The key to all this is to remain under the radar. Don't want the other factions to get suspicious of an orphan prodigy now do I?

It's funny how both sides have their own problems within. Makes me wonder if I should even bother choosing a side...why can't I be on my own? Suddenly the same menu screen appeared with a new text.

Ping! A new Quest has been added!

No Gods, No Kings, No Masters!

Create your faction independent of the sides of Good and Evil!

Rewards:

?

Failure:

Death, destruction, and mayhem all around! Then again isn't that what the Fourth Great Shinobi War was all about? You get the gist.

Do you accept? Y/N?

Um, okay? It seems I can choose another path to this game. Much like other video games, I can choose between good and evil. But being presented with a third choice...independent of other factions. Meaning I will be my own man not chained by the orders of a higher power. I don't know how I feel about that. In the end, it comes down to a moral choice. Should I let things be as they are knowing good people die for the sake of the greater good? Or can I change it?

Could I change the course of this world's history in the shadows? If I choose this path I will be solely responsible for the best possible outcomes for the events of the future. Minato, the Yondaime Hokage will die when the Kyuubi comes to the village. I know full well that I can't change that. But I can change what comes next. I can protect Naruto from the sorrow and sadness that will construct his evil self within him and train him for the war to come.

I could subtly warn the Sandaime of the Sound/Sand invasion during the Chuunin exams and save lives including the Sandaime's in the process. But these events push our characters to the brink forcing them to train and evolve past their limits. All these factors create the ending we were given. If I play my cards right...I can save them. They will never know it but it will be my design that saves them all. As I hit accept the only thought going through my head was...I'm going to save them all...no matter the cost!

Armed with a new purpose I set to work. I still had that quest in my log as a good starting point. The shinobi side of the library had no guards technically speaking. But I hit the elderly librarian with a quick Observe and immediately found my obstacle,

Manasu, (Keeper of Knowledge)

Level:?

Clearly, she's more powerful than she looks. Possibly a former Anbu or Jounin who took this job when she couldn't do field work anymore. Whatever the case may be there is no way I can sneak past her. Unless...I need a distraction.

"I hope you're not thinking of sneaking around my library young man," a voice said behind me. I spun around in shock. Her eyes softened when she saw the fear in mine,

"Many Academy students try to get past me, young man. But like I've said to all the rest. You can only access the academy level books until you become a genin" she said softly. My mind raced...she thinks I'm an academy student! I can use this...

"Sorry," I said looking down at my feet. "But I just wanted to get ahead of my class. I'll stay in the academy section" she couldn't see the huge shit-eating grin on my face as I said this. With a sigh, the librarian put a hand on my shoulder and led me to the academy section,

"I don't hold it against you. It's admirable that you want to study ahead but some of these books are dangerous. Master the basics first. Now I have to tend to the other patrons' young man. Just remember...I've got my eye on you" she left me in the academy section as she walked away. I turned and started to browse the academy section.

I think it was Gamer's Mind that held me through that. I mean...really? Is there not a way to find out if I'm really an academy student? I would presume that classes were in session this very second. I get that the academy basics aren't considered too dangerous but I'm a civilian who quite literally bullshit his way into a closed-off section of the library. And to think...it gets worse when the Sandaime is put back in charge.

Future generations get coddled during peace-time. Danzo was right about one thing...Konoha has become weak. Reading those history books I saw the strength this village once held. The shinobi of those times would be ashamed to see what we have become, peace-loving fools. If you are going to train children to become mercenaries then you better tell them the damn truth. Granted that's what jounins are supposed to teach their genin teams.

But even so. Why bother teaching these kids enough shinobi techniques and knowledge to raid a small town or village? The time and resources wasted on producing less than a dozen genin every year is nothing short of astonishing. But there's nothing I can do about it...for now. So after looking around I found the Leaf Concentration chakra exercise and checked it out. I couldn't find a decent taijutsu style there but I'm hoping to come across one if I can find a Natural Dungeon. But with my LUC stat so low I don't think that's happening anytime soon.

Speaking of, why is that?

Ping! Information Found!

You were somehow unlucky enough to have a CAR crashing into your living room. Stats are based on how you lived and how you died.

Well...that explains it. It doesn't matter now. I'm sure there will be a way to raise that stat later. Anyways, I got back to the orphanage and opened the book. Instantly a notification popped up,

You have discovered and skill book! Would you like to learn 'Leaf Concentration Exercise? Y/N?

I hit the accept button and within moments a rush of knowledge flowed through my mind like a soft breeze, surprisingly the book didn't turn to ash in my hand. It remained whole, I guess that means I can't really on my knowledge of this genre from the stories I've read. Putting the book on my bed I pulled up my Skills,

Leaf Concentration Exercise

Skill Level: 1

Description: A focus-exercise used to improve chakra control for academy students. By using a leaf as a focal point the user uses chakra to the leaf ensuring it remains stuck to their forehead.

CP: 10 per minute.

Leaves Held: 1

Boosts:

+1 INT when active

+1 CC permanent bonus per level

Alright then, let's get started. I opened the window to allow a few leaves to blow in with the cool night air and snagged one. I put it to my forehead and concentrated, holding it in place until I felt a warm sensation pulse on the leaf. I let the energy flow through my body focusing on that one spot. Slowly I let it go leaving it to stick to my forehead. After a few seconds, I released the pull I had on the leaf.

I felt out of breath. That was more tiring than I thought it would be. A quick look at my CP told me that I used 10 of my points. Considering my control sucked ass that's probably why I didn't last long and why the skill hasn't leveled up yet. This is going to be so fucking tedious...

12 hours later...

I laid on my floor for quite some time. I didn't realize morning had come around so I kept going. I think it was Gamer's Body that kept me from rushing downstairs to eat. My Health doesn't go down if I starve myselfand I didn't really feel like eating. Seems that I don't need to eat or sleep as much as a normal human being...so that's something I guess.

When I looked outside and saw that is was night time I finally stopped myself. Grinding is the staple of video games. The more you grind the higher your reward. I stared up at my ceiling and whispered,

"Status"

As always the menu popped up with my currents stats,

Tetsu, (No Title)

Level: 2 (0/400)

HP: 125/125

SP(Stamina Points): 20/20

CP(Chakra Points): 25/25

CONTROL: 30%

Allegiance: Konoha Civilian

STR(Strength): 4

VIT(Vitality): 4

DEX(Dexterity): 4

INT(Intelligence): 7

CHA(Chakra): 5

CC(Chakra Control): 20

LUC(Luck): 1

Stat Points: 5

Money: 0R

Active Skills:

Leaf Concentration Exercise

Skill Level: MAX

Description: A focus-exercise used to improve chakra control for academy students. By using a leaf as a focal point the user uses chakra to the leaf ensuring it remains stuck to their forehead.

CP: 10 per minute.

Leaves Held: 10

Boosts:

+1 INT when active

+1 CC permanent bonus per level

Yeah, apparently maxing out a skill grants you a good amount of EXP. I hadn't expected that but the +200exp boost was welcome. Turns out this skill will only get me to 30% in Chakra Control. Sucks but I kind of figured that with an academy level exercise it wouldn't give me full control of my chakra. I was able to let my thoughts wander while I performed the exercise. Eventually, I got bored and decided to see how all my bars regenerated.

Health is governed by DEX and STR. DEX being the base of my Health and STR bring the regeneration rate. My base Health only rose with my recent level-up and with my stats still being so low I only have the base regeneration rate which is 10%. For every 10 stat points in DEX I get a +50 health boost and for every 10 in STR I get +5% of regen every minute on top of the base.

Stamina is governed by the VIT stat alone. It being responsible for the base stat and regen of my points. Again, it only raised with my level-up. The same rules apply only this time the base stat only raises by +25 every 10 points into it. The base regen was the same as the health bar. Chakra was a little more complicated.

Chakra is based on my CHA stat and my control. From what I could tell points in CHA not only increase my reserves but add a small amount to control as well. Currently, my main concern is being able to control my chakra rather than to boost my reserves. I don't want to end up like Naruto after all with his endless supply of chakra but piss-poor control of it. My base gets a +15 for every 10 points put into it while my regen gets +5 for every 10 points in CHA and CC.

Speaking of CONTROL gets a +10% boost for every 10 points into CC. Thanks to the Leaf exercise I gained +20% to my chakra control. But with the skill maxed out I'm not getting any more use out of it. I looked at my points and thought long and hard about where I was going to distribute them, looking at my stat page I made my choice and plugged them all into LUC.

I wanted to put them into CC initially but I wouldn't have gotten any sort of boost and right now I need lady luck on my side. I sat up and looked outside. The pale moonlight bore unto the sleeping village. After a few moments, I sighed and went to bed. I know I don't NEED to sleep...but I really want to right now. I laid in bed, brain chock full of new information, I closed my eyes and finally let sleep take me away...

He is doing much better than anticipated. Much better than the previous candidates...wouldn't you agree?

...Yes. I believe we have found the one this time.

Ha! You said that about the last one. You remember what happened to him? Not even I could salvage his mind from what had become of him.

This one is different. He has strayed from the path the others took. Maybe this time it will work and we will have a proper vessel.

Yes well. Time will tell. Until then we will only observe.

Agreed. Our gift will have to be enough...for both our sake's.