NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 1: The Wheel Of Reincarnation
-Story Start-
You know, I take great pride in my forgetfulness. Why? Well, the less you know, the fewer reasons you have to stress about life and the likely useless knowledge you've accumulated in the grand scheme of the universe.
Speaking of the grand scheme of the universe, Right now. I am panicking and cursing my usual forgetfulness for what seems to be the first time in my life.
I, seem to have found myself in an empty and soulless white room, that seems to stretch infinitely.
Of course, I have absolutely no idea how I just got here. My brain, usually despite its aforementioned poor memory, actually remembers critical data.
AND THIS SEEMS BLOODY CRITICAL! HOW COULD I FORGET ABOUT GETTING HERE?!
"That's because it's purposeful~!" I heard a cheery and gleeful tone of voice coming from behind me.
Turning, I am met with... A small and majestic Dragon? I meet its Amethyst eyes with my own as I feel a terrible chill go down my spine.
"Why thank you!" It responds with the same cheery tone.
Okay. So it's like this.
Lowering my head, I use the available information to form a couple of obvious conclusions.
First, I am in a white room, with absolutely no memory of how I got here.
Second, there is a Dragon here.
Third, It can talk and read my mind.
Fourth, There is a Dragon here.
Fifth-
"Wowo, calm down boyo! Could you keep an open mind for a second for me?" The DRAGON states placatingly.
I raise my head to meet the creature's eyes, as I shakingly respond to the clear anomaly in front of me
"S-Sure, open mind yeah, I'll obey the Dragon in front of me... Sounds like a great idea..." Couldn't help but let a little bit of my humor leak in that one statement, let's hope it won't be getting me killed!
"Oh don't worry, that won't be necessary! After all... You're already dead~! Also, forgot I can read your mind kid?" The Dragon stated with a tone as if he were talking about the weather, in complete contrast to the literal bombshell he just dropped
"W-What? No, no no. This is just an elaborate prank. You're just a high-quality animatronic or something! T-That's it! Hahaha!"
"Nope! I can prove it! Take a look at yourself now!" The Dragon stated as it pointed at me with its claw.
I do as instructed only to see...
"A-AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!" I let out a guttural scream, at noticing nothing below my head, nothing. My entire body... gone. Unfeeling.
"Do you believe me now?" It states gently, putting the nail in the coffin of my denial.
As he completes his sentence my body magically reappears, Clear evidence of the reality-breaking powers at work.
*SLAM* I drop to the ground at the life-shattering realization.
*Gulp* I can't help but gulp, as memories of my life flash before my eyes at that one absurd sentence. Memories, Regrets, and much much more.
My Parents, My Brother, and my Sister... Didn't get the chance to convey I loved them...
My Friends... We wanted to travel the world together, didn't we?
My School Life... God, I only had one year left to finish high school. A taste of real life outside of school. Now permanently out of my grasp...
*Drop*
*Drop*
I can't help but cry in silence, accompanied by nothing but a creature of legend and a white soulless void of a room.
After what felt like an eternity of despair sourcing from a carousel of my memories and regrets, I collected myself. After all, emotion positive or negative is only temporary.
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
"So I'm dead... I take it you're god? Never expected you to be a Dragon. Usually in all those Isekai stories and fanfictions he is without a body or he's just an old man."
"You jumped back to your feet rather quickly, didn't you? Impressive kid! They usually cry or break down for about a week! You were at it for only 8 hours!" The dragon stated impressed a shit-eating grin that caused me deep irritation for some unknown reason plastered onto the creature's face.
I shrug "*Sigh*, I've mourned, but there is nothing I can do about it. I... I just hope they'll be fine without me and aren't too troubled by it. They know it's what I would've wanted."
"Hmm... Good attitude! I approve! And to answer your question... I'm not god! I'm only a stand-in for now! The God Of Reincarnation has got some business elsewhere, and I do owe him a favor so... Here I am! Doing his job! Temporarily!" The Dragon praises me, as he points at himself proudly, or is it arrogantly?
God Of Reincarnation... I was only joking, But I am really getting Isekaied?!
"Correct~!" The dragon responds to my thoughts, tactlessly reading them.
I stand up to my feet and glare weakly at the Dragon.
"I'd appreciate it if you'd stop reading my thoughts, not like I can force you to do so, but still... *Sigh* Let's just get this over with."
"Eager are we~? Well! Here's how this song and dance goes! Since you've been a solid chap in your life! And dying so young as well! You get a second chance in life! Aren't you excited?!" The dragon announces enthusiastically, spreading his scaly arms wide.
"Yay..." I respond with a contrasting amount of enthusiasm.
For now, it doesn't seem to be any different from all the other reincarnation scenarios I've seen and read about, barring my... Gracious Host. I shouldn't be too excited at this, my second life could be hell depending on how this goes. Also...
Did he just throw a wink at me?
"Alright~! So, see this wheel that just appeared in front of you?!"
He states as a wheel that is divided into a lot of words and options appears in front of me.
"Let me guess. I spin the wheel and whatever world or setting gets chosen, I reincarnate into?"
"Hmm, Correct! Wow, you're on a roll! But it's a little bit more detailed than that! It's a special wheel! Dependant on YOUR knowledge!" The Dragon hums as he proceeds to compliment me at the obvious deduction. Is he just messing around with me?
"Okay? Continue?" I respond with hesitance at the Dragon's weird and rather creepy cheery attitude.
I shouldn't be over-optimistic, he could be setting me up for failure or for eternal suffering... Not that I can do anything about it...
"So! The worlds/options on this wheel are only worlds you are vaguely up to completely familiar with! For example, the One Piece world, You have only watched 50 episodes of! It'd be a shame if that were chosen, seeing as you lack complete knowledge that would be critically helpful in your endeavors for that world!" He explains.
D-Damn, it seems my bad habit of partially completing shows has come back to bite me... Who would've thought? Just my luck really...
"So... Dragon, Sir. Do I get an advantage? Cheat? Wish? Before I Reincarnate?" I ask the critical question, failing to hide the elusive hope in my voice
Please give me a wish
Please give me a wish
Please give me a wish
He's responding!
"There's a wheel for that too! Also, my name's Merlin!"
Curses! Another RNG-based life-altering thing! As if this wheel wasn't enough!
"Alright Alright, you wanted to get this over with didn't ya? Go ahead and spin it!" The dragon states impatiently.
Where has all his previous patience at my breakdown gone?
"Okay, I'm doing it." I walk up towards the wheel.
It's ginormous, to say the least, with an announcement board at the bottom of it to showcase the literal WORLD I'm going to reincarnate into. The wheel fittingly and creatively titled: "The Wheel Of Reincarnation"
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
For the love of god or Merlin, please! A good world!
Having said my prayers to god and the reincarnation dragon I spin the wheel.
*Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr*
It spins, for what seems like an eternity and then eventually it stops at something.
*DING* A sound comes from the announcement board.
I take a look at it and...
"CONGRATULATIONS! YOU WILL BE REINCARNATING INTO... THE NARUTOVERSE! GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY LIVING!"
*CRASH*
Did you hear that crashing? No, it was not me crashing onto my knees in despair. No, not at all!
That was the sound of my hopes and dreams crashing and dying a horrible gruesome death. Probably just like I did, but I'd rather not ask how I died.
I turn my head to meet the grinning Dragon's face with a cracked smile.
"Y-You know, it could have been worse! Haha! Ha." I state more to convince myself than the grinning Dragon.
"Are you okay?" The Dragon transitions his grin into a worried expression.
I'm ALMOST touched...
"C-Can we just get to the 2nd Wheel and get this over with?" I ask, pain and suffering lacing every word in my sentence.
"Right away!" He says as he snaps his fingers and the former wheel gets replaced with another, this time titled: "Power Wheel", other than that and its content, it isn't any different looking than its former counterpart.
"Say, Merlin... Would praying to you increase my chances of getting a decent power?" I dare to ask
"Well, if I had made the rules... Then absolutely! Hell, you'd get the cream of the crop! The crème de la crème. Unfortunately, I don't! So you can try but it won't be helping ya much. Sorry kid!" The Dragon states apologetically.
Darn it.
Alright, I'll just spin it and pray regardless.
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
"Let's go..." I breathe out as I spin the wheel.
*Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr*
And... It stops.
Please something good for fucks sake! I can't be going to the Naruto world with the ability to shit out bubbles or something!
*DING* A sound comes from the announcement board.
I take a nervous look at it and...
"CONGRATULATIONS! THE POWER YOU WILL BE REINCARNATING WITH IS... THE TEN SHADOWS TECHNIQUE! ORIGIN UNIVERSE: JUJUTSU KAISEN!"
Words, Sentences, Paragraphs, and even Essays cannot describe the pure sense of joy and relief that is coursing through my body at this moment.
I needed this to work. I just had to.
The Naruto world is dangerous, no doubt about it, and a half-assed power wouldn't allow me to survive the top tier of dangers there. I know myself very well, And unless I was born with some kind of innate talent like being the literal Ninja Messiah or something along those lines. I'd probably reach borderline Jonin. If I'm lucky. And that's in addition to my knowledge of the canon. I have no basis for this, but this is just an OPTIMISTIC evaluation.
However, THIS. This can work, it's not the most absurd of abilities that were on that wheel I've managed to spot. But it certainly has potential! And what that translates to is... I can survive in that world. Hell, I could thrive in it. A world where might makes right.
And for now... That's all that matters.
But, How would this ability work anyway? Chakra and Cursed Energy are completely different power systems. Will I have cursed energy? And if so then will it-
"Valid questions! I'll explain it shortly. The power you gain will adjust itself in accordance with the world you reincarnate into! So, if it costs Cursed Energy for you to use your ability, in the world of Naruto it'll cost Chakra. In a world with Mana, it'll cost Mana. However, were you to go to a world without supernatural abilities and you'd roll a reality-bending/breaking ability like you just rolled. You'd be compensated with talent equating to its value! But that isn't something you should be worrying about! You got the Naruto world after all! HAHA!" The Dragon answers my thoughts, rudely interrupting them as well as ignoring my previous request.
"I see... Thanks for the explanation, anything else I should know? Or can I get to the actual reincarnating part?"
"Hmm... Oh yeah! There's one more wheel you need to spin!" The dragon announces in excitement as my eyes widen at his words.
"Pardon?"
"Yes! The knowledge wheel!" He ignores my confusion, as he continues with greater enthusiasm.
A new wheel silently replaces the previous one, only this time. Containing numbers and percentages?
"What is this?" The bewilderment can be easily seen on my face
"This is the Knowledge wheel! Its result pertains to how much knowledge related to the world your traveling into you get to keep!"
"T-That's a new one..." I grimace.
"Indeed!" He agrees, as his irritating tone just fuels my desire further to get out of here as soon as possible.
"So if I get 10%. That means 90% of my knowledge related to the Naruto World is erased?" I ask, trying to confirm my understanding of the effects of this wheel.
"You're not wrong! But what you failed to question is how this affects chronological knowledge. Cause and Effect are dependent on each other in memories. As such, they are erased together, not individually. So if you remember an event that happened you will also remember how it occurred. The opposite is also true, if you forgot an event happened you will forget how it occurred. You get all that?" The dragon responds and elaborates in regard to my question.
Great... Now there's a chance I won't be having any future knowledge or training hacks to use in the Naruto world... Yay! I still have my otherworldly knowledge but still. A pain.
"Fine, I'm spinning it. This is the final wheel correct? Or are there any other penalties I should know about that you've failed to inform me of?" I question in irritation with a frown on my face.
"Nah, kid that's all. After you spin this and get your result you'll be reincarnated promptly" Merlin shakes his head at my hesitance and gestures to me to get on with it.
"Hmph" I grunt at him and move towards the wheel to spin my 3rd and final life-altering spin.
*Inhale*
*Exhale*
"Let's go... One final time, let's end it on a good note shall we?" I breathe out as I spin the wheel.
Honestly, I'm fine with whatever at this point. I got an amazing ability all things considered. I'll be fine.
*Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr* *Whirr*
It stops.
*DING* A sound comes from the announcement board.
I take a hopeful and slightly nervous look at it and...
"CONGRATULATIONS! THE RETAINED KNOWLEDGE OF YOUR DESTINATION WILL BE: 30%! GOOD LUCK AND HAPPY LIVING!"
Damn...
"Oh well, it could have been worse!" I announce aloud in an attempt to fool myself into not feeling disappointed, for what seems like the thousandth time today.
"Well, that's that! It's been a... Pleasure, to host you! You can leave by that door over there, to start your 2nd life! Exciting!" The dragon announces with a clap of his paws, proceeding to point with his claw at a glowing door that appeared behind him.
I nod silently as I take purposeful and heavy steps toward the door.
*STEP* *STEP* *STEP*
Finally arriving with my hand on the doorknob I turn my head to stare at Merlin who merely raises his scaly eyebrow in what seems to be, curiosity at my pause.
"Out of morbid curiosity, what would you do if I were to just stay here and not leave?"
An amused smile appears on his scaly face as he responds in a completely non-threatening way.
"Well, I'd have to remove you from here. Gently of course! Haha!"
O-Okay... Message received.
"I'll be going, thanks for... The 2nd chance?" I thank Merlin in confusion. Why am I confused?
"It's alright, most people who get a 2nd fresh start at life following an abrupt death react this way! It's fine for you to be unsure whether this is a good or a bad thing! Just roll with it! Life's a gift ya know!" Merlin states with actual wisdom, a sympathetic tone, and expression on his face.
"Yeah... You might be right." I whisper to myself as I push the door open
*CREAK*
*Sigh* Anxiety, uncertainty mixed with wonder and anticipation go through my body as I sigh to calm myself down, deciding to translate my chaotic thoughts into words.
"Out of all of the worlds, I could have gotten, it just had to be this one. As if there wasn't a plethora of Naruto inserts already... Oh well, at least I rolled a decent ability to accompany me in this cruel world!" I announce to myself, to summarize my thoughts and to psyche myself up for what is about to come.
I take a brave step forward as light engulfs my entire body and I lose consciousness.
To be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Surprise, surprise! Did you expect me to pull this out of my ass? Of course, you didn't! Else it wouldn't be a surprise! I've had this idea of a fic brewing in my mind for far far far too long. I'm a big fan of both JJK and Naruto. The Ten Shadows Technique is such an amazing power! And unlike The Gojo Starter Pack, it isn't outright broken from the get-go. Allowing for better development in my opinion! I've seen Six Eyes fics in the Naruto world. But never Ten Shadows! So I'm doing it! Fight me!
To my readers from my first work, Sorry for not putting out a chapter today like promised, I'll be doing so later today or tomorrow as well. I'm a little sick right now and not too passionate about my other fic for now! I just had to get this out you know? But that might just be excuses for my laziness lol.
-Author Note End-