Prologue

I woke up with a start, having just experienced the strangest dream ever. It felt like it had lasted only a second, yet it spanned years.

The dream was of a life that had never occurred, a world of technology and advancement. Cities sprawled as far as the eye could see, both horizontally and vertically. However, that wasn't the strangest part. It was the fact that the life I was living now existed inside the dream, but as mere entertainment.

It was a made-up world created by one of the inhabitants of the modern world, a manga, then an anime series called Naruto. During this dream, I lived the life of one of these inhabitants, growing up, facing life's troubles, and enjoying the little things when they happened. Naruto was one of my favorite anime series in this life, simply because it was one I grew up with inside this world. Many things described within this animated series seemed to fit with my current life.

I was feeling quite lost in many ways, not knowing which of the two identities was truly me. I was thinking the same way as the person inside the dream, yet it felt like I had experienced a dream. Was I the four-year-old boy or the young man? Why was I having an existential crisis as a four-year-old?

There were so many thoughts swimming through my head and many emotions vying to come to the surface. My mind ended up blanking out at some point, and I silently wept. There wasn't even a reason to be sad, but I was so overwhelmed. I was just four years old in the end. Everything was so confusing. Thankfully, I went back to sleep after crying myself empty. Maybe in the morning, everything would be normal again.

But it wasn't. Throughout the day, Mom noticed that I was acting strangely. I felt as if I was currently in a dream now and could only admit that I wasn't feeling good. This led me to be put back to bed, and I just lay there, continuing to think. Was this real life or was it all fake? Was I me or the person in the dream? Would my mom believe it if I told her that we were inside a make-believe story? Probably not, even if I went into detail a four-year-old shouldn't know.

Even I wouldn't believe me, but it didn't stop me from feeling bad that I was keeping such things from her. I always told her everything, but I felt as if I couldn't open my mouth about this. It was the first time I was keeping something secret from anyone. It was frustrating.

We lived in a village not mentioned in the Naruto story but located in the Land of Fire, far north of the Hidden Leaf Village, Konohagakure. This was another reason I couldn't just say that the dream was a dream.

In this small village, it was just Mom and me. My father hadn't been seen or mentioned a single time. My mother and I looked nothing alike; her eyes were hazel and her hair brown, while I had black hair and black eyes.

The information from the Naruto series made me quite suspicious of who my father was. Maybe it was just a coincidence though, lots of people had these characteristics. There was no way to know besides my mother telling me or if I awakened the Uchiha Clan's notorious Kekkei Genkai. Would a four-year-old even ask about his father? I don't know and I don't want to make her worry about me, so I didn't ask.

A week slowly went by, and I stayed inside most of the time because I was born prematurely and with issues. I got sick more often and was physically weaker than those of my age. This was something that could easily be noticed by others. My body looked malnourished even though I ate plenty. My mother was always worried about my health and safety, so I couldn't leave the house alone.

The next day, Mother was going to head out to stock up on more food. I managed to get her to agree for me to tag along as it had been some time since I last went out. I had to constantly be by her side, holding her hand, but I finally got out of the house. My mood had been continuously worsening, so maybe a walk outside would help.

This village wasn't very prosperous compared to most, but everyone knew each other and we had everything we needed. There were plenty of farms and farmers to keep everyone stocked up. However, compared to the dream, this place was lacking. The people were very connected, a tight-knit community where nothing truly exciting happened. There were no shinobi in sight, except for the occasional traveling ones from Konohagakure. I recalled a couple of times I managed to see some of them in the past, thinking of them as simple travelers, but now I knew who they were.

If it weren't for this and a few other coincidences, I would think nothing much about my life being fictional and more that I was reincarnated, transmigrated, or reborn into some other world. But I didn't feel like that. I felt like a four-year-old who had just uncovered memories of a prior life, twenty-plus years of life which just so happened to have included the future of my current life as well.

Time passed, and life was back to normal for me. I was taking it slow, not knowing where I was in the Naruto timeline. Was it years before the story started? Years after? Could I already be in Naruto Shippuden? Or maybe tomorrow the Fourth Ninja War would begin? I tried not to care and just continued to be a four-year-old boy.

Hopefully, I could live my life without being a part of the story. The good guys would win in the end anyway, and the fourth great ninja war didn't even have rippling damage to the surrounding countries. The war only lasted a few days and was held in a different place than the Land of Fire, so living life here was perfect.

A month later though, that peaceful hope was shattered.

On a nice and quiet night, I woke up to a pain in the side of my neck and a hand covering my mouth. A figure shrouded in darkness was beside my bed. I couldn't make out anything besides the silhouette with the help of the moonlight coming through a nearby window, but it wasn't enough to see properly.

I tried to resist, but my body was just that of a child against a grown man. I tried to scream, yet my mouth was fully covered. My thoughts slowly became sluggish, and I fell unconscious. And so, I was kidnapped from my home.

—

I woke up in a daze, unsure of how much time had passed. My thoughts were slow and foggy. The room I found myself in was dimly lit by light filtering through a barred window on the only door. It wasn't a familiar place, and it took me a while to recall seeing a figure standing over me before ending up here. 

Was I kidnapped? And if so, why? With my mind still sluggish, it took time for my thoughts to surface. I tried to move but realized I was strapped to a chair in the center of a barren room. My pulse quickened, tears welled up, my body trembling with unknown fear. The sight of dried blood on the floor only heightened my unease. 

When the door finally opened, the person who walked in made my heart drop. Orochimaru, with his creepy grin, entered the room, followed by Kabuto. My focus was entirely on Orochimaru, the biggest threat in the room. Why had he brought me here? Did he know something about me that made me a target? 

"Hello there, little one," Orochimaru began, acknowledging my confusion and fear. He explained that he believed I possessed something he could use, and he asked for my name. I hesitantly replied, "Tokiro Yuro," knowing that lying would only make matters worse. 

Orochimaru warned me of the consequences if I disobeyed him or lied. He then had Kabuto inject me with a light poison, causing excruciating pain. I was grateful to be strapped down, as any movement would have intensified the agony. Orochimaru watched me closely, like a scientist observing an experiment.

After some time, another point lower in my back was breached and the same sensation began to occur. Lower and lower Kabuto went, and I closed my eyes and clenched my hands, feet, and teeth so much they hurt. I couldn't stop my body from trembling either.

I wanted so badly for it to stop, but as it continued getting worse, I wanted to just pass out but couldn't. I wasn't sure if I screamed or begged for it to stop, but it wouldn't have been surprising. Time couldn't pass by quickly enough, and after what felt like ages had passed, one of my eyes was forcefully pried open.

It kept trembling, and I could hardly focus on Orochimaru, who was holding it open. He stared intensely into my eye for some reason. A sinister smile that seemed to promise much more suffering bloomed as he spoke to himself.

"I dared not to hope, but I indeed stumbled upon a treasure. Who would have thought that someone from the prideful Uchiha Clan would have a bastard child."

I couldn't pay attention to his words since my entire mind was only focused on how much pain I was in. I didn't even care what he was saying and just wanted it all to stop. Maybe my prayer was answered since I finally fell unconscious.

Once more, I woke up inside the room with only a bed. I was lying belly down, and my back was still stinging in pain. In the distance, I could barely hear the screaming of a man.

I didn't want to move, but I saw that there was a bowl of what looked to be food set in front of the door and a cup. I had no appetite, but who knew how many days could have passed already. What I wanted was that water though, my mouth was incredibly dry.

My body wasn't in as much pain as when I was first injected, but every movement was painful as I slowly got up and shambled my way to the door. As I ate, I wondered how all this happened. Why did someone like Orochimaru abduct me? Was I going to die soon? I didn't want to die, especially if it was going to be so painful at his hands. Should I just end it myself then? In the end, though, I laid back down until I cried myself back to sleep. Maybe tomorrow would be better?

…I want to go home.

—

I awoke screaming, my left pinky finger throbbing in pain. Standing beside my bed was Kabuto, his expression neutral.

"Orochimaru-sama asked me to give you a wake-up call. Follow me," he said.

Despite the pain and discomfort, I managed to understand him. Reluctantly, I got up and followed Kabuto, unsure of what awaited me.

"Why are you doing this to me?" I asked, desperate for answers.

"Orochimaru-sama will tell you if he wants to," Kabuto replied coldly, offering no further explanation. Frustrated, I realized I couldn't expect humanity from these two individuals. I couldn't recall what Orochimaru had said before I passed out, but his sinister grin lingered in my memory.

Passing other rooms, I heard the sobs of a grown man, filling me with dread. I feared I would meet a similar fate soon. As we entered Orochimaru's presence, his voice sent shivers down my spine.

"Yuro-kun, good to see you again," he greeted me with a sinister grin. I responded meekly, feeling like a mouse before a hungry snake.

"I have a question for you, Yuro-kun. Do you know who your father is?" Orochimaru asked, examining my injured hand with false concern.

"Come here," he beckoned, and I reluctantly approached. He straightened my broken pinky finger, causing me to cry out in pain. He then asked about the Uchiha Clan, to which I shook my head.

"Kabuto, heal him," Orochimaru commanded, and Kabuto complied, relieving my pain. However, I knew the ordeal was far from over.

"Now, stand there and tell me when your sight turns red, Yuro-kun," Orochimaru instructed. Confused, I obeyed, only to have my finger broken again.

As the torture continued, I felt helpless and terrified. I begged for mercy, but Orochimaru showed none. When my arm was broken, I saw red and tried to communicate it, but it was too late.

"It's red! My sight…" I managed to say through tears and pain. Orochimaru's smile sent chills down my spine.

"Excellent, Yuro-kun!" Kabuto ushered me forward and healed my arm, while Orochimaru continued speaking. "Don't forget that feeling you just had, Yuro-kun. It is very important."

As Kabuto healed my arm, I tried to regain control of my breathing. Afterward, I was able to see that everything was dyed red. The shadows seemed to recede, and my vision was clearer than ever.

"What is this?" I asked in wide-eyed confusion, looking like the child I was.

"That is what makes you special, Yuro-kun. With my help, you can achieve great things in the future," Orochimaru said with a wide smile. "You should be happy, Yuro-kun. I will make it so you can become a force to be reckoned with." He then bent down, put a hand on my head, and ruffled my hair. "Let us go have some food, shall we?"

Unsurprisingly, I wasn't that hungry.