Chapter 1: New Beginnings

### Chapter 1: New Beginnings

The world fell away in layers, dark shades of gray blending into a blinding light. Dr. Arin Ray, a prominent neurosurgeon, last remembered the cold grip of the steering wheel, the slick rain-smeared road, and then—a flash of something fierce and unsettling, like lightning striking too close to home. Death, he had long suspected, was merely a passage, not an end. Yet, he had not expected to awake again, especially not like this.

His new world blinked open with the sunrise seeping through a rickety window. The sounds were different here—soft whispers of wind, the distant chirping of birds, and closer, the gentle, rhythmic breathing of children asleep. His own body felt peculiar, small, and inexplicably energetic. With a shock that sent his newfound heart racing, he realized he was no longer an adult. His hands were tiny, chubby with youth. He was a child—a four-year-old boy, judging by his reflection in a broken mirror across the room. His name, he soon learned, was Arashi.

The orphanage was a humble establishment nestled on the fringes of the Land of Fire, overseen by a kind, middle-aged woman named Nono Yakushi. It took Arashi little time to understand that he was not just in another body, but another world entirely—a world startlingly similar to the universe of the *Naruto* anime, a show he'd watched and rewatched as a form of escapism during his demanding career.

Within weeks, Arashi gathered that this orphanage, though seemingly benign, was quietly funded by an organization known as Root, led by the enigmatic and ruthless Danzo Shimura. A chill ran through him whenever the adults whispered that name, a sign of a terror deeply ingrained even in his youthful heart. He knew, instinctively, that staying under the radar was crucial. Danzo had a notorious reputation for grooming young orphans into soldiers, devoid of emotion and loyal only to him.

Realizing his precarious situation, Arashi decided he needed a plan to escape, a difficult feat given his age and current abilities. But he also knew that he couldn't stay in the orphanage indefinitely, waiting to be discovered or worse, turned into a tool for someone's ambition.

His days were structured—chores in the morning, lessons in basic reading and math later, followed by what little playtime there was. But the nights were his own. Using his previous life's knowledge, Arashi began to train his body. Each night, after the matron and other children had fallen asleep, he would sneak out to a small clearing he had found in the woods nearby. There, under the cover of darkness, he would practice whatever physical exercises his young body could handle. Push-ups, though shaky at first, squats, and stretches. He remembered snippets from the show, the basic forms of taijutsu that shinobi used, and tried to mimic them.

One evening, while practicing a particularly difficult move he recalled from the anime, he heard a rustle in the underbrush. Freezing, Arashi glanced around, his heart pounding in his chest. It was just a rabbit, eyeing him curiously before bounding away. It was in that moment, watching the creature disappear into the darkness, that Arashi decided he would need allies if he was to survive.

The next morning, after lessons, Arashi approached Nono Yakushi with a question about the flowers growing near the orphanage's entrance. She smiled, pleased with his curiosity, and spent the afternoon teaching him about different plants and their uses. Through these small interactions, Arashi began to build a rapport with her, hoping to gain her trust and, eventually, her help.

As the year passed, Arashi grew stronger, both in body and mind. His plans became more detailed, his observations sharper. He noted the comings and goings of the orphanage's patrons, mapped out the nearby geography in his mind, and continued his nightly training with unwavering discipline. His goal was clear: escape before he was old enough to draw Danzo's attention, and find a way to live freely in this strange, new world that fate had thrust him into.

Arashi's journey was just beginning, and he knew the road would be fraught with dangers. But he also knew that he had something he never had in his previous life—a second chance. And this time, he was not going to waste it.