Ch1: Where am i?

When I woke up, I found myself staring at an unfamiliar ceiling... seriously.

It's a ceiling with a wooden design that seems somewhat Japanese, but where the heck am I?

I decided to sit up and look around. On a low table nearby, I spotted what looked like a letter.

Thinking it might shed some light on the situation, I picked up the paper.

"What's this..."

( It seems you've safely reincarnated. In that world, there exists something called ninja, and this place is called Konohagakure in the Land of Fire )

"Konohagakure in the Land of Fire... This is giving me a really bad feeling"

To confirm whether this ominous feeling was justified, I looked out the window.

It's like Japan but not quite.

That in itself wouldn't be an issue... as long as it's not the town from that certain ninja manga!!

"There's no way this is the world of NARUTO... it's not just about dying, death is lurking everywhere, isn't it!?"

I rolled around the room in agony, clutching my head.

After a while, I felt a sense of unease about the view from the window and looked outside again.

Hokage residence... No problem.

Konoha village... There seem to be fewer buildings, but still, no problem.

The Hokage faces on the mountain... Two faces?

"I remember there were three or four of them at the start of the original... What time period is this now? Seriously, dont tell me it's before the Nine-Tails goes on a rampage!?"

Thinking about the event known for its incredibly high mortality rate, I felt like banging my head against something. However, I remembered that I hadn't finished reading the letter, so I clung to it, hoping for answers.

Reading through the letter, I absorbed the information:

(First, let me tell you about your status in this world. Your relatives and acquaintances have been affected by the war and are no longer here. The place you find yourself in now is your home and a shop. You own the land and the shop, so you won't need to pay any money. The shop is a used book store, and the books are considered to have been collected by your parents in preparation for opening the shop. You should primarily sleep on the second floor of this house. There's no sign outside, so you can come up with the shop's name yourself)

"...Running a bookshop without a sign is a pretty questionable business strategy."

An empty bookstore with no customers as my new life. It's not exactly thrilling news, but I guess it could be worse.

"What's next?"

(Speaking of finances, I've left enough money in the bedroom safe for you to live comfortably for fifty years. There's also a small garden in the backyard to ensure you're self-sufficient. Next, your name. In this world, your name is Yomito Motouri. Regarding reading and writing, your brain will automatically translate, so unless you intentionally write in Japanese, there shouldn't be any issues)

"Yomito Motouri? The characters are different, but it seems like a reference to someone who sells and reads books... It's straightforward, I guess."

With a changed name and a new world to live in, I couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. However, I steeled myself and continued reading the letter:

(As for your abilities, you can use up to five Magic and Trap cards at once. Magic card effects are calculated as five minutes per turn. Perpetual Magic and Trap effects will disappear if you leave them alone for a day. However, if you want to remove them immediately, you'll need to use a different Magic or Trap effect. Magic and Trap cards aren't unlimited, though. You can only use the same Magic or Trap card three times a day, with a maximum of forty uses per day. Be aware that Forbidden and Limited cards have separate limitations. You're considered both a Monster and a Player, and you're always present in your hand, on the field, and in your deck. The rest is for you to figure out)

"That's a bit rough around the edges... Huh? There's more?"

Thinking that this was the end, I began reading the second letter with little hope.

(This is my final gift to you)

(With the level of physical ability you had before, you might end up here if something happens. So, I've slightly improved your physical abilities. To be specific, you should have the physical prowess of an average Genin in that world)

"This... This is a lifesaver! With my previous physical abilities, escaping would have been impossible. I was terrible at track and field."

Feeling a bit more optimistic thanks to this unexpected gift, I put the letters aside and began to consider how I would navigate this new life in Konohagakure.

In my past life, I was good at swimming, but I'm terribly slow at running in this life, and my endurance is below average.

I knew I had to train because I realized this world is a dangerous place. If my natural abilities improve, maybe things will get a bit easier. For now, my goal is just to stay alive.

I probably won't leave this village, so I want to avoid getting involved with ninja, Hokage, ANBU, as long as I understand the current situation. Well, I think I won't have to interact with any of them as long as I live normally... probably.

Ignoring all that, there are plenty of dangerous events in the original storyline, but if it's before the Nine-Tails attack event, it should be something like that... assuming the Nine-Tails hasn't arrived yet.

"Anyway, for now, let's explore this house first! You can think later. If you're going to run a shop by yourself, you have to inspect it thoroughly!" 

With those thoughts in mind and trying to suppress my anxiety about the future, I, Sasakura Kiwami, now known as Motouri Yomito, descended the stairs to check out the shop. And so, my new life in the perilous ninja world, filled with uncertainties, began.