Chapter 1: The Beginning and the End

The late evening glow of the setting ng sun washed over the quiet streets, casting long shadows over the cracked pavement. Itsuki Tanaka trudged home, the sounds of cars and distant voices becoming background noise as his mind drifted elsewhere. His phone buzzed in his hand, but he didn't check it. He knew the texts were about tomorrow's plans, but he couldn't focus on that right now. His thoughts were immersed in something far more engaging—the world of Naruto and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Itsuki had always been captivated by the stories of ninjas and cursed energy. Growing up, he found solace in the vast universes of anime, but nothing resonated with him more than the Sharingan from Naruto and the Six Eyes from Jujutsu Kaisen. The complexity of those abilities, the intricate balance of power and cost—they were perfect. To Itsuki, those eyes were more than just tools for power; they symbolized evolution, struggle, and determination.

He loved the Uchiha clan's tragic story, how their Sharingan grew from their emotional pain, and the elegance with which Satoru Gojo wielded the Six Eyes, becoming almost untouchable. Those themes struck a chord deep within Itsuki's heart. He often imagined himself wielding such power, transcending limits like his favorite characters. It wasn't about domination; it was about mastery, about knowing one's abilities intimately and using them to protect and push forward.

As he walked, headphones in, Itsuki mentally replayed one of the final battle scenes from Naruto, where Sasuke's Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan clashed with Naruto's full might. The animation was crisp in his memory, every detail vivid. He had lost count of how many times he had watched the scene, but each viewing ignited the same sense of awe within him.

"Damn, that would be incredible…," Itsuki muttered to himself, imagining having those powers, being in that world.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the car speeding toward him from the side street. The blaring horn barely registered before it was too late. The world spun violently, the deafening crash swallowing his awareness.

For a fleeting moment, pain erupted across his body, and then there was only darkness.

----

The first thing Itsuki became aware of was the cold. A sharp, biting cold that crawled across his skin, dragging him from the abyss of unconsciousness. He tried to blink, his eyelids heavy as though he hadn't used them in weeks. Slowly, his vision came into focus, but the sight before him made no sense.

He wasn't on the street where the accident had happened. He wasn't in a hospital bed either. No, what greeted him was the sky—a vast, pale blue sky without a single building or powerline in sight. Above him, clouds drifted lazily, unaware of his confusion.

"What…?" Itsuki's voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. He tried to sit up, only for a wave of disorientation to hit him. Everything felt… different. His limbs were sluggish, almost foreign. He managed to push himself into a sitting position and glanced around, trying to make sense of his surroundings.

The area was unfamiliar. He was in a small, sparsely furnished room, with a rickety wooden table and a single chair by the window. The air smelled faintly of dust and old wood. He looked down at his hands, and for a moment, panic flared in his chest. His hands—they were small, too small. The hands of a child. His heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet and rushed to the nearest reflective surface: a small, cracked mirror hanging on the wall.

What he saw sent a shiver down his spine.

The face staring back at him was not his own—at least, not the one he remembered. His reflection was that of a young boy, no more than seven or eight years old. He had silver-white hair that fell messily over his forehead, not unlike Gojo's from JJK or Kakashi's from Naruto. His eyes, though... they were striking—a strange mix of icy blue and crimson, reminiscent of the Six Eyes combined with the Sharingan he had adored.

"I… I'm a kid?!" Itsuki gasped, stumbling back from the mirror. His heart raced, and his breath came in short bursts as he tried to grasp the reality of the situation.

Suddenly, memories that weren't his own began flooding his mind—a different life, a different world. Vivid images flashed before him: the village, children playing, training grounds, and the faces of unfamiliar people. The orphanage. The thought struck him with clarity. He was in an orphanage. That much he knew. But how? And why?

"This can't be real…" Itsuki muttered, gripping his hair as if trying to hold onto some semblance of his past life. But the truth was undeniable.

He had died.

The truck. The impact. It had all been real. But now, somehow, he was here—in this new body, in this new world. A world that, after only a few moments of scanning his surroundings, he realized was eerily familiar. The buildings, the attire, the small things… all screamed one thing.

He was in the world of Naruto.

The thought almost knocked him off his feet. It was too surreal. A dream, perhaps? Some kind of cruel joke? No. The sensations, the smells, the cold air… it was too vivid. He had read enough manga and watched enough anime to know what reincarnation stories looked like, but this was different. This was real.

Sitting down on the floor, Itsuki tried to steady his breathing. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts at once. How had this happened? Why was he here? What was he supposed to do now? He knew the Naruto storyline by heart—he had spent countless hours watching the anime and reading the manga—but nothing in his wildest dreams had prepared him for this.

As the minutes dragged on, the initial shock began to subside, replaced by a deep, gnawing fear. What now? What did being in this world mean? Was he supposed to follow the storyline, or would his presence here change everything?

And then, as if in response to his spiraling thoughts, a soft knock sounded at the door. Itsuki's heart skipped a beat. He stood up, his body moving on autopilot, and opened the door to reveal a woman standing there. She was unfamiliar, dressed simply, with a kind but tired expression.

"Itsuki, it's time for dinner," she said gently, her eyes soft with concern.

He blinked, momentarily thrown by her words. "Dinner?"

"Yes, you've been quiet all day. Are you feeling alright?" she asked, her voice filled with a warmth that contrasted sharply with the chaos in his mind.

Itsuki swallowed hard, realizing that this was his new life now. This woman, this body, this world… it was real. And somehow, he had to figure out what came next.

"I'm fine," he lied, forcing a small smile. "I'll be there in a minute."

As she left, closing the door behind her, Itsuki let out a shaky breath. The reality of his situation weighed heavily on him. He had wanted to be in the world of Naruto, to experience the abilities he had admired from afar. But now, standing here as a child in an unfamiliar body, he realized just how overwhelming that wish had been.

With one last glance at his reflection in the cracked mirror, Itsuki whispered to himself, "What am I supposed to do now?"

He had no idea where to begin, but one thing was certain his new life had just started, and it was up to him to survive in this world.