2. A Jinchuriki

Ultear, the daughter of Gray's and Lion's teacher Ur. The boy remembers that Ultear was suffering from having too much magic power, so Ur brought her to an institute to get treated.

However, the "doctors" weren't even trying to cure Ultear. They were using her as an experiment subject and told Ur that her daughter died. She demanded her daughter's body to be returned, but they lied again, saying Ultear's body was damaged very badly so they could keep using her.

'I see. So this is the facility where Ultear is being experimented on. From the looks of it, she seems to have just been admitted here. That means she hasn't escaped and misunderstood her mom to have abandoned her because she saw Ur having fun with her 2 disciples.'

The boy finally knows where he is although he can't really remember the details of this location. He doesn't know where this place is located, but at least he knows it is in Ishgar Continent.

'Ultear is a little older than Gray, right? That means I will live during the main story's time.'

He feels quite relieved because if he lives during the main story's time, then his knowledge about the story will be very helpful.

"U-um, are you okay?"

Ultear's question stops his thinking.

"Yeah, sorry, I was thinking of something. Anyway, you want to know about this place, right? Don't be surprised and listen to me calmly, okay?"

"Y-yes."

"This is a facility where those scum adults that brought you here experiment on people. You and I, and a lot of people here are their experiment subjects."

"Eh?"

"It surely is shocking to you, but that's the truth. I have been staying in this place for almost 2 years."

Instead of sugar-coating what he says, the boy decides to tell Ultear the truth even though it will break her heart. She will soon experience it herself, so it's better if he makes her prepared first.

"N-no! Mommy! Where's my mommy? Waaa~"

She cries again after hearing the truth about this place. The boy doesn't know how to comfort her, so he just waits for her to finish crying.

"Sniff. Did my mom abandon me? Why am I here? Where is my mom?"

"Hey, little girl, listen. I don't know how you get here, but it's better to not make assumptions like that. Most of the test subjects here were kidnapped, so maybe you are also kidnapped by them."

"R-really?"

"Listen, don't believe whatever they say. All of the children here were told that they have been abandoned or even sold by their parents. But I know that isn't the case at all because some of them were from wealthy families. It's just that we are valuable test subjects and they want to keep us here forever. They want to break our morale and in the case of children, they told us that we are sold by our parents here so we will give up retaliating."

While he's at it, he thinks that he might as well help Ultear and Ur. It's not just because he pity them. Ultear will find a way to escape sometime in the future, so he hopes she can help him escape too.

Of course, he will try to find a way to escape from now on. It's just an insurance because Ultear will 100% find a way to escape if the story goes as it is while his chance is not 100%.

That's why he will form a good relationship with Ultear. She is the key to escaping this place. And he is also lonely without anyone to talk to, so she is a good companion for him.

"Don't worry, we will escape this place."

"How?"

"W-well, we'll find a way."

If he knows how, he won't be detained here for 2 years.

"U-um, what's your name?"

"I don't have a name. They named me silver in the orphanage, but it was actually just a code because that orphanage was owned by this place to raise the children for their experiment. Now they even call just call me Number 53."

The boy points at the number on his ragged clothes. He can't remember his past life's name and no one even gives him a proper name in this life.

"Then, let's think of a name for you."

Ultear looks very sad knowing that the boy doesn't have a name.

"Sure. I'm not good at naming, so can you help me?"

"Okay."

They are thinking hard about what name suits him. It will be used his whole life, so they need to choose carefully.

Then after quite a long discussion, they finally agreed on a name.

Alexander Sterling.

The first name Alexander comes from a story that Ur has read for Ultear before. Alexander is a very strong character there and she thinks that the boy is also strong like Alexander because he can endure torture for 2 years without losing his mind.

The boy also likes it because it reminds him of a Legend's name in his past life. Alexander The Great, a King of the Ancient Green Kingdom of Macedonia whose name keeps being remembered after centuries.

As for Sterling, it means high-quality silver. He doesn't know where Ultear learns that word, but it sounds nice as a surname, so he accepts it.

Now his name is Alexander Sterling and they agree to make Alex his nickname.

They talk until Ultear falls asleep. No one knows whether it's day or night because they are confined in isolated rooms. They just sleep whenever they are sleepy.

When Ultear sleeps, Alex decides to check his power. He closes his eyes and focuses on the feeling he always has whenever he transforms.

"I see. So it's you."

Alex finds himself in a dark space. He doesn't move, this is his subconsciousness, a place inside his mind.

In front of him is a gigantic monster that all Naruto fans know, the 1 Tail Beast, Shukaku.

"HAHAHAHA! So you finally come, kid. I've been waiting. No! We've been waiting."

8 small red orbs appear around Alex.

"Don't tell me these are...."

"My brothers and sisters."

Alex is surprised because the other 8 orbs are the other Tailed Beasts from the Naruto world. He has already guessed it with Shukaku here, but it still surprises him when Shukaku confirms it.

"I have some questions, but first, why are they looking like this?"

"You mean why they are just energy orbs? Well, that's because you aren't strong enough to use their power, so they can't manifest their bodies. Even you are barely strong enough to use my power now. So having more of us will just destroy your body."

"I see, that's logical. 2nd question, you know my real identity, aren't you?"

"Of course, you are someone reincarnated from another world. Actually, you can say that all of us here are reincarnated from another world. I have a lot to explain to you, so listen carefully."

Shukaku explains that he and the other Tailed Beasts here aren't their real selves. They are like clones made out of the real ones in the Naruto World.

The one who cloned them is that Goddess that reincarnated Alex to this world. With her Godly power, she could create clones of Tailed Beasts easily.

Then she wanted to experiment if their power can be used in another world without chakra. This world uses magic power and the source is something called Ethernano instead of chakra.

But just releasing them into the world will not be good because then powerful Mages will hunt them as they will be seen as threats, so she won't be able to observe them for a long time.

That's why she picked a host from another world who knows about them and their power. Basically, she chose a Jinchuuriki to keep the Tailed Beasts and Alex was chosen.

"So you can say that all of us here are her test subjects. But unlike the bastards that torture you every day, she will only observe us. Us being here is already the experiment. She just needs to observe how our power can be used here and how you grow."

"I see. But are you fine with that? If this is your original world, then I'm sure you'll hate being sealed in a human's body and have your power used. But you don't even try to leave my body."

"Well, what can I do? Do you think we haven't tried to escape from that damn Goddess before she sent us here? She was just too powerful even for all of us and we couldn't escape. Instead, being in your body and living in this world are actually much better compared to being in that damn Goddess's place. We have more freedom here."

"Freedom? But you are just staying inside my body. Does that mean you can come out?"

"No, we can't. We are forever bound to you. But because we are bound to you, we also see what you see, hear what you hear, and sense what you sense. When you transform into us, we are basically being released for a while even if you are the one controlling your body. That's why kid, you need to transform more, HAHAHA!"

Alex now has more understanding of his power and although knowing that he gets reincarnated as a test subject really pisses him off, he is also grateful because he can live again and the Goddess actually gives him freedom in this life.

"Alright then, Shukaku. I now understand the gist of it. Now, can you teach me more about our power so we can escape from this place?"

"Escape? Heh, kid, we will destroy this place."