The Omnipresent Shinobi

2

Chapter 2: The Weight of Existence

Unseen Threat

Naruto had no idea that beyond the physical world, far above mortal understanding, a verdict had been passed on his life. He did not know that the gods, celestial beings who had long considered themselves above all things, had deemed him a threat. He could not see the great halls where divine beings gathered.

His omnipresence, vast as it was becoming, did not yet reach beyond this reality.

But had he known, had he understood the magnitude of what loomed over him, would it have changed anything?

---

A World in Pain

Naruto sat on the Fourth Hokage’s stone head, his small frame outlined against the night sky. He did this often, not because it made him feel closer to the father he never knew, but because it was the only place where he could breathe without feeling like the walls were closing in.

Tonight, however, there was no comfort.

Through dreams and visions, he had seen it all, the world’s endless suffering, the wars, the betrayals, the injustices, a starving mother in the Land of Waves, holding her lifeless child, a village burning in the Land of Rivers, its people slaughtered by bandits, a lone shinobi bleeding out on the battlefield, whispering a name that would never hear him.

His small hands clenched into fists, his nails dug into his palms, he gritted his teeth so hard they hurt.

“Why…?”

And then, the Voice spoke.

"You see the suffering of the world and grieve. That is natural. You are young, and your heart has not yet hardened to the truths of existence. But tell me, child, did you expect a world free of pain?"

Naruto flinched, though he had heard this voice many times before. It was always there, watching, speaking. Not cruel, not kind. Just… present.

He swallowed, staring at the endless village below. "I... I don't know what I expected. But this... it ain't fair."

"Fair?" The Voice’s tone did not mock, nor did it console. "Fairness is a concept of the limited. You perceive the suffering of the weak, but do you also perceive the prosperity of the strong? You mourn for those who fall, but do you celebrate those who rise? You see death, but do you not also see life? The two are inseparable, Naruto."

Naruto trembled. "But why does it have to be this way? Why are some people born just to suffer?"

Silence.

A silence not of absence, but of presence. A stillness so overwhelming it felt like the very universe held its breath, considering the weight of his question.

Then, the Voice spoke.

"Some are born to suffer, and some are born to prosper. That is the nature of existence. The world is not kind, nor is it cruel, it simply is. A river does not weep for the drowning man, nor does the sun rejoice in the blossoming of a flower. Fate does not twist to your liking, nor does it move in defiance of your will. It simply moves."

Naruto’s body tensed. His emotions boiled. His fist slammed into the cold stone of his father’s monument. “That... that's not good enough.”

The Voice rumbled, deep and vast. "Then what will you do, child?"

Naruto's breath hitched. The words were not a command. Not a taunt. Simply a question.

"Will you seek to change the world? Will you shatter the scales of balance? Will you defy the way things are?"

Naruto had no answer. Not yet.

And the Voice did not press him for one. It simply faded, leaving behind a boy staring at a world drowning in its own suffering.

And for the first time, Naruto asked himself, if he had the power to see everything, then did he have the power to change anything?

---

Prophecy in Shadows

Far away, in the depths of Mount Myōboku, the Great Toad Sage, Gamamaru, stirred from his meditation. His ancient, clouded eyes widened as a vision came upon him.

A child.

A boy with golden hair and blue eyes, yet something vast lurked beneath his skin. Something boundless. A force beyond divine comprehension.

Naruto Uzumaki.

A danger? A savior? He could not tell.

But one thing was clear. The boy’s life was in peril. And beyond that… Gamamaru could see no further.

The vision ended, and the ancient toad sat in silence.

"A future clouded in shadows… This boy… he is the key. But to what?"

His eyes narrowed, yet he made no move to summon Jiraiya.

Not yet.

---

Naruto sat in his apartment, the day’s exhaustion wearing on him. The visions had left him drained, his mind sluggish. He closed his eyes, hoping, just for a moment, to find peace.

And then, it happened.

A beam of light struck him.

There was no pain. No heat. No damage.

And yet, when he opened his eyes, he was somewhere else.

A vast, empty canyon stretched endlessly in every direction. The sky was a storm of swirling gray, devoid of sun or stars. There was no life here, no warmth, nothing but the whisper of the wind.

Naruto’s breath hitched. His heart pounded. What… what is this place?!

Then, the heavens tore open.

From the swirling sky, a figure descended upon a dark cloud. It was Fujin, The God of Wind.

His skin was green, his hair wild, red and white, as though the wind itself had twisted it into a storm. A leopard-skin sash draped across his shoulders, and on his back, he carried a vast bag, one that rippled with an unseen force.

The god’s piercing eyes settled on the boy, unbothered, uninterested. Then, he spoke.

"Naruto Uzumaki. You have been judged."

Naruto’s mouth felt dry. "J-Judged? What... What did I do?"

Fujin’s voice was bored, almost lazy. "The gods have deemed your existence a threat. Your power, the thing inside you, will one day surpass us all. We cannot allow that."

The words sent ice through Naruto’s veins. A threat? He didn’t even know what he was! What power was he supposed to have?

“I...” He hesitated. “I haven’t done anything!”

Fujin shrugged. "Not yet."

Naruto staggered back, panic rising. "No, wait! That’s not fair! You, you can’t just..."

His voice caught in his throat.

His mind screamed for help. For a miracle.

"Voice!"

He called out, desperate.

"Please! Help me!"

Silence.

Naruto’s heart sank.

Fujin exhaled, raising a hand lazily. "No hard feelings, kid. You just got unlucky."

The winds howled. Power gathered. The sky twisted into a cyclone.

Naruto sank to his knees, despair sinking in.

There was no one coming.

No help.

No escape.

And as Fujin unleashed his divine wrath, Naruto closed his eyes, and waited for the end.