Takeshi lay on his bed, contemplating life with a sense of boredom. As a college student from a wealthy family, he enjoyed a comfortable life. His father was a successful businessman, and his mother held a high-ranking position in the government. Although they were busy, Takeshi knew his parents loved him dearly, despite their lack of time together.
However, spending much of his time alone had made Takeshi somewhat introverted. His main hobbies were playing games and watching anime. He could talk endlessly about the adventures of his favorite anime characters. Although he attended a prestigious university, he was socially awkward and had never experienced love or meaningful relationships after graduation. Sometimes life felt good, but without passion or goals, it became monotonous.
Lying on his bed, Takeshi pondered silently, questioning the meaning of human life. Suddenly, Uncle Snake's famous words echoed in his mind: "Life may seem meaningless, but interesting things happen when you live, just like when you discover a flower..."
Lost in his thoughts, Takeshi's eyes shot open as a sudden pain surged through his mind. Attempting to get up, he realized his vision was dark and blurred. Panic washed over him as he tried to speak, but no words escaped his lips. It felt as if he had awakened from a dreadful nightmare but couldn't fully regain control. In the darkness, a dark red energy enveloped him, and slowly, Takeshi slipped into unconsciousness.
In the dormitory, only Takeshi remained. The red energy consumed him like a raging fire, eventually swallowing him entirely into nothingness. However, the intense heat generated by the red energy sparked a fire that engulfed everything.
The following day, a renowned university suddenly caught fire, causing injuries to many students. The news of another student's mysterious disappearance spread across the country, igniting curiosity and speculation. Countless experts and professors conducted investigations, attempting to understand the phenomenon. Some proposed theories involving high temperatures leading to human vaporization. Takeshi's family mourned the incident deeply, but life had to go on, and eventually, the incident faded into the past.
Amidst the darkness, Takeshi gradually regained consciousness but was horrified to discover himself transformed into a pale ball of light. "What on earth... Did I die? Is this my soul?" he wondered, with a sense of helplessness. Unable to express his grievances, Takeshi pondered on life and the profound lesson it had just taught him—how precious life truly is.
The space surrounding him was pitch-black, with countless light spots passing by. Takeshi felt an incomparable surge of spiritual power, and vivid memories from his childhood flooded his mind. After a while, a bold idea struck him: Could this be my rebirth? Assuming that he had indeed perished, Takeshi wondered if his family would mourn his loss. Though he anticipated their grief, he found solace in their prosperity and the knowledge that they never lacked the necessities of life.
Since I'm almost dead anyway... Takeshi decided to put his bold idea into action, inspired by the countless novels he had read. He propelled himself toward those light clusters, determined to consume them.
Struggling to collide with a light cluster, Takeshi felt a momentary dizziness. Though he lacked a physical mouth, his will to devour that light cluster remained resolute. Takeshi noticed that his light cluster appeared brighter than the others, which seemed devoid of consciousness. His light cluster entwined itself around another, causing the latter to dim slightly, but to no apparent effect.
Just as Takeshi felt lost, the red light that had consumed him before reemerged, startling him. Fearful of being burned again and reduced to ashes, he watched as the red light seemed to become one with him, wrapping around both him and the other light cluster. Then, the red light transformed into a thorn and pierced the light cluster. Instantly, the light cluster withered away, accompanied by a faint scream, until it was completely extinguished.
A wave of refreshing energy coursed through Takeshi. He sensed a surge in his own size, but questioned the nature of the red light. Observing the other light spots, he deduced that they were all souls, just like him.
In truth, those were souls without consciousness, and Takeshi should have been the same. Yet, unlike the others, he possessed his own consciousness and was stronger. He could consume other light clusters, all thanks to the mysterious red light.
"I'm dead, why should I care so much? The dead should let go, just like birds that fly into the sky... Well, they're already dead anyway." Takeshi embraced his newfound indifference and eagerly pounced on the distant light clusters.
In the boundless dark world, Takeshi and the other light clusters flew in one direction, with limited mobility. Meanwhile, the other light clusters aimlessly spun around. Takeshi gradually devoured numerous light clusters, growing larger and larger, until he felt overwhelmed. His thoughts grew clearer, and he seemed to float while remaining fully aware. A faint illusion of immense power enveloped him, yet the deep silence surrounding him filled him with growing unease.
After consuming all the light clusters, Takeshi expanded tenfold, causing discomfort due to the exaggerated growth. Suddenly, a deeper and more sinister black hole appeared in his path. Its immense suction force pulled Takeshi toward it, and in a panicked frenzy, he struggled with all his might. His strength seemed capable of breaking free!
From the evil black hole, faint roars echoed, and several black chains materialized, linking Takeshi's light cluster to the black hole, attempting to drag him inside.
"Damn it! Let me go! This can't be a good place! And why are these chains attached to me?"
Casting a glance at the black hole, Takeshi sensed a similar dark energy and aura emanating from within. Anger surged from within him, transforming into courage. "Fine, you killed me and brought me here! I won't go down without a fight!" Takeshi struggled fiercely, snapping the chains one by one. Unyielding roars of defiance and anger reverberated from the black hole, causing the black aura to dissipate.
Takeshi contemplated entering the black hole to confront the entity that may have caused his demise, but he also yearned for rebirth. However, he soon realized that the black hole still existed and its suction force grew stronger, leaving him no chance to escape.
Embarrassingly, Takeshi's increased size prevented him from being entirely sucked in. The force of suction intensified, compressing Takeshi's body and reducing his size. Under this pressure, black impurities were expelled from his light cluster, while Takeshi himself became brighter and more solid. It was a painful process, and Takeshi's heart ached. Finally, he was sucked in like water down a drain, and the black hole vanished.
In reality, if he hadn't entered the black hole, Takeshi would have eventually dissipated into energy, with his consciousness fading away. He would never have returned to his previous world.
Silently, a blood-red, slender lightning bolt struck the clear sky. In that moment, a brand-new soul came into existence. Sixteen years later, in the village of Konoha, an extraordinary journey was about to unfold.
*****
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