The Far Reach
Session Zero.
[You have successfully completed a short rest.]
He blinked slowly. Once, twice, thrice — but no. Had he hallucinated that? No, he was pretty sure he had not… maybe. The message was clear in his sight for a while, spoken in his mind by a deep baritone and imprinted in his eyes as if written in the air by perfect calligraphy.
After a second, it vanished, and the boy felt distinctively dizzy.
Had that happened?
And when did it get dark? The moon was already out...
Well, then.
Uzumaki Naruto blinked slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes and blinking slowly again. His back was laid out against the forest floor, jacket open and grass pressed against his skin. The Forbidden Scroll of Seals was laid down by his side, just as it had been before. That was good, too; Mizuku-sensei wouldn't be too impressed if he found him napping with the scroll he was supposed to learn from.
His eyes instantly widened.
Ah!
Mizuki-sensei ! The test! Damn, what was he doing? He had to pick another Jutsu to learn fast; the first one had apparently been such a colossal failure that he was knocked out. Eiyūsozo sounded really cool, but apparently it was about as useful as a blunt kunai. Damn it, damn it, damn it! He should've known that jutsu was weird, what with the weird blood circle on the grass and weirder chanting. But it said it gave whoever did it 'incredible power', and scrolls weren't supposed to lie.
Bah. He'd kick the ass of whoever wrote that in some day.
He jumped to his feet in a flash, bending his knees and grimacing softly as he did so. Fuck. Fuckity fuckfuck. Naruto felt like screaming. This was his only chance! Desperately, the boy called Uzumaki Naruto reached for the scroll and rolled it open. No time to browse; he'd just have to stick with the first thing that came up.
...even if it was apparently another damn bunshin. Ugh. Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was the first one in the list, with a variation called the Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu listed just below it, and there weren't quite that many details given on the jutsu. The warning, however, was clear: This technique requires tremendous amounts of Chakra.
Psh.
Thankfully, Naruto was quite aware that, as far as Catra — no, Chakra — went, he was doing quite fine.
Well. It was better than nothing, and there weren't that many hand signs to begin with. Maybe he'd be able to actually do this one. Yeah! There was no way Iruka-sensei wouldn't pass him if he not only managed to pass the stealth exam but also mastered a cooler Bunshin.
So he set out to practice — ready to diligently follow the given instructions.
He'd get this in no time!
— Ping!
[ In your travels, you have stumbled upon the secrets to a powerful technique: ]
[Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu]
Would you like to learn this technique?
[Yes] [No]
He was definitely seeing it now, crystal clear — there was a floating rectangle in front of his face, floating a feet away or so. Whatever it was seemed to emulate a sheet of worn paper, slightly yellowed with the text written in black letters and perfect calligraphy, twirls and all.
Unsurprisingly, the first thing that crossed Uzumaki Naruto's mind was, indubitably, "Oh fuck, I'm going insane." So, as any reasonable man ought to do, he proceeded to panic about it — jumping back as if physically struck, falling on his butt and pointing at the box as if that would somehow drive it away. He stuttered and sputtered, eyes wide, and then rubbed at his eyes.
Nope, he concluded. Still there. Fuck. He knew there'd been something wrong with that Ramen… ah, damn it, what the hell! Come on!
"What the fuck?! Oh man, how am I supposed to be a Ninja if I'm crazy? How am I supposed to be Hokage?"
Never let it be said that Uzumaki Naruto ever lost sight of his goals.
[ Though what you see disturbs you deeply, your desire remains unshaken. You have a goal, an objective, and you'll hold onto it tight.]
[ Quest: "To bear the Will of Fire" added to Compendium. ]
And…
Honestly? It might be stupid. It certainly felt stupid. But the stupid hallucination had a point: Uzumaki Naruto would never let something as stupid as this stop him from reaching his goal and becoming Hokage.
Absolutely no way. Fuck that. So he jumped to his feet, scowl on his face, and walked to the scroll.
"You're damn right! And you're damn right I want to learn this Jutsu, so just sit and watch me!"
The option (or that's what he assumed the little boxes beneath the bigger message were) that read 'Yes' suddenly shined, and the whole thing simply vanished —
Ping!
[You make your choice, and decide to dive into your studies, intent on learning this technique.]
[ You have succeeded on your Arcana check, and thus were able to learn the technique. Hold your head high with pride!]
[ Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu was added to your character sheet. ]
.
..
…
[ Before learning a Spell, you must first complete your character, brave and impatient Adventurer! ]
— There were two problems with this.
One was that, well, the little letter-like boxes kept popping up. He had half-hoped they'd simply stop, but, alas, it seemed as if they were there to stay. Lovely. The second problem, however, was more concerning —
Naruto blinked, and somehow, he was aware without being awake. Information flowed in hm— within a second, he knew the Kage Bunshin, much like he knew his name. It flooded his mind and into his spirit. Time passed, the information already there and yet Naruto remained, dazed in wonder.
He was still there, in the florest. He saw the scroll in his hands and the grass around him, felt the breeze on his face and the odd passing leaf that flew by. Saw himself practice the handsign for the technique, testing out the chakra and how it flowed.
He was also not there at all.
Instead —
He was in a white room. And I mean completely white; no walls, no shadows, no nothing. Just him and an eternity of white in every direction…
No, that isn't right. There's something else, too.
He was sitting on a table with God.
"So."
The man sitting in front of him took a sip from the cup of something that he held, his back relaxed and his posture friendly. He wore odd clothes; long and colorful robes, decorated with moving stars and planets and galaxies that seemed to shift every time he blinked. Other than that, his appearance was…
— Huh.
Naruto could see the man. He wasn't blurry, and it didn't bother him at all.
But…
For some reason — He couldn't find the words to describe him, no matter how much he wracked his brain to find them.
For his part, the man laughed.
"The DC for that would be waaaay too high, kid."
Ah. Yeah, that was right — there was no way Naruto was strong enough to … wait a second, fuck that.
He slammed his hand on the table and pointed a finger at God, a scowl on his lips and challenge in his gaze.
"What the fuck does that even mean? And who the hell are you?!*
"Ah," said God, smiling softly. "But you know the answer to that."
Unfortunately for him, however,
"NO! I DON'T!"
Uzumaki Naruto found that, when faced with God, the primary feeling that coursed through his veins was confusion and frustration. Not quite what the preachers had said..
The man blinked slowly, just as he had earlier, and shook his head. A sigh, dreary and heavy, escaped his lips, and God leaned back into the chair he sat on.
"Yes, that's right," he uttered, sounding desolate. "You don't. My apologies… I am, perhaps, just as lost as you are."
— some of his frustration was drained.
That sounded genuine, and Naruto could somewhat relate to that. Still, he crossed his arms, pouting childishly as he did so.
"What does that even mean? What kind of god are you, anyway? Kami-sama should've been a little less clueless."
He got an answer almost immediately.
"Not yours."
Yeah, that checks out. Naruto felt like screaming.
Thankfully — the not-God clarified himself.
"I am not your Kami. I am not one of your gods… Hell, I am not even a god of this realm; in all honesty, I have no business being here."
"But you are," The blond replied, confusion in his voice and a furrow in his eyebrows, watching his companion with a pair of empathetic cerulean orbs.
"But I am," he replied. "Something happened, 12 years ago, that brought me here, though what it was I cannot say… alas, though I am powerful, I am not powerful over your realm, your world; I can watch, but only that. A twist of ironic fate, I suppose."
"You seem sad," Naruto noted.
The man nodded once, a smile on his lips.
"I am," he confirmed. "I thought myself aloof, exempt from the workings of the world, but I find myself missing my realm, my people and my powers and position more each passing day. Your realm is a beautiful one to be sure, but mine it is not; this is not where my tales belong."
The man seemed really sad, speaking about his home and position, and Naruto couldn't help but feel for him, god or not. It was like if he was stuck in Iwa or something; even if he was kickass to survive and stuff, there was no way he wouldn't miss Iruka-sensei or Jiji or Konoha.
Eager to distract him, the Uzumaki decided to inquire about something:
"Your tales?"
Light returned to the god's eyes, and he grinned — a full grin, bright and beautifully crafted. The otherwise completely white room seemed to shimmer in place for a second or two.
"Why, yes! I am the god of storytelling, amongst other things, after all. I craft stories from the world; I place challenges in front of the heroes and move sticks to make things interesting. It's a lovely job, if perhaps a bit cruel."
"Other things?" Naruto echoed.
"Yes, yes! Games, Storytelling, Heroes, Magic, Legends, Poetry... Things that inspire awe, that convey meaning and actions. In fact, I have recently taken to the name Game Master — based a game I saw in a Planewalker's memories of another world; memories of children playing a game of collective storytelling. Honestly, it was a little emotional for me."
A pause. His eyebrows furrowed, then raised, and he triumphantly snapped his fingers together as a number of paper sheets floated down from who knows where until they rested atop the wooden table. A needle was carefully laid beside them.
"Ah, speaking of that — We still need to make you a character, right?"
"What?" Naruto couldn't help but ask, completely confused once again. Was this dude for real? I mean, he seemed nice, but Naruto could barely keep up as is. And that's if he pretended not to panic over the fact gods were real…
Wait.
Why hadn't he panicked about that?
"Because it would be inconvenient, so I made sure to insert an awareness of my presence when you tried to learn that spell… sorry, Jutsoo. Ah, Jutsu. Admittedly, I just made you unconsciously aware of me, as opposed to simply granting you the knowledge of my existence, which… was probably a mistake." The Game Master answered patiently, waving a hand as if slapping his confusion away. "We don't have much time, honestly. I just didn't want to be the asshole God who doesn't say any of the important stuff… which is also why I'm kind of rushing things, admittedly. Sorry."
He snapped his fingers again —
And the world shifted.
They both still sat at the table, but where once there had been an infinite expanse of white surrounding them, they now stood in a beautiful forest in the light of day. It was not the forest Naruto had been in, though; the trees were excessively colourful, from blues to pinks to everywhere in between, and he could vaguely see a massive, massive tower in the distance.
It was... honestly, breathtakingly beautiful, and he couldn't help but marvel at the sight, much to the Game Master's amusement.
"A beautiful place, right? I crafted it myself, to serve as the lair to the nymph who would help and betray a hero from my land. She would wait under a tree for days and nights on end, awaiting the arrival of her destined hero — but when he came, she saw that destiny did not the man make alone." He chuckled. "That one was unwillingly cruel, but I find it a pretty tragedy nonetheless. Perhaps I will grant you the book they wrote from it later."
Naruto's lips curled in confused distaste. That's a lot of complicated words, but he got the gist of it; some girl had waited a lot for the hero, but when he got there he was an asshole and she ended up betraying him.
It was hard to be angry at the god for the bad ending, but it was also hard not to, because Naruto wasn't sure how these things worked. More than that, though, he felt odd when he looked at the man, as if he was conversing with something so incredibly beyond his mortal brain that it might as well be alien.
— He didn't like that feeling. It was like when he said something dumb and Iruka asked him why he thought that. He felt like an ant next to a mountain, only intellectually.
But he didn't say so, even if he was somewhat sure the man knew, because something told him not to.
"The hell did you mean by character?" He asked instead.
The Game Master snapped his fingers again, and in a flash of life, a miniature Naruto landed on the table between them, wearing nothing but his underwear. Naruto resisted the urge to cover himself despite the fact he was fully clothed.
The mini-me waves at them both, a smile on his features despite his, ah, less than acceptable attire.
"Now," the Game Master said, smiling. "I'll start by saying this — whatever it was that brought me here 12 years ago left me also with a connection to you, a thread between our souls and that of something else that lets me act upon you in some ways. And you, my boy, and enshrouded by the threads of fate."
"Fate?" Naruto echoed, tasting ashes and alarm at the word alone. "What, so my destiny is predetermined or whatever? What the hell?"
"No, no!" The Game Master assured him, waving his hands. "The Threads of Fate cannot pull you — they merely tell me Fate has something in store for you. The Gods cannot interfere in human's free will, but they can influence the world around them to make sure they come to meet. Your threads, friend, are of remarkable brilliance; You're going to live an eventful life."
An eventful life…
Yeah. Like a hero's life. Struggling though battles, saving princesses, becoming Hokage
Naruto liked the sound of that. Fuck yes.
"Cool," he decided, nodding once.
"Very cool," the god agreed, nodding alongside him. "So, because of that, I had an epiphany — I could exert what little power I have here over you, by granting you the gifts I bear from my own world in the way I know how. In return, once you grew powerful enough, you would be able to use those powers to send me back by accessing the very same magic from my Realm. A good deal, wouldn't you say? So I placed an illusion over your eyes, made you see a technique you wouldn't resist in the scroll — when in truth what you did was open your end of our channel."
— Ah!
"So those were the —"
"The floating boxes, yes!" The Game Master completed, smiling almost excitedly. "They're mimicking another type of game. And you needn't worry; I'm not giving you free power, merely using my Magic to let you grow into powers from my world as if you were a blessed one there. And what better way to do so than to mimic the very game I took my name from?"
… what?
Naruto didn't even know said game, but already he could tell that didn't check out. And Naruto was stupid.
Come on. Try harder.
"Now, I wouldn't call you stupid," the god said. "Just… unfocused. And hyperactive. And knuckleheaded. But not dumb, no. And you're right, there are other ways to go about it, but I'll be honest — most of them are beyond me. I chose this because it'll explain things as you go, things you would have known as you grew. I don't have the power I would need to simply grant you power right away, but I found I could grant you the power to acquire power, so to speak. A loophole. The Game cover is just… mm. Think of it as my being sentimental."
He paused — then snarled. Naruto felt distinctively sick for a moment.
"Damnation," he said, "We're running out of time. We'll need to get this done quickly.. or not at all."
And here Naruto had a choice to make, he could tell — Because something in him told him he could struggle, he could refuse to play along, he could buy time until he was gone. He could certainly try, anyway, and it might even be fair; this dude was rushing through things and Naruto wasn't even sure why he hadn't a headache.
However…
The man also looked sad. He was stuck somewhere unfamiliar. He was powerless, trapped, and, most importantly, he needed him.
No one had ever needed Naruto before.
"Alright," he stated, nodding at the god in front of him, who took a distinctively relieved expression. Uzumaki Naruto flashed him a grin, bright and lively and feral, and the sun above them shined brighter in turn. "What do I have to do, old man?"
— Aaaand there it went. The relieved expression just went poof.
"Brat," said God.
The mini-me in the table clapped his hands, and the Game Master leaned back with a sigh.
"Alright," he said, gazing at him with an unreadable gaze. "Prick your finger with that needle and write your name down on that paper so we can begin."
— more blood stuff.
But Naruto did it, wincing only slightly when the needle pricked his finger and drew blood. With the tip of the bloody needle, he looked down at the weird papers written in some language he'd never seen, and wrote down his name on the big box near the top.
Uzumaki Naruto.
And then they were everywhere at once.
Your background and appearance are set, but I can still mess with your Race to a certain extent.
Hm.
Well! Let's play this classic. I've always wanted to do this.
So, Uzumaki Naruto…
[ You are a street urchin, having lived in the streets of Konohagakure most of your life. ]
Konohagakure was a beautiful place, but it was also cruel. There were as many filthy streets as there were brilliant and lovely ones, and as many hateful people as there were kindhearted folk.
If not more.
From his spot at [everywhere, Naruto saw a version of himself appear in the streets.
This him was a child — no older than six. Small, with a black shirt, bruised cheeks and teary eyes, the small boy looked on as the people around him moved almost as it through him, sparing him either gazes of hatred or no gazes at all.
[ You never knew your parents, nor exactly what you were or why you were hated. Though it was a dreary life, you still had some things to hold onto — your dreams, your determination and the kind-hearted leader of the village, the Hokage.
It was only because of his presence that you were able to remain as pure-hearted as you are. He didn't have much time, but he made a point of spending what he did have with you nonetheless — and when he did, he would tell you stories of amazing things. Stories of the will of fire.
In your darker days, you wondered if anyone else but him had that Will of Fire at all.]
The mini-me — because Naruto had to assume it was still his mini-me, just… different in ways he couldn't tell— felt to his knees, looking around and screaming. No one looked, no one cared. It was, in all honesty, a dramatic showing if he'd ever seen one; even as a child, Naruto had tried his best not to let any of the assholes see him break. Even still, the imagery still twisted at his heart, pulling at unfortunate memories.
He was the demon child, so he deserved whatever made him cry — or so it went.
He was alone.
[Now.
You never knew your parents — you never knew what your family was like or if you had one. Therefore, you didn't know what you were, either. ]
The image split.
In one — nothing changed. He remained as he was, a child kneeling at nothing, weeping for nothing, doomed to repeat his pain. Human.
The other, however, was not — and he meant that quite literally, for the Naruto in the second image had… some interesting features. Every few seconds, it changed — sometimes, he was looking at himself as normal, but then it shifted into a form akin to a fox. The face was still his, but everything else was some mix between a fox and a human; skin as pale as cream covered in white fur, with legs that bent like a fox's and with claws on each of his fingers. Nine flowing tails danced and weaved behind him, and atop his mess of blond hair, two white fox ears had shown themselves.
[I can only offer you these choices, because my power isn't unlimited; if I am to change your body, it will have to be into something you've already a connection to.
So — these are your available ancestries. You can continue as you were, a true human in a land of humans, or you can become a Kitsune, a fox-like creature with innate mythical powers, able to transform into a human shape and back.
Both have their advantages — Humans are known for their versatily, so, as a human, there will be little that is naturally beyond your reach. Meanwhile, the Kitsune are trickster spirits; less versatile, but gifted in ways Humans are not. ]
His first actual choice, and Naruto already felt insecure.
Foxes were not exactly held in high regards within the walls of Konohagakure. If he had to guess, he'd say his apparent connection to them was because he was a prankster and Kitsune were tricksters or something. He wasn't sure; he didn't pay attention to those that much.
Still… it wouldn't be that uncommon for him to have a weird form with animal traits. Kiba had one; he'd seen it once in the academy. Sure, it would be weird to not be human, but...
Something about it called to him.
It felt right.
So he chose.
"Yeah, that sounds pretty cool. I want to be a Kitsune."
The world shifted again — the first image vanished into beautiful shards of light and colour, fading from view into the dark beyond. Only the second one remained, and in it, Naruto's figure rose from his knees, inhaling softly and turning human.
Finally, he looked up — and nodded with a smile.
[A good choice. You'll soon learn the depths of it, but for now, you are as you are. Your fox-like traits, though unknown to the villagers, might very well be the reason you were despised.
Now, we must choose your heritage — your subrace, so to speak. Your bloodline, your family — to what are you connected? What in your blood defines you?
You don't know quite yet. But whatever it is, you hope to wield it into something that can make your Jiji proud.
As for your Heritage… Ever since your young days, you have known what you are — and wondered, even if it was a secret, if that was why you were hated. It had to be, right?
After all — something had touched you in your birth, something both powerful and vile, and it remains with you to this day. ]
The image twisted again — and back to his fox-like form he was, standing on clawed hand and feet. But the difference was obvious this time; the skin grew a little redder, a little darker, and the class on each of his fingers grew thicker and sharper. When he grinned again, the expression was a little sharper thanks to his sharper teeth, in particular the canines.
In the end, what remained was… quite something. A fox-like form with his face, but his eyes were of a frosty cerulean with a hint of vermilion, and his skin had a tinge of red to it where before there had been none. His whiskers were also a little more pronounce. The pure-white fur that covered his arms and legs and the nine dancing tails behind him remained just the same, however.
"Yeah, this'll go well with the villagers…"
[ Perhaps not. But it is a form that belongs to you; it is part of you, just as your human form is, and it would be foolish to pretend otherwise.
There is no reason to be ashamed of it… though you have found it wise to hide it.
Now…
For your vocation, brave child.
Ever since your young days, you have desired to become a Shinobi, to join them in the defending of your people and Village. For that end, you have trained ceaselessly in their Ninja Academy, trying time and time again to prove your mettle by graduating early… and failing miserably.
Alas — The skills of a Shinobi are not one you can get from me from effort alone. That is, it is not an offer I can offer you myself. ]
"What?! So you're saying I'll lose my Ninja stuff? That's bullshit!"
[No, no. All I mean is that it is not a vocation I can give you, for I cannot pull it from my people and world.
What you could do, you still can. Therefore, a [Shinobi] class is already assured… though what it does, I cannot tell you.
You will have to learn by yourself. For now, however, you must pick the path you'll blaze with pride.]
[FIGHTER]
[BARBARIAN]
[ROGUE]
[CLERIC]
[PALADIN]
[MONK]
[RANGER]
[BARD]
[DRUID]
[WIZARD]
[SORCERER]
[WARLOCK]
[WITCH]
"Wow, that's… a long list. Geez. Holy — what the hell, dude."
[ Choice is always a good thing, no? ]
"Sure, I guess, but I don't know jackshit about those. I mean, I can guess some of 'em, cuz I've read books and stuff, but…"
[ Hm.
The Fighter is the warrior who prefers to fight with weapons alone. The Barbarian is also a warrior, but he opts to depend on his inner wrath instrad. Think of the Ranger like the Archer and Hunter. The Monk is the Martial Artist. The Paladin is the Holy Knight. The Cleric draws magic from the God he worships, and the Druid draws magic from the nature he preserves. The Bard is, well, a bard.
The Wizard is the Mage who learns his magic through effort, while the Sorcerer is the Mage who is born with Magic in his veins and must learn how to wield it. Both the Warlock and the Witch gain their magic through a deal with an outer being.]
"Oh. Yeah, I guess that works… but can I only pick one? Man, that sucks."
[I do not think so, no. In time, should you desire, you would be able to acquire and gain levels on every class. They called this multiclassing… though, without the maximum level restriction, you would be able to bring them all to their maximum potential if you put in the effort. What you must choose is your starting class.]
"Okay, gotcha. What do you think? I mean, Imma grab them all at some point. That'll be kickass. But what do I start with?"
[I am not supposed to give you such advice… though I guess it is standard for the GM to aid newbie players on the table. I would be a bad host if I did otherwise, hm? Alright. You passed your Persuasion check, little Naruto.]
"I'm not little."
[I'm thousands of years old.]
"... yeah, fair enough. Now, come on!"
[For you? I would recommend the Fighter, the Monk or the Sorcerer, depending on what you want to depend for your first few battles.
I do not recommend choosing the Warlock or the Witch… for reasons you will soon discover.]
"Are you being ominous on purpose?"
[Setting up tension is my job as the Game Master, after all. You must feel invested in what is happening!
...though, admittedly, this is your life as opposed to one of my games. But I won't play with fate that much; whatever revelations come, you will face on your own.]
"Bah. Fine. See if I care! I'll become kickass even without that information, jerk. And, uh… I guess I'd like the Sorcerer! Monk and Fighter both look cool, too, but, y'know."
[I do. Magic is really cool, isn't it?]
"Yeah!"
Something shifted.
Something shifted hard, and Naruto was momentarily ripped apart at the seams. His mind was near undoing, and his consciousness was stretched thin between the ever expanding emptiness of space. Pain filled his being like it was all he was —
And then it was gone, and both he and the Game Master were back on the table.
Naruto gasped, stuttered and whimpered — trying to manage the breath he'd need to speak a word. His hand clutched at the fabric of his jumpsuit as sweat trailed down his skin.
Finally, he looked up at the man in front of him, eyes showing panic.
"What the fuck?"
The Game Master sighed.
"It seems we're out of time. Damnation… there was still some things left for us to do. I'll be nice and choose good spells for you, but you have to complete your character sheet; as soon as you're home, find a sheet of paper, prick your finger with something and say Character Sheet."
The world around them trembled —
And shards of it shattered like glass. Instability became the new nature of this world of empty white, trembling and breaking into itself in an eternal cycle of destruction. The table began to vanish under his eyes.
"What?" Naruto said, eyes wide. "Hey, wait just a minute —"
But time?
Time waits for no one.
"Naruto! I finally found you!"
Iruka jumped into the clearing, effortlessly twisting his body while midair to land on his feet with hands on his waist as he gazed, terse and silent, at the boy who clutched at the Forbidden Scroll of Secrets.
As for Naruto…
He seemed.. odd. Distracted, for a moment, as if his mind was completely elsewhere. But then he jumped, as if startled, and looked up at Iruka with two wide cerulean eyes.
"Ah!" He announced, jumping back. Then, he grinned. "Iruka-sensei! I found you!"
— the sheer audacity of it, Iruka swore.
"Found me?" He repeated, a tick on his forehead. "No, I found you! What the hell were you thinking, Naruto?"
But the boy just looked up with an innocent grin.
"I did the secret test, just like Mizuki-sensei told me to! So this means I pass, right?"
And the pieces all fell into place.
That day would change many, many things to come—
But it seems there are some fates not even fate can change.