Ah… in the Kingdom of Belzerg was the city of Axel, one of the most peaceful cities. With a circular wall and a river that sliced right through it, shops for all weapons and armors, and friendly parties eager to help newbies. It really was the best start for a beginner adven-

"Ex~PLOSION!!"

At the edge of the city, a rented room suddenly turned into a huge explosion of fire and smoke. Low-level monsters beyond the wall saw a giant mushroom cloud rise into the sky, blocking the moon and stars above.

Megumin blinked.

Inside a dimension of nothing but a black void and a checkered floor that reached to all sides of the darkness, she sat in a wooden chair with a cushion attached to it. Mist floated and twirled around her, particles of light zoomed around. Parallel to where she sat was a girl sitting in a marble, godlike chair. She looked like a holy, angelic nun.

"Megumin, of the Crimson Demon Clan," the girl said. "Welcome to the next world."

"What?!" Megumin stood up. "How could I, an archmage and Weidler of Explosion Magic, suddenly die?! I don't even remember what happened!"

The girl sucked in her cheek. "Well… you began to sleepwalk and cast your explosion spell in your sleep."

Her raised index finger went limp as she sadly smiled and looked at her knees. "I... I see… that just… proves how great explosion magic is when it takes even the… wielder out… with it."

Megumin gripped her witch dress and sniffed her running nose. Her family, her sister. After each successful quest, she had been sending them money to live with. They'll be devastated after they receive the news she had died.

"Oh, now, now…" The woman's eyes saddened as she picked up a rectangular tablet with a magical screen on it. "There might be a way to go back…"

Megumin stood up. "Seriously?! How?!"

"Well… " She exhaled a deep breath. "There is a… slight, teensy little possibility that, in this world, all the humans will perish in an unannounced time."

"And you want me to stop it?!"

With a soft smile, she nodded her head. "A world needs it's people. Last time it happened, each of the goddesses had to do overtime."

"Goddess? Are you?"

She nodded. "I am Eris, Goddess of Fortune."

Megumin tilted her head. "Oh… I've heard of you."

Eris tried to act like she wasn't hurt by the nonchalant greeting. She fake coughed and looked back at the tablet. "So… the magic of this world is different, but I believe I got the perfect abilities to give you. A kekkei genkai."

"Explosion is the only thing I need! I don't need whatever that is!"

The Goddess smiled. "I think you'll like what it is… With the nature of both lightning and earth, you'll have an Explosion Release."

"Was that supposed to mean something to me? Sure, it sounds cool but-"

Eris made a small giggle. "Is it a deal?"

"So, if I stop this calamity, I can come back?"

"You'll be given a single wish, and if that's your wish, then yes."

"A wish, huh? So, how does this explosion release work? Hey, I better still have my explosion magic, though! Not a cheap knockoff! Where's my staff?!"

Eris flicked her finger up, showing the staff. "I guess you can have it...not like there aren't staffs where you're going, though. Guess I should send you to the place most like Axel. "

Megumin twirled her staff around and rested it on her shoulder, then she threw her cape back - making it fly behind her. "I'll show this world that explosion magic is the strongest magic!"

"Er.. you should know, your level will stay the same while you're there. You should really utilize the Explosion Release."

"Oh… really? But I can still use the skills I have?" Eris nodded for yes. Megumin stomped the floor with her staff. "Doesn't matter! There is nothing stronger!"

Eris scratched her head. "There's a lot that may happen when you're there. I hope you're prepared."

"If I have my staff, then that's all I need."

Eris huffed a smile, and with a flick of a wrist, she snapped her fingers.

2

She smiled and walked through the main strip of the village - a big, wide street leading from one side of the village to the other. At the far end was a giant mountain ridge with four faces carved into the rock.

For the most part, the houses weren't made of stone bricks like in Axel. In fact, she guessed the world was at an earlier point in history than her world was at. Instead, the buildings were made of wood or bricks. In fact, the style of the buildings and the entire city were unfamiliar to her.

"Uh, excuse me?" She asked a man wearing one of the green flak jackets. "Could you direct me to the hero's guild?"

The man gave a curious look before he grinned. "Hero's guild? I don't think we have one of those, miss. Just ninjas."

Her eyebrows perked up a little. "Ninjas…?"

He crossed his arms. "You're not from around here, are ya? Even your clothes scream it. What's your name? How'd you get here?"

She held the staff to her chest. Though she came to this world with confidence, it had vanished. She didn't know anyone in the whole wide world, after all.

"Megumin, I-" She made a soft roar under her tongue. "My name is Megumin, the Arch Wizard of Explosion Magic! Yes, it is I, the one who heard your world crying for aid, the one who took pity upon thee and journeyed across the worlds!"

The man chuckled and scratched his head. "Megumin, huh? I think this is too much for me… let's go see the Hokage."

She tilted her head. "The Hokage?"

Hokage. Fire shadow. The man, Iruka, led her to the tall building under the faces of rocks. He gave a small rundown of the world. Ninjas, the academy, missions, the different nations. Although there are beasts within the world, it's not something all the nations would unite against. Instead of quests to defeat monsters or the demon king's armies, ninjas went typically against different clans and groups, though lower-ranked quests were still chores people needed done.

They walked past a few classrooms, all empty. There wasn't class today. In fact, the next semester was about to begin. Iruka checked the office at the top of the building before they went to the roof. On the wooden, circular roof with a railing surrounding them, a short, old man overlooked the village, just as his face did on the mountain behind them. His hat matched the red and white robes and gave the vibe of a wise and strong leader.

"Iruka, shouldn't you be enjoying your last day off?" The man asked as he turned around.

"We have a lost girl in the village," he said, waving his arm at Megumin.

"A lost girl…?"

"It seems she came here all alone."

His eyes studied the girl. "I've never seen clothes like that or even such a hat."

"Well, I've never heard of ninja villages before," Megumin said.

He grinned. "That so?"

Iruka rubbed his head. "I thought she was playing at first, but she said something about coming from another world. Thinking about it, if she's really a mage with magical powers, it sounds more truthful."

Hokage lips parted in a gawk, even if it was just a little. "Another world?"

"That's right!" Megumin flashed her fingers in front of her uncovered eye. "I'm an Arch Wizard, specializing in Explosion Magic!"

"Explosion? Now that I think of it, Iwagakure wears red, long-sleeved undershirts and has an Explosion Corps…"

"You don't think she's a spy, do you, Lord Hokage?!" Iruka asked.

Megumin grunted and widened her eyes. "No! I-I've never even heard of them!"

Hokage stared at her. "Suspicious."

"I promise!"

"Explosion magic, was it? Is it not a Jutsu?"

"Jutsu?"

Iruka snapped his fingers. "Why don't we just have her show us it?"

"I would love to!" She stomped her staff on the floor before she raised it, aimed at the Hokage Rock. "I call upon thee, power of explosion. It's time to awaken from our origin world and to this latest plane of existence!"

Hokage held his hand out. "Wait, not here!"

"Megumin?!" Iruka called.

Lines and glitter of black and purple of all shades swirled and spiraled from her staff, like a thousand ribbons unweaving themselves on top of the roof of the Hokage's office.

"Come, come, come! Demonstrate the unstoppable distortion and render the faces that overlook us to cinders and rubble! EXPLOSION!"

Ah… the Konohagakure, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. With a sturdy, wooden wall that protected the villages, and the faces of rock gods that overlooked-

The Hokage's faces exploded in a fiery display. Iruka and Hiruzen's jaws dropped as rubble fell off, though most of it was just dust.

"Well… Hokage, that was no jutsu…"

"Indeed, I don't think she's from Iwagakure…"

Megumin fell over.

"Megumin?!" Iruka called out. "What's wrong?!"

She snored.

"She's… asleep?"

The Hokage chuckled as he gazed at the crater that was once his face on the Hokage Rock, though the Second and Fourth Hokage's faces were also damaged.

"At least all the faces weren't erased out of existence. Take her to the hospital, Iruka. I think she definitely has a place here."

"You sensed it, too, then? The Will of Fire?"

The Hokage looked over the village, once again. "I certainly did."

3

The next morning, Megumin looked at the result of her destructive power from the window of the hospital room. As the nurse probed her, Megumin grinned at the sight of construction workers and ninjas working hard to fix the crater she made in the old man's face.

In the door frame leaned a ninja with a flak jacket and a face mask. "So, she really used all her chakra from that one blast? And that made her pass out?" He asked the nurse.

Megumin's eyes moved to look at him. "I put all my points in its destructive power; I only ever put enough into mana to be able to cast it."

The man raised his eye that was covered by his headband. "Points…? Mana?"

The nurse put her utensils away, got her chart, and walked out as she closed the door behind her.

"My understanding from my chat with the Hokage, you're not even from this world, and you don't know Jutsu."

She nodded. "I have something better than Jutsu!" She pointed outside the window. "Everyone in your village can see what I can do with a single blow with my explosion magic!"

The man crossed his arms. "But, when that one blow makes you pass out, it's not that useful. I bet you can't even use it more than once a day."

She grunted and jerked her face away. "Explosion magic is my arsenal. There have been times where parties have asked me to learn any other spell, but I refused! If I can't use explosion magic, I would rather use nothing!'

"Take it easy, now. I'm not telling you not to use it at all. I'm not sure how it worked in your world, but jutsus are… different. They're skills that you learn through practice, or even create your own if you take the time."

She eyed him. "What's the explosion corps?"

"Ah, them. Another ninja nation, Iwagakure, has a special team that utilizes their kekkei genkai explosion release. They're as they sound, ninjas with explosive power. The Hokage believes you may have the same kekkei genkai as them and asked me to tutor you a bit. My name is Kakashi, by the way."

"Tutor? Hey, I didn't sign up to become part of your ninja organization! Although… it does sound kinda cool."

He raised his hands like the scale of justice and weighed the pros and cons. "You're all alone in this world, and it's a pretty unforgiving one outside the walls. But we want to help you. If you agree to join the academy, we'll give you an apartment and paychecks to live here. In exchange, you agree to join the village and go on missions."

She let herself fall back to the bed, her head almost broke the pillow in two as she stared at the ceiling. "I mean… I might as well."

"Good, good. The academy begins here in a few days, but, you being an archmage, I'm sure you can get a good handle of the basics. We start this evening after you get set up with an apartment and eat something. Try out one of the restaurants here; they're all tasty!" His eye gleamed, almost like a smile.

He began to walk out. "Oh, and I took the liberty of getting you some better fitting clothes for your new job. They're on the chair by your bed."

Megumin got dressed in her new clothes and headed out of the hospital. They already went through the trouble of renting her an apartment for the first few months, and after some directions, she found it. Although the front door went straight to the bedroom, there was a small kitchen, window, restroom, and a closet. Her new sanctuary.

It might be fun - if she were to bring the skills she learned from here back home, the world and Demon King wouldn't stand a chance. Or, better yet, if she can use what she learns to make her explosion spell even greater. She left her staff at home and scoured the village for food. She'll buy groceries later, taking the advice of Kakashi to try out one of the local delicacies.

It wasn't any food she was used to, but the soggy noodle strands went smoothly down her throat. The "ramen bar" owner placed more beef in her bowl.

"So, not only are you new in town, but you're going to join the ninja academy?"

As she nodded, she happily slurped the ramen into her mouth and swallowed. "That's right!"

With a slight stare, he put even more beef into her bowl and smiled. "Hope you're a big eater."

"Thank you~!" She said as she stuffed the beef into her mouth. Coming from a poor upbringing, it was rare to engorge so much food. In fact, solid food used to be a delight for her and is the reason she was so small. Or, so she thought.

"So, where are you from, kiddo? A village?" The man asked.

She nodded. "Unheard of around here, I'm from the Crimson Demon Village."

"Crimson Demon, huh? Like the… oh, never mind."

She tilted her head at the man, hoping he would finish, but another customer walked in. "Old Man Teuchi~! It's time to eat! Chicken this afternoon, please!" A boy about her age came in like it's his home and sat at the bar.

Teuchi sighed and smiled. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer. Didn't you say you were going to the grocery market, for once?"

"I was, but I'm exhausted after training all morning! No way I was going to cook for myself!" He scratched his whiskers. "Even if it is just boiling some water…"

The moment Megumin came within his peripheral vision, he simmered down and his smile flattened. "Didn't know there was… someone else here."

She slurped her current ramen strand through her lips, making it disappear. "I'm not long for this world, don't worry, but in the meantime, I must engorge myself on all the foods here that I may not ever see again. Rest assured, the calamity won't fall upon thee or this tasty ramen bar."

"Er, what…?"

"She's new in town," Teuchi grinned.

His eyes widened and lightened up. "What's your name?! Where are you from? I haven't ever left the village, but when I become a ninja, I'll be going all over the world."

Her chopsticks picked up a little piece of onion. "Oh, you're becoming a ninja? At the academy?"

With his thumb, he pointed at himself. "Not just becoming a ninja, but one day, I'll be the Hokage, the most powerful ninja in the entire village." With a sly smile, he turned to the bowl Teuchi dropped in front of him, but kept his pupil darted at her. "And seeing you're new in town, you wouldn't know that there's no need to worry about your safety. Not when I'm here. I'm already a whole league better than anyone else in the class! Even Sasuke!"

"So, Sasuke is the top student?"

He broke apart his chopsticks and glared at her. "Were you even listening to me?!"

"I listened beyond you. Whether or not you're at the top of your class, I'll see for myself soon."

"Wait, you're going to the academy, too? Even though you're new in town?"

She nodded. "I'm the greatest wizard of the Crimson Demon Clan, I have a lot of faith in my abilities."

"Crimson Demon…?" He began to eat his ramen and talk with his mouth full. "Can't be that great of a clan if I never heard of 'em."

Megumin slapped her chopsticks down on the counter. "Didn't you say you never even left the village?! Do you even know of any places past the walls?"

He made a soft growl as he continued to eat. The two remained quiet as they finished their bowl and drank the broth, finishing at the same time.

"So you think you'll be able to pass the academy in such a short time? Just so you know, it's no cakewalk" He said. "What's your name?"

"Megumin."

He lowered an eyebrow. "What's a Megumin?"

She stood up. "H-hey! First, you make fun of my clan, then my name?"

He smiled and waved his hand. "Why not a little spar? It's been a while since I've gone against someone."

Her cheeks puffed up as she stared at him. "A spar? You sound like Yunyun… in any case, I'm not much of a martial artist. So, pass."

They stared at each other for a long time before she pushed away from the counter and stood up. "Anyway, I should get going, uh… what was your name, again?"

"It's Naruto! But don't bother remembering it, you'll be hearing it a lot soon enough."

"If you're going to boast as you do, then I better hear about you, cause I assure you, everyone will hear about the Crimson Demon soon enough," she said before she exited through the flaps that hung from the roof of the ramen bar.

After she trained the whole evening with Kakashi, she went straight to bed, but in the morning, she freshened up and locked her apartment door as she left. With a stretch to the sky, she smiled at the clouds above before she looked to her neighbor walking out of his door. Naruto and Megumin stared at each other, unsure what to say.

Just something I randomly wrote. Please review if you want more.

Every chapter within Part 1 of Naruto will be rehashed/summarized, and that'll be the "Prologue Arc."