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Jonathan's body felt lethargic. He tried moving his limbs but wound up hitting an unfamiliar object. When he finally mustered the strength to open his eyes, Jonathan saw he was in darkness. He couldn't tell whether he was standing or if he was hanging.
What he felt was the cold, hard surface of something. By the time Jonathan's vision adjusted to the darkness, he understood he was inside what felt and looked to be a cardboard box. Jonathan repositioned himself to stand up. When the cardboard box flapped open, a horrid stench permeated his nostrils.
'What the heck?' Jonathan thought in confusion.
His name is Jonathan Yuan and he was born in the States. Throughout his twenty-five years on earth, he had lived an average, monotonous life. Sports, literature, technology and spirituality were the things Jonathan Yuan partook in. He had never been exceptionally talented at his interests, but his hard work mixed with faith and a perfectionist attitude made him above the average individual.
If a high-schooler could score eighty or higher on exams without studying, Jonathan could score at least a sixty. But if Jonathan were to study, he could earn a perfect score.
Growing up, Jonathan was entranced by the early morning and late-night, animated television shows broadcast in the States. If he wasn't spending time with friends or doing homework, he'd eagerly wait for his favourite shows to come on air. Even if it was twice a week, he'd recount every show and the time they'd broadcast them. Above all these shows, one show in particular captured Jonathan's interest.
Ever since he was little, he would remember screaming alongside the characters as they raged into a "Super Saiyan". But he was only an infant at the time, so the series would eventually stop airing as Jonathan grew into a more mature child. One with a developed mindset. The show that would inevitably stick with him for years on end, however, was Naruto.
It wasn't until one particular episode aired on a Saturday night that Jonathan truly anticipated what the series had to offer. That episode was when Naruto Uzumaki, the main character of the series, first unleashed the power of the beast that resided inside of him. For the next nine years, Jonathan kept up with the series, its comic books (officially known as manga in Japan), its video games, its novels and its databooks.
Though Jonathan wasn't fully a nerd, he'd occasionally forget the series existed entirely if it wasn't for his peers watching it religiously. But like many who grew up and experienced change, Jonathan would soon despise not just Naruto but Japanese animation in general.
No one understood why he developed this disposition towards it. If someone were to ask Jonathan a simple question like, "What's your favourite anime?"
He would respond that he hates anime.
No one truly understood why he did, nor did they question it. Why would they? Jonathan was the type to keep to himself. Because he had an open space where Japanese anime took up the majority of his time, Jonathan had been given a lot more free-time. People often questioned Jonathan why he hated not just Japanese anime but even American cartoons, but they gradually accepted his decisions over time.
They couldn't tell if it was for a religious reason or if he had gone mental. His shift was so astronomically unrelatable that the only person who didn't seem to care about what others thought, was Jonathan himself. He liked the idea that people tried prying into his business to figure out who he was, but he'd eventually get so bored of those people that he wound up discarding them due to their inferiority.
To Jonathan, if someone didn't understand or accept that he didn't like something that they did, he would look them straight in the eye and say, "You're too boring."
Jonathan Yuan wholeheartedly liked people, but he was disgusted when they lacked understanding or displayed rude behaviour that was intolerable.
Over the years, even after Naruto's manga officially ended, Jonathan focused on more practical things like his major in psychology and strengthening his body. It wasn't until one night after drinking a little wine with his friends, he began to feel nauseous. He had always been able to handle his portions, but tonight he felt as though he was on the verge of passing out.
"My guy, you're not looking so hot," said one of Jonathan's closest peers.
Jonathan tried to produce words but couldn't focus enough to even utter a sound. His eyelids slowly closed as the world around him became pitch black. The last thing he heard was someone scream, "Yo, call an ambulance!"
…
Walking out of a grotesque alleyway, Jonathan looked around lividly.
"What happened last night?" Jonathan questioned.
He quickly denied the thought of a hangover or death from alcohol poisoning. As he wasn't the type to get drunk. Jonathan could tell it was early morning because of the bright blue light refracting off the buildings. He looked at the ground and saw that he was wearing slippers.
But they weren't any slippers he'd been familiar with. When Jonathan looked at his limbs, he noticed his stature had severely decreased. He knew he hadn't died, but he didn't refute the idea he was simply having a lucid dream. Jonathan decided to take a stroll as opposed to standing idly still.
Not even a couple of paces away from that alleyway, and he felt a sharp pain atop his head engulf his senses.
"Oh my gosh! Are you okay?!" screamed a woman.
Jonathan heard the sound come from above, but all he could think of now was that excruciating pain he felt on his head. His eyes were locked on the ground where he saw what looked like a broken vase with soil scattered everywhere. Jonathan then looked up and saw a woman covering her mouth in disbelief.
"Excuse me. Are you okay?" an unknown voice asked.
Jonathan stopped focusing on the stinging sensation he felt. It wasn't the fact someone dropped a whole flower vase on his head, it was the notion of how real it felt. Jonathan had begun to understand he was neither dead nor dreaming. Before he could make sense of things, a strange liquid ran down his face.
"You're bleeding!" the same person announced.
A man, who looked several feet taller to Jonathan, and had wider shoulders, approached him with a rag. He pressed the rag over Jonathan's bleeding area, saying, "This might sting a little but I promise it'll help."
Jonathan had an awed look about his face. He was still in pain yes, but this feeling of unfamiliarity was new.
"You can calm down," the man said. "I'll take you to the hospital and we'll call your parents."
'Parents…?' Jonathan repeated inwardly.
His thoughts were consumed by the fact that neither his friends nor his parents were aware of his whereabouts. It didn't take long for Jonathan to collect his thoughts and stabilize himself.
"What's your name?" the man asked.
The man's voice was gentle, soothing and had no sense of malice or hate. Jonathan raised his head and with cold eyes, he looked at the man and answered, "Isn't it polite to introduce yourself first?"
The man was taken aback at Jonathan's slick remark. Quickly, he apologized rubbing his head.
"You're right. How silly of me. My name is Namikaze. Namikaze, Minato."
Jonathan was not the least bit surprised. Even though it had been years since he had heard that name, the man's face he witnessed approach him was more than enough evidence for Jonathan to know what had happened to him. And how could he not know who was in front of him? Minato Namikaze was the father of this world's main character. Though he wasn't in fact several feet taller nor had he had broad shoulders, his stature had looked that way from Jonathan's perspective.
Asking Minato Namikaze for his name was only to ensure his suspicions were correct. Most people would either shutter in fear or start fanboying at the figure in front of them. But Jonathan was different. His eyes squinted at that name.
Not in disbelief but in disgust.
"You need to be taken to the hospital before that wound opens back up," urged Minato.
The woman who had mistakenly dropped the vase shouted apologetically while Minato tried to calm down her boisterousness. Without waiting any further, Minato lifted Jonathan up with his forearms and they both disappeared instantaneously from the scene. Before Jonathan knew it, he was lying on a stretcher. He tried his best to collect his thoughts.
Of all the important characters in this world, the world of Naruto Uzumaki, by chance Jonathan had met one of the most domineering ones. He was no longer a fan of the Naruto franchise. As Jonathan had long since stopped reading shōnen manga magazines and built a stagnant wall against all of Masashi Kishimoto's work. Of all the anime franchises that existed on earth, to Jonathan, Naruto and its successor, Naruto: Shippūden, were the worst of all time.
'How did I get here and how do I leave?' he thought to himself.
One could easily tell by looking at Jonathan that he didn't want to be here. Not this hospital room, not this world. He didn't want to be trapped in a place he hated so passionately. Despite knowing almost everything about the world of Naruto, he had a home, friends, family, and a life he was most pleased with.
Jonathan looked out the window and witnessed the sun rise. He rubbed his hand across where he had been struck earlier. Blood appeared over his now-nimble, soft palms. He stared at it for an unknown amount of time.
Those who didn't know love couldn't bear to understand what Jonathan was feeling. Unlike most people, he enjoyed his life on earth. And he knew he hadn't died; meaning, if he was still alive on earth, there was a way for him to return. A lot of people would be envious to be in Jonathan's shoes, drooling at the thought of living in a fantasy world where they could have an opportunity to start all over and "be somebody".
But Jonathan was already someone on earth. He felt like he had life there. In this world, however, he felt no life here. How could someone who never understood life on earth understand what someone like Jonathan felt?
They could not.
Jonathan knew that clearly. For him to return, though, he hadn't the slightest idea. He knew much about the ninja world. Far more than anyone who's ever engaged in the series.
But the only things related to traveling dimensions were techniques that had near-unattainable requirements to perform for a regular guy like Jonathan. As far as Jonathan was concerned, he still had a life on earth; and, he was willing to do whatever it took to return.
"I'll do anything to get back. Even if I have to slaughter everyone in this godforsaken world."
Jonathan clenched his hand into a fist, determined to try and survive no matter what.
The door to his room opened. Walking in was an unrecognizable woman wearing a nurse's uniform. Following behind her was none other than Minato Namikaze. With Jonathan's mind in full acceptance of his circumstances, he noted mentally that Minato was not wearing the signature cloak.
This cloak is only worn by the head of the village. Also known as the Hokage. Because of that, Jonathan speculated Minato was likely still a Jōnin (a high-ranking ninja). From what Jonathan knew about the ninja world, Minato Namikaze wouldn't become the fourth Hokage until he was twenty-three.
Just these small details were enough to tell Jonathan he had arrived in this world between the second and third great ninja wars.
"Can you tell us what your name is," the nurse asked Jonathan.
People like her are called medical ninjas (or medical-nin for short), those who were proficient at performing healing techniques. Jonathan knew this to be true because of that accursed headband with a leaf symbol hanging across her neck. It was convenient for Jonathan that this world's people spoke English instead of Japanese.
"I'm sorry," Jonathan replied with a smile. "I can't remember much."
Jonathan was different than his peers. He grasped that situation far quicker than most people could have. Despite his cold, unperturbed attitude from before, he altered his tone and expression to give him a more innocent appearance. Inside, however, Jonathan would have gladly slit the nurse's throat!
It's not that he was displaying the tendencies of a psychopath; it's that he felt threatened.
"Awe, poor thing," the nurse said in remorse. "That vase must have caused some head trauma."
She approached Jonathan and asked if he could at least remember his parent's name. Hearing her ask about his parents made Jonathan feel livid inside.
"I don't remember if I even have any parents. I'm sorry," answered Jonathan in a sincere tone before lowering his eyes sorrowfully.
Even if Jonathan were taking a lie detector test, he would be telling the truth. The only thing he knew was that he was now a boy of an unknown age who woke up in a cardboard box in the back of an alleyway. But he wasn't going to reveal information like that so lightly. Most people would have panicked, even considered themselves unfortunate that they hadn't started off with some special ability or weapon.
But Jonathan was different. The fewer people who knew about him, the better.
"I can't even tell you how old I am or where I live."
"You mean you don't even know where you're from?" Minato asked in bewilderment.
"No…"
Mix Jonathan's now childish appearance, along with his sincerity, and it was enough to fool grown adults. The two looked at each other with saddened looks on their faces. They then stepped outside to talk privately.
Jonathan contemplated inwardly, 'As far as I'm concerned, I have no identity, no background, and no bloodline. I could also assume that I'm homeless since I woke up in the back of an alley.'
If Jonathan was going to survive, he needed power and he needed it fast. Based on his height, Jonathan estimated he'd be around four or five years of age. This is good because most of the prodigies that influenced the ninja world started young. Very young. Like Kakashi Hatake who graduated the Leaf Village's ninja academy at the age of five.
But there were little chances of Jonathan accomplishing the same feats. As far as he knew, he had zero to no talent. And even if he wanted to attend the academy, he had no money to pay their costly tuition. But there was one place Jonathan knew he could go to start his foundation.
The thought fueled Jonathan's ambitions as he lifted up his eyes. The door to Jonathan's room cracked open. Minato didn't follow as the medical-nin walked in.
"I have some good news and some bad news."