Yup, another update in just a week. Weird, out of character, and strange; huh?

NeoShadows back again for the next chapter to my newest story! Hope you enjoy it.

But before we can continue, we got to talk about a certain reviewer; don't we?

Because of my promises to update my other stories revolving around RWBY, and not doing so, I'm come to attract a guest reviewer who's taken to review bombing my stories. I don't know whether to be impressed or incredibly annoyed with how persistent they've been. Please ignore them, I know I'm doing my best to do so. And I can understand the frustration for your favorite story not being updated when promised. I have my reasons which I've explained for the story they've been asking to be updated that I have updated along with this story.

If they continue to review bomb me; fuck 'em. I'm not doing this for their satisfaction, I'm doing this because it's what makes me happy. This is a hobby, not a full-time paying job. If it takes me years to update than it takes me years to update. That's just how it is.

The reviewer aside, I hope everyone can enjoy the story I've written to share with those who can appreciate it.

Consider the first chapter the prologue. This is where we start to dive into the new world full of countless illusions born from an endless cycle of hate and blood.

If ya got a right hand, start scrolling away with it!


Disclaimer: I do now own the rights to A Certain Magical Index or Naruto. Both rights are reserved for Kazuma Kamachi and Masashi Kishimoto respectively.

I need help. Due to a certain author buddy of mine and his newest story, I've become addicted to playing a god damn Gacha game! I should know better! I don't even have any money to spend on that crap! Yet I can't stop myself from playing Grand Order or staring at the pale creamy thighs of a bikini-wearing Jeanne Alter. I'm easily addicted to anything sexy and alluring; sue me.

...Anastasia my #1 waifu.


Chapter 2: Seven + Zero.

Introducing_MISFORTUNE.

"So, Tazuna-san, would you mind explaining to me why chunin level ninja from Mizugakure are targeting you specifically when you've hired us for a C-Rank mission to fend off bandits and thieves? I'm sure the Hokage hadn't meant to grant a fresh genin squad a mission to protect a simple bridge builder from Nami no Kuni if there was any sign of said children being attacked by shinobi such as these. I'm sure there must be some mistake, you are an honorable man after all; right? Even you must have realized how such a horrible mistake could lead to the death of children who have yet to see real combat."

Touma blinked at strange words he was hearing. Chunin? Mizukage? Hokage, genin, Nami no Kuni, shinobi? What did any of that mean? Wait, he said something about ninja's, right? Well that would kinda explain the attire everyone wore other than the old man known as Tazuna. Did that mean this New World had actual real-life ninjas from the Edo period? If so that at least gave Touma a slight idea to the kind of setting he was to be expecting.

But still…

"Excuse me, One-Eye Ninja-san, but could you loosen these knots for me a bit?"

"Hmm? Oh, I suppose that's fine. Give me a moment."

Touma nodded gratefully as the one he referred to as One-Eye Ninja gave his wrists a bit more wiggle room. The ropes keeping his wrists together were starting to chafe. Once the gray haired man with one eye hidden by his headband like an eyepatch was done, the shinobi returned to speaking with the old man with glasses that smelled of alcohol. More was said in regards to Tazuna who struggled to argue with Kakashi's analysis of what Touma had garnered from something involving a puddle in broad daylight. Apparently from what Touma was learning, those three kids-who were something called genin-and Kakashi were on a mission to act as bodyguards for Tazuna. The mission appeared to be nothing too difficult as he heard of only having to worry about bandits on their way to the client's home country.

It was interesting to learn this much about this new world that Kamisato had exiled Touma to with World Rejector. So far he came to understand that this world must see ninjas as commonplace as if they were part of the military service. If he had to make a comparison, he would say he was reminded of Anti-Skill and Judgment. It didn't sit right with him to realize those kids who were probably no older than thirteen at best-the spiky-blond midget looked ten if he was honest from height- but than again, Academy City was a city that created Espers who could been seen as human weapons no matter their age. Judgment employed school children to protect the city, so it wasn't much different than them. As for the technology of this new world, Touma wasn't sure it was anything more than having indoor plumbing if he had to guess by their attire reminding him of the Edo period. He would have to make it to a village before he could say more.

More was said about Tazuna being hunted by enemy ninja, pushing the ranking of the mission to B to convey it being out of the league of the One-Eye Shinobi's little group. At this point, the old man had gone silent, his face frustrated and worried at the assumptions made were being proven true. Since this was a mission far beyond the believed difficulty for the unprepared and green young ninjas, it was stated that the genin team returns to their village instead of continuing. Sakura, the pink-haired girl with a rather wide forehead, spoke up to say they weren't ready for this kind of assignment and that they should return to their village to treat Naruto's poisoned hand.

The spiky-haired blond, Naruto, didn't seem to like that one bit. Touma could see the kid's face twist in resentment at being the reason they had turned their road trip around.

Oh...the blond kid just stabbed the back of his hand with a kunai.

Neat.

"I swear, by the pain in my left hand, I will protect the old man with my life! I won't hesitate again, datte-bayo!"

That was a rather nice speech. Just by overhearing those words alone, Touma could recognize that the Naruto kid was serious about his promise to defend Tazuna with everything he had. Hard to believe a kid could have so much passion and strong will in his voice. It made said high school boy smile a bit despite the blood that freely swam down the fox whiskered kid's hand.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand they were moving. They must have believed that the two ninja's from Kirigakue weren't a threat anymore since they left them chained to a tree behind them. Touma couldn't help but ask one question though as they moved farther and farther ahead from the dirt road to a spacious clearing.

"So, One-Eye Ninja-san, do you think you can, you know, untie me and let me go now? I mean this Kamijou-san doesn't want to be any trouble to you ninjas who are obviously on an important mission it seems, so if you could just..."

"Let you go? Apologies, Kamijou-san, but I can't do that. After all, I've yet to determine what your intentions are or who you may work for. Far as I know, you may work with those chunin level ninjas and have set this all up in order to strike behind our backs. It was awfully convenient to take them down when some stranger decided to appear to aid us. This may have been your plan this entire time to set you up as an ally of sorts, get close, and then take the head of Tazuna-san."

Touma had to nod his head at the line of thought proposed by the older ninja as Kakashi lugged his roped up body like he was a piece of luggage beneath his armpit.

"Right, right. That's some clever thinki-ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!? JUST HOW PARANOID OF A NINJA ARE YOU, YOU ONE-EYED SCARECROW!? AS IF THIS IDIOTIC KAMIJOU-SAN IS CLEVER ENOUGH TO THINK OF SUCH AN ELABORATE PLAN! WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR, A DIABOLICAL MASTERMIND!"

His explosive outburst caused his body to wriggle against Kakashi's hold of him. Sadly the gray-haired man had a strong grip that wasn't fazed at all by Touma's squirming. That action itself amused Kakashi more than anything else.

Yes, that's right. This Kamijou-san was currently rope tied like a hog and taken along with Squad-7 and Tazuna against his will. Why, you may ask?

Consider this.

The Genin team had been ambushed by ninja in hiding and attempted to kill Kakashi and Tazuna. Once Kakashi entered the fray, who was a jonin far above those chunin level ninjas, their loss was obvious. Wouldn't said cunning ninjas have a back-up plan in waiting if they failed to take out the biggest threat? Say, another ally in the shadows who would act in case they failed, to come out as some ally? One that could weasel their way into their group and strike from within.

It was a rather ingenious plan that would work against the more naive minded. But Kakashi hadn't come this far along, lost that many of friend, or gained this many a scar for being foolish and trusting.

Why else would he tie Touma up after asking for directions as an excuse to get close to them?

That was the working theory, at least. Even Kakashi could see that Touma didn't appear threatening; he did save Sakura's life after all. There was some trust there. Plus the teen didn't come off as the kind to stab them in the back. His own instincts weren't warning him to treat Touma as an enemy, but you could never be sure. The kindest face's could hide the devil himself.

"Come on! Can't you see this is humiliating!? Leave me some pride! Can't this normal high school student have that?!"

"High school student?" Kakashi quirked a brow at the interesting term. Did that make the teen a student of some sort? But what was a High School? A secret academy that trained deadly assassins of high caliber?

Touma inwardly groaned at the confusion his high school title earned. Did that mean that the education system in this new world was behind? What did that mean for him?! Without his constant complaining of being just some average high school student, what did he have left?! Who was Kamijou Touma now?! Was he just a mass of misfortune now?!

Ignoring the odd identity crisis Touma was displaying, Kakashi decided it was safe to at least let the boy down so he could take care of a more pressing matter.

"Uh, sensei? Is it normal to see that much blood on my hand? I feel kinda light-headed."

The boy only known as Kamijou wasn't a threat at the moment, but Kakashi's idiot of a blond student was one to himself. Sighing out his nose, he walked over to the spiky-haired genin who stared at the blood left hand with fascination while he grabbed a few bandages in his pouch. Lowly so that only Touma could hear, he whispered with killing intent.

"Don't cause any trouble. I so much see you reach for a concealed weapon, I won't be as forgiving as I was to your 'allies'. Understood?"

Touma nodded his head swiftly with a nervous sweat on his brow. What a scary scarecrow of a man. From the tone alone, Kakashi meant every word he said.

'Great, just great! That bastard Kamisato dropped me off into a world where I've been kidnapped by killers! Does that mean even those innocent-faced kids are the same? Were they taught over a thousand different ways to kill me without breaking a sweat?! The difficulty level of this new world is unkind to beginners; I won't survive a day by myself! AAAAAAGGGGGGHHHH, I WANNA GO HOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMEEEEEEE'

"Such misfortune." Touma sniffed as he stood back up without the aid of his arms. This was not the first time he had been tied up, so he knew how to move about even like this. And no, he was not proud of being skilled in this way!

"I apologize for the harsh treatment, Kamijou-san."

Stepping closer to him was the cherry blossomed haired girl he had saved, Sakura if he remembered right. The young girl appeared kind, rather flat in the chest and slim with a wide prominent forehead like a certain Iron-Wall girl he knew. At first glance she appeared like a rather proper girl who would never harm a fly.

Except he had learned that she too was a ninja, a young one, but a trained killer none the less. It made him question whether she had needed saving in the first place.

Unlike everyone else, she appeared apologetic for how he was restrained. Already she was his favorite among the bunch; second only to the spiky-blond with a loudmouth. As for the dark-haired boy with an a cool face and aloof aura, he was third just because his behavior reminded him of the prick who exiled him to this new world of ninjas. Even if the decision had been for the greater good.

Bitterness aside, he offered Sakura an understanding face to help ease her worry.

"There's no need to apologize, Pinku-san. I mean, I can kinda see where your...sensei is coming from. You're shinobi, right?" The wide forehead pinkette nodded, making him smile slightly, "Than it's basically your duty to be suspicious of strangers. You never know who could be a threat. While strangers are just friends you haven't met yet, the same could be said in reverse. I just wish I could prove to your sensei that I'm not a threat. I genuinely just want to find the nearest village there is."

"Really? Are you by chance a traveler then?" Sakura asked curiously as her eyes looked him up and down.

She couldn't see it. The teen known as Touma didn't appear anything like a traveler that she had in mind. His clothing was far too different and...stylish? Not to mention beaten. They were dirty, his right sleeve was torn off, and the least said about the dried blood that ran on the right side of his body, the better. From her observation, it looked like he had been in some kind of fight before they met. It was a mystery how could be acting so casually when there were traces of bruises on his face.

"Sakura, I don't believe I said you could talk to the prisoner! I sent you to keep an eye on him, not make friends with him. It's bad enough that Naruto's going to bleed out to death with no hope of survival, I don't need you taking sides with someone who may threaten our client's life."

"Wait...WHAT WAS THAT ABOUT ME BLEEDING TO DEEEEEAAAAAATTTTHHHHH!?"

Sakura flinched at Kakashi's words, chuckling nervously as Touma quirked a brow at her in. So, this hadn't been some kind act to get to know him better? He should have found it odd that a cute girl would talk to him without an agenda.

The persona within Sakura's mental fortitude, a dark-bodied being with the words 'Inner Sakura' planted on her wide forehead, raged in frustration at her sensei's warning.

'Shannaro! Come on, Sensei! Can't you see there's nothing wrong with the guy?! He saved my life after all! Can't you cut the guy some slack!?'

Sakura spoke nothing of her innermost thoughts. She simply acted as proper and as nice as she could.

"Sooooooo, you're my temporary warden, huh?" Touma spoke flatly, causing the pink-haired kunoichi to look away with an embarassed blush staining her face.

"I...wouldn't put like that. I really am grateful that you protected me from the enemy ninjas. And I don't think it's right that we have to treat you as a potential enemy when you've proved you mean us no harm."

"As far as you know." Touma wasn't afraid to reveal the unsaid truth to his current misfortune. Again, he could understand why they would see it that way.

But come on!

He realized that those ninja were only doing their job in protecting the old man named Tazuna from any kind of harm. So, he couldn't say he hated those kids or that one-eyed scarecrow for tying him up. Was he annoyed? Incredibly so! Did he complain? Bet your ass he did! But did he despise them for treating him like a criminal? No, they hadn't even harmed him, so there was no reason to go so far in his opinion of these new world people.

If anything, he was the odd one among the bunch of ninja's.

Him!

The normal one was odd!

Resigning himself to this unfair fate until he could clear things up, Touma spoke to Sakura in understanding.

"Again, you don't need to apologize, Sakura-san. If that's how things are until I can prove my innocence than I'll just have to behave until you've let me go. Until then, I'll just have to contend with having a cute warden than an gray-haired scarecrow with one eye leering over me!" he grinned in good humor.

Cute.

Cute.

Cute.

Those simple words echoed in young kunoichi's inner thoughts, stabbing right through her inner rough persona's chest in a one-hit KO that left Sakura's red-faced by the average faced teen's comment. As a young girl who had already reached the beginning steps to womanhood, the remark to being called cute by a boy older than her own crush, who wasn't that bad looking, and had saved her life, was enough to fluster her.

'No, no, no! You idiot, you're suppose to be faithful to Sasuke-kun! Don't allow some charming plain-faced nobody sway your heart!' The Inner-Sakura screeched as she recovered from the critical blow to their beating core.

Touma wasn't sure why but Sakura could no longer look him in the eye. Was her face red?

"You bastard! I see you over there, trying to steal Sakura-chan's heart for yourself by playing hero! Don't think I'm going to allow you take her away from me, damn it!"

Touma blinked, finding Sakura replaced by the short, spiky-blond with the ugly orange jumpsuit. He had to wonder if the fox eyed boy was colorblind. Even this normal high school boy had a better fashion sense than him. He could understand why the sun-kissed boy was angry though.

"I'm sorry? I didn't mean anything with your girlfriend, Kitsune-kun." he apologized simply, earning him two different responses from Naruto and Sakura.

"He's not my boyfriend!"

"That's right, you stay away from her, punk!"

Being on the outside view of a girl smacking a boy was rather entertaining, Touma thought as he watched Sakura smack the back of the head of the smug-faced blond. He did feel some sympathy before gulping nervously as the polite pink-haired kunoichi sent him a fierce glare. Was it him, or was he seeing another persona of the girl crack her knuckles murderously?

During all this commotion, Kakashi had cleaned his hands of the few speck of blood from dressing Naruto's wound. Thanks to the Kyubi's chakra, the knuckle-headed loudmouth had no need to seek medical attention from a doctor. Just having the demon fox sealed within the kid made normal poisons and cuts null as they regenerated faster than normal. It seemed the Kyuubi would do anything to make sure its host didn't die as long as it was imprisoned within.

He made his way to Sasuke, the only one of his genin who wasn't talking with the out of place boy known as Kamijou. Tazuna stood next to the cool faced Uchiha heir, minding himself with his sake with less passion than when they had met. Kakashi did mentally applaud the boy as he noticed that Sasuke's dark eyes were watching Touma's every move for any sign of danger. The young heir to the demolished Uchiha was being mindful of any hidden weapons being hidden beneath any suspicious bulges on the dark spiky-haired teen's person.

Out of all his current students, and pass students who failed his tests, Sasuke was the brightest of them all. Naturally gifted in ninjutus and taijutsu, he truly was the remaining pride and soul of the wiped out Uchiha Clan. If it wasn't for his natural Uchiha attitude and difficulty to work with others, Sasuke would have been a very promising genin who could make chunin with enough experience.

Which was why he wanted another opinion from someone who wasn't as naive despite being a child himself.

"So, what do you think, Sasuke? Do you believe Kamijou-san's story as true, or do you believe he's deceiving us." Kakashi asked casually as he brought out his favorite piece of literature, Icha-Icha Paradise.

Sasuke withheld an annoyed grunt at the sign of the perverted book in his sensei's hand as he spoke calmly of his own assessment of the dark spiky-haired teen.

"I don't see how you could believe he was a threat. I've examined him from top to bottom, analyzed his stance, and tried to see if he's hiding any weapons or tools but there's nothing worthy of notice. He doesn't appear any different than any civilian I would catch walking past me back in the village. Not to mention he doesn't show any tells that would reveal any hidden intent. Frankly speaking, I think he's an idiot." Sasuke scoffed irritably.

Anyone willing to get caught in a stupid conversation with the dead-last of the academy wasn't worthy of scrutiny. It was hard to believe that the idiot arguing with the biggest idiot in Konohagakure had even moved before Sasuke could defeat one of the Kiri-Ninja. It was embarrassing to think he had been slower when compared to some vagabond.

"By your conclusion, he's no threat then? Just a random traveler who appeared at the wrong place and wrong time? This has just been nothing more than a misunderstanding?" Kakashi probed his student even though he had already come a conclusion of his own.

In the end, after careful evaluation of Touma's habits, body language, voice, and attitude, Kakashi had concluded that the dark spiky-haired teen wasn't a threat to their lives. If he was than Kakashi had to give it to the boy, he was a master of deception and espionage. At this point, he had very little reason to keep that boy tied up.

You know, other than for amusement purposes.

Sasuke shrugged, finding nothing else which would contradict his own analyses as he watched Naruto argue with the older boy whose hair was just as spiky as the loudmouth's.

"And if I see you making goo-goo eyes with my girl again, I'm taking you out with the greatest of my ninjutsu! Just the sight of it will knock you out in a pool of your own blood!"

"And I keep telling you that I'm sorry for the misunderstanding, you orange jumpsuit wearing midget! At this point, I don't even care about acting like a polite captive to prove my innocence! If you keep shouting in my face, I'm going to seriously slug you!"

"Midget?! Oh, that's it! I'm kicking your ass!"

Kakashi shut his beloved book with an exhale, no doubt knowing of what was to come from the mischievous grin on Naruto's face.

"Oh, no."

Touma jumped back a step as Naruto formed an odd hand-sign that made the hairs on his skin stand up. He narrowed his eyes at the familiar sensation he was picking up from the blond boy with whiskers. Unconsciously, he picked up on the foreboding sense of an unnatural pressure being exuded.

Magic? Or was this an esper power created by a Personal Reality? No, it wouldn't anything as familiar as the miracles found in his original world. Did this mean that this new world could freely use supernatural powers like those long lost shinobi of folklore? He wasn't sure he liked that. He'd been hoping the world he was isekaied to wouldn't remind him of some battle manga.

'Oh? Well, that's rather interesting. Despite appearing average and untrained, he reacts surprisingly quick to the slightest hint of danger or chakra. Those are instincts that are hard-wired by frequent combat. I wouldn't expect a normal civilian or traveler to possess such instincts.'

Kakashi's eye grew sharp even after coming to the conclusion that Touma wasn't a threat to them. It didn't mean he wasn't wary of what the teen would do if aggravated or pushed.

Naruto grinned widely at the cautious expression from Touma as he molded his chakra for his greatest ninjutsu, second only to his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. All men, except weirdo's like Sasuke who was probably gay, fell before this almighty attack!

He wouldn't show any mercy to the guy who was hitting on his Sakura!

"Get ready to bleed out, bastard! Oiroke no Jutsu(Sexy Technique)!"

Touma titled his head as his stance fell apart amid the puff of smoke engulfing the fox-eyed blond boy. Did he just say...Sexy Technique? What the hell kind of spell was that?

The answer came sooner than he anticipated.

"Hey there, Big Boy~!"

An actual heart flew out to Touma from the kiss of the smoking hot blonde with pigtails that had replaced Naruto from the smoke. She had the same whisker-like birthmarks on her cheeks, the same blue eyes, the same colored hair, and the same skin-tone as he did. The only difference was of course the busty breasts that were hidden by wisps of smoke, her lovely waist, slender legs, and lack of clothes. All in all, the woman who sent a kiss Touma's way was a bombshell whose nigh nakedness would cause a nosebleed to erupt in a manga.

Hamazura would have been KO'ed in an instant.

Touma though? He did blush at the hottie but did not fall to the deadly technique that was super effective on just about every man on this world. The lack of nosebleed had visibly stumbled the woman known as Naruko as his(her?) technique failed to yield the desired results.

"Y-You didn't get a nosebleed?!" Naruko growled cutely in frustration, surprising Touma that the transformation came with a feminine voice. Even as the slightest movement caused a certain set of fleshy pillows to jiggle pleasantly.

"NARUTO! WHAT THE HELL IS THAT JUTSU, YOU PERVERT!"

A thud could be heard some meters away but Naruto, or Naruko, chalked it up to old man Tazuna passing out from the sight of his Oiroke no Jutsu. Old men typically fell in the 90% range of those hit hard by his masterpiece. He even noticed Kakashi-sensei try to hide the nosebleed. Sasuke refused to give him any attention, glancing away in an attempt to not peek on a naked woman.

What a wuss.

Touma quirked his brow in fascination of the spell, or jutsu as Naruto had called it. Was this what their spells allowed them to do? He had to say, it was a lot better than summoning an regenerating cycle of a flame giant wielding a white-hot cross. But he was pretty sure magicians back home had access to spells allowing for transformation on the (perverse)level as making one's self appear as a naked buxom blonde. If he didn't know beforehand that the naked chick was a twelve-year-old brat, he would have been flustered too.

"Are you going to do anything else? Or is that it?" Touma asked curiously as Naruto had yet to drop the illusion. At least that was what he believed it to be.

Naruko ground her teeth angrily at the nonchalant response from a teen who's jaw should have hit the floor. He couldn't help but feel insulted when his jutsu had even floored the Sandaime! Even Kakashi bled! No healthy man was immune to Naruko-chan's charms! None!

Except for Sasuke. But was he really a man?

"Why isn't this working!? You're a guy, right?! Then shouldn't you be in awe or gushing at the very sight, at the very closeness, of a naked babe right in front of your eyes?! You knows these are real as can be, right!? They're D-grade tits, plump, perky, and just the right kind of firm!" Naruko emphasized with a lift of her left breast.

Both Naruto and Touma ignored the indignant screech from Sakura as the latter shrugged his bound shoulders with nonchalant expression. No, he was not secretly fighting off a damn full of gushing red water in his nose. Hijinks like that only happened in manga; never mind the old man who passed out from an alarming nose bleed that resembled a sprung leak. Kamijou Touma wasn't so depraved that he would get a hard-on from a twelve-year-old boy transforming into a naked chick with bouncing breasts.

Who was? Aogami Pierce?

"Of course I'm a guy. I'm your typical teenager who has a healthy obsession with woman and fantasizes about them in an average fashion. If I could somehow peek at a woman without any repercussions than I'd be hard pressed to deny the chance despite my misfortune. Whatever spell you're using is impressive, and I got to give you props for attention to detail, but if you're going to get this Kamijou-san's heart pumping when I know what lies beneath the illusion than you'd be better off creating the illusion of a stern yet clumsy Dorm Manager Onee-san in a provocative pose and dress. In other words; try again."

Off to the side, Kakashi couldn't help but nod his head in respect to Touma's taste. Ah, a man of culture then. Not his ideal of archetypes but he could respect it.

Before Sakura finally vented her just feminine rage on the perverted fox-boy, Naruto dropped the jutsu with a poof. He was back to his short stature and spiky hair, orange-jumpsuit and ninja platted headband. The loudmouth ninja titled his head to the side, staring up at the older boy with eyes of interest. Touma was suddenly reminded of a curious fox kit.

"Dorm Manager Onee-san?" he said the words slowly as if tasting them for the first time.

Touma clenched his teeth with tears running down his closed eyes at the clueless tone in the young boy's poor voice. Did...did he not know?! No, it couldn't be! Could this strange new world not know of the beauty of archetypes, specifically the greatest woman of them all; Dorm Manager Onee-sans!

This...this illusion! He would crush it!

As much as his knees would able, Touma knelt down to meet the puzzled ninja's eyes with a face that conveyed an intense focus and understanding that desired to convey a great knowledge to him. Naruto swallowed, feeling that this was an important moment in his life. A moment that would help define him in the future to greater heights and new possibilities!

"Listen closely, Kitsune-kun. For what this Kamijou-san is about to impart on you is vital and will change your perception of the world."

Ignoring the fox comment nickname, Naruto paid close attention to what Touma would say next as if he would be revealing to him the secret of becoming Hokage.

"Just showing off nudity isn't enough. That's amateur hour that every novice falls for! No, the beauty of girls and women doesn't come from their lovely breasts, ass, or thighs free for all to see! It comes from the woman's respective archetype! You have to display those lovely qualities of each woman, seek out what makes them beautiful and jaw-dropping, express why they're classified as sexy, and amplify them to the greatest extent possible! What makes a Nurse breathtaking? Is it her large breasts alone? Hell no! Not all nurses have to have huge chests! It's her character, her state of dress, her desire to heal all manner of wounds to her beloved patient even if they involve the heart and the forbidden romance factor of said nurse falling for her patient as she struggles with upholding her duty to keep things professional or give in to her human desires and offer the greatest of all treatment; full body sponge baths! Don't you see, Kitsune-kun!? It isn't just about revealing some woman's skin but the archetype of said woman that would highlight that heart rate raising event to its max effectiveness. Like how a Dorm Manager Onee-san would be caught with her shirt raised, revealing her lovely stomach and the tantalizing hint of her colored bra, due to a mess made by her unfortunate tenant's mess. Or how said Dorm Manager Onee-san's risque red thong would be seen by her down on his luck tenant as she stretched up to reach for an item up high that gives you a great view of her sexy side. Or if said secretly kinky, stern yet clumsy Dorm Manager Oneesa-BFFFFFFGGGGHHHHFFFFFFFFGGHHTTTT!"

To the disappointment of both Naruto and Kakashi, Touma's passionate rant about archetypes was cut off as Sakura had finally had enough of his idiocy.

Displaying that she had indeed been paying attention while learning taijutsu, Sakura effortlessly pulled off a dropkick to the side of the hogtied Touma's head. Her sandals planted themselves with a thick smash, causing his perverted brain to rattle around with enough force to put an end to his revelations. Without further ado, his eyes rolled to the back of his head as his gurgled cry fell silent along with his body crashing to the dirt floor.

Sakura had to stop herself from continuing her punishment of Touma as he was already knocked out and foaming at the mouth in a twitching mess. She clicked her tongue, feeling no regret towards the boy who had saved her life earlier. As if she could allow him to continue that dirty tirade any longer! She wouldn't be able to call herself a woman if she did! She dusted herself off, leaving that knocked out pervert where he laid.

To think Kakashi would even think he was a serious threat! Oh, he was a threat alright. To womankind.

Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan; you poor girl. How little you understand of the true horror that boy posed not to womankind, but humanity itself. The Kami-yan disease had yet to even spread its wings in the new world. She should have gone for the head.

...No, not that head, that head.

Shit, that still sounded wrong either way.

Sasuke shook his head at the display as he helped Tazuna back up as the old bridge builder stirred from his unconscious state. That had all but proved that the dark spiky-haired teen wasn't anyone to worry about.

"Kamijou-san, Kamijou-san! Are you alright!? Talk to me, please! Don't go into the light, you have so much more to teach me! Don't diiiiiiiiiiiieeeeeeee!"

Naruto cried desperately to the boy-no, man, who had helped to open his naive eyes as he shook Touma's body around for a response. To his horror though, the container of the Kyubi witnessed what appeared to be Touma's soul leak out of his foam crusted mouth. He blinked suddenly rubbing his eyes from the strange illusion of a massive godly pointer finger push the ready to pass soul of Kamijou Touma back to his mortal container.

Kakashi pinched the bridge of his nose as Naruto cried into the chest of a rather cultured teen who understood sex appeal rather well for his age. Jiraiya would be proud, no doubt. Maybe he found another lover of Icha-Icha?

"You do know what this means, right, Sakura?" Kakashi patiently asked his huffing female student.

To her credit, Sakura attempted to appear apologetic despite the discreet back kick to the perverted idiot who had caused her heart to falter.

"Not really? I mean, isn't it fine if we just leave him here and continue on our mission to guard Tazuna-san? I'm sure he'll be fine!" she poorly lied.

She was praying that Touma would be eaten by wolves.

Kakashi shook his head with a wagging finger for further emphasis.

"No, that's not it. From the looks of it, he's a civilian at best who came upon our path and went as far as protecting you from an enemy shinobi despite the risk to his life. We shinobi are nothing but honorable, especially when it comes to debts. If we were to leave him here now, in a state of unknown injury," his eyes roamed over Touma's, pointing out the bruises on the boy's face and the dry blood over the entirety of his right body from what was most likely a fatal wound, "It would be a disgrace to us as proud shinobi of Konohagakure. To do anything less would make us no better than shinobi without honor who kill and steal out of selfish desires. Understood?"

Out in the field, every matter that those genin came upon was a vital lesson for them to learn from. Just because they had graduated from the academy didn't mean they were done learning a thing. In this world, there was an endless pool of knowledge to discover. Even Kakashi himself found himself learning a new thing or two at his age and he was a jonin.

This little event right here? It was just another lesson for those kids to gain experience from to become the best shinobi they could be.

Shinobi were, if nothing else, honorable. Even when it came to the slightest matters as picking up a random stranger who was in need of help. That was the kind of shinobi Kakashi wished to make his students become; just as Obito, Rin, Kushina, and Minato had been.

Sakura didn't like what was being implied but nodded her head with a huff. She wouldn't argue anymore about it, especially since she did owe the pervert her life.

"Naruto, if you would?"

"Hai, sensei!"

Despite the height difference, Naruto saluted in confirmation as he formed the necessary hand-signs to perform his second favorite jutsu. For this task, he created two clones to pick up the knocked out Touma and carry him on their journey to Nami no Kuni as if he was some slain pig on a pike.

Kakashi didn't like that they would be bringing along a civilian, especially after discovering that Tazuna was being targeted by enemies far stronger than they had anticipated, but they didn't have a choice unless they were willing to abandon Touma out in the middle of nowhere. Konohagakure was too far off now to make a return trip and there was no promise that a shinobi or kind-hearted traveler would come upon him. Worst case scenario, wild animals would be cleaning their teeth with bones of his polished corpse.

What was it that Touma had asked when they first met? He wanted directions to the closest village, correct? Well they were heading to Nami no Kuni, so they would take him along that way as a favor.

Speaking of their mission…

"Kakashi-san, there's something I urgently need to speak to you about."

Well that sounded rather ominous. Kakashi sighed, realizing that this simple escort/bodyguard mission was going to be a lot more trouble than originally anticipated.

Just his luck.

[-]

The rocking of a boat, the gentle crash of waves against wood, and the scent of seat water helped to rouse the unconscious Touma's mind from the land of dreams. The large amount of sleep he was gaining from these past events did at least serve a purpose in giving his body time to mend, so he had to be thankful for that. What he wasn't thankful for was the splitting headache he awoke to which reminded him of the time he had woken up with a hangover after drinking with Hamazura.

"Ow, my head."

"Quit your complaining, you pervert. You're lucky Kakashi-sensei has a big enough heart to not leave you behind to the hungry wolves. Otherwise, you'd be out of my sight."

Unlike when he had first awoken to this new world of shinobi, the memories didn't need some time to come together for this unfortunate Touma. He knew what had happened and what lead to him being knocked out. What he didn't understand was why he was on board a damn boat!

Rubbing the sandman's dust from his eyes, Touma blinked as he found his head filled with the sight of mist in the way of the blue sky. The scent of saltwater was enough to tell him he was rocking on a boat with the three green leaf ninjas, adult one-eyed scarecrow, and old man Tazuna. He was confused about why he didn't find his head resting on the hard wooden hull of the boat but a rather soft set of thighs.

Greeting him with an unhappy stare was the cute pink kunoichi, Sakura who was the reason why his head wasn't meeting the wooden boards. He had to wonder why she would be so kind when he had been acting like an idiot, earning a very Fukiyose-esque beating that gave him a warm sense of nostalgia. Not like he could complain. At the realization he was resting his sore head on the soft, pleasant thighs of a girl, he blushed lightly.

Sakura seemed to notice the confusion as she explained with a huff.

"When we were taking you in, we decided to look you over for any wounds you may be suffering from. And since I noticed that the back of your head had suffered a blunt blow that wasn't even disinfected or dressed, I thought it would be better if you didn't cause any more stress to it. From what we found though, that's the least of your wounds."

She didn't sound pleased at what wounds they had discovered. It was only then that Touma realized his head was bandaged and felt a few more were applied under his favorite hoodie. Was he stripped? He couldn't help but feel that was the most urgent matter right now. His boyhood innocence was a serious deal to him!

Carefully, Touma sat up to find himself in a relatively small boat that just barely fit the seven of them. A new addition to the group was added in the form of the man who was steering the boat with hoers. Interestingly enough, he took notice of the boat engine, giving him another clue to this new worlds technology. Motor technology would put this world in the age of harnessing electricity, right?

Upon his awakening, Naruto waved cheerfully at him from his seat to the right. Sasuke and Tazuna didn't pay any mind as the old man was focused on something further ahead in the mist. Sasuke gave him a brief glance before returning to starring out the boat.

It was Kakashi would spoke up to Touma with an eye-smile.

"Good to see you awake, Kamijou Touma-san! I was worried about you for a while since it's been a couple hours since you were knocked out. Though, after examining your body for injuries, I could see why. I must say, you must have gone through a terrible fight before we met."

Touma felt uneasy now that he was being addressed by Kakashi. Did he say his full name? How-

It was at that moment that Kakashi spun the black leather object his hand on the tip of his finger. Anyone could see that the object was obviously a wallet, one that Touma found was missing from his pockets after a quick pat-down. The rather useless key item which was Touma's flip phone was held in the ninja's other hand. Caring little for privacy, the gray-haired Jonin slipped out the ID card from the empty wallet to inspect.

"Kamijou Touma. Says here you're fifteen, no? Resident of Academy City? I don't believe I've ever heard of such a place before. It also tells me of your blood type, birthday, and Level? What does it mean that you're a Level-0? Is that the rank your village has designated you with? Doesn't sound all that impressive. Funny what one can learn from the contents of a man's beaten wallet."

Shit, they had gone through his personal belongings. As someone who wasn't apart of this world and having read plenty of Isekia Light Novels, Touma understood the most important rule to such events was to never allow others to know of another world. Such knowledge would prove problematic in who knows how many ways that went over this Kamijou-san's head. Thankfully just knowing he was from Academy City and his status as Level-0 wouldn't reveal a thing. There would be questions, sure, but he would deal with that.

His cellphone was another cause for concern. Thankfully it had run out of juice and was useless without a power source to bring it back to life. Maybe he could pass it off as a radio?

Instead of showing panic as they were expecting, Touma glared flatly at Jonin who spun his ID and now worthless Bank Card around like shurikens.

"It's not nice to go through another persons stuff without permission, One-Eyed Scarecrow-san. If you wanted to know my name, you could have asked nicely." he lamented casually.

Kakashi stopped spinning Touma's items around, intrigued that was all that the boy had to say about the invasion of privacy that would make anyone else angered. The average faced boy just didn't know when to stop breaking his expectations. He expected a concerned reaction, panic, and nervousness. All Kakashi was rewarded with was irritation in the average faced boy's eyes.

Returning the plastic cards back to the fine wallet that's seen its share of battles too, Kakashi flung the black leather item back to the dark spiky-haired boy with a fine precision that allowed him to catch it, followed by the odd device with a keypad. It must have been radio of some sort, a dead one at that.

The attempt to get a rise out of the stranger failed, further proving Touma's lack of affiliation with the headhunting shinobi from earlier. No weapons of any kind could be found on his person either, just the wallet that held very little information to his alliance to any of the five major hidden villages, a radio(?) and a recipe to hotpot with multiple ingredients crossed out.

What was found that was interesting didn't help to prove anything else, but did help to paint an odd picture of that ordinary teen.

"Multiple bruises to the upper body from blunt trauma. A sprained left index finger. A stab wound to the right foot from a pen. A nasty gash on the back of the head from a fall from of high height. And a tremendous loss of blood that has soaked the entire right body from shoulder to ankle that had no wound to account for the blood or the missing right sleeve that appeared to have been cleanly torn off. Interestingly enough, your right arm is free of damage, not accounting the torn knuckle skin from your previous attack against the enemy ninja." Kakashi listed off all the injuries that Touma had stacked on from his previous fight with Kamisato and his landing in the new world, "Those aren't average injuries for a passing traveler, especially when the wounds were rather fresh. You're an odd one, Kamijou-san. You're not a threat to us, to my knowledge at least, but I can't say you're nothing more than a nobody either. So, who are you really, if you don't mind me asking?"

It was asked rather laxly but Touma no doubt felt the underlining intent beneath Kakashi's question.

While the gray-haired shinobi admitted that Touma wasn't going to be seen as an enemy, that could quickly change depending on what was said next. Was Touma allied to an enemy village? Was he a criminal on the run? Would there be any reason they would have to end pleasantries and come to blows due to differences that forced their hands to act? Just who was Kamijou Touma, and what reason did they have to trust him at all?

That was what Kakashi demanded to know if they were to take that unknown factor with them any further. It was a kindness that they hadn't abandoned him out of respect for coming to Sakura's aid during an ambush. Kakashi had been prepared to halt the second demon shinobi's claws that were aimed at the cherry blossom haired kunoichi, Sasuke had been ready to intervene as well, but before either of them could it was Touma who had run in to put an end to the fatal attack. For protecting his young student from harm, he was ever grateful.

But it was the many strange habits of said teen that made Kakashi uneasy. Unknowns in the field could be fatal. To be a shinobi was to question every sound, every smile, every action, and every scene with suspicion in order to locate the kunai buried beneath it all. It wasn't a kind field, it didn't lead to happiness in most cases, and death was ever bound to trail your back and strike at any given moment. If you yearned to see tomorrow than you had to doubt even a kind stranger's helping hand.

Depending on what Kakashi heard from out of Touma's mouth then this would simply be a lesson for his aspiring ninja students of how to dispose of a body in a salt-water grave.

Touma crossed his arms in contemplation, the fact he could be free to do so making him realize he was no longer restrained. Everyone on the boot, even the man steering the wooden boat, locked themselves onto this average high school boy with varying degrees of suspicion that Touma couldn't fault. He'd been in enough events back in his original world to understand the logic of suspecting ulterior motives from people who didn't appear as they seemed.

What could he say to explain that he really meant no harm? Should he tell them the truth?

That he was actually what was known as an Esper(Technically) from a place called Academy City, a technological and scientific marvel ahead of the rest of the world by thirty years that focused on creating supernatural humans, who had dealt with events ranging from magicians, curses, clones, global invasions, Magic Gods, out of control Espers who had control of vectors, Saints, Biri-Biri, a walking library of over 103,000 forbidden grimoires, Lesser, and world-ending battles and wars with nothing but his right hand?

Oh, and that said right hand possessed a strange power to destroy supernatural phenomena upon touch while also denying him any good luck no matter how small it may be.

Did he also forget to mention that his right was also containing the wrath of an Invisible Thing.

And Dragons, he couldn't forget about the dragons. How could anyone forget about the dragons?

'Yeah, no. I think it would be better to keep all that LN material for myself for the time being. I honestly doubt anyone would believe me if I were to be completely honest with them about my past. I'm pretty sure a response like that would give me a one-way ticket to the salty grave in the crashing tides. This Kamijou-san would like to avoid a Bad End like that as much as possible.'

Knowing his origins wouldn't bring him any salvation, Touma answered back as simply as he could with no deceit in his voice.

"I'm just your average teenager, to be honest, who got into a fight with someone I couldn't stand. If you're thinking I'm a shinobi who's mastered the art of a thousand faces than I'm sorry to disappoint you but you're completely off from the target. This Kamijou-san isn't some master fighter, assassin, mastermind, con-artist, or thug. If I was to be completely honest, I'm just an unfortunate hi-teenager. I'm just an ordinary teenager, with the shittiest luck, you could find anywhere. "

For slight moment, he'd almost slipped up and called himself a high school student, a designation that had no real meaning in this world. As much as it would be difficult to do, he would have to refrain from that verbal tick to veer anymore suspicion from him. This was a new world unlike his own. So this normal high school boy would have to learn to fit in as best he can. Hopefully, Imagine Breaker wouldn't cause him any more trouble in this world either.

That was of course wishful thinking.

Kakashi continued to study Touma for several moments after. Touma for his part did the same, revealing any cracks in his words that would be taken advantage of as an excuse if the scarecrow shinobi desired. He was dropping his guard, basically opening the door to his soul, as a sign that he had nothing to hide. Of course he was hiding his true origins but no one needed to hear some stranger's entire backstory, did they?

'He's being completely honest. There's no denying that. Not unless he's so skilled as to tell lies that can't be distinguished from truth. He didn't mention any affiliation to any of the hidden villages but his ID card has stated that he's a resident of a place known as Academy City. As far as I know of, said land wasn't an enemy of Kohohagakure nor could it be found on the map's continent. And he's knowingly lowering his guard, staring me right in the eye, as a sign that he means no harm to us. I suppose that's that then.'

Ever so slightly, Kakashi relaxed his muscles. If one listened closely, they would hear a metallic click from a kunai sheathing.

Final conclusion?

Kamijou Touma was of no known threat to either Squad-7, Tazuna, or Konohagakure. For the most part, he was who he said he was: a normal unfortunate teen who was caught between the troubles of shinobi.

Kakashi still had his doubts but they in no way involved whether Kamijou Touma was of any risk. Those doubts fell along the lines of peaked interest to him and not his students.

"I suppose I'll have to take your word for it then, Kamijou-san. Apologies if I came off rather hostile but in my line of work, we have to be prepared for any number of nasty shocks," he explained rather laxly with no hint of shame to how he came off moments ago.

As much as Touma had been inconvenienced by the shinobi's silent threats, he was just relieved that it was all over with for now. Which meant he could breathe easily and finally gather his bearings. First order of business now that he could stretch his groaning limbs around a bit more, was ask questions himself. Such as why they the hell were they on a boat again? What did his Kamijou-san miss when the cute pink-haired kunoichi had dropped kicked him?

"It's fine, One-Eyed Scarecrow-san. I admit, I didn't come off as the most trusting with my introduction earlier either."

"Please stop referring to me as One-Eyed Scarecrow-san; the name's Hatake Kakashi. Remember it or I'll stab out of your eyes."

Scarecrow, Kakashi; same meaning, literally.

"But I have to ask; why are we on a boat? Weren't we just on land? I definitely remember the sensation of my feet touching dirt, not wood rocked by waves when I was busy imparting great knowledge to Kitsune-kun about the great joy that was Dorm Manager Onee-sans before Sakura-chan knocked this innocent Kamijou-san out."

Naruto raised his hand to catch Touma's attention, his face expressing mild annoyance, "I'm not Kitsune-kun, Kamijou-san! My name's Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konohagakure-dattebayo!"

What was Touma suppose to believe? He still had no clue what the hell was a Hokage. And what kind of verbal tick was 'Believe it!' anyways?

"Innocent?! You were blatantly ranting about perverted garbage without any proper shame, you pervert! What kind of idiot thinks he could get away with speaking like that in front of a lady?!"

Cute as Sakura may be, the young kunoichi had a hell of a set of lungs to screech like that. He did realize his mistake in letting his mouth run, so he had learned his lesson to watch what he said around the girl. Oddly enough, her violent tendencies reminded him of how Misaka or Fukiyose would beat him up for being an idiot too. More the foremost though because of the lack of breasts.

Seeming to realize they hadn't introduced themselves at all since their meeting, Kakashi moved to fix that problem with a quick rundown of the boat's occupants.

"I believe proper introductions are in order before discussing your stay on board. As I've said, my name is Hatake Kakashi, Jonin Instructor of this adorable band of kids that's been designated by Team-7 from Konohagakure."

Not even a twitch could be seen from Touma's facial expression, further adding on to Kakashi's growing intrigue. He continued on none the less.

"To your right is our resident short stuff, the #1 Knuckle-Headed Shinobi; Uzumaki Naruto-kun. Don't mind him if he starts yelling into your ear about dreams of becoming Hokage or his love for ramen, it's just a sign that he likes you."

"Hey! Don't talk about me as if I'm some kind of pest, sensei! Make fun of me again and you'll be on the receiving end of my Harem no Jutsu!"

"As for the one who had been servicing you with a lap pillow treatment, she is Haruno Sakura-chan. I know she may seem kind, gentle, and polite, but do be mindful of her. Even men of fine taste as we are not immune from her raging knuckles."

"Why are you describing me as some kind of brute, sensei!? Is that really how you see me!?"

Inner-Sakura was currently pummeling two punching bags designated as Kakashi-sensei and Kamijou-san with a bestial roar amid the sounds of pounding flesh.

"The coolly brooding, pale-skinned and dark-haired boy with the hair of a duck, is Uchiha Sasuke-kun. Don't take any offense if he doesn't speak to you at all, it just means he's shy because he has trouble making friends."

Sasuke said nothing to the poor description his sensei delivered about himself, settling instead with shooting his sensei with a sideways glare of irritation. When no one was looking, he did stare at his reflection in the waves, pondering if his hair did indeed look like a duck.

"And finally, we have our master bridge builder that we are escorting and guarding on our journey to Nami no Kuni, Tazuna-san. I don't know the name of the man rowing us to shore, but he's really of no importance to the story."

Tazuna laughed upon realizing he was the most well-described out of them all as his friend who was guiding them through the waves on his boat, scowled at how he wasn't even given a name.

Ignoring the annoyed glares from his students, Kakashi went on to explain why they had taken Touma along.

"To answer your question, Kamijou-san; I felt it would be best to take you along instead of leaving behind in your unconscious state. We are after all on our way to Tazuna-san's village, so I felt it would be appropriate to take you along. Think of it as repaying a kindness since you saved Sakura from harm earlier."

Touma smiled gratefully at the older man's reasoning as he massaged his left wrist. Well, despite the rocky start, these new world folk weren't so bad. You know, ignoring the fact that they were shinobi that were trained killers in the art of assassination, they were alright in his book. Just as long as they didn't point a kunai to his neck from behind that is.

"Thanks for the help, Hatake-san. I gotta admit, I was really lost back there. I couldn't even find my way out of the surrounding forest. You could say I was lucky to have fallen upon you guys."

"Tch, lucky, aye? If you asked me, you would have been better off knocked out in some clearing than having to find my village. It would have been a lot kinder, compared to setting foot in Gato's territory."

Tazuna's bitter opinion made Touma frown. An uneasy feeling grew in his stomach. Why did he feel like Imagine Breaker had already been at work?

"Gato? Whose that? Is he someone I should know about?" he had to ask out of concern.

Tazuna choked, his eyes bewildered at the question Touma had asked in regards to the most renowned billionaire/businessman in the world. Had the kid been living under a rock?! Groaning tiredly, he felt it was only right to explain the clueless boy the same as he did with Team-7 about Gato's rule over Nami no Kuni using hired ex-shinobi and bandits to smuggle drugs and contraband to their once prosperous land.

Already, Touma couldn't help but feel his misfortune was working its ever miserable magic.

[-]

A recap of the events of Nami no Kuni's current situation at the hands of Gato was given to the random stranger that was Kamijou Touma.

Kakashi listened in to Tazuna's explanation of how Gato had all but drained his home country's resources for himself. The old bridge builder had already told them off the renown billionaire's strangle-hold over the land using his own company, Gato Shipping and Transport, to gain control of the country's vital resource; its shipping and transporting industry plus their routes. It was a rather depressing tale to hear, one that had played on the hearts of Team-7 to overlook the false pretense of their mission being C-rank and actually a B-rank that was better suited for Jonin level shinobi like himself.

Who would have thought that the world's richest businessman was actually a tyrant? On second thought, Kakashi wasn't too surprised. There had been the faintest whispers of Gato being involved in black markets and ill-gotten deals. Old business partners complained that Gato employed gangs and shinobi to strong-arm competitors. And he always seemed to plant himself into small lands rather easily.

But seeing as no one ever came forward to any of the nearby hidden villages about Gato's corrupt and cruel ethics, he was left alone to do what he wished. The man was considered richer and more influential than even the Daimyos. It wouldn't be far-fetch to say that any problems or threats to his business could be solved with his money.

No, the real reason he was listening in to Tazuna explain the situation to Touma, whose expression grew more upset by the minute as they entered a tunnel that would lead them safely to land through the mangroves, was to better understand the spiky-haired boy.

Kamijou Touma was no threat. But he was clearly far more than he himself believed.

Once they reached the end of the stone tunnel and witnessed the scenic mangroves of the tides along with the view of the village itself, Tazuna had just about finished filling in Touma about their current situation. By the time they reached the pier, bidding farewell to the disgruntled boater, Touma's face was marred in a deep frown from the tale he had heard.

No doubt the teen's own heart had been swayed by the poor old man who only wanted his land to escape a monster's clutches.

"So, your only hope of getting rid of Gato is the bridge you're building between your country and the mainland. Doing so cuts off his control of marine transportation, allowing your people to take advantage of the bridge for transportation on land instead of sea which would also create more jobs and allow the villages to profit equally. The bridge is quite literally your only lifeline and Gato wants nothing more than to cut it down before it can gain a pulse."

Many in his original world considered Touma an idiot, which they were right in a sense. When it came to matters involving Magic or Science, he was only now starting to understanding more than the basics to solve the problems born from them on his own. But he wasn't without his own cleverness. Even this high school boy with half a year's worth of memory could understand everything that he was being told.

Said no longer a high school boy did his best to withhold a frustrated groan at the situation he found himself in.

Just his luck, right? On his first day to a new world, he stumbles into real-life shinobi being attack, gets tied up under suspicion of being allied to the enemy shinobi when he had saved one of their own, gets knocked out by a cute kunoichi via dropkick and wakes up in a boat that leads him to a country being monetized and terrorized by a greedy corporation. Even after fixing the mess that was the Sample Shoggoth and Cannibal Apple, there was no rest in sight.

At the very least though, this wasn't his mess to solve.

"That's why you and your students are helping, isn't that right, Hatake-san? Your village, Konohagakure, assigned you guys to take care of Tazuna until he's completed the bridge. From what you've made it out to sound, doesn't that make you guys heroes of sorts?" he smiled.

The mere mention of being labeled heroes made Naruto puff out his chest. He hadn't even thought about it like that! Heroes, huh? Wouldn't saving Nami no Kuni be a big accomplishment? Surely even gramps would step down from his role as Hokage and appoint him the Godaime!

Kakashi ignored the swelled head the blond ninja was gaining from the comment. Let the kid dream. The pain when that silly dream crashed down made all the more memorable.

"We're shinobi. We're nothing more than tools of the village that carry out the demands of our Kage and Daimyo. Our actions may seem heroic to many but we are still assassins that can kill at a mere command out of pettiness. We are no so kind as to save everyone out of some made-up sense of justice." Kakashi warned.

Touma gave the scarecrow shinobi a dry stare.

"Didn't Tazuna-san have to guilt-trip you into continuing the mission, saying how he would be dead if you didn't help him and that his daughter and ten-year-old grandson would vow vengeance on shinobi for the rest of their lives?"

Kakashi had the decency to look away with an innocent whistle.

Cold-hearted tools, huh?

Well, whatever their reasons, those shinobi were working to ensure that the land of Nami no Kuni could prosper on its own and toss aside the shackles of a crooked businessman. From what he had seen of the metalwork that was said bridge built onto the tides, it was a quarter way finished. As long as the architect who designed it wasn't harmed or construction was interrupted than that dream of freedom would be in their hands. Tazuna wasn't helpless, he had powerful-he assumed- warriors to defend him and his dream from those who wanted to tear it down.

That made Touma feel relieved to know. There was no reason for a normal high school boy to recklessly run into the fray than, right? It was like passing by more competent officers who already at work in some ongoing investigation while walking to school. Butting in would be nothing more than inconvenient them. All he was good for relied on Imagine Breaker to destroy supernatural powers that were at the heart of most chaos.

What good would that right hand do here?

From what Touma had seen from Naruto's jutsu, the spells of this world didn't appear to be anything as devastating as completely obliterating all of existence to remake it in the caster's image. Well as far as he knew that was the case. Still, those ninjas must have been adept in countering even more fearsome spells on their own that they wouldn't need a right hand that may or may not work against jutsu.

All he had to worry about was fitting into this new world until the day came that his friends had found a way to bring him back. There was no need to get into any world-ending events.

The shinobi, the warriors of this world that had their own system of spells, were no doubt competent.

"Over there!"

"Naruto, stop wasting shuriken. Those don't grow on trees, you know?"

"Heh, the enemy must have fled at the sheer thought they had been spotted. Pitiful fools."

"As if! It was probably a field mouse, you idiot! Don't you know those things aren't toys!?"

"Sorry, I must have-FOUND THE ENEMY OVER THERE!"

"You little brat! Don't go throwing those death wheels at an old man like that! What if I didn't duck just then, huh?! Forget Gato's goons killing me, I'd sooner believe that my death would come to me in the form of an orange colored midget!"

"My bad." Naruto smoothly apologized to the nervously sweating old man. He didn't pay his failures any mind, smoothing over his yellow spikes in an attempt to appear collected. "The sun must have gotten in my eyes. I swear, I won't-KILL THE ENEMY HIDING IN THOSE BUSHES!"

Touma's eye twitched at the sound of several loud thuds of kunai this time missing their target to hit some helpless tree bark. Yeah, these shinobi were competent. T-They could handle themselves just fine. Just as long as they didn't let that fox-eyed kid accidentally kill their client.

"Hmm?"

Touma's ears twitched. An unconscious movement caught his attention from the bushes Naruto's kunai had struck. For some reason, he couldn't help but wander over, parting the green brush to search for the weapons.

Was that a cry he heard?

Any worry he had felt melted away as he found the origin of the soft cry. He snorted at what he found; a snow-white rabbit that had nearly suffered a head-shot via kunai. Just the shock of what the bunny believed to be its final moments was enough to make its body go stiff and collapse; blank eyes plus a twitching left foot.

Out of pity, he picked the nearly scared to death rabbit up.

"Is this the enemy that's after you, Tazuna-san? Gotta say, Gato sure knows his way around the grunt bargain bin if that's the case. Who would ever expect a rabbit this cuddly of murder?"

Naruto's blue eyes welled up with tears at the cute rabbit he would have killed. Sakura and Kakashi gathered around the trembling animal, eyeing the poor beast in Touma's hand with pity.

"Naruto, you idiot! What if you killed Usagi-kun because you wanted to look cool!? Just look at it, its heart probably stopped!"

"Usagi-chaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan! I'm so sorry! Please don't die on us, please! Don't go into the liiiiiiigggggghhhhhhttttttttt!"

Touma decided to let Naruto have the rabbit as the boy immediately began cuddling it to his cheek like a sobbing child would to their teddy bear.

"A snow hare? What would on be doing out here in the springtime?"

Touma heard Kakashi's wary mumble below his breath, eyeing said rabbit oddly before the shinobi's single eye grew wide.

What did it matter if the rabbit was a snow hare? It was just a rabbit. What could be so concerning about tha-!

"EVERYONE GET DOWN!"

Metal death blurred in its severing spin, cutting through the air with a low hiss.

Touma wasn't even sure what was happening as his body automatically ducked at the last minute, saving him from the large slicing wheel that nicked one of his black hair spikes. Right away, his eyes searched for the others with him. Thankfully they had all listened to Kakashi's orders and evaded whatever the hell that disk was. A thick thud could be heard striking one of the treetops, most likely belonging to the metal disk. Standing back up to his full height, Touma followed where the disk had settled into, growing surprised at what he found.

That whirling death wheel had, in fact, been a giant broadsword that reminded him of a butcher knife. It looked as tall as a full-grown adult with a hole designed near its top and a half circle at the handle. Even more surprising than the weapon itself would be the wielder. The buster blade's shirtless owner had short black spiky hair with a similar head protector worn to the side, black and white camo arm warmers, and a stripped pair of baggy pants. Their attack glanced down at them coldly, his dark brown eyes revealing nothing but cool indifference and a light gray skin tone that reminded Touma of a corpse. And were those bandages wrapped around his mouth?

"Oh? So, even squirts like you brats were able to properly dodge Kubikiribochu's Hisenken(Flying Revolving Sword)? Color me impressed." the attacker's gravel voice chuckled cruelly.

Kakashi narrowed his single visible eye warily, eyeing the shirtless swordsman with caution as his body tensed. As an ex-Anbu, he recognized the shinobi from the profile available with the Bingo Book that cataloged all known missing-nin. A rather powerful and big-league enemy just appeared to further complicate matters.

"Momochi Zabuza, missing shinobi of Kirigakure; I presume? Funny running into the likes of you while out on a stroll." he addressed the deadly man casually.

A silent stare down ensued between Kakashi and the man known by Zabuza, creating an intense pressure in the air. Falling back into their team training, Sasuke and Sakura went on guard to protect the most likely target among them; Tazuna. Touma scowled at the appearance of the swordsman, his own body unconsciously tensed up at the dangerous vibe the man was giving off.

Naruto?

The spiky-blond boy grinned at the chance to prove he wasn't a coward.

'Finally! This is my chance to show up that smug-faced bastard, Sasuke! Look at him, sweating anxiously and frozen stiff! This is my time to shine!'

It would be different this time! He wouldn't cower behind someone else! He hadn't trained for nothing to show fear or hesitation as he had with the Demon Brothers. The throbbing ache located on the back of his left hand was a reminder of his promise. He would prove his strength here!

Uzumaki Naruto wasn't a weakling, he was one of the greatest shinobi of Konohagakure!

'Focus. Don't let that weird guy's aura throw you off. Just concentrate and hit him hard!'

Carefully, Naruto bent his knees for a boosted leap at Zabuza as he readied a kunai. He narrowed his blue eyes, focusing on the swordsman who was far too preoccupied with staring down Kakashi to notice him. It would be his loss than that he had overlooked someone as great as him!

'Now, ready, set, G-!'

"Don't."

A hand pressed itself on Naruto's shoulder, immediately cutting off the flow of chakra he had been building up in his legs to send him flying. The sudden loss of the inner energy was a shock to the orange-jumpsuit shinobi that was enough to stop him in his tracks. The sensation sent a cold sweat running down his body, accompanied by a weakness he hadn't ever felt until now. It was as if his life energy had been...blocked behind bars. Whatever was responsible for this feeling felt wrong.

'W-What's this terrifying sensation? Is this a part of Zabuza's attack that I had missed? Just what kind of jutsu is this-!'

It had only taken a slight turn of Naruto's head to find who's right hand it was that held him back. His blue eyes grew large in disbelief at who he found.

Touma's dark blue eyes stared at him in concern, warning him to not act so rashly. The warning was shared by Kakashi who glanced back with a thankful nod sent Touma's way, never once noticing the odd state Naruto found himself in.

That right hand, bruised by its earlier contact from plowing into one of the Demon Brother's face, patted Naruto's shoulder in reassurance.

"Leave this to Hatake-san, Uzumaki-san. I don't think that the guy up-top the trees is an opponent a kid like you could take on just yet."

It was supposed to be a polite action to help him calm down, Naruto knew that. But still didn't stop the chills that ran down his entire body produced by contact with that...thing Touma called a hand.

"Hatake Kakashi, Jonin of Konohagakure village and its infamously named Kakashi no Sharingan(Kakashi of the Sharingan). I have to admit, it's a pleasure to catch such a big fish during my little fishing trip. But if you wouldn't mind; can you hand over the old man? I really don't feel like bothering myself with any more prizes today." Zabuza decided to ask.

Kakashi's answer was an order that came out as a bark.

"Team-7! Assume the Manji Battle Formation! Protect Tazuna-san and Kamijou-san with your lives! This is the kind of situation you've all been trained for, so don't fail me now!"

He reached for his forehead protector, sliding the cloth that hid his left eye from others to allow it to breathe. What was seen to those who glanced his way at the sudden reveal of an eye they believed to have been damaged, stunned those at what they discovered.

His left eye was scarred by a faded slash that ran straight from the top of the brow and continued on to his cheek. It was a wound that should have blinded him to the point the eye would have the need to be removed. Instead of an ugly milky white iris that had resembled a gouged piece of jelly, a fully functioning red orb was seen with three black tomoe steadily spinning like a wheel around the iris. Its blood-red color was piercing, catching even Touma's attention as they all stared at the unique orb.

'Why is it that I feel that I've just fallen into a manga?'

Zabuza remarked the reveal of the unique red-eye, impressed as his gravel voice contained a tint of excitement.

"Ah, already busting out the big shuriken, eh? To think I'd see the Sharingan as I live and breathe. Didn't the users of such a powerful Kekkei Genkai all perish?" chuckled lowly, his icy dark eyes regarded Sasuke's scowl with amusement, "My mistake. It seems I've overlooked the little ugly duckling that's feathers weren't bloodied in that massacre."

Sasuke visibly bristled at the comment, his body trembling back with anger at the mention of his clan.

"What's a Sharingan?" Both Naruto and Touma asked, the later more flatly at all the attention one eye was getting.

It seemed like it was a pretty big deal. If he wanted to fit in this new world than it was better he learned all he could, however, he could. Even if said knowledge came in the midst of combat which wasn't anything new to him. Just about everything he had learned in regards to Magic and Science been when he was punching people in the face.

Was it the best method of learning? Eh, it had its highs and lots of lows. Plus he never really had a choice unless he was happy with dying.

It was the calmly furious faced Sasuke who had decided to answer that question to everyone listening.

"The Sharingan; The Mirror Wheel Eye, is a powerful dojutsu born from the bloodline of the Uchiha Clan, making it a Kekkei Genkai that few members of my clan have been able to possess. It's an ocular ninjutsu that enables an Uchiha who's awoken the power in their eyes to pierce right through illusions and reflect them right back. It basically nullifies genjutsu users with nothing more than a glance."

"So, you are indeed an Uchiha? Not many know of what the Sharingan is capable of anymore, especially when that clan had always kept their eye tricks a secret. But there is more." Zabuza casually interjected, earning him the ire of the sole Uchiha heir, "It's known as the Mirror Wheel for a reason. The Sharingan allows the user to not only reflect genjutsu but could copy movements with such acuity, they could breakdown a technique down to its very foundation and replicate it without even training. As a ninja of Kirigakure, I had the usual Bingo Book that profiled quite an extensive rapport about a certain Sharingan user who accumulated over a thousand techniques by copying the enemy's every move."

The Kirigakure shinobi's full attention landed on Kakashi with half-lid eyes that met deep onyx and blood red.

"Hatake Kakashi, The Copy Ninja. It really is a great honor to be facing such an esteemed prey. It appears I'll have to take this seriously then. I hope you don't mind that I kill you first."

Even Touma had felt the atmosphere change drastically. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as his right hand clenched.

Great, a fight on his first day. What a welcoming party.

"Get back, Kamijou-san!"

In an instant, the butchering broadsword was ripped off with tree crunch as Zabuza vanished from the sight of those ninjas. Touma had already moved to search for the deadly swordsman but found himself being reeled back by Naruto's hand on his wrist. For some reason, the spiky-blond boy's faced grimaced as if he was touching something foul but none the less gripped onto his right wrist and moved him back alongside Tazuna. Once his shoulder glanced the old man's, Touma found himself being guarded by all three young ninjas with kunai drawn at the ready.

Right, he was a civilian, a weak target that would be taken advantage of in the midst of battle. Of course, he would be protected by the trained kids, giving the most experienced, Kakashi, the task of fighting in their stead. It should have been reassuring to know that he had no need to fight, that he could let his right fist rest, and leave the violence to someone else.

He never did let go of the grip of his fist though.

Nor did he feel relieved as his stomach twisted.

Zabuza reappeared to all their surprise, standing on top of literal water as if was the ground. The intimidating man performed a single-handed handsign, leering over his targets as the air around his body began to grow heavy.

'He can walk on water?'

A Saint. That was not a comforting connection to make at all.

"How 'bout I show you brats a nifty little trick taught from my home village? The greatest tool we shinobi can ever acquire, Kirigakure no Jutsu! (Hidden Mist Technique)!"

Just as before, the swordsman vanished into thin air obscured by a cloud of fog. A single leaf rippled onto the lake where had stood with a faint ding created a mesmerizing ring of water.

Touma tensed at the ominous atmosphere born with the activation of...something.

Countless battles with the supernatural had seemingly given the current Kamijou Touma the innate ability to, in a way, see minuscule changes in not only a person's muscles to unconsciously anticipate their actions but even feel the shift in the air from a supernatural ability. It was an ability not even known to Touma, An Involuntary Movement not to be confused with an Esper's AIM, that had aided him this far in surviving when faced against monsters who stood leagues above him in fighting prowess.

A heavy fog was born from thin air, the water droplets found from both in the air and the lake suspended to obscure everyone's visibility. Nothing could be seen beyond a few steps ahead from the sea of gray fog. Its birth created a sense of foreboding that made everyone anxious about what would be hiding past the low-lying clouds.

From deep in the fog, Kakashi called out to his student's urgently.

"Remember to not drop your guard; not even for an instant! Momochi Zabuza is a master of the Silent Killing Art! If you slip your ground even once, he'll be on you and sending you to heaven without ever making a sound! For now, I'll keep his attention focused solely on me but it will be up to you three to defend Tazuna-san and Kamijou-san if he attacks!"

"Yes, sensei!" cried out all three genin attentively.

"My, my, my; what diligent brats. But you've left yourselves completely open."

The grave voice of Zabuza chuckled within the fog, perfectly seeping into the clouds to the point it sounded as if he was talking into their ears. A visible tremble shook the bodies of the on edge genin while Tazuna had gone deathly pale.

Touma grit his teeth behind the clearly frightened children. His right fist trembled, same as them, but contained a far more violent emotion in its grasp.

"I see eight targets to choose from, kiddies. Throat, lungs, jugular vein, spinal column, subclavian artery, liver, and, of course, the heart. Of all the tender little choices, which will be the one you die of? Do you wish to pick, or shall I make it a surprise?"

A great, palpable, and ravenous blood lust razed over the bodies of those trapped with the deep fog like a blood-curdling wave. Their breaths were stuck in their throat, a heavy sweat of fear trickled over their quivering forms, and their heartbeats fought to smash out of their chest to escape the blood lust. Just from the dark amusement traveling through the air, they felt the honest and pure intent on spilling their blood with that great severing instrument.

Without even realizing it, those young, inexperienced ninjas had begun to lower their shaky weapons as that terrible killing intent sunk its fangs into their hearts.

"Don't be afraid."

The malicious atmosphere broke apart with the sound of shattering glass.

Sasuke flinched, as did the others in his team and Tazuna, as a right hand had been swept above their heads. To his stunned amazement, the fog in front of them was erased to provide several feet of visible sight. It was almost as if a large fan had blown the space away. Suddenly he regained his tight grip over his kunai as the distraction had helped to temper his fear.

What was that? What had made that breaking noise? Was it responsible for providing them with some vision in the fog?

The Uchiha heir remembered a right hand sweeping above his head, a hand that held a tight fist that belonged to one of the civilians they were tasked to protect out of kindness rather than mission.

Kamijou Touma displayed no fear, no terror, no desire to cower behind them as he smiled slightly.

"Don't be afraid, otherwise you'll make that sensei of your's worry. Don't you wanna show that scarecrow that you guys can leave all the fighting to him?"

The amount of fog that had been cleared up by some unnatural action had revealed Kakashi in the fog, standing in the way of Zabuza's cleaver with a wrinkled eye glanced back at his students.

"Kamijou-san's right, Sasuke. Calm yourselves and remember your training. Even if Zabuza comes after me, I'll protect you. So, breathe easy and let sensei do all the fighting. I promise," behind the mask that hid his mouth, a smile could mistakenly be seen, "I won't allow any of my comrades to die."

Slowly, smiles were pulled on those young genin's faces, planting hope into their shaken hearts.

"Interesting, care to test that theory!?"

The Demon hidden in the fog appeared in the absence of noise to stand in the middle of their protective formation.

Cruel, blood-lusting dark brown eyes lazily regarded those stunned children and bridge builder with the light in his eyes parted from his heart. There was no grin of satisfaction beneath the bandages that covered his mouth. He didn't say another word as he heaved the great severing blade for a wide swing that would cut them down like blood seeped trunks.

No one could move. The way Zabuza had easily slipped into their group had utterly stunned them with horror that they failed to react in time to do a thing against the falling hunk of chopping metal.

In a single moment, it was Game Over.

An audible thud caught the attention of Team-7 as someone in the party moved without freezing. A right fist swung in, smashing straight into Zabuza's lower abdomen without hesitation as the attacker threw his full body weight into the blow. Upon realizing whose fist it belonged to, the three genin plus Tazuna gaped in disbelief. Even Zabuza's eyes had gone wide as he found himself being glared in the eye by a civilian.

A stumped Kakashi appeared within his student's formation, his kunai paused from its path of stabbing in the exact same location the surprise fist was planted deeply by one Kamijou Touma.

'He...reacted to the attack faster than I could?'

"Consider this my only warning, Zabuza-san."

Zabuza said nothing to the harsh words leaving Touma's lips before his entire body released a shattering break. The man known as Momochi Zabuza was destroyed by the right fist that had punched him in the gut. The technique known and perceived by only Kakashi, Mizu no Bunshin(Water Clone Technique), had been utterly broken with just a mere punch from a civilian.

"KAKASHI-SAN, DUCK!"

Kakashi's eyes grew suspicious, not bothering at all to do as Touma demanded as a certain severing blade was swung from behind to slice through his spine. He eyed the open finger hand, the right hand, that shot his way.

'This out to be interesting.'

The edge of Kubikiribochu sliced through the false water body copy Kakashi had created once he had caught the hand-signs from Zabuza in the fog. To those watching the grizzly scene, it appeared as if his head was chopped off with a diagonal swing of hulking metal. Said weapon didn't stop even as Kakashi's body melted away to water, falling into the path of Touma outstretched right hand to do the same.

Only for Kubikiribochu and Zabuza to disappear upon its attempt to slice a digit clean off, along with the water-born of Kakashi's water clone. Not a single drop of water, born of supernatural phenomena, had spilled in that quick exchange.

A deafening silence revealed itself as Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna stared at the tall back of the plain-faced teenager with dark spiky hair. The helpless civilian had moved far quicker than the genin, reacting to the attacks without missing a beat with nothing but his right fist. It was...alarming to say the least.

In the clear area of land born from the swiping right hand, a cautious Zabuza reappeared.

'What the hell just happened?! How...HOW COULD SOME RANDOM CIVILIAN ANTICIPATE MY MIZU NO BUNSHIN'S ATTACKS!?' Silent rage overcame Zabuza's features as he glared darkly at the scowling face of Touma.

Upon the first step his target's had made upon reaching the pier, Zabuza had been silently observing them, learning as much as he could about any mannerism, skills, and tools he would need to be wary of before his attack. As an ex-member of Mizugakure's Assassination Unit, he was always careful in his approach of taking out his targets. He was one of his village's greatest killers, one that had graduated atop of his class and their bodies as the honor student by slaughtering the lot of them. His eyes were well-honed to account for any mistakes.

And he had come to the conclusion that the only true threat among the party of six, consisting of three green-leafed genins, one experienced jonin, and two frail civilians, was the infamous Hatake Kakashi. He had been completely confident and assured by his own assessment, accounting only for any trouble that may arise from the genin who'd never spilled an ounce of blood before. Never did it cross his mind that the two civilians would prove to be any hazard.

So, how the literal hell did that spiky-haired boy not only destroy his water clones but react in time to plan a counter-attack?!

"Admittedly, I'm as surprised as you are, Zabuza-san."

Black polished steel tickled Zabuza's jugular, courtesy of Kakashi appearing from behind. The ex-Kirigakure ninja's clicked his teeth, seething that he had let his guard down because of one surprise.

"I myself was taken back that your clones could be so easily taken care of by a simple teenage boy who doesn't appear to have any shinobi training. Does that mean that you were nothing but talk? My, how humiliating."

Zabuza didn't pay attention to the one-eyed Sharingan ninja even as the kunai was pressed against his vital vein. His seething dark brown eyes were focused only on Touma.

"You...you mentioned a warning, boy?" hissed the infuriated swordman.

Touma swung his hand down, the dispelling nature of Imagine Breaker further erasing the thick tendrils of fog that were attempting to fill in the gaps in the wide-area jutsu that had already been negated. He stepped forward, breaking free of the Machi Formation to regard the assassin with a fierce light in his dark blue eyes.

"This is my only warning, Zabuza-san. It's obvious that this fight would be better resolved between you and Kakashi-san. There's no need to threaten these kids when you only need to deal with someone far stronger to achieve your goal! Leave them out of this and focus on Kakashi-san if you're so confidant in your abilities to resolve this with bloodshed!"

An unnerving stare was Zabuza's response as he regarded the defiant teen who had removed parts of his fog with a wave of a hand. Despite the knife to his jugular, Zabuza stood at full height, a vein pulsing angrily on his forehead as he spoke harshly.

"And if I don't? What if I've decided to ignore the bigger boar in my sights and focus on slaughtering the little piggies who've fooled themselves into believing they're shinobi? What," he unnervingly tilted his head to the side with a crack, his dark brown eyes displaying hostility and blood lust that he focused on that normal boy, "Will you do about it, boy?"

Touma's answer was swift as he readied Imagine Breaker to join the fight.

This world...wasn't his own.

He had no part in what events transpired in this land that hadn't birthed him or contained any of his loved ones. This was not the world he had endured over a hundred-thousand hells to return to by battling a Magic God. It short, it held nothing he could cherish. No one would blame him for not involving himself in the affairs of a world he held no love for.

Such a convenient excuse was one Kamijou Touma would smash to pieces with his fist.

As if such lousy reasoning as that would excuse him from letting others be harmed right in front of his eyes! This wasn't a notion born out of heroism, justice, duty, or destiny. What he was prepared to do involved nothing short of a teenager's selfish desires to eliminate the source of the rotten sickness he felt in his core at standing aside as a tragedy took place in front of his eyes.

He had no desire to fight, nothing to gain, or belief that he could win.

Which is why he raised his fist and leveled it to Zabuza's seething glare.

"If you want to get through them or Tazuna-san than I'll just have to shatter those blood-crazed illusions!"

If Touma was, to be honest about this fight, he would have mentioned that Zabuza's sword wasn't any bigger than Aqua's mace.


A New World.

A set of supernatural laws distorting the world to the benefit of those failed to achieve their dreams by normal means and tasted failure far too many times.

No matter the texture of the earth beneath your feet, the taste of the air upon your lips, or the color of the sky above your head, you will none the less hear or see it.

Suffering, pain, heartbreak, despair, guilt, sin, and the many flavors of anguish you've faced all too well in a world you cherished.

Even if it's not your world, not your place to take the stage, nor your duty to; clench your first.

As if you need any reason to step up.

If you're wondering why I'm updating this story so quickly compared to the others, it's because I've have more than enough chapters completed already. All I really have to do is the usual editing that takes two days to do. My writing and uploading process is weird. If I'm not happy with how it appears even after editing, I won't update at all. I refuse to send out anything I'm not pleased with until I feel it's good enough to be read. It just so happened I was happy with how the second chapter came out after patching it up and I was already uploading one story, so I thought, why not upload this one too?

Does this mean weekly updates? No, not at all. I've decided to no longer make any promises to what I'm going to be updating. The guest reviewer bombing all my stories has made me realize that I am at fault for making promises I've failed to live up to. They're still not in the right, but I should stop saying anything I'm not sure of.

I'll update when I update. That's as truthful as I can get.

Now, since this is the beginning of the first arc, I should offer up a summary of what's to come.

The Land of Waves/Start_From_ZERO.

When two rights clash, a deafening victory is declared to the joy of no one.

Kamijou Touma has been exiled from a certain world he cherishes after overcoming infinite hells. The boy who sees all others above himself has been removed from the story of magicians, espers, magic gods, advanced technology, and normalcy he's come to know since that sunny morning in July. World Rejector has taken the normal high school boy and given him a New World to start over from and provided him a chance at a new life.

The world of ninjas welcomes Touma with a headache, a loud spiky-blond wearing too much orange, a pink girl with one hell of a mean fist, an aloof pretty boy with a stick up his ass, and a perverted one-eyed shinobi who finds nothing wrong with reading porn in front of children. Just the typical sort of welcome party one should expect from a boy plagued with misfortune.

Upon arriving at a new world, the ill effects of Imagine Breaker rear their head in the form of arriving to an island nation under the tyranny of a corrupt billionaire, an army of mercenaries, deadly samurai, and a shirtless grey-skinned swordsman wielding a buster sword similar to a certain once Saint of God's Right Seat. Misfortune has already sunk its teeth into the people robbed of a hero. A boy has lost faith in hoping for a happy ending. A mother has lost hope in heroes. And a bridge-builder fights to save his nation and family with a bridge to inspire courage to those without the strength to clench their fist.

This is not a story that should involve a high schooler. This was not his world, his home, or his people to protect. There was no reason to raise a hand in violence or salvation.

But when an ordinary high school boy and ninjas cross paths, an unmistakable story is told with the clench of a fist.

Oh, just what kind of difference can the addition of Zero make to an already known story? We're just going to have to wait and see. Well, you guys will have to wait. I already know since I've already completed this arc and been working on the next one in my spare time. You'll just have to guess in the meantime.

As always, Read and Review. It's common courtesy.

NeoShadows fading in and out.