The Elemental Nations Gamer Experience Chapter 1: 0 - Standing Up, a naruto fanfic

Welcome to [The Game]! Would you like to register an account, or continue on with the Guest experience?

Lack of cognitive intelligence detected. Continuing with temporary Guest account. [Quicksave], [Load] and [Save] features removed.

Selecting world due to user inability…

Standard world selected.

[Mana] replaced by [Chakra] due to world limitations.
[Spells] replaced by [Jutsu] due to world limitations.
[Race] replaced by [Birthright] due to world limitations.

Selecting character due to user inability…

Standard character created.

Selecting time period due to user inability…

Standard time period selected.

Selecting country due to user inability…

Standard country selected.

Awaiting approval.

A_a: tsk
A_a: well that's just boring
A_a: I guess I couldn't expect things to just function smoothly without a little interference, could I? But I'm still disappointed.
A_a: how about this?
A_a: …not like you can accept or deny anyways lol

Randomizing character due to user request…

Selecting birthright…
Selecting aptitude…
Randomizing genetic makeup…

Character randomized.

[Gamer's Body] disabled due to user request.
[Gamer's Mind] disabled due to user request.
[Karma] system activated due to user request.

Inserting Guest…

What…?

As the world around me explodes into a crescendo of color and sensations, I can feel my very being suddenly get ripped apart, squeezed back together, and put… somewhere.

A terrible, terrible feeling that will probably haunt my nightmares for years to come. There's… nothing quite like it. At some point, I'm pretty sure I wished I was dead- except that I lacked even the capacity to think about something so complex.

And now, I just… was. A hazy mess of blue information windows blinking and winking out of existence in front of my eyes, despite the fact that they were closed.

Where-?

Blinking awake, a groan tears at my lips as I wake up. I'm covered in nothing more than a bedsheet. Light streaks in against my eyes, and I could feel a massive headache forming from the flood of information in my brain, and the light glaring against my eyelids did nothing to help.

Welcome to [The Game]!

Wha- oh God, even my hallucinations are making me lose The Game now. "What the fuck," I breathe out, before hearing the sound of my own voice. Hoarse and disheveled as it was, it definitely sounded like a child's- or that of a very young woman. "What?"

You have now become [The Gamer]!

…no, I haven't. That only happens in webcomics and manga- Manwha, technically, and not even the good kind at that. "What the fuck is going on?" I look around myself, only to find what, for all intents and purposes, looks like a hospital's storage closet.

Minus, you know, the hospital equipment like IV drips, heart monitors, and such.

So really, just a white room that smelled of medicine. Instead, there was another unconscious man on a stretcher placed against a wall, which was more than could be said for me laying on the floor. Then again, I wasn't covered in bandages and a cast.

Another window appeared right in front of me, looking for all intents and purposes like a computer's minimized window. It read New Quest Alert!

Hesitantly, I reached out to touch it, feeling the soreness in my body spread.

[New Quest Alert!]

Past Unknown, Future Uncertain (Part 1)

The Gamer has lost their memory due to unknown circumstances. If they wish to figure out who and where they are, they need to explore their surroundings.

Time Limit: None
Reward: [Status] Command, +20Exp

ACCEPT/DECLINE

With a great deal of annoyance, I noticed that the window followed around in my field of vision wherever I looked until I pressed the Accept button. Not like I wasn't going to do that anyway. Stupid window.

Extracting myself from the hospital bed, one thing became clear to me all of a sudden. I was tiny, compared to my bed. More importantly, I was tiny compared to everything.

My body was mostly covered in scars leftover from… burns of some kind, it looked like almost. It was also disproportioned, in a way that only a child's could. What parts of my body were covered by the hospital gown still felt burnt.

My eyes widened as I realized something. Touching in between my legs, I felt around for my privates.

...

…nope. Not dealing with that right now.

Suddenly feeling a lot more interested in figuring out what was going on, I began walking over to the door, quieting my steps and placing my ear against it. As I began hearing a hushed conversation, I held my breath, trying to figure anything out.

"-the last time, Sir, I cannot let just anyone walk into the ward just because you claim to be related! Being her uncle isn't enough for me to just let you see her, especially when she's unconscious and recovering! The situation is already bad as is with the amount of wounded, if you're truly this interested, just wait until-" A wordless growl cut her off, and I could hear her take a step back.

Against my better judgment, I opened the door to see what was going on.

A tall and broad-shouldered man with a scar running from the corner of his lip all the way down his chin was standing threateningly over a blonde woman with white overalls that screamed "nurse". Both of them were way taller than I was.

And, well, if that wasn't enough, the blue text above their heads was more than enough to point that out to me. The man read

Fuma Takeo, Konoha Chunin, Lv - ?

While the woman was

Soma Hiroko, Konoha Nurse, Lv – ?

I would've dismissed the text as yet another hallucination that wouldn't leave me alone, except… the man was wearing a green jacket (flak vest?) with a blue shirt underneath that held the Naruto swirl on it. Additionally, he was wearing one of the classic headbands with a metal forehead protector that the ninja had, similarly holding the Naruto symbol. Probably.

I was not that huge a Naruto buff.

When the man turned towards me, his dangerous snarl turned to an expression of surprise for a moment, before-

Suddenly I was way up in the air, my body having defensively gone entirely limp as the man held me to his chest. "Tomo!" he gasped, and suddenly he was squeezing very tight.

-1HP! (nonlethal)
-1HP! (nonlethal)
-1HP! (nonlethal)
-1HP! (nonlethal)

Too tight.

[Quest Complete!]

Past Unknown, Future Uncertain (Part 1)

The Gamer has lost their memory due to unknown circumstances. If they wish to figure out who and where they are, they need to explore their surroundings.

Time Limit: None
Reward: [Status] Command, +20Exp

I squeaked out the word [Status] as I felt his arms constrict around me. How much was four HP lost to a hug? Was I fragile enough to die to a stiff breeze?

Fuma Tomo, The Gamer, Level 1

Health Points (HP): 6/20 (10)

Chakra Pool (CP): -/-

Experience Points (Exp): 0/200

Money: 0 Ryo

STR: 2 (1)

VIT: 2 (1)

DEX: 4 (2)

INT: 5

WIS: 4

CHA: 0 (-1)

CC: 0%

LCK: 5

Status: Chakra Burnt (Halves STR, VIT, and DEX)

Points to Spend: 0

[Skills] – 1

[Boons] – 0

[Titles] – 1

Okay, so I wasn't fragile enough to die from one hug- I needed 3 whole hugs to die instead, but the fact that I had prior wounds and was still "suffering from amnesia"- which meant nothing to me since this wasn't my body- didn't bode well for my condition.

Oh, and also, the not-quite-mysterious man who is still holding me is my relative.

And Takeo is now arguing with the nurse. As I tune back into their conversation, I ask. "What's going on?"

Takeo stops moving so violently. "Nothing, sweetheart. Things are going to be fine. I'm bringing you home."

The nurse stomps her foot down. "No, you are not. Not until I can run a physical on her, ensure she is fine, and then, if we can confirm your relationship and she is dismissed, you can get her." she puts her foot down, and honestly, this woman standing up to an armed soldier might just become my idol. "Now, put her down."

Takeo, with another growl, eventually puts me down, but not before planting a kiss on the back of my head.

I… don't know how to feel about any of this. I'm very, very uncomfortable. The nurse squats down so that she is at my height and can look me in the eyes.

"Now, sweetie, there's no need to feel in danger. There are ninja here to protect you should anything happen." She smiles sweetly at me, and I nod, still unsure of what to say. "Do you recognize this man? He claims to be the genin teammate of your father, and that he was a prominent figure in raising you."

…do you talk to all children like that?

"Come on Tomo, just tell her so we can go home. Michio would be rolling in his own grave if he saw he could see this happen." Takeo scoffs. The glare Hiroko sends his way could peel paint before she returns to looking at me expectantly.

"…is Michio my dad?" I ask. "I'm sorry, I don't remember much."

The nurse looks genuinely aghast at my question. But Takeo…

As I turn to look at Takeo, a flood of undiluted fear and hatred fills my mind. I go stock still as the emotions filter my mind, and soon I can feel myself start hyperventilating.

-1HP! (nonlethal)

I look back down at my arms as I manage to get my mind back under control, and I realize that I've grabbed my arm and began squeezing hard with my nails until I drew blood.

And just like it began, the flood of emotion stopped, as his face turned carefully blank.

That…

New Skill Acquired due to external actions!

Killing Intent Resistance, Lv. 1

-You are used to Killing Intent being used around and against you, causing you to suffer less of its effects.

Current Fear Status Resistance from Killing Intent: 1%

…was not a pleasant experience I would like to repeat.

Without so much as a feeling of displacement of air, a pair of figures appeared next to Takeo, wearing black over their entire body except their upper arms, which they left bare, and their face, which had masks. They also had body armor and forearm protectors.

?, Konoha Anbu Operative, Lv - ?

He just glared at them, for a moment, but didn't move. They seized him by the arms, and in another blink, they were gone.

+6HP!

I turned around with a squeak as I felt Hiroko touch my forearm, and a warmth spread through my body as her hand glowed green.

I just got Lay on Hands'd.

"Listen, sweetie… how about we get back to your room, and you can tell me what you can remember, if anything, okay?" she caressed my cheek.

"Okay," I agreed, releasing the breath I didn't realize I was holding in.

[Quest Alert!]

Past Unknown, Future Uncertain (Part 2)

The Gamer now knows her name and the clan she belongs to, as well as the world she is in, but the rest of her memories remain unclaimed.

Time Limit: None
Reward: [Observe] Skill, 20Exp

ACCEPT/DECLINE

As soon as I find out where the feedback section is, I'm going to complain. A lot. About being called "she". And why give me quests in the first place, if all you're going to offer was features I should've had from the start?

Am I in a tutorial level?

Fuck that noise.

And fuck everything in general.

What did I do to deserve this?

It was like a gentler interrogation of my knowledge and everything concerning… well, what a 5-year-old might now.

No, I did not remember my name until it was spoken out loud by someone else.

I have no recollection of Michio and Kiyomi of the Fuma clan.

I can vaguely "remember" that the man I spoke to is Fuma Takeo, though I can't recall any relationship with him. The fact that I only know who he is because of the tag hovering over his head was, of course, kept a secret.

I "remember" that the place we are in is the Village Hidden in the Leaves- or know it from a silly anime I watched, but I didn't tell them that.

I have no idea what caused me to be in the hospital.

So on and so forth. When asked about who the current Hokage was, I genuinely did not know when exactly within the timeline I was placed, so I answered "The guy whose face is on the mountain".

When Hiroko understood just how deep my supposed memory loss ran, she instead began taking my physical. My motor skills were… poor, to say the least, but all of it could be attributed to being a fucking 5 year old covered in burns. I lost 4 more HP (nonlethal) over the course of the physical due to straining my body.

And finally, it was over.

[Reputation Alert!]

Your reputation with Soma Hiroko has increased due to being a good little girl!

Get bent.

"What happens now?" I asked. I was not clear on that part, to be honest. I could imagine it, but to be completely honest, I still had no idea of what life would be like in a military dictatorship.

She sighed. "You look… fine enough." I resisted the urge to skeptically raise an eyebrow. "And we really need the beds, as the hospital is in a situation of emergency. So… you will either be released in your father's cousin's care, or with someone else. Worst comes to worst, the Konoha orphanage is an option." My face actually scrunched up in displeasure then.

"…okay." I sighed. "What can I do now? I assume you need the room for other patients."

She knelt down before me once again. "You're very mature for your age, aren't you, Tomo?"

I nodded. It was far too late for me now to change my behavior anyway- and it's not like I wanted to go around acting like a baby for however long I was stuck here. Besides, as soon as I found a way to log out and get back to my regular life and possibly punch whoever thought this was funny, I wouldn't have to deal with this world's shenanigans anyway.

I... what was my life like prior to this?

"Do you want to learn a secret technique?"

ayo lady what

[Quest Alert!]

Chakra Training with Hiroko

The Gamer has received an offer to help her with training her Chakra.

Time Limit: 1 hour
Reward: [Chakra] System, +2 CHA, +20Exp
Penalty: Decreased Reputation with Soma Hiroko

ACCEPT/DECLINE

I found myself nodding enthusiastically, eager for the distraction before I could even comprehend what was going on, and she smiled while I discreetly accepted the quest. "Splendid. Now, sit down here in the corner." She motioned for me to follow her, and I did. "Sit down, cross-legged."

I sat down, wincing as for a moment I pulled at the burns on my skin, before managing to get myself comfortable.

"What now?"

"Put your hands like this." She showed me one of the hand movements that they did in the show, the one where you clasp your hands together and point index and thumb up. "Close your eyes, and focus on your heartbeat until you feel something different about it." I squeaked again as I felt her suddenly stuff her fingers in my ears. After a moment, the system popped up with an [Alert!] that informed me that I was now [Deafened].

Very technically.

The first thing I noticed, weirdly enough, was the fact that I could hear a faint noise playing that I otherwise hadn't noticed before.

Was… was that music?

As I focused more and more of it, I could see a box flash behind my closed eyelids, showing me a volume bar. I focused on moving it, first to the right, which allowed me to hear it in full, and next lowering it to nothing. The name of the track read Project Hospital – Night Theme.

…this was awkward. So far I've been interacting with the world as though it was real, or at least realistic, but it's really starting to look more and more like a video game.

Ugh. This is hurting my brain.

Let's just… roll with things.

But first- I turned up the music, just so I could hear it a little bit, without it covering the conversation. It led me to wonder though- if there were music settings, what else was there?

"[Settings]," I murmured. Nothing. "[Options]?" Still nothing. One last thing I can think of… [Menu]?"

Game Menu

[Status]
[Karma]
[Quests]
[Music]
[Options]
[Save]
[Load]
[Logout]

…what the hell? Half of my options were greyed out!

No matter how hard I tried to interact with them, nothing.

Sigh…

Well, at least I get to play around with some of the options.

From the bottom up, [Music] was the exact same barren menu from before. I could also however disable sound entirely, effectively rendering me deaf to everything, my own heartbeat included. It was unpleasant. I could turn on subtitles, which... why would I do that? And I could "change tracks", though that option was greyed out.

I checked [Quests], and it simply was a log of the quests I completed, and those that were still pending. Of which there were only two.

[Karma] was by far the most interesting.

The screen showed me, simply put, a wilted flower with no petals, and text below it.

Karma

You are empty inside. Reclaim thine virtue or face the consequence.

what in the absolute fuck does that even mean

[Quest Alert!]

That Which Was Lost

You are missing something very dear. It's time to find it again.

Time Limit: -
Reward: [Karma] System, 200Exp
Penalty: Death

ACCEPT/DECLINE

what

excuse me

WHAT

Nope. Not dealing with this right now. No sir.

...Not until you impose a time limit on me anyway.

The last thing to check over was my [Status].

Fuma Tomo,The Gamer, Level 1

Health Points (HP): 10/20 (10)

Chakra Pool (CP): -/-

Experience Points (Exp): 0/200

Money: 0 Ryo

STR: 2 (1)

VIT: 2 (1)

DEX: 4 (2)

INT: 5

WIS: 4

CHA: 0 (-1)

CC: 0%

LCK: 5

Status: Chakra Burnt (Halves STR, VIT, DEX and CHA)

Points to Spend: 0

[Skills] – 3

[Boons] – 0

[Titles] – 1

I actually wanted some explanation of what the stats did. I could assume most of them, but some were confusing, and it doesn't hurt to check. I clicked on them.

STR (Strength): Governs physical strength and attack damage.

VIT (Vitality): Governs physical endurance, Physical Chakra recovery and HP. 1 point of Vitality equates to 10 points of HP.

DEX (Dexterity): Governs accuracy, speed, and casting time.

INT (Intelligence): Governs learning, memorization, and recollection. Partially influences CC.

WIS (Wisdom): Governs common sense, Chakra recovery, and mental clarity.

CHA (Chakra): Governs Jutsu effectiveness and Chakra pool size. 1 point of Chakra equals to 10 points of CP. If value is twice higher than INT, causes Chakra Control loss.

CC (Chakra Control): Governs Jutsu efficiency. Most Jutsu come with a certain CC requirement. Value can't go higher than your INT.

Oh. So CHA wasn't Charisma, nor was CC Crowd Control. My Chakra is… nothing, right now. Less than nothing, actually, it is in the negatives. Which is why I guess my Chakra Pool has a -/- instead of an actual value.

That's distressing. Am I going to end up like some sort of female Rock Lee?

But wait, no. I'm pretty sure that the exercise the nurse was having me do was unlock my Chakra and the quest said I'd be gaining 2 chakra for succeeding to do so. So maybe it's at 0 because I haven't unlocked it yet.

…in what world does 0 divided by 2 equal -1?

Whatever.

LCK (Luck): Influences that which cannot be influenced. Cannot be raised through Skill Points.

What kind of bogus is that?

With a mental sigh, I opened my Skills menu.

Skills

Killing Intent Resistance Lv.1/99 [maximize]

Eavesdropping Lv.1/99 [minimize]

Your Ability to listen in to others' conversations without them being aware of it.

Meditation Lv.3/99 [minimize]

Your ability to meditate, calming the mind and soothing the spirit, allowing a faster recovery of your Chakra Pool.

Oh. Oh! So this was doing something! Did the game count me scrolling through the menu as meditating? Cool.

Boons

There is nothing here. Consider accomplishing something?

And I take back what I just said about the system being cool.

Titles

Fuma Clan Kid [minimize]

You are a child born in the Fuma Clan, and as such get to reap the benefits of nepotism, as well as their ridiculously large weapons.

-Learning Fuma Clan techniques speed enhanced by 33%

-Oversized Weapon Penalty reduced by 50%

-Learning Fuma Clan techniques counts as Light Activity for the purposes of Fatigue.

-Fuma Clan Reputation +10, Uchiha Clan Reputation +5

…wait. So the Fuma Shuriken are from- oh sweet mother of Christ please no. Anything but that. I'll beat people to death with my fists if the choice is that or a shuriken the size of a car.

But I'll equip it.

Until I find a better title.

Sigh.

"Equip the Fuma Clan Kid title." I murmured to myself, annoyed. I checked my [Status] a moment later and indeed, I had it.

You have received a +1 to Intelligence for so thoroughly checking the Menu!

Thanks to you for being so confusing, game.

[Quest Update!]

10 minutes left on the Chakra Training with Hiroko quest!

wait what

is this shit not paused?

fuck

Scrambling to remember Hiroko's instructions, I turned the music's volume completely off, and began listening to my heartbeat.

thum-thum

…?

I could… feel. Something. Very faintly. But more than anything, I could feel a burning sensation, that went from my skin, into my stomach, all the way to the depths of my heart.

It hurt. Especially because, once I was made aware of it, it seemed to expand, encompassing my skin even more. Suddenly, the light burns that patterned my skin were alive with pain and anger. It broke me out of my meditation.

Right to see a quest alert shining in my face.

[Quest Complete!]

Chakra Training with Hiroko

The Gamer has received an offer to help her with training her Chakra.

Time Limit: 1 hour
Reward: [Chakra] System, +2 CHA, +20Exp

A [Jutsu] sub-section has been added to the [Skills] section.

[New Boon!]

Please choose-

I minimized the window, ignoring it for now- now do something about the pain, arsehole!

Becoming aware of my surroundings again, I gasp out as, when I try to move to untangle, the horrible sensation of pins and needles starts filling my legs to add insult to injury. So now I'm just laying there on the ground, tears unintentionally forming in my eyes.

"Hey, kid." A voice calls out, and I turn back to the hospital bed- which now has an occupant in it. Black hair, bandaged up to the neck, with his arm in a sling. "What's going on?"

Nara Ensui, Konoha Tokubetsu Jonin, Lv. ?

"Hurts," I grit my teeth.

"Ah. Yeah, with chakra burns like those, I imagine flaring your chakra like that would hurt quite a bit. Shit," he mumbled to himself for a moment.

"Flaring?"

"Yeah, you burst your chakra outwards for some reason. Not very much, but I could feel it. The nurse told me to not disturb you while she went get your parents or something. Thought you were sleeping."

"[Status]" I said under my breath.

Fuma Tomo,Fuma Clan Kid (The Gamer), Level 1

Health Points (HP): 10/20 (10)

Chakra Pool (CP): 2/10

Experience Points (Exp): 40/200

Money: 0 Ryo

STR: 2 (1)

VIT: 2 (1)

DEX: 4 (2)

INT: 6

WIS: 4

CHA: 2 (1)

CC: 0%

LCK: 5

Status: Chakra Burnt (Halves STR, VIT, DEX and CHA)

Points to Spend: 0

[Skills] – 3

[Boons] – 1*

[Titles] – 1

I have indeed expended some Chakra. How?

…or maybe it's that before my Chakra pool was technically empty, and now I was slowly recovering it?

Still didn't help with the pain.

Except…

When I turned around, I saw a golden light glinting. Through the wall.

[Quest Update]

That Which Was Lost

Follow the Light.

So far, the game just made me want to follow through with the quests- half because I couldn't just do nothing, and half because it promised benefits.

But this time, I felt a yearning. An irrational, unwanted, sudden yearning to just follow that light.

It wasn't overwhelming.

But I wanted to fulfill it nonetheless.

And yet, if I told anyone "Hey, I'm going to follow a light that only I can see because I feel a deep desire to do so" I'd end up in a psych ward.

I needed to be stealthy about it.

"I'm going to go get a nurse" I murmured, and though the pain was still strong in my body, I shakily got up and waved bye at the man, who just stared at me, as if he didn't know if it was worth to try and do anything to stop the 5ish-year-old going off on her own. Laziness won that day.

Wandering back outside the corridor, I nearly jumped out of my own skin as I immediately saw a nurse. Thankfully, it wasn't Hiroko.

Aiko, Konoha Nurse, Lv. ?

Black hair and a stressed-out expression on top of looking like she hadn't caught a wink of sleep in the past 50 hours, she had definitely noticed me but still looked like her brain was catching up. "Hello, miss!" I waved. Her eyes finally gained clarity. "Where is the nearest bathroom? The other nurse gave me a lot of water to drink and I really, really need to go!"

New Skill Acquired due to repeated actions!

Deception, Lv. 1

-Your ability to lie to other people while still looking convincing, even when under scrutiny.

"Uh, over there" she mumbled while pointing behind her, and continued on. I nodded and began heading in the direction of it, and entered.

The bathroom was just that. It had a sink, a porcelain throne, toilet paper… everything one might need.

And.

A mirror.

Curiosity gnawed at me just for long enough to convince me to step backward to stare at myself. And for the first time, it really sunk in.

I had become a little girl.

A miniature hospital gown was the only thing that prevented me from baring my miniature everything to the world. Green hair cascaded in pretty green locks, slightly longer than my shoulders. Said locks and my absolutely precious cheeks- can I say that about myself?- framed wide, innocent chocolate eyes. First-degree burns littered my body, though they looked like they were healing already.

I was an adorable little girl, worth of joining the Powerpuff Girls.

I was also not supposed to be adorable. Or little. Or a girl.

Out of the corner of my eye, in the mirror, I saw the reflection of the twinkle of the light guiding me.

Right.

I needed to get out of here.

Thankfully, I managed to find my way around, even with the one time a Shinobi saw me and raised an eyebrow, but continued on to whatever business he was doing, until I found some stairs going down.

And then promptly ran back up when I saw a nurse going up, hiding a flight of stairs above her in order to not be seen.

New Skill Acquired due to repeated actions!

Stealth, Lv. 1

-Your ability to conceal yourself, masking your presence from the 5 senses in order to remain undetected.

Stop giving me these jumpscare prompts!

[Disable HUD?]

[Y/N]

Yes!

The prompt disappeared. And with it, so did the light I was following.

No, I changed my mind, I can't know where the light is if I don't!

The light reappeared with the texts.

Waiting at the top of the stairs, Hiroko herself eventually walked on by me, nearly spotting me and giving me a heart attack. Eventually, however, she walked past me.

After she passed by, I quickly made my way downstairs, and into another corridor, which in turn led me to the main lobby. I could see the doors leading outside from here.

Now Playing: Grief and Sorrow

I distantly noticed the change in musical tracks but was too focused on my mission.

I took a deep breath, and I.

Just.

Walked. Walked towards my destination with purpose, trying to avoid notice while still attempting to not be suspicious.

Your Skill Level has increased!

Deception, Lv. 2

-Your ability to lie to other people while still looking convincing, even when under scrutiny.

Your Skill Level has increased!

Deception, Lv. 3

-Your ability to lie to other people while still looking convincing, even when under scrutiny.

Your Skill Level has increased!

Stealth, Lv. 2

-Your ability to conceal yourself, masking your presence from the 5 senses in order to remain undetected.

Your Skill Level has increased!

Stealth, Lv. 3

-Your ability to conceal yourself, masking your presence from the 5 senses in order to remain undetected.

Your Skill Level has increased!

Stealth, Lv. 4

-Your ability to conceal yourself, masking your presence from the 5 senses in order to remain undetected.

It was all I could do to not jump out of my skin as notifications flooded my vision and I couldn't just dismiss them without making weird gestures in the air.

I was so fucked.

And yet, whatever the opinion was of every person in the lobby, the fact still was that… they ignored me.

And I understood why.

The people here were way worse off than I was.

I could see people who were missing limbs entirely, were covered head to toe in bandages, or were suffering from something or the other. Some people had burns on their body that made mine look like sunburns by comparison.

…what happened here?

I wanted to know, but I couldn't stop, not until I'd reached the Light.

Grimly marching on, I was eventually left to the open air outside of the Konohagakure General Hospital.

Konoha was… massive. And filled to the brim with trees. People walked to and from, largely ignoring my presence as I in turn ignored theirs. My stealth levelled up two more times just over the course of this brisk walk- but to be completely honest, it felt more like if anything, it was their own decision to ignore me. Which was probably the case, what with whatever was going on.

Again, as I kept walking towards the light, I understood why.

I actually had to duck into an alleyway and make myself as little as possible to avoid a gaggle of genin, carting injured people and documents away from a pile of rubble, led by a chunin.

The people all shared one trait- either injuries such as broken arms, concussions, or pieces of rubble lodged in them, or they were coated in burns.

And those were the ones that were being carted away, still alive. There were a ton of corpses. A foot sticking out of the rubble here, a charred husk there… I was just glad that I could barely recognize any of them as even human, and the mental tugging and pain were quite distracting.

Had a bomb or a thousand gone off or something?

But this was far too many people, even for a terrorist attack.

...but not for a foreign village attack, considering that this world was heavily, magically militarized. I felt information trying to nudge its way to the forefront of my brain, but failing to.

Still, the more I followed the light, the more I was led in destroyed sections of the village, the wood and concrete buildings destroyed. But it looked more as though the buildings were flattened or knocked over by a wrecking ball- the wood was still there, and showed no signs of having been burnt down, which I would've expected from waking up covered in burns myself.

Just what in the world was going on?

…I hoped I would find out when I reached the light.

My legs were starting to cramp up from the effort. It did feel like I was drawing closer if the larger presence of broken buildings and lack of ninjas running around.

And then, I was there.

It was a half-destroyed building, like any other. As I walked in the front door from the part of the building that was still standing, I found myself staring at the shoes in the front door.

A small pair, and a larger pair of sandals.

The smaller ones were my size.

Now Playing: Pictures of the Past

A sense of dread began pooling in my stomach.

Still, I pressed on, walking forward and finding my way in the kitchenette- or what remained of it, as it was flattened and destroyed. Buried under a pile of rubble, the source of my vexation lay hidden.

I began digging. Moving what little rubble I could, or somehow finding a way around it.

As I was so close, there was nothing more that I wanted more than to find just what was under this piece of rubble.

My nails eventually broke as I kept digging, blood freely gushing from my fingers and loosening what little grip I might've had on it.

Warning! [Bleed] status effect.

-1HP!

A part of me was concerned about the fact that unlike the rest of the times that it'd warned me about HP loss, this did not mention anything about the lack of lethality.

But still, I dug.

-1HP!

…

-1HP!

New Skill Acquired due to external actions!

Pain Resistance, Lv. 1

-You are used to gritting your teeth and working through the pain, causing you to suffer less of its effects.

WHERE IN THE FUCKING HELL IS THIS THING? I'M DYING HERE TO TRY AND GET THIS STUPID LIGHT.

-1HP!

oh.

As I move back another piece of rubble (-1HP!) I finally get to see what I was trying to get to.

It's…

…

A woman. And a child held in her arms. The woman, with green frazzled hair on her face, had gone slack and her eyes closed, ignorant of the fact that everything below her midsection was gone.

The child did not seem so lucky. Her face was marred by burns and tears, and her eyes and mouth opened in a noiseless scream. Her neck was twisted in a completely wrong direction.

-1HP!

And… that child was identical to me. It was me.

The very same face that I'd gawked at for 2 good minutes in the mirror was now staring at me, eyes glassy and yet accusing.

'Why are you alive and I am not?'

I did not know how to process this. However, I did see that the golden light was shining from her chest.

A screen appeared in front of me.

[Reclaim Virtue]

I pressed the button.

[Quest Complete!]

Past Unknown, Future Uncertain (Part 2)

The Gamer now knows her name and the clan she belongs to, as well as the world she is in, but the rest of her memories remain unclaimed.

Time Limit: None
Reward: [Observe] Skill, 20Exp

[Quest Complete!]

That Which Was Lost

You are missing something very dear. It's time to find it again.

Time Limit: -
Reward: [Karma] System, 200Exp

[Your level has increased to Level 2!]

[Karma] restored.