1 [Beginning]

Ren gasped, jolting upright with eyes wide open. Beads of sweat traced a path down his forehead as he clenched his fists, surveying the sterile, empty expanse of a clean white room. A hospital, he surmised, though its unfamiliarity left him bewildered.

'This looks like a hospital? But why does it seem so... backwards?' Ren pondered, his confusion evident.

His gaze was drawn to a window at his side, revealing a bright blue sky casting sunlight over streets that resembled an older Japan. Yet, what arrested his attention was a cliffside with four giant faces etched into its surface on the other side of this town. 

'What the **** is that? Is that the Hokage Rock from Naruto?'

Ren's mind exclaimed in disbelief.

'Am I in some hardcore anime convention? But then why am I in a hospital?'

'What... what is this?'

As a wave of foreign memories surged through his mind, Ren creased his eyebrows as he tried to make sense of the fragmented memories appearing in his mind.

'Konoha... Uchiha.... Sasuke....'

Before he could untangle the web of thoughts floating in his head, the door burst open, revealing an old man in a red and white robe—the 3rd Hokage. The aged figure, almost monkey-like in appearance, looked at Ren and gently asked, "Are you feeling better, Sasuke?"

"Lord Hokage?"

The words slipped out without Ren's conscious effort.

"I understand that what you are going through is quite dreadful, but you must understand that it is not a weakness to show others how you feel," the Hokage continued, but Ren was lost in his inner turmoil.

"I can see that you might still be recovering from 'that' incident, but you should understand that I and your friends back at school are here for you."

Beside Hiruzen Sarutobi, a blond man in his early thirties emerged—a Konoha jonin named Inoichi Yamanaka. He introduced himself and spoke of his daughter Ino, who apparently talked about 'Sasuke' constantly back at home.

Ren replied, "I'm fine, and yes, I remember what happened."

"Fine?" Inoichi raised an eyebrow, unsure if Sasuke meant what he said.

"Well, you should remember what Lord Third said about there being people here for you. You don't need to hold back your pain."

"Pain?" Ren, now Sasuke, uttered in a confused tone, bewildering both men in the room.

After their departure, Ren grappled with his identity. 'Am I Sasuke Uchiha with Ren's memories? Or am I still Ren with Sasuke's memories? Beyond that, what happened to my previous body as well the original Sasuke?'

Shaking his head, he dismissed the questions floating around in his head, focusing instead on the pressing issue—his purpose in this new world.

'So, am I here for Sasuke's revenge, or rather my revenge? But then what about returning home? Regardless, I need power to have the freedom to choose.'

Sasuke settled back onto the bed, contemplating his uncertain future.

'Power...'

A revelation soon struck Sasuke, any of his previous musings are irrelevant as long as he lacks the power to carry them out.

'Yes! Regardless of my future plans, I need sufficient power to allow me the freedom to choose what I want to do in this life.'

Sasuke's eyes glowed with newfound determination, marking the beginning of a journey in a world where his goals, though vague, provided a beacon in the darkness.