Chapter 86
Transmigrated into Naruto
This is the beginning of a new arc of the story, and I will be adding it to a new book along with the first 15k words of the story. An epilogue to what already happened will follow at some point, and all you need to do to get that is ask for it. I will be opening a pat..reon for this new project.
If you're interested please indicate below.
I already have about 45k words written, so you won't be jonesing for content for a while.
I also have FF in the works called Dante in Marvel. It's written in my style. I got 20k words on that, and a Patreon will also be available to keep up.
Again please tell me if you're interested.
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When Aaron opened his eyes, it felt like the first time. His mind was blurry, his spirit strained, yet his body oddly comfortable. Seated on a plush leather chair softer than anything he'd ever known in his fourteen years, he found himself in an unusual setting.
He saw a cat as black as the night on a grander chair nearby. Between them, a small table held milk and fish-shaped cookies, surrounded by the vast night sky with hundreds of dancing stars.
"Milk?" the cat offered as it levitated a cup to its mouth. Aaron blinked, panic masked by the sheer absurdity. "This is the weirdest dream I've had."
"Oh, this is no dream," the cat said, deep golden eyes peering into Aaron. "You're floating above the stars, in my domain." A biscuit joined the teacup, dipped into the milk, then vanished down the cat's gullet.
Aaron's eyes widened. "And where is this domain?"
"A small solar system of night and splendor at the edge of the Omniverse."
Aaron blinked, clearly confused. "Uh…"
The cat chuckled. "That means nothing to you. Your people called my champions travelers?"
Aaron's face blanched as memories of Mark and a greater tournament spanning worlds flashed. The final clash cost his father and uncle their lives at his grandfather's hands. The Old man had sought the traveler's power and had been willing to burn their world to get it.
If the cat was who she claimed, she wouldn't be pleased with how the Phantoms had treated the Travelers.
"On the contrary, I appreciate the firm hand," the cat said, taking another sip. "Tired of the world rolling over for my champions. It gets boring after the 111th time."
"You can read my mind," he asked, alarmed.
"What gave you that impression," the cat said, deadpan. "We're floating among the stars, sharing milk and treats."
"Fair enough," Aaron muttered. "For all intents and purposes, you might as well be a god."
The cat's long, sonorous laugh filled the space. "To you, maybe, but to the greater omniverse, I'm not even close."
"Then what are you?" Aaron asked.
"A brave and curious one," the cat mused. "That's for me to know and you to ponder."
"What do you want with me?" Aaron questioned, feeling unease at the cat's careful choice of words and mind-reading ability.
The cat stared, relishing the moment. "The look on your face… delicious. I forget how paranoid you assassin types are."
"I'm glad at least one of us is enjoying ourselves," Aaron retorted, rubbing his aching head. The headache from waking up was subsiding, but it felt like someone had taken an axe to his brain.
More memories flooded in, vivid scenes of the final battle replaying in his mind. Panic surged.
"How in the spirits did I survive the final spirit attack? And what about my aunt and Zuko, and the rest of the world?"
"They are fine," the cat assured. "The administrators stitched your world back together when they left. It still spins on its axis, though its spiritual reserves are notably depleted, even after restoring most of what your grandfather stole. The bender population will sharply decline for a few dozen centuries, but all should be well, eventually."
Her words served as a balm to Aaron's mind, reassuring him that the struggle and pain hadn't been in vain. "And my family?"
"Those who survived the battle should be alive."
Dread crept over Aaron. "What about my uncle and father?"
"They are with the death deity of your world," the cat said, taking another sip of milk.
Something within Aaron cracked. "But you said they set the world back to the way it's supposed to be. My father and uncle. They're supposed to be alive," he insisted. "Why can't you put them back?"
The cat looked at Aaron as if he were stupid. "What gave you the inkling that I could? And even if I could spend that metaphorical Chit, why would I spend it on you?
"Besides, weren't you paying attention? The administrators are the ones who run the game; they're one of the few existences powerful enough to resurrect the dead in your universe."
Aaron turned deathly quiet at the news, then demanded.
"How do I get the Administrator's help?"
A look of befuddlement crossed the cat's face, then it shifted to understanding. "You've seen what comes from gaining their attention. You can never predict how an Administrator will react. They are an Omniversal force of nature. They might raise you to Lord Rank or banish you into one of their many null universes. Trust me, it's not worth the risk."
'But can I trust you?' Aaron thought. Could he really trust anyone? Mark had lied to him, and so had his own Grandfather. Could he even trust himself? He'd been the one who chose to trust these people.
"That's the question, isn't it?" the cat mused. "Do not conflate a trickster's guile for incompetence on your part. And to answer your question, you can trust me, at least for the length of this conversation."
Aaron stared at her and sighed. "If I can't go to the administrators, then what do I have to do to bring them back?"
"Honestly," the cat started, "there's not much you can do. For you to bring back the dead where you come from, you'd have to commune with the collective consciousness of your universe and convince it to give back your father's soul, and that does not solve the reanimation dilemma. You'll need far more power than you currently have, far more power than I have, or you'll have to earn the favor of someone equally powerful."
Aaron swallowed as he processed. "I don't suppose you would be willing to point me in the right direction?"
The cat's lips quirked enigmatically. "No, no I am not."
"What!" Aaron saw red. He had half a mind to throttle the thing, but then he reminded himself of the chasm of power between them and reined himself in with deep steadying breaths.
The cat's eyes squinted, amused. "Good boy."
"If you're not going to help me, then what is the point of his conversation?" Aaron was beginning to suspect she enjoyed watching him suffer as she flip-flopped between the desire to help and watching him squirm impotently.
"You shouldn't want my help, or anyone else's for that matter, at least not for free."
"Then, what am I doing here!" Aaron threw his hands up.
"You're here to be rewarded," she said enigmatically.
Aaron leaned back into his chair, genuinely confused.
"For what?"
"For the part you played in defeating your grandfather, of course," she said. "He had his hand up my champion's arse and messed him up so bad the Administrators had to step in."
Flashes of the battle came back to Aaron, sobering him up. "It had to be done."
"I know how trying it must've been to turn against your flesh and blood."
Given everything he'd learned about the cat, he knew she didn't really care. This was all leading to something else entirely.
"You want to settle your debt, don't you?" Aaron said almost automatically.
The cat quirked a smile. "So, you do learn. Favors and Debts are something you should pay a great deal of attention to in the multiverse. Kindness will only get you so far. I owe you a considerable favor for retrieving the system fragment I bestowed upon my champion. I would've had to expend a great deal of power to retrieve it otherwise. It is only fitting that I spend a portion of that power repaying you."
She flicked her finger and a Notifications screen popped up.
Mind Palace Lv 200 Epic: Contains the accumulated memories you've stolen from the mind of Paku, the Leader of the Phantom, a Spirit and Chi bending master, and Airbending Grandmaster. Memories can be categorized by date, relevance, and topic. Add more knowledge to the Library to raise its level. Peruse and call upon its knowledge at your convenience.
"You're giving me a skill and a system?" Aaron wondered out loud, looking over the details of the skill. It sounded positively fantastical. If what he was reading was true, that meant he could become a master of air bending and Chi manipulation in years not decades.
Kaito would be the most powerful man in the world in his early twenties, and with that power, he could set things right. His grandfather's war had brought the world to its knees. It was only right that he used the stolen power to set things right.
Spirits knew the wider world desperately needed the help. The Fire and Earth Nations were likely in shambles after losing most of their armies. With the power he possessed and the help of the other phantoms, he could stabilize the world within a decade.
And once that was taken care of, who knew, he could start looking into bringing his father and Uncle back. The cat had said he needed to be more powerful than she was, but he had to start from somewhere.
"The Name is Nocturne, not Cat, by the way, and I'm not that generous," the cat chuckled. "I'm just putting together pieces that are already there. And as for the system...well, that's a surprise."
"I hate surprises," Aaron frowned.
"Then you'll really love this one or hate it, depending on how pragmatic you are."
Blue Fire (Rare): Lv 1 Mark of a prodigious Firebender with a Fierce Talent and a bountiful spirit. It burns nearly three times as hot as regular fire at its peak and is far more difficult to control and energy-intensive. Chi cost, fire quality, and quantity improve with every level.
"Firebending?" Aaron scowled. Why would the cat arm him with the tool of the enemy?
"It's a byproduct of intermingling Chi with your grandfather for as long as you did. It was enough to plant the seeds for a new bending style. It would've eventually manifested, maybe in your old age, but a little bit of energy and viola. Don't get too excited," she quipped.
Aaron tried to be pragmatic as Nocturne suggested, but the very thought of wielding fire filled him with disgust. "My father and Uncle died at the hands of Blue Fire and you want me to wield it?"
"No, your father died at the hands of your grandfather, who was originally an airbender. By that logic, you should despise airbending," Nocturne smoothly said. "Learn to separate the power from the person. That's another free bit of advice."
With a long flourish of her hand, he declared, "Now for your final gift, something far more interesting."
(Perk)Essence of Samsara: An incalculable amount of spirit energy has entered and exited your body. A greater spirit was born from that rare confluence. The seed will sprout when exposed to the right stimulants. Increases your natural Chi and Spirit generation by 50% and grants you the Sub-skill, Guided Evolution.
Guided Evolution: Force your body and mind to evolve after feeding the perk a sufficient amount of Chi, Spirit, and other external ingredients.
Aaron's mind went blank as stared at the text block in front of him.
He couldn't be reading this right.
"How is this possible?"
"A mystery not even I have the answer to," Nocturne said. "Though I cannot say I'm not eager to find out. I'll be watching you to discover the limits of the perk. Do well not to disappoint," she smiled, then sighed. "I suppose I should send you on your way then."
"Wait—" He still had so many questions about the Administrators and resurrecting his Father and Uncle. There had to be an easier way of bringing them back.
"I'm afraid you won't be getting any more out of me. Now off with you," she said. "He gets testy when you make him wait?"
'Who did?' and more importantly, "you're not sending me back to my world?"
"Not quite."
"Wai—"
Reality dwindled into an impossible array of colors and abstract symbols, forcing Aaron's mind to work overtime to decipher and untangle the enigma. Eventually, he rematerialized, whole, within a gilded chamber.