Scorching flames erupted in midair, blossoming like a blazing sun, twisting and distorting the surrounding air.
All around was an endless expanse of pure white. No horizon, no sky—just an infinite void reminiscent of Dragon Ball's Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
Hovering in midair, a countdown steadily ticked away:
Nearby, the solid ground had turned charred black from the explosion, only to swiftly return to its original state moments later.
A black-haired youth landed, steam escaping from his lips.
That attack just now was his third attempt today.
"My Chakra's finally stabilized."
Ryota murmured softly, a glint flickering in his eyes.
With a gentle flip of his wrist, a palm-sized mirror appeared in his hand. He raised it, clearly reflecting his own eyes.
Within those blood-red pupils, three tomoe slowly rotated, seemingly intertwining fate, cause and effect, and death itself—forming a chillingly ominous pattern.
Staring at these eyes, both familiar and foreign in the mirror, Ryota fell silent for a few seconds before slowly raising the corner of his mouth in a faint smile:
"Finally reached three tomoe... At least now I can survive getting out of here."
Putting the mirror away, he walked toward the floating staircase at the edge of the space.
The steps were smooth stone slabs suspended in the white void. Though ordinary at first glance, they were among the few tangible objects in this empty dimension.
Ryota stepped onto the stairs and sat down casually on the third step, legs dangling freely, gazing down into the endless emptiness.
He slightly raised his right hand, gently pinching his fingers.
A faint golden glow appeared, and immediately afterward, a simple-looking bento box materialized steadily into his palm.
Removing the lid, Ryota picked up a piece of fried chicken, placing it into his mouth and chewing carefully. His expression was calm, yet he ate with genuine concentration.
He ate quietly, gazing out toward the distant void that never seemed to brighten.
His thoughts drifted gently.
It had been half a year since he'd transmigrated into the Naruto world.
Originally, he was just an ordinary, fragile university student. He'd gone downstairs to grab some pork trotter rice and ended up having an intimate encounter with a speeding truck.
When he regained consciousness, he found himself transported into the world of Naruto.
The good news: he possessed the obligatory golden finger of every transmigrator—an ability called "All-Encompassing Divine Eye."
Upon opening his beginner gift pack, he received some Chakra and awakened a single-tomoe Sharingan.
The bad news: he'd arrived precisely on the night of the Uchiha clan massacre—and worse yet, he found himself directly within the Uchiha Clan Grounds, instantly face-to-face with none other than the Mangekyō Sharingan-wielding Uchiha Itachi.
One-tomoe Sharingan versus Mangekyō Sharingan? Wasn't that just asking to be slaughtered?!
Just when he'd mentally prepared himself for instant death, the system informed him that entering this Trial Space would shield him from external harm.
The only catch was that he could stay here for just half a year.
Without a second thought, Ryota accepted immediately.
He'd already suffered enough getting hit by a truck—no way was he going to end up as another statistic under the Ninja World's number-one family killer.
Most importantly, he wasn't even a genuine Uchiha!
So, he decisively chose to hide!
Maybe it was because he'd always been a compulsive overachiever at school, or perhaps the truck collision had somehow given him a special buff.
Over the past half-year, Ryota had trained relentlessly, day and night, finally elevating his Sharingan to three tomoe today.
And now, the countdown in midair was nearing its end.
Shaking off his thoughts, he ate the last piece of fried chicken, chewing thoughtfully, before muttering softly:
"Time really flows like water... Let's hope Itachi has left by now. Once it's completely safe, I'll find some small village to settle down and relax!"
"System, open status panel."
At his words, a faint blue virtual screen appeared in front of Ryota:
[All-Encompassing Divine Eye System]
[Chakra Level]: C (Stable)
[Chakra Control]: A (Precise Control)
[Chakra Nature]: Fire
[Sharingan]: Three Tomoe
· Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu (Mastered)
· Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu (Mastered)
[Taijutsu]: Basic Combat Arts (Mastered)
Staring at his status, Ryota sighed softly:
"Only a C-level Chakra, huh..."
"But that's understandable. After all, I've never formally studied shinobi knowledge and relied entirely on what the system provided and bits of memory. Reaching C-level is already pretty good."
He comforted himself.
"As for Chakra Control, it's probably the result of all the intense training I've done..."
Those ninjutsu techniques had been rewards from the system.
His "All-Encompassing Divine Eye" system also included a task function.
Unlike those lazy systems that just give you "ten-year check-ins" or "idle leveling," this thing felt more like a cold, intelligent guidance terminal.
Every so often, the system would issue a task.
The tasks weren't particularly difficult—something like performing one hundred push-ups, one hundred squats, and accurately hitting wooden targets a hundred times consecutively.
When he'd first seen that mission, he'd almost thought he was becoming Saitama-sensei.
Still, it had all paid off.
Upon completing each task, the system would "match" him with battle abilities compatible with his soul structure.
This was how Ryota unlocked classic ninjutsu like "Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu" and "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu" within this trial space.
Unfortunately, both rewards had been ninjutsu. He had no idea when he'd finally receive a Chakra-level reward.
"Being able to spit flames is cool and all, but without enough MP, what's the point?"
Mumbling, he brushed the dust off himself and slowly stood up, looking up at the countdown.
This marked the end of Ryota's time in the Trial Space.
As the countdown reached zero, a staircase appeared suspended in the void.
At the end of these stairs was a floating gate composed of faint golden energy, quietly waiting for Ryota to open it.
In an instant, his figure appeared below the stairs, and he stepped forward, climbing upward.
"Bring it on, Uchiha Itachi!"