"My name is Red."
The young man slightly raised his head, his voice clear.
Though just two words, they carried an indescribable vitality.
Shiroishi quietly observed him.
The current Red was essentially a newborn human.
Completely different from his previous forms as White Zetsu or Ditto Fusion.
Simultaneously, the cellular activity within him was unprecedentedly vigorous!
His Chakra reserves had reached astonishing levels, clearly having undergone a transformation equivalent to evolving beyond lifeforms like White Zetsu.
Red revealed a bright smile.
He stretched his arms, feeling the temperature of the air, sensing the pulse of the World Tree Root Veins beneath his feet.
That sensation of being alive made him smile even more brilliantly.
"Brother Shiroishi."
He turned his head, his gaze sincere and resolute,
"I want to see the outside world... and learn everything about this world."
"No matter which world I'm in, I want to become the strongest trainer. Brother Shiroishi, what are your plans next?"
The World Tree Pulse in the different dimension beat steadily, with cyan light flowing through it, the entire Tree Heart resembling a breathing organ.
Shiroishi quietly watched Red before him, his expression calm.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
"Next, I'd like you to establish your own Gym in the southern part of the Land of Rain."
"That will be your starting point as a trainer. As a Gym Leader, accept challenges from various trainers. Let them gain recognition through their battles with you."
"Various trainers..."
Red murmured softly, then revealed a radiant smile.
"I understand."
"Then let me begin this adventure."
As his words fell, Red raised his hand, lightly tracing a line through the air.
The World Tree Root Veins emitted a low hum in response,
A beam of cyan-green light extended from the Tree Heart, enveloping his body.
Shiroishi took a step back, adjusting his glasses.
Red's figure transformed into a brilliant rainbow within the light stream,
Instantly piercing through spatial boundaries, disappearing within the World Tree.
The next moment, in the southern part of the Land of Rain, a massive waterfall crashed down.
Amid the interwoven rain curtains, Red's figure gradually emerged from the void.
He landed steadily, the stone slabs beneath his feet cracking from the energy vibrations.
Strong winds whipped his cloak, his fiery red cap brim glimmering in the rain,
"Is this... the new beginning?"
He looked up toward the waterfall's end, where mountains loomed faintly through the rain and mist.
Red slowly raised both hands.
The Chakra in his palms surged through the air, like the fusion of flame and life.
"The Gym is the beginning of reshaping beliefs."
With these words, he gently joined his ten fingers, and the Chakra behind him erupted violently.
The surrounding forest began to tremble, roots tearing from the ground.
Giant trees rolled, intertwined, and bent,
Rapidly reshaping their forms under his guidance.
Within dozens of seconds, the original forest transformed into a magnificent structure.
It was a hall standing beneath the waterfall.
The roof arched like flames, walls engraved with patterns blending fire and wings, countless vines winding around the exterior, symbolizing the coexistence of life and blazing fire.
The Flame Gym was established precisely at the extreme edge of the World Tree's derived range.
This meant Red was guarding the foremost region within Shiroishi's World Tree domain.
Red opened his eyes, and at the same moment, a system prompt appeared on Shiroishi's glasses.
[New Gym detected: Waterfall Gym, Land of Rain]
[Please select the primary attribute for this Gym.]
After a moment of silence, his gaze settled on one of the options.
"Fire."
[Attribute confirmed: Fire!]
In an instant, crimson flames erupted, and scorching heat waves swept in all directions, dispersing the rain clouds to reveal a fiery red sky.
At that moment, the Flame Waterfall Gym was officially born.
Beneath the waterfall, Red took a deep breath, formed hand seals, and channeled Chakra within his body. Three clusters of flames ignited behind him.
A special type of Chakra Clone, under Red's control, transformed into three Ninja Beasts.
"From today onward, all trainers entering the Land of Rain will undergo the Gym's assessment."
Red's display caused a major commotion!
In just a short time, the entire Land of Rain was shaken.
Hanzo, Chiyo, and White Fang, already locked in a standoff due to border friction, found their rhythm disrupted by this abruptly appearing crimson hall.
The higher-ups of Amegakure were alarmed and suspicious; reconnaissance ninjas from the Sand and Hidden Leaf Village reported the news almost simultaneously!
"An unidentified structure has appeared in the southern part of the Land of Rain!"
In the distant darkness, Black Zetsu looked up at the red glow burning at the base of the waterfall.
He was lost and helpless.
Because he couldn't quite comprehend or understand what was happening.
In Amegakure, Hanzo was the first to react.
Three squads of Rain Ninjas were swiftly dispatched.
When they finally arrived outside the Flame Gym, the hall was already enveloped in a layer of scorching red flames. The heat was so intense that even raindrops evaporated mid-air.
The lead Rain Ninja raised a hand signal and whispered, "A Barrier?"
"We've never seen such a structure before."
"Could it be a new outpost established by the Hidden Leaf Village in the Land of Rain?"
As they discussed, a figure slowly emerged from the Gym's entrance.
It was a boy wearing a hat.
His black hair was slightly damp, his gaze clear, and his expression confident.
He was dressed in the era's red and black lightweight attire, with a badge hanging at his waist engraved with the Flame Character.
Step by step, he walked out of the entrance, crossing his arms naturally over his chest. Red's eyes swept over the Rain Ninjas, his tone calm and self-assured.
"I am Red, the Gym Leader of the Flame Gym."
"Are you trainers?"
"If you're here to challenge the Gym, the assessment can begin now."
The sudden statement left the Rain Ninjas stunned.
"Wh-what?"
They had no idea what Red was talking about.
In their bewilderment, Red took a light step forward.
Three pillars of flame instantly rose from the hall behind him, roaring like three giant beasts.
The fiery heat waves vaporized the rain mist, the oppressive force nearly suffocating.
One Rain Ninja exclaimed and stepped back.
The lead Rain Ninja reacted swiftly, throwing several Senbon.
Cold glints shot through the air, aiming straight for Red's vitals.
Red merely raised his hand, and a translucent Flame Barrier quietly materialized in his palm.
The Senbon made a sizzling sound upon contact with the barrier and were instantly incinerated to ash.
The scorching heat waves kicked up dust from the ground, causing the Rain Ninjas to instinctively hold their breath.
Red looked up, his smile still radiant, his mood exceptionally cheerful.
He hadn't expected so many enthusiastic trainers on the very first day of the Gym's establishment.
In the next instant, the air abruptly solidified.
With a light flick of his right hand, the flames behind him began to converge and take shape.
Flames surged and roiled, the forms of three Ninja Beasts growing clearer and clearer, causing the faces of the Rain Ninjas to turn increasingly horrified.
"Hahaha, let the assessment begin!"
In an instant, crimson flames ignited, and blazing heat waves swept in all directions,
Even the rain clouds were dispersed, revealing a fiery red sky.