No one wishes to die, that gripping and absolutely terrifying fear, the void, losing all of one's senses, even one's thoughts, simply being extinguished. I had always feared death and that inescapable deadline, I had always wished and hoped it would arrive only as late as possible. Although death had always frightened me, it had also somewhat fascinated me. Many questions came to me, such as what was truly behind it, the existence of higher dimensions like heaven or hell, or simply the myth of god, whose existence was a certainty for the religious and, for scientists, a simple abstract sign that remained to be proven.
Dreaming was what I had always done, first cradled by simple stories, then later, by films or even Japanese culture. Perhaps dreaming was not essential, perhaps one had to be content with reality, but I had nonetheless always bathed in the latter constantly, spending hours contemplating different worlds through anime and manga that Japanese culture had so carefully brought to us.
But with age, time become increasingly rare, life force us to take on responsibility, we enter the labor market, and everything accelerate, time is lost and the passions of the past are nothing more than a distant memory.
This is why, with the desire to maintain my privileges and my comfort, I set several goals in my mind that kept me moving forward for several years: earning enough money to invest it and be financially independent thanks to a passive income.
And after many adventures, at the age of 25, I succeeded. I immersed myself in the world of finance and I exploited numerous speculative bubbles which allowed me to reach total independence and to retire.
But, there again, things never went as planned. On the first day of my well deserved retirement, I boarded a direct flight heading to Japan.
It was a reputable airline, in the best seats it was possible to have. The safest transport in the world, they said; very little chance of having a problem, they said...
And it fell on me.
Three hours after takeoff, smoke came out of the wings; three minutes later the engines exploded.
The plane lost altitude, it fell, people panicked, masks dropped on us from a trap above our heads, and a heavy atmosphere took hold in the cabin.
Fear could be read in the eyes of the people, panicked children, adults in a pitiful state, and pilots attempting emergency maneuvers without any result.
And I was there, in the middle of this nightmare, my chances of survival were close to 0%.
The only thing to do was… Wait.
Then, nothing more, the void, the darkness.
The only thing indicating I was alive were my thoughts.
Then after a certain time, light.
I was able to open my eyes, and what a surprise it was to find myself in the middle of people dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, all taller than me, watching me with their eyes, scrutinizing my every move.
Then, a person in a white coat grabbed me and placed me in front of a young woman on a bed, and there I understood. Everything appeared clear to me, I had been reincarnated.
×××××××
-Jun-
"Jun, come down and get ready, you must not be late for the big day."
Many things had happened since I had that accident.
Firstly, as strange as it might have been, I had reincarnated in the world of Naruto under the name of Jun Asai.
How did I know? A world consisting of ninja with clans like the Uchiha, villages bearing names like Konoha, Kumo, and Suna, for example ... it was not very complicated to make the connection.
It had been five years since I was born for the second time in this world. The first year was difficult ... the newborn period and all the things that accompanied it, I preferred not to speak of it.
I was a member of the Asai clan, formerly a rather powerful clan being quite renowned, notably as elite ninja.
We were, however, on the brink of extinction; the clan now counted only 50 members, and we survived thanks to our dependence on the village of Ame.
The Asai clan was a ninja clan that possessed a kekkei genkai, the Shoton or Crystal Release.
Yes, you heard me correctly, the kekkei genkai that allowed for the crystallization of all substances and much more if one showed creativity.
The problem was that only one individual out of 100 possessed it in the clan, and only the current leader, my uncle, was capable of using it at the time.
This was also the reason why my mother reminded me not to be late. In the clan we had a ceremony, at five years old, every child had their chakra opened by the clan leader.
Thus, the nature of the chakra as well as the possibility of using Shoton was revealed during this ceremony.
I was rather stressed at the thought of this ceremony. In a world as dangerous as this one, I had to become stronger, and Shoton was the perfect weapon.
Furthermore, we were only two months after the Kyuubi attack, so I had 12 years left before the start of Naruto and all the mess that followed.
My clan was located in the Land of Fire, near the border with Ame, nestled between mountains, we were hidden from the outside world.
This world was dangerous. I had to not only become strong to guarantee my survival, but also to become someone and prove to myself that I was not just anyone.
*Sigh*
Even though it was exhausting and I had a long way to go, it was what I had always aspired to.
Also, this world had made me dream so much, by its richness and its culture as much as by its endearing characters and its history, I could only live my life to the fullest, and this life, I was going to cherish and take care of.
"Jun honey, hurry up ! Your uncle must be waiting for you ! " My mother said to me in a tender tone that filled me with affection and reminded me that in this life, I had people to count on.
"Yes, I'm coming mom "
I had parents in my previous life, they were good parents, and I could not forget them. I didn't want to forget those who raised me and gave their love to me, but that did not mean I could not accept the love of this woman who considered me her son.
Without waiting any longer, I got ready, then I went with my mother to the ceremony.
On the way, my mother reassured me, "My darling, I know you want to become a ninja, but if you do not have the aptitudes, know that your mom will always support you in all circumstances, and in any case do not be disappointed, always be proud of who you are."
Looking at her, I couldn't help but smile "Thank you mom, don't worry, even if I'm not gifted ... I will make the necessary efforts to make up for my lack of talent."
Yes ... i'll make it work somewhat.
"Ara~ my son is growing up fast, I'm so proud of you !" She said hugging me suddenly
"Ugh- I c-can't breath mom !"
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A few minutes later, we arrived at the site of the ceremony, all members of the clan were present.
The site of the ceremony was located in the center of the clan, it was a kind of arena with bleachers in which the members of the clan were settled.
In the center of this arena stood the clan leader, Haito Asai. Tall with long brown hair floating in the wind, he was of an important stature and imposed respect.
Haito was an honest and respectful person, he was kind but also strict. He was also my uncle and he had taught me a lot.
Arriving in the arena, my mother went to sit in the bleachers while I was left to myself. I then presented myself before my uncle and, as tradition dictated, I announced:
"Jun Asai, five years old, presents himself for the ancestral ceremony. I ask the leader of the Asai clan to grant me the gift of chakra and to allow me to become a full member of the clan. I take the members of the clan as witness to this ceremony."
"Look at him ! He's so cute puffing out his cheeks !" Laughed an old lady in the stands.
'Ugh- I hate being a child'
Following my announcement, I moved forward onto the central platform to my uncle.
Arriving at his height, I bowed slightly.
"The leader of the Asai clan accepts your request, may your bravery and your courage allow you to access what you desire, may your abilities be used for the good of the clan."
Following the proclamation of the leader, I sat on the ground while the latter stood behind me, then gently, he placed his hands on my back.
There, he began to infuse his chakra into my body. His chakra went around, it explored every corner and cranny and then... after a certain time, it concentrated and gathered at my heart.
The gathering of his chakra formed a sphere which, slowly, found its way into my chakra veins, gently it cleared a path, it passed through several blockages that broke one after another.
After each broken blockage, I noticed a new kind of energy that began to flow in my body.
Slowly, his chakra went around my veins and returned to my heart, then, it took the same path and made a full turn again.
This process was repeated a few times, until I could feel my chakra.
Finishing this process, he stood up gently dusting his hands and said to me, "Very well, it's finished for the opening of your chakra, you should normally feel it in you. Also ... your chakra is surprisingly large for your age... It's always a good sign !" He said dsmiling lightly
"Now, you must touch this sphere to determine the nature of your chakra."
He then pulled out a crystal ball with strange patterns engraved around the edge.
Curious, I asked him "What is this crystal ball and how does it indicate the nature of my chakra ?"
"This ball, my boy, is one of the treasures of our clan ! Our kekkei genkai is very hard to identify, for that, our ancestors combined their efforts to create this sphere. When you place your hand on it, if you possess our kekkei genkai, the liquid inside should crystallize, then your chakra natures will light up the patterns around. Now, place your hand on it my boy."
Listening to him, I gently placed my hand on it. After a few seconds, my chakra was drawn in small regular quantities into the sphere, then, the liquid inside crystallized completely into a crimson red.
In the process, the patterns around lit up: the pattern of water and wind.
The great leader, astonished by the result, announced with joy to the public watching this scene, surprised but enthusiastic.
"This boy present here... my nephew Jun Asai, possesses Shoton, as well as two affinities. Furthermore, his Shoton seems to be above the norm. May he bring glory to our clan !"
Murmurs of joy were heard in the stands, the Asai clan finally possessed its third Shoton user, after the leader and patriarch.
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Did you like it ? Haito is the ninja leader of the clan, but there is also the old patriarch.
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