The morning sun barely crept through the blinds when Naruto opened his eyes.
His hand was still raised toward the air, fingers curled from where he'd tapped [YES] in the middle of the night.
Except… there was nothing there now. No glowing text. No floating screen. Just dust particles drifting lazily in the light.
For a moment, he thought he'd dreamed it.
Then came the chime.
[Cosmic Ninja System: Welcome, Uzumaki Naruto]
[Daily Login Reward: +1 System Currency | +1 Skill Point]
Naruto sat bolt upright, hair sticking out in every direction.
"You're real?" he blurted, staring at the message now hovering a few feet above his bed.
The screen didn't answer. It just floated there, silent but present.
He blinked. "Okay… uh, thanks? I guess?"
Another chime.
[System Menu Unlocked]
[New Categories Available: Inventory | Skills | Lineage Traits | Equipments | Dungeon]
His heart thudded.
It looked like something out of a game. But this wasn't a game. It felt more like a secret door had opened, just for him.
He reached out, and as his fingers brushed the screen, panels unfolded one by one.
[Skill Points: 1]
[System Currency: 1]
He frowned. "So… currency is for dungeons, skill points are for scrolls…"
He paused. "Wait—dungeons?!"
His eyes widened. "Hold on, hold on! Like
secret missions? Hidden treasure? Cool boss fights?!"
He scrambled to open the menu, voice rising with excitement. "This is awesome!Like some kind of legendary training ground! I bet—"
[Main Menu Updated: Dungeon Access Currently Unavailable ]
His voice cut off.
Naruto stared
The excitement drained from his expression, replaced by quiet confusion… then a small frown.
"Oh…"
The room felt quieter somehow. Emptier.
"No dungeon. Not yet, huh?"
He rubbed the back of his neck and took a deep breath. "Guess I'm not ready anyway..."
He pushed down the disappointment and focused on something else.
[Lineage Traits]
He tapped it.
---
Uzumaki Bloodline
Descendants of a once-powerful clan known for their vitality and mastery of sealing techniques.
[Healer's Body] – Partially Unlocked
Accelerated recovery rate and chakra endurance. Fully unlocks with experience and training.
[Chakra Chains] – Locked
A rare Uzumaki ability to generate chakra chains capable of restraining even tailed beasts. Requires strong emotional clarity and chakra control.
[Mind's Eye] – Locked
A sensory ability allowing mental mapping of surroundings via chakra perception. Requires system synchronization and meditative focus.
---
Naruto stared.
"So… this is what I had all along?"
He placed a hand on his chest. His heartbeat was steady. Even after the nightmares and memories… he felt less exhausted. Something inside him was shifting.
He scrolled to the Skills tab.
---
[Kage Bunshin no Jutsu] – Rank C
Creates solid clones that share memory and experience. Clones disappear upon heavy damage.
[Henge no Jutsu] – Rank E
Standard transformation technique.
[Kawarimi no Jutsu] – Rank D
Allows user to substitute themselves with a nearby object.
[Bunshin no Jutsu] – Rank E
Illusionary clone technique. Mostly obsolete.
[Oiroke no Jutsu] – Rank ?
Distraction-based transformation. Highly unconventional.
---
"Figures they'd rank that last one as a question mark," Naruto muttered with a small grin.
He looked at his hands.
"I don't get all of this yet," he whispered. "But if it helps me protect the people who believe in me… if it helps me prove I'm more than what they think I am…"
His eyes narrowed.
"Then I'll figure it out. One step at a time."
The screen shimmered, pulsing softly.
He stood up, body still aching—but lighter somehow. Like the weight was still there, but he was learning how to carry it.
Then came another notification.
[Notification: Starter Gift Pack Available. Open Now?]
He hesitated, then tapped [YES].
The screen unraveled like a scroll.
---
[Starter Gift Pack Rewards:]
Basic Ninja Outfit – Auto-fitting, chakra-conductive gear. Color adaptive for concealment.
Spider Totem Power – Synthesized bloodline enhancement. Requires manual activation.
Unknown Dungeon Key – Generates a random dungeon based on emotional state and host luck.
---
Naruto barely glanced at the first two.
His eyes locked onto the Unknown Dungeon Key.
A small silver key hovered in front of him, etched with glowing lines. He felt it before he touched it—like the air held its breath.
The moment his fingers closed around it—
[Unknown Dungeon Key Activated]
[Analyzing Host's Emotional State… Luck Factor: ???]
A low hum filled the room. The lights flickered. Cold rushed in from nowhere.
And then, a rift opened.
A shimmering tear in the middle of his floor, swirling with blue light and snowflake shaped fragments, spinning like they'd been waiting for him.
[Dungeon Created: ??? – Entry Now Available]
He stared.
The first two rewards remained in the menu, untouched in his inventory.
Still there.
Still waiting.
"…Later," he murmured.
Because this—this key, this portal—it felt personal.
And for once, he didn't want to run from the unknown.
He wanted to step into it.