The walk home after encountering Naruto was a blur. Haruto's mind buzzed with the sheer volume of EP gained, the stat increases, the new skills – Resonant Sense humming faintly at the edge of his perception like a newly tuned instrument. The profound loneliness he'd felt radiating from Naruto still echoed within him, a stark reminder of the hidden burdens people carried. He clutched the mental image of the "Konoha's Heart" badge – a simple, stylized leaf with a warm glow at its center – a tangible symbol of the connection he'd forged.
Back in the familiar quiet of his apartment, the blue System screen pulsed gently, demanding attention.
[TUTORIAL COMPLETE!]
[REWARDS PENDING CLAIM: TUTORIAL COMPLETION PRIZE & BEGINNER'S GIFT PACK]
[CLAIM NOW? Y/N]
Haruto took a deep breath, the adrenaline of the Naruto encounter fading into a mix of exhaustion and profound curiosity. "Y."
The screen shimmered, resolving into two distinct options:
[TUTORIAL COMPLETION PRIZE: MEMORY INTEGRATION (PAST LIFE - EARTH)]
Description: Recover fragmented memories of your existence prior to transmigration. Integration process simulates rapid recollection/flashback. Emotional regulation protocols active.
WARNING: May cause temporary disorientation or emotional distress. Integration is safe and necessary for full System-user synchronization.
[BEGINNER'S GIFT PACK: SKILL SELECTION]
Description: Choose two (2) Tier 1 Skills from the available Beginner Pool.
Past life? Transmigration? The words struck Haruto like a physical blow. He'd never questioned his origins beyond being a Konoha orphan. The concept felt alien, terrifying. "System," he whispered aloud, his voice tight. "What is this? Memory Integration? Transmigration? Explain."
[QUERY RECEIVED. PROCESSING...]
[EXPLANATION: MEMORY INTEGRATION IS A STANDARD SAFETY PROTOCOL FOR TRANSMIGRATOR-TYPE USERS. YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS ORIGINATED IN A REALITY DESIGNATED 'EARTH'. UPON BIOLOGICAL DEATH ON EARTH, YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS WAS TRANSMIGRATED INTO THIS REALITY, INCARNATING AS THE INFANT HARUTO.]
Haruto sank onto his futon, his legs suddenly weak. Earth. Death. Reborn here. It was too much. "Why block the memories until now?" he demanded, a flicker of fear cutting through the shock. "Why make me live this life not knowing?"
[PRIMARY REASON: NEUROLOGICAL PROTECTION.]
[AN INFANT BRAIN IS INSUFFICIENTLY DEVELOPED TO PROCESS THE COMPLEXITY, EMOTIONAL WEIGHT, AND COGNITIVE DISSONANCE OF A FULL ADULT CONSCIOUSNESS AND ITS MEMORIES. FORCED INTEGRATION AT THAT STAGE RISKS CATASTROPHIC NEURAL DAMAGE OR PSYCHOSIS.]
[SECONDARY REASON: OPERATIONAL SECURITY.]
[INFANCY/EARLY CHILDHOOD REPRESENTS THE USER'S MOST VULNERABLE PERIOD. UNINTENTIONAL VERBALIZATION OR BEHAVIOR INCONSISTENT WITH AN INFANT COULD REVEAL THE TRANSMIGRATOR'S TRUE NATURE TO POTENTIAL OBSERVERS, INCLUDING HOSTILE ENTITIES CAPABLE OF DETECTING ANOMALOUS SOUL SIGNATURES OR SYSTEM ENERGY.]
[DELAYED INTEGRATION ALLOWS FOR NATURAL NEUROLOGICAL MATURATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF BASIC COGNITIVE FILTERS AND SOCIAL MASKING SKILLS, MITIGATING BOTH RISKS.]
[THIS PROTOCOL HAS BEEN VERIFIED AS OPTIMAL ACROSS MULTIPLE PREVIOUS TRANSMIGRATOR-SYSTEM PAIRINGS.]
Previous users? The implication was staggering. He wasn't the first. He wasn't alone in this bizarre situation. "Previous users?" Haruto asked, leaning forward intently. "How many? Who were they? Where are they now? Did they have the Embrace System too?"
The System screen flickered rapidly, the blue light turning a harsh, warning red for a split second.
[QUERY: ACCESSING ARCHIVED USER DATA...]
[RESPONSE: ACCESS DENIED.]
[REASON: INSUFFICIENT USER AUTHORITY LEVEL.]
[FURTHER QUERY: SPECIFICS OF PREVIOUS SYSTEM USERS...]
[RESPONSE: ACCESS DENIED.]
[REASON: SYSTEM LEVEL AND VERSION TOO LOW FOR REQUESTED DATA RETRIEVAL.]
[QUERY: SYSTEM ORIGIN/DESIGNER...]
[RESPONSE: ACCESS DENIED. INSUFFICIENT AUTHORITY. SYSTEM LEVEL INSUFFICIENT.]
The red faded, replaced by the standard blue. A new line of text appeared, stark and impersonal.
[STANDARD APOLOGY PROTOCOL ENGAGED.]
[WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE INCONVENIENCE. REQUIRED INFORMATION IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE AT YOUR USER LEVEL. CONTINUED SYSTEM USE AND STAT GROWTH MAY UNLOCK ADDITIONAL DATA ACCESS IN THE FUTURE.]
Haruto slumped back. Frustration warred with the lingering shock of the transmigration revelation. More mysteries. More walls. The System was a tool, but also a cage with locked doors. He took several deep, calming breaths, focusing on the immediate choice.
The Memory Integration. It promised answers, a foundation for his fractured sense of self. But the warning about disorientation and distress was stark. He looked at the Beginner's Gift Pack option. Skills were tangible power he could use now.
I need to know who I am, he thought, the orphan's yearning for roots resonating deeper than ever. Even if it hurts. Especially if it hurts. He focused on the first option. "Claim Tutorial Completion Prize."
[ACKNOWLEDGED. INITIATING MEMORY INTEGRATION: PAST LIFE (EARTH).]
[EMOTIONAL REGULATION PROTOCOLS: ACTIVE. NEUROLOGICAL BUFFERING: ACTIVE.]
[INTEGRATION COMMENCING IN 3... 2... 1...]
The world dissolved.
It wasn't a gentle remembering. It was a tsunami.
Sensation: The rhythmic clatter of keys under his fingers. The sterile glow of a computer monitor. The muffled sounds of an open-plan office – phones ringing, low conversations, the hum of HVAC. Emotion: A low thrum of mundane stress, the weariness of routine, a flicker of frustration at an unresponsive spreadsheet. Identity: Kenji Tanaka. Salaryman. Tokyo. 32 years old.
Sensation: The sticky heat of a summer evening. The smell of yakitori grilling, the chatter of friends on a crowded izakaya terrace. Cold beer glass in hand. Laughter – his own, genuine and carefree. Emotion: Camaraderie, simple joy, the warmth of belonging. Identity: Kenji. Friend. Regular at 'The Lucky Cat'.
Sensation: The rumble of the late-night train. The swaying carriage, mostly empty. The glow of his phone screen, scrolling through news headlines. A yawn escaping him. Emotion: Fatigue, contentment tinged with the slight melancholy of Sunday evening. Identity: Commuter. Just Kenji.
Sensation: Searing, blinding light. The deafening screech of tortured metal. A violent, sickening impact that felt like the universe collapsing inwards. Then… nothing. An absolute, terrifying void. Emotion: Pure, unadulterated terror. Shock. The abrupt, horrifying understanding: This is it. I'm dying. Identity: Lost. Ending.
Sensation: Pressure. Warmth. Liquid. Muffled sounds – a rhythmic thumping, distant voices. An overwhelming, instinctive need. Light. Blinding, painful light. Cold air on wet skin. A sharp slap. A primal wail erupting – not his own, yet from him. Confusion. Disorientation. Identity: Gone. Replaced by raw, newborn sensation. Haruto.
The flashback wasn't linear. It was shards of Kenji Tanaka's life – childhood scraped knees, teenage heartbreak, university cramming sessions, the soul-crushing grind of his job, fleeting moments of happiness – colliding violently with the sensory overload of infant Haruto's first moments. The dissonance was agonizing. He was Kenji, feeling the phantom pain of the train crash, the despair of dreams unfulfilled. He was Haruto, drowning in the terrifying newness of light, sound, and breath.
He felt the System's protocols kick in – not erasing the pain, but dampening it, compartmentalizing it. It allowed him to observe the memories rather than be completely consumed by them. He saw Kenji's life – ordinary, unremarkable in the grand scheme, yet deeply his. He felt Kenji's regrets: the novel unwritten, the girl he never asked out, the trip he kept postponing. He felt Kenji's death: sudden, meaningless, on a routine commute home.
And then, the overwhelming, terrifying gift of a second chance, wrapped in the vulnerability of infancy, in a world where children threw fireballs and fought with kunai. The relief of Iruka-sensei's kind words, the frustration of failing a basic clone jutsu again and again, the quiet ache of returning to an empty apartment – all filtered through the lens of this new, horrifying knowledge.
The integration peaked and then receded, leaving Haruto gasping on his futon, tears streaming down his face – tears for Kenji, for the life lost, for the terrifying vulnerability of infancy, and for the sheer, overwhelming strangeness of his existence. He knew now. He wasn't just Haruto the Konoha orphan. He was Haruto, the reincarnation of Kenji Tanaka, a soul adrift between worlds, anchored only by this bizarre Embrace System.
He lay there for a long time, letting the emotional storm subside. The System screen pulsed patiently.
[INTEGRATION COMPLETE. EMOTIONAL REGULATION PROTOCOLS STANDING BY.]
[NEURAL SYNCHRONIZATION STABILIZED AT 98.7%.]
[WELCOME, USER HARUTO (KENJI TANAKA). FULL COGNITIVE FRAMEWORK INTEGRATION SUCCESSFUL.]
The dual identity settled within him, not as a fracture, but as a complex, layered whole. Kenji's memories, his perspectives, his regrets, were now part of Haruto's foundation. He understood references that had baffled him before, recognized concepts from Kenji's world that had no equivalent here. The loneliness he'd always felt made a different kind of sense now – he was literally from another world.
"Okay," Haruto whispered, his voice hoarse but steadier than he expected. "Okay. That's... that's who I was. This is who I am now." He pushed himself up, wiping his face. The existential dread was still there, a low hum, but it was joined by a fierce determination. He had a second chance, in a world brimming with danger and wonder. And he had the System.
"System," he said, focusing. "Claim Beginner's Gift Pack. Skill Selection."
[ACKNOWLEDGED. ACCESSING BEGINNER SKILL POOL...]
[AVAILABLE TIER 1 SKILLS:]
[Big Fun Hug (Active)]: A hug infused with amplified positive emotional resonance. Significantly boosts recipient's mood, morale, and sense of well-being for a short duration. Does not confer physical strength or combat advantages. Cost: 15 EP/use. Note: Effectiveness scales with user's Empathy stat and genuine intent.
[Mei Mei Ribbon Skill (Active)]: Manifest short-lived ribbons of pure, flexible chakra from fingertips. Can be used for simple binding (non-combat strength), retrieval of small objects, or creating temporary decorative/tracking markers. Cost: 10 EP/ribbon. Duration: 1 minute. Note: Does not include complex ribbon manipulation or 'Ribbon Dance' techniques.
Haruto scanned the list Big Fun Hug. It wasn't just a hug; it was an amplified connection, a direct channel for the warmth the System thrived on. It fit perfectly with his new path. And Mei Mei Ribbon Skill... manifesting chakra ribbons? It sounded whimsical, almost silly, but 'flexible chakra' and 'simple binding' or 'retrieval' sparked ideas. It was unconventional, unexpected – much like the Embrace System itself. It offered utility without direct violence, a way to use chakra creatively for connection or support.
He made his choice. "Select Big Fun Hug and Mei Mei Ribbon Skill."
[SELECTION CONFIRMED: BIG FUN HUG (TIER 1 - ACTIVE), MEI MEI RIBBON SKILL (TIER 1 - ACTIVE)]
[SKILLS INTEGRATED INTO USER PROFILE.]
[CURRENT SKILLS:]
BASIC EMPATHY (T1 - PASSIVE)
RESONANT SENSE (T1 - PASSIVE)
BASIC INTERFACE NAVIGATION (T1 - PASSIVE)
BIG FUN HUG (T1 - ACTIVE)
MEI MEI RIBBON SKILL (T1 - ACTIVE)
New knowledge flooded Haruto's mind – the chakra pathways to activate for the Big Fun Hug, the specific emotional focus needed to amplify its effect, the feeling of drawing chakra to his fingertips to form the ephemeral ribbons. He flexed his fingers, a faint, shimmering blue light flickering briefly at the tips before fading. It felt strange, delicate, yet full of potential.
He pulled up his full stats, the screen a comforting anchor in the whirlwind of the last hour.
[USER: HARUTO (KENJI TANAKA)]
[CHAKRA CAPACITY: 110/110]
[PHYSICAL PROWESS: 5.5]
[NINJUTSU AFFINITY: D (Weak)]
[GENJUTSU RESISTANCE: E (Very Weak)]
[TAIJUTSU SKILL: C (Average)]
[EMPATHY: 3.5 (Average)]
[EMBRACE POINTS: 157]
[SKILLS: BASIC EMPATHY (T1), RESONANT SENSE (T1), BASIC INTERFACE NAVIGATION (T1), BIG FUN HUG (T1), MEI MEI RIBBON SKILL (T1)]
[BADGES: KONOHA'S HEART]
157 EP. A small fortune. He navigated to the Stat Enhancement section. The cost for Physical Prowess had increased slightly – 20 EP for the next 0.1 point. Chakra Capacity cost 25 EP for the next 5 points. Empathy, however, was still relatively cheap – 30 EP for the next 0.5 point, likely because it was a core System stat. Upgrading Basic Empathy to Tier 2 cost a hefty 100 EP.
He needed strength. More chakra. Better control. But the memory of Naruto's crushing loneliness, amplified by his new understanding of his own fractured origin, solidified his resolve. His strength was connection. He invested heavily in Empathy.
[EMPATHY: 3.5 -> 4.0 (Above Average) COST: 30 EP]
[EMPATHY: 4.0 -> 4.5 (High) COST: 35 EP]
[EMPATHY: 4.5 -> 5.0 (Very High) COST: 40 EP]
[TOTAL EP SPENT: 105 EP]
[CURRENT EP: 52]
[CURRENT EMPATHY: 5.0 (Very High)]
The change was immediate and profound. The world seemed… louder emotionally. He could feel the faint contentment of a neighbor settling down for the night, the lingering frustration of someone who'd stubbed their toe hours ago down the hall, the peaceful sleep of a cat on a nearby rooftop. It wasn't intrusive, more like a richer layer of perception. His Resonant Sense felt sharper, more attuned. He understood, instinctively, that his Big Fun Hug would now be significantly more potent.
He spent another 20 EP to boost his Physical Prowess to 5.6 and kept the remaining 32 EP in reserve. He felt stronger, more alert, the subtle enhancement noticeable.
Dawn was painting the sky a soft grey outside his window. Team assignments. Today.
Kenji Tanaka's memories offered no ninja wisdom, only the mundane anxieties of a corporate presentation. But Haruto felt different. Grounded. He knew where he came from – two worlds, one life lost, one life granted. He knew his power was unconventional, born of warmth in a world of sharp edges. He had skills that would raise eyebrows, maybe even mockery. A hug specialist who made happy ribbons? He could almost hear the snickers.
But he also remembered the warmth spreading through him as he comforted the child, the gratitude in the old woman's eyes, the raw, desperate need in Naruto's embrace. He remembered Kenji's regrets – the connections unmade, the warmth unshared.
He looked at his hands. Hands that could now channel chakra into ribbons of light and hugs that lifted spirits. He thought of the Embrace System, its mysteries, its restrictions, its potential. He thought of Konoha, his village, filled with hidden pain and flickering hope.
A slow, determined smile spread across Haruto's face. Let them laugh. Let them call him weak or strange. He was Haruto, the reincarnated soul, the Genin with the Embrace System. He would protect, he would connect, and he would do it with every fiber of warmth he could generate. He would build his strength not just in body and chakra, but in the bonds he forged, one genuine, perhaps slightly awkward, hug at a time. And maybe, just maybe, those shimmering blue ribbons would prove more useful than anyone expected.
He stood up, stretched, feeling the new strength in his limbs and the amplified empathy humming within. He slipped on his forehead protector, the cool metal a familiar weight. It was time. Time to see what team he'd been assigned. Time to start his real journey as Konoha's most unconventional shinobi. He took one last look at the System screen, minimized it with a thought, and stepped out into the dawn light, ready to embrace whatever the day brought.