"Damn fox demon, just die already…"
"Just seeing you makes me sick…"
"Why would the Hokage let this monster live in our village…"
"Wish I could just kill him…"
…
On the street, many villagers of Konoha stood along the sides, casting cold glares at the blonde-haired boy, hurling curses filled with malice.
But the boy with golden hair had long since grown used to it.
Rather than getting angry, he smiled like the sun itself and cheerfully waved to the villagers, saying:
"Yo, everyone! Good morning!"
His cheerful demeanor only fueled the villagers' rage, some even twisting their faces in fury.
Why could this monster smile so happily!?
Though unspoken, this sentiment echoed in every villager's heart.
In an instant—
A chorus of curses echoed through the entire street.
The blonde boy merely smiled, dodging the stones thrown at him while jogging back home.
As soon as the broken old door shut behind him—
The smile on his face faded, replaced by the cold indifference of an iceberg.
"So damn annoying… what a bunch of trash…"
His name was Naruto.
Uzumaki Naruto!
That's right—
The very protagonist of the Naruto world.
Ever since he transmigrated into this world five years ago, he had known his identity.
Because the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes was Uzumaki Kushina.
Then came the mysterious masked man, Namikaze Minato, and the Kyūbi…
It wasn't hard to figure out—he had transmigrated into one of the central characters of the Naruto universe: the Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails, Naruto.
But even so, there were no perks of being the protagonist. In fact, inside the Hidden Leaf Village, he was hated by all.
After Minato and Kushina died sealing the Kyūbi—
Hiruzen had hidden his true parentage from the public.
Thus, all the villagers who survived the Kyūbi's rampage vented their hatred, fear, and resentment on him.
From the moment he was a baby, he was abused by the villagers.
And that continued to this day…
And he wasn't even allowed to show a hint of resentment. He had to pretend to be a dumb kid—smiling brightly every day.
"…A bunch of damn trash…"
…
Naruto let out a slow breath, pushed aside his wandering thoughts, and walked into the kitchen to boil some water for two cups of instant noodles.
He knew instant noodles weren't nutritious or healthy, but he didn't have much choice.
As the Kyūbi Jinchūriki, he couldn't buy decent food in Konoha. What he got was either expired or moldy…
After stuffing his stomach as best as he could, Naruto sat down in the kitchen with a book.
The book was titled "Chakra Refinement Techniques"—a school-issued textbook and a necessity for becoming a ninja.
After carefully reading through it, Naruto nodded thoughtfully:
"Just as I thought… It requires refining the spiritual energy and physical energy in the body and then fusing them…"
"Spiritual energy is one's mental strength… Physical energy comes from the nutrients in one's cells…"
"As for spiritual energy, I should have a lot as a transmigrator who's lived two lives, but physical energy…"
He looked down at his skinny frame.
Unable to eat properly and surviving mostly on ramen, his physical condition was far worse than other kids his age. He was borderline malnourished.
And with such a weak body, it was hard to imagine how much chakra he could actually refine…
But after thinking it through, Naruto still decided to go ahead and refine chakra. After all, becoming a ninja was his only path forward.
Even if it made his body weaker temporarily, there should be chances to recover in the future.
With that thought, he no longer hesitated.
But before starting the chakra refinement, there was one thing he had to do.
Naruto stretched out his right hand, gently pushing the empty air beside him and said:
"Open the door."
A soft creak sounded in the air.
And from the invisible airspace, Naruto pushed open a translucent door.
He didn't look surprised. With a strained expression due to fatigue, he reached inside the space beyond the door—
And pulled out a carton of milk and a sausage.
That was his entire remaining stash.
This was his ability: the Doa Doa no Mi (Door-Door Fruit), a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
By expending stamina, he could turn any surface he touched into a door and open it anytime to access what's inside.
The reason Naruto had this ability… started back during the Nine-Tails' rampage.
Back then, he was still an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes—held in the arms of the mysterious masked man, witnessing the battle between the masked man and Minato.
Hiraishin no Jutsu (Flying Thunder God Technique)!
Kamui (Divine Might)!
The clash of these two space-time abilities caused a ripple and distortion in the space around them.
A Devil Fruit happened to fall out from that rift—right into his blanket. His tiny hand grabbed it tightly.
Though confused, he still bit into it with his toothless mouth.
Since then—
He had the power to open doors.
But his body was too weak, and he couldn't use the power at all until last year.
Only recently, by pushing his body to the limit, could he barely open an air-door and sneak into stores to steal some supplies.
"Hopefully refining chakra will increase my stamina a little…" Naruto thought.
He downed the milk and sausage, then closed his eyes and sat cross-legged on the kitchen floor.
A few minutes later—
Spiritual and physical energy were refined and drawn out from his body.
The two forces merged in his abdomen.
Gradually—
A bluish energy took form.
The moment this blue energy emerged, Naruto's cerulean eyes suddenly flew open.
"What… is that!?"
Shock filled his gaze.
In that brief moment, he saw a door inside his consciousness.
Unlike the ordinary air doors he'd opened before, this door was colossal—towering endlessly, stretching to the skies. It filled his entire mindscape.
The entire door was a deep ocean blue, with undulating waves, and the sound of crashing surf. It looked as if it were made entirely of seawater.
"Is that… the gate that seals the Kyūbi? No… that one's red…"
Naruto frowned in confusion.
After a moment of hesitation, he clenched his teeth, closed his eyes again, and within the darkness of his mind—
He saw the vast, ocean-blue gate once more.
He slowly reached out with his consciousness to touch it.
And in that moment, an overwhelming insight flooded his mind.
Eyes wide with awe, he whispered:
"This is…"
"…The Gate to the One Piece World!"
(End of Chapter)
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