Ryu was no longer on Earth. He'd become Aido Hwedo, heir to one of the Divine Star Continent's Four Great Clans—a clan of dragons.
Yet his cultivation was extremely lacking. Born with a writhing spiritual root, he was rejected by his father, neglected by his imperial-blooded mother, and scorned by his siblings and subjects. His life had been agony from the start.
And now, even reborn… he was still weak. His cultivation remains unchanged. His root was still shrouded in mystery. He sighed, stumbling to a stream he'd seen nearby. He bent down, ready to drink.
But then, he froze.
His reflection.
"What… the hell?"
A pair of crimson eyes stared back.
Each iris contained a single, inverted magatama.
"The… Sharingan?!" he gasped. "Is someone screwing with me?!"
He splashed his face, drank deeply, stared harder. No mistake.
He had a Sharingan.
"This is insane. Transmigrated into a cultivation world… and I somehow got a Dōjutsu from Naruto? There's no way!"
And then—
Ding. The host has been located.
He flinched. "WHAT?! Who said that?!"
Scanning… The scan is complete. The host has been bound to the 'Akatsuki Shinobi System'.
"The… Akatsuki? Oh hell no. I'm not a villain! Return it! I want a Naruto Uzumaki Protagonist System!"
Insufficient permissions. Preparing for cerebral surgery…
"WAIT WAIT—Cancel that! I accept! I accept!"
Assessment updated. The host is cooperative. Proceeding to initialize the interface.
He blinked. Inside his mind's eye, a glowing system menu appeared:
Inheritance System & Templates
Ninjutsu System
Dōjutsu System
Store
Summons & Bijuu System
Mission Log
"This is too much…" he muttered.
Do not panic, Host. I am your administrative A.I., and I am here to assist. You are not evil—your path is your own. The Akatsuki were not villains, but visionaries with extreme methods.
"Oh great. You're quoting Naruto Wiki now?" he sighed.
Correction: Akatsuki means 'Daybreak.' A group of outcasts who sought peace in their way. You have inherited their power, but not their choices. You will shape your path in this world.
He was silent for a moment.
"So I have the entire Shinobi world's abilities… as long as I meet the requirements?"
Affirmative. You cannot use Qi, but you can generate Chakra. Chakra and cultivation essence are similar in structure, but incompatible in practice. You now walk a path unlike any other.
"And why do I have this system, again?"
Because Heaven heard your wish. Because your soul dreamed of another world. Ryu looked to the sky. His scarlet eyes burned with defiance.
"Fine. I'll become the strongest… not for revenge alone, but for Aido. For me. For all the broken people like us."
He smirked.
"Divine Star Continent… meet the new dawn."