The stars were scattered across the night sky, a bright moon hanging high as the cold breeze drifted through leafless branches, breathing a faint hint of life into the dead wood.
Kazehaya Hayate walked along the bustling, brightly lit streets. Though the wind was light, it carried a chill sharp enough to make him tighten his jacket. He glanced down at his phone, reading the text from his father:
"Do you have time to come home for New Year's?"
Hayate exhaled softly, lifting his gaze toward the glittering night sky.
When he was little, those two simple words—New Year—meant joy, holidays, family reunions, and red envelopes. No one nagging him to get married, no relatives questioning his job or achievements.
"What should I do…?" he murmured to himself. "It's been a year since I left home, and I've achieved nothing—no success, no recognition. How can I face them like this?"
"Hey, what are you spacing out about?"
A delicate, jade-white hand tapped his shoulder, and a sweet-looking girl appeared beside him with a teasing smile.
"Suzune? What are you doing here?" Hayate asked casually, though his heart stirred a little. She was his colleague—bright, kind, and effortlessly radiant, like her name suggested. It was only natural he'd developed feelings for her.
"I'm heading home. Don't you know where I live?" she said, puffing out her cheeks slightly. Then, noticing Hayate's distant look, she tilted her head curiously. "You seem off today. Something wrong?"
"Well… my parents asked if I'll be coming home for the New Year," Hayate admitted quietly.
"Ohhh…" Suzune's voice drew out, full of mock realization. "Let me guess—you're afraid your parents will think you're a total failure, so you don't want to go back and lose face, right?"
"Hey!" Hayate glared at her, unable to find a comeback—because, well, she wasn't wrong.
Suzune giggled and stuck out her tongue. "I was just kidding! Don't take it so seriously, okay?"
"'Just kidding,' huh? You're twenty-one, only three years younger than me," Hayate said, shaking his head. "You can't exactly hide behind 'innocent jokes' anymore."
"Hmph! No wonder you don't have a girlfriend," Suzune huffed, pretending to be annoyed. "I'm going home!"
Before Hayate could respond, she started trotting off ahead. Then, as if remembering something, she turned back with a radiant smile and waved. "Happy New Year in advance!"
"Happy New Year," Hayate replied with a small laugh, watching her figure disappear into the crowd. Strangely, his heart felt a little lighter.
From a nearby shop, a soft tune drifted through the cold air—a song by Wang Baoqiang, People on the Road. Its simple lyrics struck Hayate's chest like quiet punches:
Whether rich or poor, come home for New Year's Eve…There's always a dinner waiting for you at home…
As he listened, his phone rang.
"Hello, Hayate? It's Mom." Her voice was warm and comforting, just as he remembered.
"Mom? It's late. Why aren't you asleep?"
"Oh, I couldn't sleep… Did you see your father's message?"
Hayate hesitated. "Yeah… I saw it. But, um, work's been busy. I might not be able to come back this year…"
"Oh… that's okay…" Her voice softened with a trace of disappointment. "Your father and I haven't seen you in so long. We just miss you."
He could hear his father in the background, grumbling, "Stop fussing. Tell him not to worry about us."
Hayate's grip tightened around the lone hundred-yen bill in his pocket. "I'll… I'll talk to my boss. Maybe I can get some time off."
"That's good. Just be careful, okay? I saw the weather report—it's going to be cold tomorrow. Wear something warm."
For once, he didn't mind her endless nagging. He listened quietly, smiling.
"Mom, you and Dad take care too. And tell him not to push himself—his leg still hasn't healed."
"You brat…" she sighed affectionately.
When the call ended, Hayate exhaled, a small smile tugging at his lips.
Buzz… buzz…
Another message popped up on his phone.
"Dear user, congratulations! You've successfully registered as a member of the Heavenly Court Club. You've earned one free lottery draw. Reply with 'DRAW' to participate!"
"Hah, scammers are getting creative these days," Hayate muttered with a grin. "Well, I'm broke anyway. Might as well win a few million, right?"
He typed DRAW and hit send.
But there was no sender ID. The message had no number at all.
Before he could puzzle it out—
Om… om…
Two strange tones buzzed, and a new message appeared.
"Congratulations! Your lottery result: Naruto World."
"What the—?"
Before he could even react, his surroundings spun violently. A powerful force yanked at his body like a vortex tearing through space itself. Everything went black.
When Hayate opened his eyes again, a blinding light stung his vision. His head throbbed painfully. As his sight adjusted, he realized he was lying in the middle of a dense, unfamiliar forest.
"It was nighttime before… Now it's daytime?" he muttered. "Where… am I?"
A chilling thought struck him. "Did I… just transmigrate?"
The memories of a few moments earlier flashed through his mind—The dizziness. The strange sensation. The message.
Then, suddenly, a deep, solemn voice echoed inside his head.
"Naruto World. Dimensional transfer successful. Host will receive one lottery draw."
"A voice…? A system?" Hayate blinked rapidly. "Wait, did you just say lottery?"
"Negative. The previous lottery determined your world. This is a function lottery."
Realization dawned on him, and excitement flickered in his chest. "So this is it… the classic system setup from all those web novels!"
"Please initiate the lottery."
A massive wheel appeared in his mind, spinning with countless glowing words. He could barely make out names like Xuanyuan Sword, Ruthless Heavy Cannon, Nine Flames Technique…
"Alright then," Hayate said mentally. "Let's do this. Lottery—start!"
The wheel spun wildly, streaks of light blurring together.
"Stop!" he shouted when it felt right.
"Congratulations. You've obtained an enhancement item — World Eye. Function: Unlimited exchange of ocular techniques and increased pupil power."
Before he could react, a beam of light shot straight into his eyes.
He winced, touching them cautiously. "Nothing's changed… Guess I'll need to unlock more abilities first."
"Achievement unlocked: Apprentice Immortal.""New ability granted: Divine Power."
A golden current surged through his body, washing over every nerve and cell. His skin tingled, his senses sharpened, and his heart pounded with a rush of energy.
Hayate clenched his fist, awe-struck. "This power… unbelievable."
"First lottery and transformation complete. World of Naruto initialization finished.""Mission generated: Become a Genin — Reward: 100 Almighty Points."
And with that, Kazehaya Hayate's journey in the world of Naruto officially began.