Chapter 1 — My Name Is Shunsuke Ryouta
"There are still people up on the mountain! Hurry—save them! The rescue team isn't here yet?!"
Through a haze of rain and mud, Shunsuke Ryouta caught sight of a little girl with a tear-streaked face, crying her heart out. She couldn't have been more than six or seven. Judging by her panic-stricken eyes, she'd been separated from her family. Around them, a raging torrent of sludge and debris roared down the steep mountainside, swallowing trees and stones alike.
"Watch out!"
Shunsuke lunged forward and grabbed the girl, pulling her into his arms with all the strength he could muster.
But the mudslide was far too violent.
In the blink of an eye, the surging current swallowed him up to the waist. For a seventeen-year-old boy, the force was overwhelming—utterly beyond his ability to resist. The crushing weight of mud and rock pressed in from all sides, squeezing the air from his lungs.
He took a sharp breath. His chest felt tight, as if the mountain itself were bearing down on him.
Someone nearby caught sight of him and shouted in alarm. "Hey! Kid, you—!"
"Heh… guess I can't outrun this. Catch!"
Without a moment's hesitation, Shunsuke hurled the girl toward the voice. He watched as a pair of desperate hands caught her midair. A group of people rushed forward and dragged her to safety.
Seeing that she was safe, Shunsuke couldn't help but grin.
Then the world turned brown.
An ocean of mud and rock crashed down over him, blotting out the sky.
"Kid!!"
…
When he opened his eyes again, he found himself standing in a vast, golden expanse.
The space stretched infinitely in all directions, empty and silent. Suspended before him was a colorless, diamond-shaped crystal, hovering in midair.
Shunsuke scratched his head.
"Uh… where am I?"
A voice suddenly echoed through the void.
"This is your consciousness."
"My consciousness?" He tilted his head, studying the floating crystal with open curiosity. "So… what are you?"
"Allow me to introduce myself. I am the Divinity of the God of Planes."
The voice was clearly coming from the crystal.
"When you were buried by the mudslide, I chose you and brought you into another world."
"Oh, is that so?" Shunsuke broke into an easy grin. "Thanks."
The voice paused, sounding oddly at a loss.
"You're… not surprised?"
Shunsuke blinked. "Ah! Right! I should be. So what's a 'Divinity,' exactly?"
"…"
For a long moment, there was only silence.
Did I seriously choose an idiot?
"A Divinity," the crystal said at last, "is the qualification to become a god—the origin of a divine throne. That is what I am. And I have chosen you as the successor to the position of God of Planes. Do you accept?"
Shunsuke blinked again. "Huh? Oh. Sure."
"…"
Wait. Something feels off. Why does this sound like I'm the one begging you?
"So, uh… Divinity," Shunsuke said, glancing around curiously, completely unaware of how foolish he sounded, "how do I get out of here?"
"It's like this," the Divinity began. "In order to save you, I forcibly opened a planar passage. But as an ordinary human, your body was inevitably eroded by the power of time and space within that passage, so…"
Even Shunsuke, dense as he could be, caught on to the implication. His face went pale.
"Don't tell me… I died?"
"Not exactly," the Divinity replied after a brief pause. "It's more accurate to say… time on your body has reversed."
"…Huh?"
He looked down at himself.
Sure enough, his body had shrunk. He looked eleven—maybe twelve years old at most. If not for the rose-shaped birthmark still on the back of his hand, he would never have believed this was his own body.
And this was his consciousness space.
Which meant…
It wasn't just his body that had regressed. His soul hadn't been spared either.
"Forget that for now," Shunsuke said, trying to steady himself. "Where am I? Can I go home?"
"You can return," the Divinity replied, "but in your current state, you lack the power to open the Gate Between Planes."
"And where exactly am I?"
"The Shinobi World."
"…The Shinobi World?"
You mean that world where people start dancing mid-battle if they disagree with you?
"…Yes," the Divinity answered, awkwardly.
"So… how am I supposed to survive?" Shunsuke's expression darkened.
A kid with no family, no support—how was he supposed to live in a world where killing was as commonplace as eating and drinking? Even someone as thick-headed as him understood how bad this was.
After a long silence, he spoke quietly.
"Send me back."
"It's not impossible," the Divinity admitted, sounding troubled. "However, even if I send you back now, your body would not withstand the erosion of space-time. Regressing a few more years would be the best-case scenario. Under… certain conditions, you might revert into… a tadpole."
"…"
Shunsuke stared blankly.
"I see."
"However, you need not worry too much. Divine power will continuously temper your body. Once you and I have fused to a sufficient degree, you will be able to traverse back."
As the Divinity finished speaking, a string of numbers appeared before Shunsuke:
507
"This is the power of faith generated by those you once helped. Faith is the foundation of your strength. Every unit of faith converts into divine power. That number represents the divine power currently within you."
The Divinity continued, "Since it has surpassed five hundred, you may now access one foundational ability of the God of Planes."
"What ability?" Shunsuke's eyes lit up.
"Divine Treasury."
A treasure trove of the gods.
"Any item from across the myriad heavens and worlds—rare treasures, mystical artifacts, cultivation techniques—can be retrieved from the Divine Treasury. Simply call for it in your heart, and your divine power will transform into the object you desire. In essence, these are replicas manifested from your divine power."
The Divinity's voice turned stern.
"Divine power can give rise to all things. In weaker planes, this single ability alone would be catastrophic. You must use it with caution."
"Sounds pretty awesome…" Shunsuke smacked his lips thoughtfully. "Alright, then give me an immortal pill. The kind where I ascend to heaven on the spot."
"Impossible," the Divinity shut him down instantly. "The strength of what you manifest is proportional to your divine power. The greater the energy contained within the object, the higher the cost. However, if your goal is short-term survival, I do have a suggestion."
"What suggestion?"
"Devil Fruits."
"Their essence does not lie in raw energy, but in a demonic law. Their strength depends on how they are developed. To divine power—which stands above countless planes—laws are inexpensive."
"…But if I eat one, I won't be able to swim, right?" Shunsuke grimaced. "And I heard they taste worse than crap…"
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of person had ever made that comparison.
"Your body is currently being tempered by divine power. A mere curse will not affect your divine body," the Divinity explained. "Choose the fruit you desire. Five hundred divine power is sufficient to summon one. However, remember—while divine power replenishes over time like stamina, if it runs out, you will be unable to retrieve items from the Divine Treasury."
"Got it…"
Shunsuke closed his eyes and focused.
In an instant, a strange fruit shimmering with golden light appeared in his hand.
"Oh?" the Divinity sounded intrigued. "The Glint-Glint Fruit? I thought you would choose the Rumble-Rumble Fruit."
"Nope." Shunsuke shook his head. "The lightning one can still get punched by a rubber guy. But if I turn into light, nobody can hit me."
"…"
The Divinity fell silent for a long moment.
"You are… unbelievably cautious."
The fruit he chose was undeniably powerful.
But his reasoning…
Was something else entirely.
With a pained expression, Shunsuke forced himself to take a bite.
The taste exploded in his mouth like something that had crawled straight out of the abyss.
The Divinity spoke flatly. "Everything you needed to know has been explained. It is time for you to awaken. Should you have further questions, call to me within your heart."
Darkness swallowed his vision.
…
"…Mm."
A faint murmur escaped his lips as Shunsuke stirred awake, rubbing his heavy eyes.
"You're awake?"
A gentle voice sounded beside him.
He turned his head.
A woman in a black kimono-style robe sat nearby, smiling softly. She was beautiful, her demeanor calm and refined. Her short black hair gave her a subtle, capable air.
…Japanese?
Shunsuke blinked.
Since when could he understand Japanese?
"The innate ability of the God of Planes—Tongue of All Races," the Divinity's voice echoed in his mind. "You can instantly comprehend all languages and even communicate through the soul."
Oh.
That explained it.
A flicker of regret crossed his thoughts.
If only I'd had this back when I was failing English exams…
The woman noticed the dazed look in his eyes and sighed gently.
"I wish I didn't have to tell you this," she said softly, "but the village you were in was destroyed by a mudslide. You're the only survivor we found. Little one… what's your name?"
Mudslide.
Again.
Shunsuke pressed his lips together.
"…Shunsuke Ryouta."
"That's a lovely name," she said with a warm smile. "My name is Shizune. You can call me Big Sis Shizune."
Just then—
The sliding door opened with a sharp sound.
A tall blonde woman stepped inside.
Her hair was tied into twin tails that framed her face, and she wore a green haori over her clothes. The kanji for "Gamble" was emblazoned boldly across her back. Her gaze was sharp, her features strikingly beautiful.
Trailing behind her—
Was a pig.
"Oh?" she said, arching a brow. "So the brat's awake?"
The air in the room shifted the moment she entered.
And just like that, Shunsuke Ryouta's life in the Shinobi World truly began.