As Haruto slowly opened his eyes, the first thing he saw made him jolt slightly.
Naruto was standing right above him, staring intently with wide, curious eyes.
"What are you doing, Naruto?" Haruto asked, blinking in surprise.
Naruto scratched the back of his head, flashing a sheepish grin.
"Just checking if you were asleep or not. We haven't had dinner yet… I made some instant ramen."
Haruto let out a long, tired sigh as he pushed himself up from the bed. "How many times have I told you to eat some real food once in a while?"
"But we don't have any money," Naruto mumbled, his smile fading as he looked down, the weight of their situation briefly dimming his usual energy.
Haruto's expression softened. He reached over, grabbed Naruto by the collar, and started dragging him toward the door. "Don't worry about that. I've got a little saved up."
Naruto flailed in protest, heels digging into the floor "But what about the ramen I made? It'll go to waste!"
"You can eat it when we get back," Haruto said without missing a beat, still dragging the stubborn blond along.
After dinner, the two brothers returned home, their small apartment quiet and dimly lit. Naruto, full from a warm meal and bubbling with excitement, dashed straight to bed.
"I can't wait for tomorrow!" he whispered to himself before collapsing onto his futon, sleep taking him almost instantly.
Haruto, on the other hand, simply lay down on his own bed, eyes fixed on the ceiling, lost in thought.
"Tomorrow… it finally begins," he murmured, his voice low. "A big day for Naruto. He'll find out the truth—the reason the villagers glare at him, why they whisper behind his back."
He knew Mizuki would betray Naruto, would manipulate him into stealing the Scroll of Seals. He could stop it. He could teach Naruto the jutsu himself—help him pass the graduation exam without all the pain. But there was one problem.
He didn't know any jutsu.
With his Arc of Embodiment power, Haruto didn't need hand seals or jutsu. He could create anything he could imagine—objects, weapons, even living beings—without ever learning a single technique. But there was always a cost: the massive amount of chakra needed for every act of creation.
And that limitation… it'll be gone once I partner with the Nine-Tails,
Haruto thought, his gaze hardening. Then I'll be unstoppable.
He let out a breath and closed his eyes.
I never imagined I'd be reincarnated into an anime world… let alone this one.
His mind drifted back to the moment it all changed.
Back then, he was just a normal high school kid. Nothing special. He remembered the rainy afternoon, the screams, the little girl in danger—how he didn't hesitate, how he pushed her out of the way.
The screech of tires.
The pain.
Then… nothing.
Just darkness.
Until he appeared.
An old man with eyes like galaxies, claiming to be above gods themselves. Haruto could still remember their conversation like it happened yesterday…
"You weren't supposed to die, child," the old man said, his voice deep and ancient, eyes shimmering like stars. "It wasn't your time. The little girl was the one fated to die. So why… why risk your life for someone you didn't even know?"
He studied Haruto like he was some rare and fascinating specimen.
Haruto didn't flinch. His answer came without hesitation.
"It's simple, really. I can't let someone die when I have the power to save them."
The old man tilted his head, his gaze sharpening.
"Oh? So you want to play god, do you?"
There was a weight to his voice now—something testing, intimidating.
Haruto met his gaze calmly. "No, sir. I'm just… selfish."
That earned the old man's curiosity.
"I wasn't thinking about the girl. I was thinking about myself. I knew… I couldn't live with myself if I stood by and did nothing. If I let someone die when I could have acted… that would haunt me more than dying ever could."
He smiled slightly, a sad, reflective curve of the lips.
The old man burst into laughter. "HAHAHAHA! You're an interesting one, kid."
"I like your honesty," he continued, his tone softening. "But, you see… it wasn't your time. So I have to reincarnate you."
He waved a hand lazily through the air, as if life and death were just another game.
"At first, I was just going to send you back to your old world to live a normal life. But now… I'll give you a choice."
Haruto blinked, surprised. "A choice?"
"Yes," the old man said with a knowing smile. "You can return to your old life—same world, same rules. Or… you can reincarnate into a world of your choosing, with a single wish granted."
Haruto's eyes widened. "Any world? Any wish?"
"Anything," the old man chuckled. "Power, riches, fame, abilities—it's up to you."
Haruto didn't hesitate. His heart was already racing with possibility.
"Then… I choose to be reincarnated in the world of Naruto, with the power of Arc of Embodiment."
The old man raised an eyebrow. "From Fairy Tail, hmm? Interesting. That power is near god-like. You really do enjoy playing god."
Haruto laughed nervously. "Maybe a little."
"Well, just so you know…" the old man said, stroking his beard.
"That ability is too powerful for that world as it is. So I'm adding a condition—you'll require a massive amount of chakra to use it. But don't worry, normal creations won't drain you too badly."
He smiled cryptically. "And I'll throw in a little gift to help with the chakra problem. Now, get ready."
The space around them began to shimmer with light. Haruto felt his body dissolve into warmth and brightness.
"Go on, then," the old man said, waving a hand. "Make this interesting, kid. I'll be watching you."
And just like that—Haruto was gone.
Back to the Present
Haruto lay in bed, a soft smile on his face as he stared at the ceiling.
So the Nine-Tails… that was the gift, huh?
He chuckled to himself.
That's one hell of a gift, old man. Thanks.
He closed his eyes, calm and focused.
Tomorrow, everything changes.
Next Day – Ninja Academy
Morning sunlight filtered through the windows of the classroom, casting long shadows across the floor. The air was unusually still, charged with quiet anticipation. It was graduation day.
Students sat in their usual places, but today their laughter was muted, their movements nervous. The weight of the final exam pressed down on everyone like an invisible force.
Sasuke Uchiha sat near the window, arms crossed, eyes closed, his breathing calm and steady. If he felt pressure, he didn't show it. The girls nearby whispered and glanced at him with dreamy eyes, but he remained distant—as always.
A few rows behind him, Naruto Uzumaki bounced slightly in his seat, his knee tapping against the wooden desk. He wasn't the only one feeling the heat, but his restlessness was louder than most. His eyes flicked toward the front of the classroom every few seconds, his hands clenched tightly in his lap.
Beside him sat Haruto, his older twin, noticeably more relaxed. One arm was slung casually across the back of his chair, the other tapping a slow rhythm against the table. His gaze wandered across the room—not anxiously, but observantly. He wasn't worried about the exam. Far from it. His thoughts were elsewhere.
Across the classroom, Iruka stood near the blackboard, clipboard in hand. Mizuki stood beside him, arms folded and lips drawn in a tight line.
Iruka's voice cut through the silence, calm but firm.
"All right, we'll begin with the Clone Jutsu. I'll call your names one at a time. Step forward when you're ready."
He glanced down at the list. "Sasuke Uchiha."
Without a word, Sasuke stood and walked to the front. His posture was perfect—measured, controlled. He performed the hand seals with practiced ease.
Poof.
Two perfect clones appeared on either side of him. They stood upright, solid, identical down to the smallest detail.
"Perfect clones. Pass," Iruka said, nodding approvingly.
The girls near the front clapped softly, though Sasuke didn't even glance at them. He returned to his seat without a single wasted motion.
"Shikamaru Nara," Iruka called next.
A groan came from the back. "How troublesome…"
Shikamaru dragged himself to the front, hands stuffed in his pockets. He performed the jutsu half-heartedly, forming just enough clones to pass. Then he shuffled back to his desk, yawning mid-step.
Iruka checked him off with a sigh. "Pass."
Then came a name that made the entire classroom sit up.
"Naruto Uzumaki."
Naruto sprang to his feet, his expression determined, though a flicker of anxiety showed in his eyes. He turned to Haruto briefly.
"Wish me luck, bro."
Haruto gave him a lazy thumbs-up, his tone light but supportive. "You've got this. Just focus."
Naruto nodded and hurried to the front of the room. He formed the seals with effort, every movement infused with desperation.
Poof.
A single clone appeared… but it immediately collapsed, limp and lifeless on the floor.
Silence fell over the room like a curtain.
The clone lay there, still and crumpled. Naruto stared at it in disbelief, his breathing uneven.
Iruka's face fell. "Naruto… you fail."
The words hit like a hammer. Naruto didn't move for a long moment. Then, with slow, heavy steps, he walked back to his seat, his head low.
Haruto watched him, the small smile on his face fading. He had known this was coming—it had happened this way before, in every version of the story. But watching it unfold in front of him… watching his brother look so defeated… it still hurt.
Iruka cleared his throat and continued. "Haruto Uzumaki."
The murmuring began the moment Haruto stood.
"Let's see what the 'perfect twin' does now," someone whispered.
"I bet he nails it like always…"
Haruto walked calmly to the front. No rush. No nerves. Just quiet confidence in every step.
He stopped in the center of the room, placing one hand in his pocket, the other hanging loosely by his side.
Iruka tilted his head slightly. "Haruto… you may begin."
Haruto gave a tiny nod. Then, without forming a single seal, he raised his free hand—
Snap.
The sound of the snap echoed in the classroom. The air shimmered for a brief second… and then, out of nowhere, four identical copies of Haruto stood beside him. Not illusionary clones. Not chakra images. These were real.
The silence that followed wasn't shocked—it was stunned.
Iruka stepped forward instinctively, eyes darting between the clones.
"Mizuki… these aren't… those are solid, aren't they?"
Mizuki's brows furrowed. "They're not illusions. That's advanced. Far beyond what we teach here."
"But he didn't even form a single hand sign," Iruka said quietly, disbelief on his face.
Whispers exploded across the room.
"Did he really just… snap?"
"What kind of jutsu is that?"
"Can normal genin even do that?"
Even Sasuke opened one eye, his attention drawn for the first time that day.
In the back of the room, Naruto looked up, confused, then surprised… and then a shadow crossed his face. He looked away.
Hokage's Office
Inside his office, the Third Hokage leaned forward, watching through the crystal ball with narrowed eyes. He had tuned in for Naruto—but what he saw left him in quiet awe.
"No seals… and tangible clones," Hiruzen muttered, stroking his beard. "Just like before. That chakra—it isn't just control. It's creation."
His gaze lingered on Haruto.
"What are you really capable of, boy…?"
Back in the Classroom
Haruto dismissed the clones with a wave, and they vanished into a shimmer of chakra. He looked over at Iruka.
"So, do I pass?"
Iruka exhaled, regaining his composure. "Yes. Without a doubt."
Haruto returned to his seat, ignoring the whispers. As he sat down, he glanced at Naruto, who was still staring at his desk.
"You did fine," Haruto said gently. "One test doesn't define you, you know?"
Naruto gave a weak nod, not looking up.
Haruto leaned back, his eyes on the ceiling. Mizuki was watching them from the corner of the room, his expression unreadable.