{Well, a few of you readers who have been following me from the beginning might remember that in my first two or three novels, I used to occasionally write in the first-person perspective. It was not used very often, but eventually I stopped using it altogether. Now, with this novel, I am trying it again. Whenever Ryuma is involved, I will try to write from the first-person perspective.
(Honestly, I decided to do this because I was recently re-reading That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Anyway, since I was about to start writing this novel, I thought, "Why not give it a try?")}
"Hey, are you all right?"
A voice trickled into my ears, muffled as if traveling through deep water.
"Wake up." The person kept speaking, their tone urgent.
Who is speaking? I thought, my mind sluggish and heavy. Where am I?
I forced myself to focus, trying to pull up the last threads of memory and figure out what exactly had happened to me. Slowly, the dark veil lifted, and the memories came flooding back.
Oh yes. I remembered.
My cruise ship had been struck by a massive, sudden tsunami. The force of the wave broke the vessel, sending it plunging into the depths of the ocean. I was trapped inside, unable to break free before the cabin I was in flooded entirely with freezing water. I had been sinking straight to the bottom of the ocean.
A wave of confusion washed over me. Was I saved by a rescue team? But how is that even possible? I was trapped deep inside a sinking ship... there was no way out.
Could there have been some heroic swimmer on board? Someone who managed to dive through the submerged corridors and pull people out from the flooded wreckage?
Before I could process the thought further, a sudden, heavy pressure struck my chest. Someone was repeatedly pressing down on me, performing CPR in a steady rhythm. Cold droplets tapped against my skin, one after another. It was raining.
I choked, coughing hard as seawater (he thought) surged up from my throat and spilled out of my mouth.
"Cough... cough..."
Slowly, with heavy eyelids fluttering, I opened my eyes.
The first thing that filled my blurred vision was a vast gray sky covered in heavy, dark clouds. Rain dripped steadily down onto my face.
I rolled my head to the right, trying to take in my surroundings. Dense trees lined the edge of my field of view, their thick foliage swaying gently in the damp wind. Beside them stretched a massive body of water, though in my disoriented state, I couldn't tell if it was a rushing river or the shoreline of the sea.
What is this place? I turned my head back toward the left. This doesn't look like a beach or a rescue boat.
As my eyes finally focused on the left, I locked onto the figure leaning over me, hands still pressed firmly against my chest. It was a young boy. A dark mask covered the lower half of his face, leaving only his focused eyes and silver hair visible in the dim rain.
I stared at him, a sudden sense of familiarity tugging at my thoughts. Have I seen him somewhere before?
I searched my memory for a few moments, trying to place the distinct silver hair and face mask. Suddenly, the thought struck me. Wait... is he cosplaying Kakashi or something? Yes, that has to be it. Just some kid cosplaying as Kakashi. He looks exactly like him.
Before I could form another thought, a sharp, searing pain burst from the depths of my brain.
It felt as though a blade were piercing through my skull. I groaned as my head throbbed violently, and alongside the agony, a flood of strange, unfamiliar memories began surging into my mind, memories that clearly did not belong to me. Images of an unknown childhood, foreign training grounds, and a completely different life rushed through my consciousness, sorting themselves out with painful precision.
As the blinding headache finally began to subside and the new memories settled neatly into place, a sudden, startling realization washed over me.
I am Ryuma Hatake... from the Hatake Clan. And Kakashi... Kakashi Hatake is my cousin.
I've transmigrated into the Naruto world.
The sheer weight of the realization barely had time to sink in. The world around me turned blurry once more, the sound of the falling rain faded, and my consciousness slipped into complete darkness.
...
Kakashi looked down at Ryuma, who had slipped back into unconsciousness after remaining awake for barely a minute. He shook his head, a faint sigh escaping beneath his mask.
As the young clan head of the Hatake Clan, Kakashi was well aware of Ryuma's stubborn nature and his burning aspiration to become a ninja. However, determination alone could not overcome a total lack of aptitude. Ryuma simply was not built to be a shinobi.
Earlier that day, Ryuma had failed his third attempt at the graduation exam and was officially expelled from the Ninja Academy. Kakashi had already heard the news while making his way toward Training Ground Three. He hadn't felt pity upon hearing it. On the contrary, he believed it was for the best. With Ryuma's complete lack of talent, remaining on the path of a ninja would only guarantee an early death on some low-ranking mission, especially now, with the entire world plunged into the Third Shinobi World War.
Kakashi had been practicing at Training Ground Three when he noticed Ryuma arriving. The boy had walked straight toward the river, which was churning violently under the heavy downpour and howling winds. Before Kakashi could even call out, Ryuma stepped off the ledge and plunged into the raging water.
Moving in a flash, Kakashi darted forward and jumped into the river and pulled him out. If Kakashi hadn't been there at that exact moment, Ryuma would have certainly drowned and taken away by the river.
Looking down at his unconscious cousin, Kakashi shook his head slightly, hoisted Ryuma onto his shoulder and set off through the rain-slicked, quiet streets of Konoha. He eventually stopped before a modest, ordinary-looking house and knocked firmly on the front gate.
A few moments later, the door creaked open to reveal Kazumi Hatake, Ryuma's mother. A gentle, welcoming smile touched her lips, but the moment her eyes fell upon her son, soaked, unconscious, and slung over Kakashi's shoulder, her smile shattered. Panic instantly flooded her features.
"What happened to Ryu? Is he all right?" she asked, her voice trembling.
Kakashi hesitated for a brief second, weighing whether he should soften the blow.
Deciding that Ryuma's parents needed to know the truth for the boy's own good, Kakashi met her gaze directly.
"He's fine, just unconscious," Kakashi said calmly. "I saw him jump into the river, so I pulled him out."
Kazumi's hands flew to her mouth in shock.
"What? Why would he jump into the river?"
The question was directed as much to herself as it was to Kakashi, though deep down, a painful realization was already taking root.
"I spoke with an instructor from the Ninja Academy earlier," Kakashi continued quietly. "He failed his graduation exam for the third time and was officially expelled. So..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
The implication was stark and clear: devastated by the news, Ryuma had tried to end his life.
Noticing the distress etched across Kazumi's face, Kakashi gestured toward the doorway.
"I'll carry him to his room."
Kazumi nodded numbly and stepped aside, guiding Kakashi down the hall to Ryuma's bedroom.
Kakashi carefully laid his cousin onto the bed and helped Kazumi change Ryuma's clothes and finally pulled up the blanket. Turning back to the worried Kazumi, he offered a quiet piece of advice.
"He's safe now. He just needs rest to recover," Kakashi said softly. "When he wakes up, I hope you can talk to him. Some things are simply a matter of fate. He lacks the aptitude to be a shinobi, and he shouldn't force himself down a path that isn't meant for him."
Kazumi nodded slowly, accepting the heavy truth in his words.
Kakashi offered a final, polite bow, turned, and stepped back out into the falling rain.
----
To read advanced chapters up to 24 chapters ahead, please consider supporting me on Patreon: [https://patreon.com/Hkj822]