Kai sat on his bed, putting his feet on the carpet, his eyes staring into the void. He was still thinking about the strange dream and the voice he heard clearly: "Atori... wake up." He muttered to himself, "Am I watching Naruto now? Maybe I'll understand this world, or find a connection between the dream and what I saw."
He slowly opened the internet, then moved the mouse pointer to the search bar and typed: Naruto series. Within seconds, many scattered episodes appeared in front of him, with different titles and strange images, but he didn't know where to start, as he had never watched this anime before. He clicked randomly on one of the episodes.
The opening theme started, then a violent battle scene appeared inside a destroyed village. The battle was full of screaming and explosions, and through the smoke, a blond young man fought with tremendous strength. Kai didn't understand what was happening, but he stayed focused. After a few moments, he heard names repeated in the episode: Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Commander Yamato… Then, a sudden transformation happened when a frightening energy appeared around Naruto, and he transformed into a terrifying form with immense power. Kai's eyes widened in astonishment.
Even though he didn't understand the story, he felt that this world carried something mysterious that drew him strongly. When the episode ended, he kept staring at the screen for a moment, then said: "A strange world… but beautiful." He closed the computer and returned to his bed. He started thinking again: Does the dream have a connection to this world? And who is Atori? He kept thinking until sleep overcame him.
The next morning, Kai woke up to the sunlight seeping through the window. It was a school holiday. He picked up his phone, then hesitated slightly before saying: "Maybe I should call Neron… or Ino." He decided to call the latter, Neron, and told him to meet near the bridge.
Neron asked him: Why is there something?
Kai said: I watched an episode of Naruto where a character named Pain destroyed a village.
Neron laughed in astonishment and said: Do you watch anime from the middle? Fine, let's meet near the bridge. According to what was agreed, Kai left.
While Kai was on the street, light rain started to fall, and he thought in the middle of it: Why have I given this Naruto world all this attention? Is it because of the dream that haunts me, or because of something else I don't know? I haven't watched my favourite football in a while, and I don't know how the French club Paris Saint-Germain is doing.
Suddenly, he saw Neron waving at him with his hands, already at the meeting place they had decided. Neron had a sports car. Neron loves anime and cars.
Kai: Hello, Neron.
Neron: Hello, Kai.
He told him to get in. From the outside in the light winter, they entered the car, and Neron said: Let's go for a ride and talk.
Neron: Hey, Kai, why are you so attached to the Naruto world like this? Tell me, my friend. Come on.
Kai: Since you are my friend, I will tell you.
And Kai, in his mind, didn't reveal to him about the fight or Ino. He said: I dreamed of a character named Atori Uchiha.
Here, Neron's expression changed, and he said: What? Atori Uchiha? I'm not sure about this. And as we said before, in the world of Naruto, before the village was founded, and afterwards, many Uchiha appeared; he could be one of them.
They talked, and Kai told Neron what he learned when he watched the episode Pain vs Naruto, and said: I heard the name of a girl from the anime there named Ino.
Neron said: Yes, she exists. And I am related to that character. And he smiled.
Kai said: Even I will feel attached to her here.
Neron was silent for a moment, then said: Kai, I've been watching you for a while, you like Ino at school, and I confirmed it at the bridge. And on the day we separated there, I followed you and saw you talking.
Kai said: Yes, I watch her, but not as you think. We just notice each other, young people, and we have feelings of friendship.
The car continued at high speed, so Kai told Neron to slow down. Neron said: Don't worry, I'm in control. And he repeated the name Atori Uchiha.
Kai said: Stop, Neron, I want to get out of here. Neron stopped.
Silently, Neron said: Do you know Ino's dream in the anime world and Naruto? She wants to know how the First Hokage died and who killed him. He was the spiritual father of all ninjas. If you uncover this secret, maybe—and who knows—she will get attached to you. I haven't discovered it. But Ino dreamed about it in this world. Cooperate with her to solve the mystery of Atori and the Hokage.
Neron drove the car. Kai rejoiced inside, and his calm self walked a few steps in light winter weather, contemplating Neron's words, between beautiful words and others almost ugly. He thought and said: What a beautiful idea, if I know the secret of the First Hokage and his death, I will tell Ino, and then she will decide, and we will start our relationship.
While he was walking, he heard: "Atori Uchiha, I will destroy you!"
Kai turned in terror behind him, and for a moment to the horizon and below, he found nothing. He said: What was that? This is not a dream—this is real!
He ran into the street and said: Who are you? Where are you?
The terrifying voice answered: Even if you ran to the other world, I will search for you. Come back and let's finish this annihilation battle. I know you reincarnated in a body in another world. Here, Atori Uchiha is, and Kai hears that voice as if time stopped, and darkness began to engulf Kai, and he only hears his heartbeat and the street noise, car sounds, ambulance sirens, heartbeats in slow motion. In a moment, Kai felt as if he would reincarnate or leave this world, as if a door to nowhere opened for him, and in a moment, a car appeared rapidly, almost hitting him. Kai stopped and regained consciousness, then rushed toward safety.
While running in fear, Kai collided with Ino and her friend Kati.
In astonishment, they said: Ino and Kati, what's up, Kai? Are you following us, and why are you running?
Kai stopped and began to catch his breath. He told them in a barely audible voice: There is a person with a strong and terrifying voice from another place talking to me, and he says: Atori Uchiha, let's continue our annihilation battle.
They were astonished and said: Kai, are you taking drugs, or haven't you slept for a while?
He told them he was telling the truth. He took Ino's hand, and for the first time, Kai touched Ino's hand. She said to him: Come with me to a nearby place from here, and we will listen to you clearly.
Kai said to her: Before this, tell me, why are you searching for the secret of the First Hokage? And why is he among your priorities in the anime?
She said: Let's go there, I will tell you why, the secret, and who Atori Uchiha is as well.
Then they went to a restaurant near them, Kati from here, Ino from here, and Kai in the middle. They sat, the three of them. Ino said before talking about this: I'm hungry, let's eat first, then we will discuss this.
Ino ordered her favourite food, ramen, like the ramen in Naruto. Kai didn't recognise this food; only Kati knew about it. And she decided to order roe and fish.
Kai told them: I don't want it, just when you finish eating, tell me, Ino.
Ino said: You seem determined to know why I loved so much the part about the First Hokage's death. And when she told me about Atori Uchiha, I searched for this character and found something, but at first, I searched for the secret of the First Hokage's death, or Hashirama Senju specifically.
Kai said: What a name, is this really his name, Hashirama Senju?
Ino said: Yes, this is his name. He is the founder of Konoha, the village, and the spiritual father of all ninjas, called the King of the Shinobi. He was strong, the first to use Nature Energy and the Wood element, and the best part is that he heals himself in every battle. His cells are among the rarest and the best things in the anime. That's why the author didn't show us in the anime and manga because of his death. But I found and researched that the cause of his death was acute poisoning by his brother, Tobirama Senju.
Kai said: And who is this, too?
Ino said: This is his younger brother, and he became the Second Hokage after him.
Kai said: And why? What's the reason?
Here, the food arrived, and I said: Wait, I'll tell you.