The air was thick with the briny tang of the sea, mingling with the creak of wooden wheels and the faint slosh of Tazuna's sake bottle as Team Seven trudged alongside his rickety cart. The old bridge-builder, his face weathered and his eyes darting nervously, was our charge, tasked with escorting him safely to the Land of Waves. I walked at the rear, my hood pulled low to conceal the four eyes I was born with in this world, their presence a secret I guarded as fiercely as my ambitions. My body, taller and broader than any twelve-year-old's, thrummed with the quiet power of my modifications: a second heart, now fully formed, beat in sync with the first, amplifying my chakra flow; my lungs, expanded through weeks of chakra-fueled growth, drew deep, steady breaths for unmatched endurance; my frame, nearing six feet, echoed the towering, muscular dominance of Ryomen Sukuna from Jujutsu Kaisen. I'd discarded the need for his four arms and two mouths—impractical for the Naruto world's agile, chakra-driven combat—but his raw physicality, paired with the Astartes' engineered resilience from Warhammer 40,000, was my blueprint. My goals—power, control, freedom—drove every step, and this mission, Team Seven's first true test, was a chance to sharpen my edge while navigating the scrutiny of Kakashi, Hiruzen, and Danzo's unseen gaze.
In my past life, spent hunched over a screen playing RPGs like Baldur's Gate and Warhammer 40,000, I'd learned to treat missions like quests—each one a puzzle with hidden mechanics, risks, and rewards. Tazuna's nervous demeanor and Kakashi's subtle tension screamed a higher difficulty than the "C-rank" label suggested. This wasn't a simple escort; it was a dungeon crawl with unknown enemies. Hiruzen's decision to place me on Team Seven, replacing Sakura, was no accident—his late-night visit probing my character and the Will of Fire had made that clear. Danzo's suspicions lingered like a shadow, and Kakashi's Sharingan was a constant threat, capable of piercing my genjutsu or spotting my modified physiology if I wasn't careful. I'd play their game, using Naruto's chaos and Sasuke's precision as cover while honing my skills: Dismantle's invisible chakra blades, Cleave's contact-based precision, the Mirror Mirage Technique, and my growing arsenal of genjutsu and medical ninjutsu.
The road to the Land of Waves was quiet at first, the forest giving way to misty wetlands. Naruto, predictably, filled the silence with complaints, his orange jumpsuit a beacon in the fog. "This is boring! Where's the action? I'm ready to take on a hundred bad guys!"
Sasuke, walking ahead, snorted. "You'd trip over your own ego first, loser."
I ignored them, my senses heightened by my enhanced physiology. My second heart kept my chakra steady, my lungs fueling long hours of alertness. Kakashi led the group, his nose buried in his book, but I caught the occasional flicker of his eye toward me. He was testing us, waiting for us to prove ourselves—or slip up. In Baldur's Gate, a party's strength came from synergy, but Team Seven was a mess: Naruto's recklessness, Sasuke's lone-wolf attitude, and my calculated restraint. Still, I saw potential. Like an Astartes squad in Warhammer, we could be formidable if we worked together. I'd use them, not for bonds, but as tools to advance my goals.
The attack came without warning. Two figures emerged from the mist, their chakra signatures sharp and hostile—chunin-level, not bandits. The Demon Brothers, I realized, their chained gauntlets gleaming as they lunged for Tazuna. Kakashi vanished in a blur, intercepting one, but the other aimed for Naruto, who froze, his bravado crumbling. Sasuke reacted, throwing a kunai, but it wasn't enough.
I moved, my chakra-enhanced speed a flicker in the fog. My taller frame covered the distance in an instant, and I tapped the second brother's gauntlet with a restrained Cleave, the contact-based technique cracking the metal and forcing him back. My second heart pulsed, keeping my stamina high, while my lungs drew deep, fueling my next move. I wove a Mirror Mirage Technique, inspired by Baldur's Gate's Mirror Image spell, summoning four illusory clones that darted through the mist, their faint footsteps and subtle gestures—shifting weight, twitching fingers—confusing the attacker. He swung wildly, hitting nothing but air.
Kakashi dispatched the first brother with a swift strike, then turned to the second, pinning him with a kunai to the ground. "Nice work, Archon," he said, his tone casual but his eye sharp. "Quick thinking."
Naruto, shaking off his shock, grinned. "That was awesome, Archon! You're like a ghost or something!"
Sasuke's glare was colder, his suspicion palpable. "Too fast," he muttered, but I ignored him, focusing on Tazuna. The old man's face was pale, his sake bottle trembling. This mission was no C-rank—chunin attackers meant a higher threat, likely tied to Tazuna's bridge project. I filed it away, my gamer instincts kicking in: this was a plot twist, and we were only at the first encounter.
Kakashi interrogated the Demon Brothers, confirming they were hired by Gato, a shipping magnate with a stranglehold on the Land of Waves. Tazuna, cornered, admitted the truth: his bridge threatened Gato's empire, and he'd lied about the mission's danger to afford Konoha's help. Naruto raged, demanding they turn back, but Kakashi's decision to continue surprised me. "We're a team," he said. "We finish what we start."
The Will of Fire again. I kept my expression neutral, but inside, I was calculating. Continuing meant stronger enemies—likely Zabuza Momochi, the Mist's Demon, if my knowledge of this world's story held true. In Warhammer 40,000, facing a boss required preparation, not sentiment. I'd use this mission to test my modified body and refine my techniques, all while keeping Kakashi's scrutiny at bay.
We reached the Land of Waves by boat, the mist thickening as we approached the shore. My enhanced senses picked up a faint chakra signature in the distance—powerful, predatory. Zabuza. I said nothing, but my hand twitched, ready for Dismantle or Cleave. My body, sculpted to rival Sukuna's muscular dominance, was ready: my second heart boosted my chakra reinforcement, my lungs sustained long fights, and my height made each move more imposing. I didn't need four arms or two mouths—my two hands were enough to wield my techniques with deadly precision.
That night, we camped at Tazuna's home, a modest house by the water. His daughter, Tsunami, served a simple meal, but the tension was palpable. Naruto trained outside, throwing punches at a tree, while Sasuke sat in a corner, sharpening his kunai. I stayed near the window, my four eyes scanning the mist for threats. Kakashi approached, his book closed for once. "You're quiet, Archon," he said. "What's on your mind?"
"Strategy," I replied, keeping my tone light. "This mission's more than it seems. We need to be ready."
He nodded, a faint smile in his eye. "Good. Stay sharp. And trust your team—they're your strength."
Trust. Another Konoha ideal I didn't buy. In Baldur's Gate, a party was only as strong as its weakest link, and I wouldn't let Naruto or Sasuke drag me down. Still, I saw their value: Naruto's endless chakra, Sasuke's Sharingan. I'd use them, like pieces on a board, to clear this mission and grow stronger.
Before dawn, I slipped away to train, refining my techniques in a secluded clearing. My Mirror Mirage Technique summoned five clones now, their illusions so lifelike they fooled a passing bird, which veered away in confusion. A shadow-based genjutsu, inspired by Shikamaru, paralyzed a rabbit, its body rigid under my chakra's weight. A confusion genjutsu, drawn from Ino's Mind Transfer, disoriented a fish in a nearby stream, its movements erratic. Dismantle sliced a boulder cleanly, Cleave shattered another with a touch. My medical ninjutsu kept my body sharp, healing a minor bruise from training and boosting stamina with precise chakra control.
My modifications were paying off. My second heart and expanded lungs let me train for hours without fatigue, my taller frame amplifying my presence. Sukuna's towering physique, the Astartes' engineered resilience—they were my ideals, and I was closing the gap. Zabuza was coming, and with him, a chance to test my power. Hiruzen, Danzo, Kakashi—they could watch all they wanted. I was Archon, forging a path no shinobi could block, and the Land of Waves would be my proving ground.