Chapter 27

Gon Freecss sat cross-legged on his bed, staring at the glowing interface of the Heroes Chat Group. He had joined only a short while ago, yet everything he had seen so far stunned him. The members were warriors, heroes, and monsters beyond his understanding, and at the center of it all was one figure—Naruto, the Emperor of Mankind.

Even without meeting him in person, Gon could feel it. Power. Authority. Absolute dominance.

And most terrifying of all? Naruto had a playful streak.

Gon had already read some of the chat logs, specifically the painful lessons of Izuku Midoriya and Wang Lin, both of whom had suffered gruesome deaths in the Virtual World.

"If I had just jumped in blindly like them… I might have died instantly," Gon thought, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

So, using his instincts, Gon took a different approach. He typed his message carefully, his fingers trembling slightly.

"Emperor of Mankind, I am happy to join this group and grateful for the gifts, but if you wouldn't mind, could you send me to a safe place in the virtual world that can help me train?"

He hit send and waited. The response came almost immediately.

"Welcome, Hunter. Nice to see that you at least asked before diving in, so sure. Enjoy."

Gon let out a deep sigh of relief and wiped his forehead.

"That was close…"

From what he had observed, Naruto appreciated careful people—those who didn't just rush into battle expecting everything to work out. Gon might be reckless, but he wasn't stupid. He knew when to be cautious.

"He is definitely not someone I want to mess with."

With a steady breath, Gon pressed the button to enter the Virtual World, his vision going dark as his body was pulled into the simulation.

When Gon opened his eyes, he was surrounded by lush greenery. The air was crisp, the wind carried the scent of fresh earth, and the sound of rushing water echoed in the distance.

He was standing on a grassy hill overlooking a dense forest, with a massive waterfall cascading down the mountainside.

Gon took a deep breath, feeling at ease.

"This is perfect!"

This wasn't some dangerous battlefield filled with bloodthirsty monsters or elite assassins. It was an untamed wilderness, a place where he could train freely, learn from nature, and push himself to the limits.

Gon grinned, excitement bubbling in his chest.

"Alright! First things first—I should test my strength!"

Rolling his shoulders, he clenched his fists and focused his Nen. A familiar aura surrounded him, glowing faintly. He could feel it responding more smoothly than before—stronger, more refined.

"Whoa… This world really does help boost training!"

With a burst of speed, Gon dashed into the forest, weaving through the trees with effortless agility. He jumped high into the air, landing on a sturdy branch before leaping to another.

The wilderness welcomed him, and Gon had only one thought in mind.

"I have to get stronger. If the Emperor of Mankind is watching, then I need to prove I'm worthy of being here!"

The wind rushed past Gon's ears as he dashed through the thick undergrowth of the jungle-like forest. The terrain was wild and untamed, but it didn't feel foreign to him. Having grown up on Whale Island, he had spent his childhood climbing trees, catching fish, and exploring the wilderness.

"Master was kind enough to send me to a safer area," Gon thought with a relieved sigh. "I should take advantage of this and train properly!"

But even though he had been spared from being thrown into instant death scenarios like Izuku and Wang Lin, he knew better than to let his guard down.

This was Naruto's world.

Nothing could be taken lightly.

For the first hour, Gon focused on movement—jumping, dodging, and running through the trees like a shadow. He adjusted his steps according to the terrain, treating the area like one of Bisky's harsh training grounds.

Then, his instincts flared.

He felt a change in the air—something was nearby. Something was watching him.

A slight rustling from the branches above.

A barely audible hiss.

Gon stopped moving instantly, his hands clenching into fists.

"Snakes?"

Before he could react, a swarm of green-scaled vipers dropped from the trees above, their bodies stretching over three meters long. Their fangs gleamed with venom as they lunged straight at him.

"So much for 'safe'!" Gon muttered, springing backward.

Gon ducked, weaved, and dodged between the strikes of the giant vipers. Each one was fast—faster than normal snakes should be—but their movements were predictable.

"These guys aren't as dangerous as the creatures in NGL."

One of the snakes lashed out, its fangs aiming for his neck.

Gon reacted instantly, twisting his body and slamming his foot down.

CRACK!

The snake's skull shattered beneath his enhanced strength, its body convulsing before going limp.

Gon didn't waste a second—he spun on his heel and grabbed another snake by its tail, swinging it like a whip to knock away two more.

"Three down—"

SHRRRK!

Suddenly, the ground erupted beneath him, and a monstrous centipede—easily the size of a car—burst out, its mandibles snapping at Gon's legs.

"What the hell!?"

Gon leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the razor-sharp pincers.

His heart pounded.

The fight had just escalated.

The centipede's chitinous body gleamed under the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy. Its numerous legs dug into the soil, allowing it to move at terrifying speeds despite its massive size.

He flexed his fingers, clenching his fists.

"Fine. Let's see who's stronger!"

The centipede lunged, its mandibles clamping down where Gon had been standing a second ago. But Gon had already moved, using his legs to propel himself forward at blinding speed.

"Rock!"

His fist connected with the centipede's head.

BOOOOM!

The impact sent shockwaves through the ground, causing nearby trees to tremble. The centipede's body twisted violently, its exoskeleton cracking apart from the sheer force.

The beast let out a final screech before collapsing in a heap.

After catching his breath, Gon surveyed the area. The vipers were dead. The centipede was crushed.

He glanced at his knuckles, flexing his fingers.

"Nen flows easier here… Maybe the energy of this world is different?"

He would have to ask the Emperor of Mankind about it later.

For now, he needed to move.

He continued forward, weaving through the dense jungle until the forest started to thin out. Gon could tell he was reaching the boundary.

Just as he stepped onto a dirt road, he heard someone approaching.

A boy, slightly older than him, with fang-like tattoos on his cheeks and a small white dog running beside him.

"Oi, kid!" The boy stopped, arms crossed. "You're not supposed to be here. This is the Forest of Death."

Gon tilted his head. "Forest of Death?"

Kiba Inuzuka raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, the hell are you doing here?"

Gon scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Uh… I got lost?"

Kiba narrowed his eyes, sniffing the air. "Huh. You don't have chakra… That's weird."

Akamaru barked.

Gon chuckled, crouching slightly. "Oh, cool! A talking dog!"

Kiba's eyebrow twitched. "He's not talking. I just understand him."

Gon grinned. "Same thing! You remind me of a friend of mine—he has a wolf!"

Kiba snorted. "Whatever, man. C'mon, I'll get you out of here before you get eaten."

Gon laughed and followed Kiba, already excited to meet more ninjas.

Issei Hyoudou had always thought of himself as a survivor—a guy who could talk his way out of trouble, boost his way through fights, and grope his way into heaven (or hell, depending on who you asked).

But this?

This was absolute bullshit.

One moment, he had been chilling in the Heroes Chat Group, reading the ridiculous death counts of the other newbies, and the next—

"I knew that was a trap," Issei muttered smugly as he hovered his finger over a suspicious challenge notification.

And yet, despite his so-called "wisdom"…

The trap activated.

His smirk vanished, replaced by pure panic as he was yanked into the virtual world with no way out.

"Buchou, save me!" Issei shrieked, but there was no escape.

When the world around him solidified, he found himself standing in the middle of a vast training ground, surrounded by burning torches and the deep crimson glow of the Uchiha residence.

And across from him stood—

Sasuke Uchiha.

This wasn't some old man Sasuke.

This was Chūnin Exam Sasuke.

The angry, vengeance-driven, speed-demon version.

And Issei?

He was just some perverted teenager with a dragon hand.

Sasuke's dark eyes locked onto Issei, his expression neutral—not arrogant, not dismissive, but calm and calculating.

That was worse.

It meant he wasn't even taking this seriously.

"Are we fighting or what?" Sasuke asked, rolling his shoulders.

Issei took a deep breath. Alright, Issei, don't panic. He had Boosted Gear. He had some combat experience. Sure, he wasn't the best, but—

"Boost!"

The red gauntlet on his arm flared to life, Ddraig's voice booming in his mind.

[Boost!]

His strength doubled instantly.

Issei grinned. "Alright, bastard, let's do this—!"

Sasuke disappeared.

Oh.

That was the last coherent thought Issei had before his world turned into a blur of pain and humiliation.

A fist slammed into Issei's gut.

The air left his lungs as he skidded backward across the dirt.

He barely had time to react before Sasuke was already in front of him again, faster than his eyes could track.

A leg swept under him—he collapsed.

A knee crashed into his ribs—he choked on his own spit.

He swung wildly with Boosted Gear, but Sasuke easily dodged, tilting his head slightly like it was a joke.

"Boost!"

[Boost!]

Issei's power increased again.

He threw a punch—Sasuke sidestepped effortlessly and slammed an elbow into his spine, sending him face-first into the ground.

Dust flew up.

Issei groaned. "Oh, fuck me..."

Sasuke crouched down next to him, resting his elbow on his knee.

"You're not bad," Sasuke admitted, "but you're slow. Your movements are full of openings. Your power-ups don't matter if you can't hit me."

Issei groaned again, rolling onto his back. "Let me power up a few more times and we'll see—"

Sasuke's eyes sharpened.

Lightning crackled in his palm.

Oh shit.

Issei's brain screamed at him to move, but his body was too slow.

The blinding blue glow of Chidori filled his vision.

Outside the simulation, Rias sat in her room, watching the Heroes Chat Group's virtual screen with a mixture of exasperation and horror.

She saw Sasuke dash forward, his Chidori tearing straight through Issei's chest.

Blood sprayed.

Issei's body convulsed before slumping over.

Game Over.

"Sasuke Uchiha Wins."

The screen faded to black.

Rias turned her head away, rubbing her temples.

"Why does he tempt fate so much?"

The smell of burning incense filled the air as Ichigo Kurosaki knelt before a small shrine, his face solemn. The scent mixed with the crisp wind, carrying his silent prayer for the departed souls—those unfortunate enough to have dived into the Virtual World without preparation.

They never stood a chance.

He had seen the chat messages.

Issei had been impaled.

Wang Lin had been swallowed by sand.

Izuku had been skewered mid-run.

Absolute carnage.

Ichigo wasn't an idiot.

"Thank you for your sacrifice, guys." He muttered, lighting the final stick of incense before standing up.

Unlike those reckless fools, Ichigo decided to play it smart.

"Emperor of Mankind," he typed into the chat, addressing Naruto. "I appreciate the opportunity, but I'd prefer a safe ground for training. I'd rather not get jumped by something ridiculous."

There was a pause.

Then, Naruto's response came.

"Sure, you actually used your brain. Enjoy."

Ichigo let out a relieved sigh as his vision shifted, and his body was transported into the Virtual World.

The moment his feet hit the ground, he scanned his surroundings.

It was a wide-open field, surrounded by towering cliffs and a gentle river flowing in the distance.

No immediate threats.

No monstrous energy signatures.

No bullshit.

Ichigo exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Finally, someone who understands the importance of a fair fight."

He drew Zangetsu and smirked.

Time to train.

The wind howled through the mountains, rustling the leaves of the trees standing tall in the rocky terrain. Ichigo stood on the uneven ground, Zangetsu resting in his grip as he faced off against a girl wielding a scroll almost as tall as she was.

Her brown eyes gleamed with excitement as she unrolled the scroll in a swift motion, summoning a barrage of massive weapons.

"Hope you're ready, Ichigo! I don't hold back!" Tenten called out confidently.

Ichigo smirked, his spiritual energy crackling around him.

"That's fine. I like a challenge."

It hadn't been long since he was thrown into this world, but he had already made significant progress.

His Shinigami, Quincy, Hollow, and Bount powers had fused into a unique energy unlike anything he had ever felt before. It was dense, overwhelming, yet perfectly balanced within him. Even without awakening his Zanpakuto, his attacks could level skyscrapers with a single slash.

He could now fly effortlessly, create energy barriers, and even fire Quincy arrows—though his aim needed work.

Most importantly, he was finally learning how to fight with a sword properly.

And today, he had Team Gai to thank for it.

Tenten leaped back, weaving through the air as she threw a storm of kunai, shuriken, and explosive tags at him.

Ichigo reacted instantly, raising his left hand and forming a spiritual barrier around himself. The explosives detonated upon impact, but the golden-red barrier held strong.

Before he could counterattack, she was already on the move.

"Damn, she's fast!" Ichigo muttered, following her movements carefully.

Tenten took advantage of his inexperience with close combat, constantly dodging and attacking from unexpected angles. She summoned massive war hammers, flails, and bladed fans, forcing Ichigo to keep moving.

Each weapon strike made the ground shake, but Ichigo stayed airborne, using his flight ability to maintain the advantage.

Then, he saw an opening.

With a burst of spiritual energy, he shot forward, swinging Zangetsu in a wide arc.

Tenten twisted mid-air, barely avoiding the blade, but the force of the attack sent her flying backward. She landed on her feet, skidding across the ground before coming to a halt.

"Alright, you're strong," she admitted, breathing heavily. "But let's see if you can handle this!"

She slammed her hands together, summoning an entire arsenal of weapons from her scroll.

Spears. Swords. Axes. Morning stars. Even a ballista.

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

"Seriously…?"

Tenten unleashed everything at once, but Ichigo had gotten used to her attack patterns. He dodged, blocked, and deflected, gradually closing the distance.

Then, with a single decisive slash, he shattered her final attack and sent her flying back, her scrolls scattering around her.

She groaned, rubbing her head. "Damn it… I lost."

A notification dinged in Ichigo's vision.

🔹 [You have earned 5000 Points!] 🔹

Ichigo smirked. "Good fight."

Tenten sighed, offering a hand as she stood. "Yeah, yeah, you were awesome. But next time, I'll win!"

Ichigo chuckled, opening the store menu in his mind.

With 5000 points, he could buy some decent items, but after browsing through the available artifacts, he realized something.

Basic items? He could find those in his own world.

But the legendary and powerful artifacts in this system? Those were once-in-a-lifetime treasures.

It was better to save up.

With that decision made, he followed Team Gai toward Konoha, knowing that this was only the beginning.