21st-Century Jump Scares

Namikaze Minato was no cowardly ninja; on the contrary, he possessed courage and noble qualities that many shinobi lacked. As one of Konoha's elite Jōnin, nearing the Kage level at just 19 years old, his future was bright. History would show that once he reached the Kage level, he would surpass even the Sannin at breakneck speed, becoming the strongest of Konoha's younger generation and a decisive force in the Third Great Ninja War.

His countless legendary feats made it clear that Namikaze Minato was a genius of both courage and talent in the shinobi world.

But...

The scene he was currently experiencing truly startled him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen—this world was eerily sinister.

Moreover, upon entering the game world, Minato felt his body become incredibly "weak," as if 90% of his power had been stripped away, leaving him in an extremely fragile state.

This drastic reduction in his strength naturally brought a sense of unease, which, when combined with the eerie environment that Kai had intentionally designed, explained why even Minato found himself slightly out of sorts.

Fortunately, Minato was still Minato. Despite everything, he quickly regained his composure and called out, "Kai, are you there?"

Kai's voice immediately responded, "I can hear you, Minato. How do you feel? I mean, does the game world feel realistic to you?"

Minato thought for a moment, clenching his fists and touching his body before answering, "It's quite realistic. Though I can sense some artificial elements, it feels much more real than any regular genjutsu, which usually feels dreamlike and vague."

Hearing this, Kai—who was also in the game world but observing everything from a god's-eye view—nodded thoughtfully, "I see, so it's still not real enough? I'll need to improve it further."

Minato quickly added, "Uh, honestly, since it's just a game, it doesn't have to be that realistic…"

Kai nodded again, "True. Even virtual reality games should avoid being too realistic, to prevent people from confusing reality with the game."

"But I have great faith in the psychological and physical resilience of the superhuman shinobi in this world, so I think aiming for extreme realism is the way to go."

Minato replied, "...I don't know what this 'virtual reality game' is that you're talking about, but not everyone in the shinobi world is a superhuman."

Kai brushed it off, "No worries. I'll just make two versions: one ultra-realistic edition for shinobi, and a more casual version for ordinary people."

Minato was speechless.

For some reason, Minato sensed a strange malice and a twisted desire for revenge on society in Kai's words.

"Uh, that's probably just my imagination," Minato thought. After all, Kai was a good person—maybe a bit mischievous at times, but certainly not evil.

Still curious, Minato asked, "Kai, why do I feel so weak? Is it because of this genjutsu world?"

Kai didn't answer directly but instead said, "Look at the window to your right—you can use it as a mirror. Check out how you look right now."

Hearing this, Minato turned to his right and saw a house with a glass window. Reflected in it wasn't the usual Namikaze Minato but a man wearing a Konoha headband and a standard Konoha ninja vest, though his appearance was ragged and unkempt, with a scruffy beard and an air of defeat and despair.

Seeing his reflection, Minato was stunned. "I… turned into someone else?"

Kai explained, "Yeah, didn't I mention this is a game? Just like when we used to play hero and villain games as kids, you're now playing the role of a Konoha ninja returning from the battlefield."

"The character is entirely my creation, not based on any real Konoha ninja—it's a fictional role."

"As the game title suggests, your mission now is to play as this character and find your way home in this world."

Minato nodded in understanding. "I see, got it."

He began to feel excited. After all, in the entertainment-starved world of shinobi, modern Earth's games would be a revolutionary experience. What Kai had created, even in Earth terms, was cutting-edge technology.

Although Minato was a genius and a mature ninja who had already completed numerous missions, he was still an 18-year-old at heart. On Earth, he would have just finished high school, full of youthful energy and the desire to have fun.

He had restrained himself from indulging in such things before because of the lack of suitable entertainment in the shinobi world. But now, with an intriguing game in front of him—and with the added benefit of helping his friend—Minato couldn't contain his excitement and anticipation.

Even though the atmosphere was spooky and intense, wasn't that part of the fun?

With that, Minato began to move forward.

The cold night breeze whistled past him, heightening his senses as he held a kunai in his hand, ready for battle at any moment.

However, after walking for a while, all he saw ahead was an endless road shrouded in gray fog, with houses lining the street, each adorned with eerie green-glowing lanterns.

The visibility was shrinking, until Minato could only see two meters ahead, as if a Mist ninja had cast a Hidden Mist jutsu. In fact, the thick fog was just like what he had encountered when fighting Mist ninja before.

Only this time, the ominous green hue of the lanterns made everything even more unsettling.

The atmosphere was both creepy and oppressive, the kind that could trigger claustrophobia or thalassophobia in anyone.

Even though Minato didn't suffer from such fears, the eerie music playing softly in the background, combined with the endless fog and lack of action, was starting to make him feel a little uneasy.

Unable to take it any longer, Minato asked, "Kai, is this game just about walking forward? Are there no changes or enemies?"

In response, there was only silence—no reply from Kai, just the low howling of the wind. Suddenly, a crisp, eerie bell rang out, and even the creepy background music stopped, leaving the environment in absolute silence.

The abrupt change caused Minato's heart to skip a beat. Before he could react, he sensed something beside him and immediately turned his head to look.

What he saw almost made his heart stop.

Barely thirty centimeters away from him, a pale, ghastly woman with long, disheveled hair, dressed in tattered white robes, hovered silently in the air. Only one eye was visible—a bloodshot, blue-veined eye filled with hatred and malice. Her entire being exuded an icy, bone-chilling aura.

The eye that Minato locked gazes with was horrifyingly inhuman, filled with dark red veins, and the pupil was a bottomless black, radiating pure venom and resentment.

Even during daylight, encountering such a figure would be unsettling. But here, in this nightmarish environment, with her suddenly appearing so close, it was outright terrifying.

Instinctively, Minato raised his kunai, ready to strike this horrifying woman, while also preparing to use the Flying Thunder God technique to escape.

This was a reflex Minato had developed through countless battles.

However, his habitual reaction caused him to stumble, nearly falling backward. He barely managed to regain his balance by taking several steps back.

It was only then that Minato remembered he was inside a game, using the body of an ordinary ninja, not his usual strong self.

The mismatch between his body and his instincts had caused him to slip up.

But Minato was still Minato. After steadying himself, he quickly looked back at where the woman had been.

She was gone.

"Where did she go? Wait, was that… even human?"

Minato began to question what he had seen. The eerie atmosphere, combined with the woman's eye filled with endless hatred, didn't seem like anything a human could possess.

Even in the shinobi world, filled with all kinds of supernatural beings, he had never seen anything like that woman.

At least, Minato had never encountered such a being before.

"What was that…"

Suddenly, Minato froze. His eyes widened, his body stiffened, and an overwhelming sense of cold washed over him, as if he were standing in the middle of a harsh winter.

The chilling sensation from behind made every hair on his body stand on end, and cold sweat began to drip down his back—an involuntary reaction to sheer terror.

Moments later, Minato felt an icy, rigid hand gripping his shoulder. The touch penetrated his clothing, sending the cold directly to his skin, as if the fabric offered no protection.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, Minato saw black hair and a pale, ghastly face right next to his ear, whispering in a cold, ethereal voice:

"You… will never go home…"

At that moment, Minato's entire body went rigid, his mind trembling. He immediately recognized the voice—it was the same eerie, cold voice that had spoken the game's name when he first entered.

Next, Minato felt an icy hand wrap around his throat.

The hand was as cold as death, squeezing his neck with a frigid grip. The pressure made it hard to breathe, and a wave of pain washed over him, flooding his senses.

Unable to fight back, Minato truly felt as though he was about to die.

But just then, the cold sensation vanished, along with the terrifying

woman. He was no longer paralyzed and could move again.

However, the moment the pressure lifted, Minato's body gave out. He collapsed forward, catching himself on one knee, with his right hand bracing against the ground and his left gripping his knee to keep from falling over completely.

Even so, cold sweat dripped steadily from his forehead, soaking the dust-covered ground beneath him.

Namikaze Minato, the genius of Konoha, had just experienced the ultimate horror of an otherworldly ghost game from the 21st century, enhanced by futuristic virtual reality technology. And he was thoroughly terrified.

To be honest, for someone experiencing this kind of game for the first time, it might have been a bit too much.

As embarrassing as it was to admit, Minato briefly considered quitting the game entirely.