I woke up.
For a moment, I thought I was still trapped in the fading remnants of my old life. My body, fragile and weak, lingering in the hospital room. But when I opened my eyes, I saw something entirely different.
I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of what my eyes were seeing. The world around me felt unfamiliar, the air thick with tension. I was lying on a stone tablet, the cold surface beneath me harsh against my skin. My heart raced as I took in my surroundings, and it didn't take long to realize something was very wrong.
And then I saw them.
The Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, was standing beside me, his face pale and filled with exhaustion. His usual confident presence seemed cracked, like a hero who had fought a battle he wasn't sure he could win. Kushina Uzumaki, her vibrant red hair disheveled, stood beside him. Her face was a mix of pain and love. They both looked as though they had been through hell, barely holding on.
And then it hit me.
I could feel my pulse quicken, my chest tightening as the realization washed over me. This wasn't a dream. This wasn't some fleeting vision. I was there, in the past, right in the middle of a moment that would shape this world forever.
I glanced beside me, my breath catching as I saw the tiny baby swaddled in a blanket. It was Naruto.
I wasn't just an observer anymore.
I was his twin brother.
The shock of it all slammed into me like a freight train. I hadn't just been reborn. I had been placed here, in the most pivotal moment of the Naruto universe. This wasn't some random point in time. This was reality. The world of ninjas, jutsu, and powerful beings.
I inhaled sharply, instinctively reaching toward my chest. The faint memory of a frail, sickly body that once existed was still there, but it was fading. My mind was sharp, clearer than it had ever been before.
And then something inside me shifted.
A calmness settled over me, an eerie stillness filling my chest. My racing heart slowed. My thoughts cleared. I could feel the emotions inside me, but they no longer overwhelmed me. Instead of fear or confusion, there was a quiet understanding, a steady focus. It was as if my soul had been remade, fused with something more.
Johan's soul.
It felt like his presence, his calculated detachment, and his cold control had merged with mine perfectly. In that moment, I became someone else, a version of myself who no longer let emotions rule over me. A being capable of thinking through every decision, every move, without being distracted by the chaos of emotion. I wasn't just Naruto's twin brother. I was someone else entirely.
I wasn't just reborn, I had become whole in a way that felt unnatural, but at the same time, it felt right. The soul of Johan had found its place within me, intertwining with the essence of who I am, who I had once been, and who I was destined to become.