Chapter 1: Nightmare

Above the firmament, stars were scattered sparsely; a round, bright white moon hung high. Like water, moonlight pierced the thin, drifting clouds and showered onto the earth.

Between the boundless sea of trees on the earth, a pure white jade ribbon flowed silently. It passed by a village built against a mountain. Three somewhat stiff and solemn portraits gazed down at the village below.

On both sides of a retro Tang-style street in the village, paved with long stone slabs, a few scattered shops remained open, light leaking from their doors and windows, occasionally emitting drunken, muffled shouts.

In a secluded spot away from the market, behind a deep forest, stood an old-fashioned, elegant Japanese-style residence formed by three houses joined together, surrounded by a fence entwined with vines.

With double gables and a hip-and-gable roof, bathed in moonlight, it was graceful and tranquil.

A gentle breeze brushed, the wind chimes swayed, their tone light and ethereal…

A soft evening breeze drifted by, mingling with the wind chime sound to ripple outward, intoxicated the night. Silvery white moonlight streamed down the wooden corridor, passed through the window and shone into the bedroom.

On the small bed in the bedroom lay a tiny figure. The blanket that should have covered him was kicked to one side. Looking closely, this was a fairly delicate and cute little face, still with a bit of baby fat.

From his constantly twitching eyelids and the kicked-off blanket, it was clear his sleep was not peaceful.

Ah……

A terrified shout rang out from inside the room. Almost simultaneously came the thud, thud, thud of footsteps and the sound of the door opening.

Dong Shilang! Are you alright……

Upon hearing the voice, a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old girl immediately walked into the room!

At that moment, she was cradling the small figure on the bed in her arms, one hand around his head, the other gently patting his back, the picture of someone soothing a child.

I'm fine, Mei Xiang sister!

Being held in a child‑carrying embrace, even though the holder was a kind and beautiful girl, for a man whose mental age was over thirty, there was still an inexplicable sense of embarrassment!

Without minding the child's struggle in her arms, the girl pressed her chin to his forehead. She tightened her grip on his wriggling body with one hand, pulling him closer, and continued to pat his back with the other, as if this could ease the child's fear and panic.

Did you have another nightmare?

Hmm……

After several struggles to no avail, the child gave up in resignation, inhaling the scent drifting from the girl—a mix of body wash and the unique fragrance of his age. The youngster named Dong Shilang, whose mind had grown tense and uneasy from the recent dream, gradually calmed down.

Seeing the child's emotions settle in her arms, she secretly let out a sigh of relief, and at the same time a feeling of pity welled up.

The child in her arms was the fruit of her elder sister and the clan's elite, meant to grow strong under parental care. But four years ago, when her sister had just been pregnant for less than half a year, her brother‑in‑law died on a mission.

After giving birth, the sister fell seriously ill, and thereafter spent her days in gloom. She finally passed away when the child had just turned four, leaving many clan elders sighing, feeling that perhaps this is the fate of a ninja.

I really am fine, Mei Xiang sister. I can barely remember the dream I just had!

Seeing the child did not look like he was lying, the girl then put him back on the bed, helped straighten the blanket, and gave him a gentle smile.

Dong Shilang, do you need your sister to sleep with you? With your sister here, I believe you won't have nightmares anymore!

No thanks, Mei Xiang sister! I'm really fine! I've completely forgotten the dream I just had!

Hearing that reply, and looking at the child's dark eyes, the girl finally felt relieved, turned around, and slowly retreated from the room.

As the girl turned, the family crest on the back of her outer garment became visible to the child's eyes.

"It's the Uchiha!", he thought, letting out a soft sigh. With the sound of the door closing, the bedroom fell silent, and the child's thoughts began to drift.

As a modern person over thirty, he had painstakingly crossed that single‑log bridge. Then, in his early twenties, he left that ivory tower to venture into society, experiencing quite a lot.

Having just entered the prime of his life, ready to make his mark, he inadvertently found himself in this strange yet familiar world.

"Naruto", the anime that ran through his youthful years, left a deep impression on him.

But how did the name "Dong Shilang" come about? Shouldn't he be a character from the neighboring "Bleach"? How did he end up in the Naruto world? Most importantly, the surname "Uchiha" is a dangerous one.

Thinking back to that dream, he couldn't help but wryly smile. How could he forget! For that figure, his impression was deep; he had merely been comforting the other party just moments ago.

Above the high heavens, a white silhouette faced the full moon, forming seals with both hands. The corner of his mouth curved into an exaggerated arc, as if he were laughing heartily at finally achieving his long‑held dream, yet also as if he felt sorrow for severing all worldly ties.

"Illuminate the world, Infinite Tsukuyomi!"

No mistake, the nightmare he just had was exactly the scene from the Fourth Great Ninja War where Madara unleashed Infinite Tsukuyomi.

Yesterday he dreamed of an orange‑haired guy hovering above the village, muttering, "How many floors must a sack of rice be carried up? Two floors for a sack of rice!"

The day before, he dreamed of a small figure dressed in an ANBU uniform, carrying a short sword, perched on the utility pole in front of his house's gate.

"Ah! This life is unbearable!", he sighed silently again; the four‑year‑old named Yuzhibo Dongshilang momentarily had no idea what to do.

"I only hope that as my memories merge, these occasional dreams will gradually fade away."

This transmigration feels a bit off! Others either get a golden finger or a gramps tag‑along, or at least have all kinds of systems attached.

How come here he has nothing? I fear I've entered a fake transmigration, or gotten the wrong set!

Never mind not being the wielder of Bleach's strongest ice Zanpakutō; how did I end up in Naruto, and worse, it's the Uchiha setup where practically everyone gets a boxed lunch before the start?

"Ah! Since we're here, we must make the best of it. We can only take it one step at a time."

As his thoughts wandered, not long after, he slowly drifted into sleep, hoping only not to have that kind of nightmare again.