PHOENIX NEST – MAIN OFFICE
Riser kept his eyes open for a second before slowly closing them, organizing the command without moving his body.
'System… take me to the Naruto universe.'
[ANY SPECIFICATION FOR THE UNIVERSE?]
Riser didn't open his eyes.
'I want to appear in an isolated forest… and the main characters, like Naruto, should be around eighteen years old. The rest doesn't matter.'
The environment remained static around them, without any visible interference in physical space, while the system processed the information.
[UNIVERSE FOUND.] [DO YOU WISH TO PROCEED?]
Riser didn't hesitate.
'Yes. Proceed.'
[ORDER ACCEPTED.]
[INITIATING UNIVERSAL TELEPORTATION.]
Merlin remained where she was, observing Riser directly without asking questions. She already understood what was happening, even without hearing the messages, just by the way he remained still.
Hancock, on the other hand, didn't try to interpret. She simply stood beside him in silence, waiting for the next move without questioning.
Riser opened his eyes.
He didn't explain.
He just acted.
He pulled both of them close at the same time, drawing Hancock and Merlin in without giving room for reaction. Hancock didn't resist, on the contrary, she immediately pressed her body against him naturally.
'Ah, Riser… such a nice hug.'
"Get ready." Riser spoke directly, without changing his tone. "We're leaving this world now."
"Yes." Merlin answered without hesitation.
"Yes!" Hancock followed instantly, already adjusting her body against him.
The system executed.
The space around them didn't visibly distort. There was no rupture, no sound, no resistance. The transition happened beyond common perception, as if the point where they stood had simply been replaced by another.
The base ceased to exist.
The world ceased to exist.
And another took its place.
UNKNOWN FOREST – NARUTO UNIVERSE
The ground appeared first beneath their feet, firm, uneven, covered with dry leaves and exposed roots. The air changed immediately, denser, filled with a different energy than what existed in the previous world.
The trees were tall, close to one another, creating a natural barrier of vision and movement. The trunks were wide, marked with wear and old cuts, indicating frequent use for combat or passage.
Riser released them.
His body remained stable at the point of arrival, without needing adjustment.
Merlin took a short step to the side, analyzing the environment instantly. Her gaze scanned the trees, the ground, and the spacing between points, as if mapping the area automatically.
Hancock took a deep breath once more, now calmer, feeling the change in the environment.
"This place…" She spoke slowly, her gaze moving across the forest. "It's very different."
"Well, you're right about that." Riser kept his gaze forward while evaluating the surrounding space. "Unlike your world, this place is largely made up of kilometers of continuous land."
Merlin slightly adjusted her focus.
"And in terms of power level?"
Riser didn't answer immediately. He kept his attention on the environment for a second before speaking.
"It's hard to tell yet." He slightly shifted his gaze. "Unlike the previous world, here I can't just freeze everything."
Merlin absorbed that quickly.
"That would be very useful."
"Definitely." Hancock added instantly, agreeing without hesitation.
"Well, that doesn't matter right now." Riser took a step forward, shifting the focus of the conversation. "First, I want to understand this world and how things work here."
He didn't wait for a response.
His eyes changed instantly.
The red appeared directly, without transition, completely replacing the natural tone as the Sharingan activated. The pattern spun within his irises, firm, stable, without visible effort.
Hancock reacted first.
"I like your eyes like this." She said without looking away, her tone light, but direct.
"Thanks." Riser kept his gaze on her for a second before continuing. "Now I'm going to put both of you inside my power."
Merlin didn't question.
Hancock didn't either.
Riser activated Kamui.
The space began to distort around them, but not chaotically. The central point formed within his own body, and the force pulled Merlin and Hancock directly without resistance.
Their bodies were absorbed in sequence, starting from the extremities and being pulled into the void created by his eye. There was no rupture, only direct transition, as if space had been opened and closed at the same time.
When it ended, Riser was last.
His body dissolved in the same flow, being fully pulled in until disappearing into his own eye.
KAMUI – INNER DIMENSION
The three appeared on a solid platform, surrounded by complete darkness. There was no horizon, no visible depth, only the absolute space around them and the point where they stood.
Merlin adjusted first, evaluating the place without showing surprise.
Hancock looked around for a second before returning her focus to Riser.
Riser didn't waste time.
"Merlin, make this place comfortable for the two of you." He kept his tone direct. "I'll be back."
"Yes, Riser-sama." Merlin answered without hesitation.
Hancock took a step toward him.
"Don't take long, dear."
Riser exhaled through his nose, with no patience to continue the same dynamic.
"Alright, alright, Hancock." He kept his gaze on her for a second. "Now stay here with Merlin and wait."
He didn't wait for a response. His body disappeared in the same instant, leaving the two alone in that silent space.
On another distant platform, Riser reappeared already facing a sequence of screens forming in front of him. The images appeared one after another, showing different points of that new world, with increasing focus on more organized regions and active human presence.
"Who would've thought…" He crossed his arms slightly while keeping his gaze fixed on the projections. "Too much affection gets tiring."
Riser didn't look away from the screens as he spoke. Hancock's devotion was absolute, without flaw or doubt, but even something like that had weight when it became too constant. Still, he didn't reject it, he just accepted it as part of who she was.
He adjusted the focus of the images.
The scenes began to approach more specific structures, villages, organized formations, movement routes, and activity patterns. The search was now directed.
"The main characters were fifteen or sixteen…" He narrowed his eyes slightly. "If here they're eighteen… what else changed?"
The images kept passing before him, refining the search further and further. The objective was clear. He wanted to find Konoha, but first needed to understand the current state of that world.
Meanwhile, on the other platform, Merlin had already begun building the environment. The structure of a house started taking shape above the solid base, forming directly from her precise magical manipulation.
Hancock wasn't following.
She stood there with her head lowered, arms close to her body, completely out of sync with the environment. Her voice came out low, almost a murmur, without energy.
"Could it be… that he got mad at me…?"
The thought continued, weaker.
"Did I do something wrong…?"
Merlin paused her movement for a moment. The house structure stopped mid-formation as she turned her head toward Hancock.
"What is it?" She kept her tone direct. "Why are you like this?"
Hancock slowly raised her face. Her expression was clearly affected, without her usual confidence.
"Riser-sama…" She lightly clasped her hands. "Did you see how he left?"
Her voice faltered slightly.
"What if he got irritated with me?" She took a small step forward. "What if he doesn't want me anymore?"
Merlin exhaled slowly, her gaze turning neutral as she absorbed her line of thought. Her reaction wasn't surprise, but exhaustion from the predictable pattern.
"You're overthinking." She answered bluntly. "Riser has several women."
Hancock froze for a second.
"But look at who came with him." Merlin continued, keeping her tone steady. "Just me and you."
Hancock blinked, absorbing the statement.
"Do you really think so?" She asked, still unsure.
"Yes." Merlin answered directly. "Now stop crying before you actually give him a reason to get irritated."
The change was immediate.
Hancock took a deep breath and straightened her posture. Her expression changed, replacing insecurity with something firmer.
"You're right." She nodded with more confidence. "I can't be like this."
She lifted her face completely.
"I need to be better."
Her body adjusted instantly, her posture returning to its usual standard. A slight smile appeared, more controlled, but present.
"Riser-sama didn't choose just anyone." She spoke with more firmness. "He chose the empress."
Merlin didn't respond. She simply went back to work.
The house structure continued forming above the platform, now with more definition. The walls appeared first, followed by internal divisions and functional details, all being shaped directly by her magic without wasting energy.
Hancock watched for a second before crossing her arms slightly, now completely stable.
"I'll become even better for him." She said, more to herself. "Stronger, more beautiful… and more useful."
Merlin kept her focus on the construction.
"Then start by helping by staying quiet." She replied without looking. "That already solves half the problem."
Hancock didn't respond with a remark this time. She just nodded slightly, accepting the instruction.
The environment continued to be built.
And meanwhile, in another part of the dimension, Riser was already getting closer and closer to finding what he was looking for.
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