Chapter 1 | Rising Tides (Naruto/Chaos Gacha)

Hi, I apologize for the lack of updates on Achievement System, I was getting a bit burnt out and thought of writing something else. This story will be a Village/Kingdom Building story, I might or might not continue this based on your feedback. I’ve written up about 10K words worth of stuff so far that I’ll upload together. Thank you for your continued support. This uses the Chaos Gacha by Bronz, a very fun mechanic to mess around with. The next chapter will be an Achievement System Chapter. (After I re-read that entire story because of this temporary break from this story haha)

Rising Tides (Naruto/Chaos Gacha)

Chapter 1

My death had been quiet. This new life was not. For a few minutes, I just stood on the dirt path, letting two lifetimes settle into one. One was of modern comforts, a steady job, and the soft, predictable rhythm of a world without shinobi. The other was Kaiza’s. It was a life lived on the move, selling fish from town to town, feeling the grit of the road and the burn of a net rope in his hands. It had a rough charm, a sense of freedom my previous life lacked. These arms, scarred and strong, felt more real than any I’d had before.

I was still getting used to the feeling of the rope tied around my head when a scream cut through the air. It was high and panicked, the kind a child makes. It came from the direction of the water.

My body moved before I finished the thought. I ran toward the wooden docks, my sandals slapping against the packed earth. A small boy was flailing in the dark water, his head bobbing under the surface. He went down, came up sputtering, then went down again.

Without hesitating, I kicked off my sandals and dove in. The water was cold and murky, but the muscles in these arms and legs were used to fighting currents. I pushed through the water, my eyes locked on the spot where the boy had disappeared. He resurfaced for a moment, and I surged forward, grabbing a firm hold of his small shirt.

As I pulled him close, my mind finally caught up. The spiky black hair, the small frame. This was Inari. And if he was Inari, then that meant I was Kaiza. My knowledge of the story was hazy, a half-remembered thing from years ago. Wasn't Kaiza his father? No, stepfather. He married the boy’s mother, Tsunami. Or he was going to. This is what I get for only half-watching the show. Trying to sort out the timeline was a headache I didn't need right now.

I towed him back to the shore, his small body limp in my arm. I hauled him onto the grass and quickly turned him onto his side. I gave his back a firm pat, right between the shoulder blades.

“Cough it out,” I said, my voice steady. “Get all that water out of your lungs.”

He coughed violently, a messy spurt of river water leaving his mouth. He sputtered and choked, then finally took a deep, shuddering breath. He kept coughing, but now he was breathing properly. I kept a hand on his back, waiting for the worst of it to pass. He was safe. For now, that was all that mattered.

The boy was trembling, his small shoulders shaking with a mixture of cold and fear. He looked down at his soaked clothes, his bottom lip quivering. I kept my hand on his back, giving it a gentle, reassuring pat.

“Hey, hey, it'll be alright, kiddo,” I said, my voice low and calm. “You’re safe now.”

He sniffled, wiping his nose with the back of a wet hand.

“Do you live nearby?” I asked.

He could only manage a nod, his wide eyes still fixed on the dark water as if he expected something to reach out and grab him again. He looked to be about seven years old. It was the sort of thing about this new world that pissed me off. Leaving a child this young alone near a lake was just stupid. I knew this was a world of shinobi and death, where kids were trained to be soldiers, but some things were just common sense.

“Who were you with?” I asked, trying to keep the irritation out of my voice. It wasn't his fault.

He looked down at his feet and mumbled, “My grandpa. He went to pee.”

Just then, an older man with a grizzled beard and a towel slung over his shoulder came stumbling down the path. The smell of sake hit me even from a few feet away.

“Oye, whatcha doing there, bastard,” he slurred, a small hiccup punctuating the sentence. He pointed a wavering finger at me, then at the boy huddled next to me.

I got to my feet, my wet clothes sticking to my skin. I was a good head taller than him, and I made sure he felt it. I didn't raise my voice, but I let a cold anger seep into it. “I’m watching over the kid. Since you weren’t.”

His face flushed with drunken indignation. “That’s my grandson, Inari! Who the hell do you think you are, telling me what to do?” He took a wobbly step forward, puffing out his chest. “I’m Tazuna, the master builder here. You show some respect.”

I didn't move. “I’m the man who just pulled your grandson out of the water,” I said, my voice flat. “He almost drowned while you were off somewhere.”

The bluster vanished from Tazuna’s face. The word ‘drowned’ seemed to cut straight through the alcohol. His eyes, which had been narrowed in anger, widened. He looked from my soaked shirt to Inari’s shivering form, and the reality of the situation finally hit him. The drunken flush was replaced by a sudden, stark pallor.

“He… what?” he stammered, his voice suddenly sober. He knelt down unsteadily beside Inari. “You fell in?”

Inari just nodded, a fresh wave of tears welling up in his eyes. Tazuna’s face crumpled with guilt.

I let out a slow breath. At least he wasn't a full asshole. Just a drunk and careless one.

“We should take the kid to get some rest,” I said. Tazuna just nodded numbly, his guilt still plain on his face. If the old man wasn't so shaken up, he'd likely have protested me coming along.

I leaned down and picked Inari up. He was light, and he didn't resist, just let his head rest against my shoulder. I patted his back gently and looked over at Tazuna. I didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow at the old fuck to get a move on.

He grumbled a few choice words under his breath, but he got the message. He turned and started to lead us away from the water and toward the village.

The trek from the river to the village was longer than I expected. The path we took was narrow and overgrown, clearly not the main way in. It made sense now, remembering I had been lost in the woods before finding the river. Inari, exhausted from the ordeal, had fallen asleep in my arms just five minutes into the walk. He was a warm, light weight against my chest.

As we entered the village proper, I looked around. The place felt suffocated. People huddled in small groups, their shoulders slumped and their eyes downcast. When they noticed me, a stranger carrying a local boy, they didn't stare. Instead, they quickly looked away, their movements becoming small and quiet as if they wanted to disappear into the weathered wood of their homes. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw them watching with wary, fearful glances.

"The people here," I said, my voice low enough not to wake Inari. "They seem wary of me. I don't appear that scary, do I?" I already had a vague idea of the reason, something about a man named Gato from the show. Still, it was best not to depend on flimsy memories. This was a real, breathing world, and the fear here was tangible.

Tazuna grunted, his eyes scanning the quiet street. "It's not you, kid. It's everyone who isn't from here." He kicked a loose stone on the path, his voice laced with bitter anger. "A few years back, a man named Gato came to our shores. A shipping magnate, he called himself. He came with promises of investment, of turning this poor island into a bustling trade hub. He offered money, jobs."

"Sounds too good to be true," I noted.

"It was," Tazuna spat. "He offered loans to fishermen and business owners. Good terms, he said. People were desperate enough to believe him. They signed papers they couldn't read properly, full of legal traps."

I shifted Inari's weight in my arms. "So he just… bought the entire coastline?"

Tazuna let out a harsh, humorless laugh. "Bought it? No. He took it. When people couldn't pay his impossible interest rates, his contracts let him seize their property. Their boats, their docks, their shops. In less than a year, Gato owned the entire shipping industry. He controls everything that comes in and everything that goes out."

That explained the poverty. An entire island held hostage by one man's monopoly. "Didn't anyone fight back?"

His face darkened. "At first, a few tried to protest. They organized, argued. That's when Gato showed his true teeth." He paused, glancing around as if the man himself might be listening. "He hired thugs and Ronin with no honor. They started by breaking boats and burning nets. When that didn't work, they started breaking bones." His tone grew quieter, heavier. "Then, the ones who spoke the loudest just… started to go missing. You'd see a man one day, and the next his wife would say he'd left for the mainland to find work. But we all knew. Everyone knew he was at the bottom of the ocean."

He fell silent, and the oppressive quiet of the village felt heavier than before. "So now," he finally said, his voice a low growl. "A stranger is just another potential threat. Another one of Gato's men, or just someone who will bring more trouble down on our heads. That's why they look at you like that."

The situation here was worse than what I remembered. This wasn't just a story anymore. Seeing mothers physically pull their children behind them at the sight of me, frightened and suspicious, was a sobering sort of thing. These were real people, each with their own story, living under a boot.

We soon reached a modest two-story house that looked a bit run down, the wood grayed by sea salt and time. Tazuna pushed the door open and went straight inside. I followed him, the sleeping weight of his grandson still in my arms.

A woman's voice called out from another room. “Father, is that you?”

A grunted “Yes, and come here,” was his only reply. I moved further into the main room and gently laid Inari down on a long, low couch near the wall.

It was then I saw her. Tsunami walked into the room, wiping her hands on an apron. She had raven-colored hair that went down to her waist, straight and dark. She wore plain clothing, a simple blue tunic over dark pants, but it did nothing to take away from her figure. Her features were soft, her lips full. Damn.

She looked from her father's disheveled state to me, her dark eyes filled with concern as they lingered on my soaked clothes. Then her gaze dropped to her sleeping son on the couch, and a flash of alarm crossed her face. How the fuck was he her father?

She gasped, the sound sharp in the quiet room. In a rush of movement, she was across the floor, kneeling beside the couch. Her hands hovered over Inari, checking his breathing, touching his forehead.

"What happened?" she asked, her voice tight with worry as she looked up at me.

"He fell in the river," I said simply. "I pulled him out. He's alright, just tired."

Her eyes flickered to her father, who was trying to make himself small by the doorway. She took in his disheveled appearance, the slight sway he still had, and her expression hardened. She didn't raise her voice, but the glare she shot him was heated enough to make the old man wilt. He winced and looked at the floorboards, unable to meet her gaze.

I felt an eyebrow quirk in amusement. I hadn't expected the woman to have such a backbone, not with how soft she looked.

After a moment, she seemed to decide her father wasn't worth the energy. She stood up, turned to me, and bowed deeply from the waist. "Thank you for saving my son," she said, her voice sincere. She straightened up, her gaze meeting mine. "I don't know your name..."

"Kaiza," I said.

A small, grateful smile touched her lips. "Thank you, Kaiza. I'm Tsunami, and this is my father, Tazuna." She gestured toward a simple wooden table with a few chairs. "Please, sit. Let me bring you some tea. It's the least I can do."

I gave a small nod and moved to the table, pulling out a chair. As I sat, I watched her disappear into the kitchen. I didn't really have an idea of where I wanted to go next. I could just leave Wave, continue the life of a traveling fisherman. But would that spiral into this village never gaining its freedom? My presence here, in this specific time and place, felt like it could mean something.

But I was just an ordinary man, a fisherman, now with memories of another life. And if there was something I remembered from the Wave Arc, it was the sheer brutality of what happened to the original Kaiza in the manga, the animated series having censored it heavily. The thought sent a cold dread through me.

It was then the world lost its color. Everything turned a dull shade of grey, like an old photograph. The low hum of the kitchen, the scent of tea Tsunami was preparing, the soft breathing of Inari on the couch, all vanished. I couldn't even move my head, my body frozen in place. Out of the corner of my vision, I saw Tazuna, sitting at the table, completely immobile, his mouth open to say something.

A red screen, like those in the RPGs I'd played in my previous life, shimmered into existence before me.

[Chaos Gacha has initialised]

Information flooded my mind in the form of a clear instinctive understanding. This was the Chaos Gacha. To get anything from it, I had to perform "feats," impressive actions relative to my power level, which would then grant me "tickets." These tickets would allow me to roll the Gacha, giving me a random chance at various rewards: Abilities, Traits, Items, Skills, or even Familiars. Better feats meant better tickets, and better tickets meant a higher chance of rarer, more powerful rewards. Abilities were supernatural powers that used energy and occupied slots. Traits were passive modifiers, always active but could be toggled. Items were physical objects, and Skills were knowledge downloaded directly into my brain. Familiars were living companions.

The system was now active. I had to assume that the world was still waiting for me to act.

[x3 Random Gold Gacha Tickets]
[Roll?]

What other choice did I have? I willed the system to proceed. The screen flickered, and the first result materialized.

[Zoroark] (Rare Familiar)
Pokemon - A bipedal fox-like dark creature that is capable of manipulating dark energy to attack but its true ability lies in its mastery of illusions. Zoroark is capable of creating incredibly realistic illusions and transforming itself to indistinguishable degrees. It can either make hundreds of people hallucinate or cast illusions with a very large range.

I can get a… Pokemon? The idea was so strange it almost felt out of place. Still, Zoroark was one of the more useful ones. Its ability to create illusions realistic enough to fool hundreds of people at once was a powerful tool. With this, I might have a real chance to help the people of Wave. Or, if they didn’t want my help, it was a perfect way to ensure a safe life elsewhere.

The screen changed, displaying the second roll.

[Body Refinement] (Rare Ability)
Allows you to refine bodies, though not precise enough to alter genetics it can help someone build muscles, get rid of impurities, increase body size and alter their body into a more ideal state. Stronger targets consume more energy.

I felt a subtle click inside me, a new awareness settling in place. That must be the single ability slot the system mentioned. I could only have one ability active at a time, and I would only gain another slot for every five abilities I collected. This one had serious potential. I could use it to empower those willing to fight, to build a resistance. It would also work on myself. The physical bodies in this world were already capable of incredible feats. With enough time, this could get people on the level of fighters like Rock Lee and Might Guy. It wasn't an immediate weapon, but it was a fantastic long-term ability.

The final roll appeared.

[Animorph] (Elite Ability)
Allows you to freely morph into any mundane animal you are aware of, you can still utilize all of your abilities as an animal but you inherit their physical abilities and characteristics.

I couldn't help but grin. The sheer versatility of this was incredible. I could turn into a bird to scout Gato’s operations from the sky, a fly on the wall for stealth, or a bear for raw strength. I could become anything, really. I had options now, real ones.

I could feel the presence of the fox-like creature, a quiet, intelligent energy waiting just beyond my perception, ready to be called from the familiar space. The world melted back into color, sounds and smells returning all at once. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. I hadn't even realized how tense my body had been until now, but with these new tools at my disposal, I felt a solid sense of safety settle in my chest.

Tsunami returned, carrying a small tray with two steaming cups of tea. She set them on the table, and I gratefully took the one she offered. The warmth of the ceramic felt good against my hands.

"Thank you," I said.

She gave me a small, tired smile and sat down opposite me. "So, Kaiza," she began, her voice soft. "What brings you to Wave?"

I took a sip of the tea. It was weak, but hot. Saying I was just a fisherman felt strange now, insufficient. "I'm a traveler," I said. "I go from place to place. If I see people who need help, I help." It wasn't far from the truth of the man I now was. The original Kaiza had been a kind man. My new perspective just gave me more of a reason to act on it.

It made me wonder, though. "This man, Gato," I began, looking from her to Tazuna, who was now sullenly nursing his own cup. "Why haven't you hired shinobi to deal with him?"

Tazuna let out a derisive snort. "Hired shinobi," he scoffed into his cup. "You make it sound so easy."

He set the cup down with a sharp click. "First, the bastard has us on a leash. We have limited contact with the outside world. He owns the docks, the boats, everything. Getting a message out is a risk in itself. Second, even if we could, shinobi don't work for free. You think we can afford a mission like that?"

He leaned forward, his eyes sharp and sober now. "An assassination, which is what we'd need, is a B-rank job at minimum. That kind of money... it could go near a million ryo. That's the kind of money nobles throw around, not fishermen and carpenters."

He wasn't finished. "And it's not even that simple. You can't just walk into a hidden village and say, 'Go kill this guy.' You need proof. Hard evidence of his crimes that justifies a mission… well not unless you're willing to pay a lot more. To get that information, you'd have to hire another team, an info-gathering squad, just to build the case. More money we don't have."

He leaned back in his chair, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "He has us trapped from every angle."

"Help? How?" Tsunami asked, her head tilted slightly.

"Well, let's just say I'm a special person," I replied with a dry smile. It was true in more ways than one now. Even before the Chaos Gacha, the man known as Kaiza was unnaturally strong. Not superhuman, but strong enough that taking on several of Gato's thugs at once felt entirely possible.

Tazuna scoffed from his chair. "Every brat thinks they're special nowadays," he sniffed. He was definitely still holding a grudge over my lecture by the river. Tsunami seemed to open her mouth, likely to chastise her father for being rude to a guest, but I spoke first.

"Oh? And if I proved that I was indeed special?" I asked, looking directly at the old man. An idea formed, a quick and dirty way to cut through his skepticism. I needed a place to stay while I figured out how to deal with Gato. If I could get them on my side, inspire the people, I could build something here. A good life. The original Kaiza had been looking for a place to settle down. Maybe that part of him was rubbing off on me.

Tazuna just grunted dismissively. "Prove it then, brat. What are you gonna do, lift the table with one hand?"

"Something like that," I said. My gaze shifted to the couch where Inari was sleeping peacefully. "But first," I said, my voice softer as I looked at Tsunami. "I don't want to wake him. You should probably put him to bed in another room."

She gave me a hesitant, questioning look, but then glanced at her son. She must have decided it was a reasonable request. With a small nod, she carefully lifted the boy into her arms and carried him out of the main room and up the stairs.

Tazuna watched her go, then crossed his arms, tapping his foot impatiently. "Well? We're waiting."

A moment later, Tsunami reappeared in the doorway. "He's in his bed. Now what was..."

She never finished her question. I closed my eyes and focused, reaching for the other power humming within me as I replace Body Refinement with Animorph.

The sensation was bizarre and deeply unnatural. My bones shifted with a series of unsettling clicks, my muscles bunching and expanding at an impossible rate. Tsunami let out a sharp, strangled gasp from the doorway, her hand flying to her mouth. I felt coarse, brown fur sprout from my skin, and the room seemed to shrink as my perspective changed.

When I opened my eyes, I was looking down at both of them from a much greater height. Tsunami was frozen in the doorway, her eyes wide with a terror that was quickly morphing into disbelief. Tazuna was simply stunned, his jaw slack. I was a bear. A large, brown bear packed tightly into their small living room. I let out a low, guttural growl that was more a rumble in my chest than a real threat.

It was enough. Tazuna’s shock broke. He scrambled backward, his chair tipping over and clattering loudly on the wooden floor as he fell in a heap. "What in the hell...?" he gasped, crab-walking away from me.

Just as quickly as it came, the form receded. The fur vanished, my bones snapped back into their human configuration, and I was standing where I had been before, my clothes fitting normally. The whole transformation took less than five seconds.

Tazuna was still on the floor, staring. Tsunami hadn't moved from the doorway, her hand still pressed to her mouth, her wide eyes locked on me.

I looked from one to the other, my expression calm. "So," I said, my voice quiet in the suddenly silent room. "Do you believe I can help now?"

There was a look of worry and slight fear in their eyes but with a hint of hope, a look of contemplation.

That hope, as faint as it was, sparked something in me. God, the previous me, the one who died in a quiet, modern world, would have seen this as too much trouble. He would have used his new powers to disappear, to find a quiet corner of the world and live out a comfortable life. But I wasn't just him anymore. Kaiza was a man who believed in standing tall, in protecting what was precious with his own two arms. I felt that conviction settling in my bones, merging with my own pragmatism. I would help, but I certainly wasn't going to be bullheaded about it and end up like the original.

Tsunami was the first to find her voice. "You... you can change your shape?" she whispered, taking a hesitant step into the room.

Tazuna pushed himself up, leaning against the overturned chair for support. "That's... that's not a normal thing, are you a Shinobi?" He looked at me, his eyes narrowed, but this time with calculation, not disdain. "Who are you?"

"Someone who can make a difference," I said simply. "But I can't do it alone." I looked directly at Tazuna. "You said people are afraid. But are they all broken? Isn't there anyone left with a spark? Anyone who wants revenge for the ones Gato has taken?"

He was quiet for a long moment, studying my face. Finally, he let out a heavy sigh, the fight draining out of him to be replaced by a weary resolve. "There are some," he admitted reluctantly. "A few fishermen whose boats were smashed, a carpenter whose son was beaten for speaking out. They're angry, fired up. But anger doesn't stop a hired blade."

"It does if they're strong enough," I countered. I decided to lay my cards on the table. It was a risk, but it was the only way forward. "Changing my shape isn't the only thing I can do. I can make people stronger."

Both of them stared at me. Tsunami's brow furrowed in confusion. Tazuna just looked skeptical.

"I have an ability," I explained, choosing my words carefully. "It's not quick, and it's not magic. It requires hard work. But I can help a person's body refine itself. Help them build muscle faster than normal, get rid of physical impurities, and make them more durable. Over time, I can turn a regular man into a fighter strong enough to stand up to Gato's thugs."

The offer hung in the air, heavy with possibility. It was a promise of hope, but it was also terrifying. The power I was describing was unnatural, something beyond their understanding.

"You can... what?" Tsunami breathed, the hope in her eyes burning brighter.

Tazuna, ever the pragmatist, narrowed his. "And what's the catch? Power like that doesn't come from nowhere. What do you want in return?"

"I want a place to stay," I said honestly. "And I want this town to be free. The catch is that it's going to take some time, and it will take everything they have to give. But it's a chance. Their and your only chance."

I let them process it. The decision had to be theirs.

"Find me the ones who are willing," I said, my voice steady. "Bring them to me. I'll show them what's possible."