Gula_Lupus - Profile

What would a world run by immoral super powered mercenary companies that have been locked in a vengeful state of conflict and animosity for nearly a century when you remove the shonen glasses? This story explores questions like this. It offers a darker (but not grimdark) and frankly a more awesomely realistic look into the Naruto world. This story is deliberate in its pacing and world building. It takes time to expand on the glimpses provided by Kishimoto to great lengths and adding new world building components that nicely mesh with the original to provide an outlook into the Naruto world that is both more realistic and absorbing. It is this layer of gritty realism that recontextualizes a truly martial world in its horrors and truths. It illuminates the point of view of the everyday shinobi in the Naruto world. A point of view that has not been shielded from the horrors of war by neither by the privilege of birth nor protection of guardians. A point of view untainted by the lack of tragedy by "fortuitous happenstance" (read as plot convenience) or an imbecilic naivety bordering on mental retardation. It is this unique point of view in a world that is equal parts childish fantasy and grounded reality that separates this story from hordes of others. After the impressive world building the character design of Takuma and his journey is best selling point of this story. There are a lot of complaints about the "weak ass beta male" protagonist. I have to admit that if you are habituated to the substandard power fantasy this story may not be for you. If you love to wank off by projecting yourself into dumbass stories about OP protagonists that are just the epitome of epicness, with no obstacles that hinder them and busty cardboard cutouts throwing themselves before the protagonist by the bakers dozen. Then this story is probably not for you. This story is grounded and intricately crafted. There are obstacles and setbacks. The antagonists are not suicidally retarded but instead competent adversaries. A 20 something student does not go from a period of unprecedented peace and order to a one of warfare and bloodshed and instantly become a great warrior. Conflict is bloody and terrifying. It is these setbacks and ordeals that make the story worthwhile and not a self insert wankfest like most fan fictions. Takuma is transmigrated into a somewhat familiar world of superpowered murderers and world ending alien threats. He is not a reincarnated god, once in a generation genius with kekkei genkais or former solider/assassin. He comes from no prestigious bloodline or even from a clan. He is simply an orphan with no legacy to inherit and deadlast in the ninja academy. In other words he is a mook in a world of monsters. How does one survive in a such a world? A world where the difference between the haves and the have-nots is not just money and influence (which by itself is extremely difficult to overcome) but actual power that allows those with power to mow down those without power like a scythe reaps blades of grass. Especially when you are the grass and not the scythe? The answer with a lot of resolve and hardwork. But as hard as one might work, how can one overcome the bad hand dealt by fate? Takuma is no kekkei genkai wielding genius. He is not a WMD carrying jinchuuriki. He possesses no grand bloodline to grant him rapid regeneration or massive chakra pools. He is not the disciple of some experienced jonin who can teach him how to brave this dangerous world. He does not even have parents to take care of him. So while others can just bust out broken abilities granted by no other virtue than the serendipity of their birth to mow down mooks like Takuma, he has to conserve his chakra to avoid running out. When others are being groomed and trained by a support structure of experienced teachers with tailored plans created to suit them, Takuma flounders around unsure of the basics. He expends on suboptimal paths and backtracks. He creates his own training regiment and methodology based on painful experiences and superb planning. While others are gifted jutsus and equipment as gifts and trinkets, he has to risk his life. And even after all that hard work and determination he comes up far too short. Takuma gets a jutsu after a harsh ordeal. Others can get better jutsu's that suits their chakra nature and is tailor made for their fighting style. Takuma has to use defective gear to save money, while others don't even register the higher quality of their gear. So what does Takuma do when face with such odds? He tightens his resolve and works harder. This may seem like something every Tom, Dick and Harry does in a shonen anime, but not the way Takuma does it. Takuma does not rest. It almost seems like he is stuck in an eternal state of survival frenzy. He pours all his resources, squeezes every last ounce of time and effort he can to prepare for the future. He actively learns any and all skills he can to aid him in his survival. Whether it be joining an underground fighting ring to hone his fighting skills (to make up for his lack of formal education) or learning how to operate a communication radio. His eponymous resolve is not just some shallow resolution of waking early every morning to train more. It is a deep vow to do whatever is necessary to survive. Whether it be enduring ridiculous pain and hardship everyday to eke out the slight sliver of advantage during a life or death situation, scheming and breaking laws to gain an edge or the resolve to execute a fellow shinobi after convincing them to surrender to avoid the risk that comes with their capture. Hard work and resolve are not the only tools in Takuma's arsenal though. Takuma possesses a sort of paranoid wit and intelligence that let him anticipate future issues and begin solving them well in advance. Takuma fancies himself a jack of all trades, learning a variety of skills to solve problems he anticipates he will encounter and using these varied skills to put his opponents on the back footing. This trait means that whenever Takuma busts out a skill to be of some aid to him we have already seen the skill being honed and ready to be used for some time. It is this intelligence paired with Takuma's resolve that lead Takuma to slowly catch up, reach and surpass many characters that were far more powerful than him initially. It is this progression that is truly gratifying to witness. Even if Takuma's adversaries possess so many advantages over him, Takuma inches forwards like a worm that never stops and leaves then in the dust. Takuma's resolve is not a flawless virtue though. He feels the physical pain of his intense training. The mental anguish of his choices. He wavers from exhaustion and the effects his choices have on his mental and social wellbeing. But Takuma has resolved to survive, and he will honor this resolution with intelligent ruthlessness towards others and more importantly himself. Naruto had an underlying theme. You could be a talentless orphan with no support but with enough hard work and determination you could defeat the insider club of the talented clans. I say had because Shippuden killed this idea dead and shat on it's grave. A plucky orphan who rose based on his can do attitude and hard work became a demigod of royal pedigree with the greatest mentors and a WMD as backup. Naruto betrayed this theme but Takuma upholds the tenets of this ideology to its fullest. He is the outsider who by the virtue of his resolve overcomes great odds (and hopefully become the hokage). This adherence to the theme central to Naruto (that even the source material abandoned) would make a story a great Naruto fanfic. But this is not all this story has. The quality of writing is pretty good and while faster updates would be great, writing a story of this quality takes time. But the world building and characters in this story are masterfully done. Fiction Only Reader has outdone themselves and created what may be the best Naruto fanfiction out there.