Unfamiliar Ceiling

[This book uses the timeline of the Book of Formation, concluding with the end of the Shippuden era, encompassing a 68-year history.]

Pain.

This was the first sensation Chen Cheng felt after regaining consciousness. His entire body felt as if it had been dismantled and haphazardly reassembled, every muscle fiber screaming in protest. He struggled to open his eyes, his blurred vision gradually coming into focus.

An unfamiliar ceiling.

It was a wooden structure with simple light fixtures, and the air was thick with the scent of antiseptic. He tried to turn his neck, but a sharp sting forced him to gasp.

"Are you awake?" A gentle female voice drifted over.

A woman in a white medical uniform approached. On her forehead, she wore a metal headband engraved with a pattern that felt both incredibly familiar and impossible to believe—a spiral mark.

Is this... a Konoha headband? Am I dreaming? Chen Cheng's mind buzzed as an absurd thought surfaced uncontrollably. He immediately dismissed it, No, that's impossible. I must have hit my head too hard.

"Where am I?" he blurted out, only to be startled by the realization that he was speaking a foreign language, yet the meaning was perfectly clear in his mind.

"Konoha Hospital. You were in an accident during the entrance ceremony, remember?" The female medical ninja handed him a glass of water. "Don't rush, you've been unconscious for three days."

Konoha... Hospital? The two words acted like a key, violently unlocking his chaotic memories. Images flashed through his mind: five-year-old Uchiha Kyohaku holding his parents' hands as they walked toward the Ninja Academy; a massive flying creature suddenly appearing in the sky; the moment his parents pushed him away; the sound of the explosion, the screams, and the agonizing pain of rubble crushing his legs...

Uchiha... Kyohaku? Am I not Chen Cheng? What is this... The memories of 28-year-old forensic pathologist Chen Cheng and 5-year-old Uchiha Kyohaku collided and merged like two turbulent currents. He furrowed his brows, struggling to make sense of this incredible situation.

"Mom... where is Dad?" he heard his own childish voice ask, though in his heart, he already knew the answer. This question was both a cold deduction based on the scene by Chen Cheng and an instinctive inquiry driven by the lingering emotions of Kyohaku.

The medical ninja's eyes flickered. "I'm sorry, Kyohaku-kun. Your parents were killed while trying to protect you."

Despite his premonition, his heart sank at the words—this was not entirely his own emotion, but a violent reaction from the original owner of this body. He lowered his head and saw his hands, now noticeably smaller, and his slender arms.

A five-year-old's body.

Transmigration... and possession? And it's actually the world of Naruto? The sheer volume of information nearly crushed his reason. He forced himself to calm down, using the professional habits of his past life as a forensic pathologist: Observe, gather information, verify the environment.

"My leg..." He noticed his right leg was tightly wrapped in bandages, radiating a dull, throbbing pain.

"It's fractured, with multiple muscle injuries. But don't worry, the medical ninjas have treated it, and it will heal." She tried to comfort him, but the hesitation in her tone didn't escape him. It seems the injury is not optimistic; it might leave permanent damage.

After the medical ninja left, he leaned back against the pillows with difficulty and began to frantically organize his thoughts.

28-year-old forensic pathologist Chen Cheng, and 5-year-old Uchiha orphan Kyohaku. Two souls and two sets of memories were rapidly merging. He was both Chen Cheng and Kyohaku.

Through Kyohaku's memory fragments, he understood the language, writing, and basic common sense. Through Chen Cheng's memory, he realized the earth-shattering implications of words like "Konoha" and "Uchiha."

No system, no golden finger, starting off as an orphan with a disability... and in this high-risk world. Chen Cheng whispered to himself in Chinese with a bitter smile, thankful that no one in this world could understand it. This has to be the worst possible starting scenario.

In the afternoon, a cold-looking man with black hair and black eyes came to visit. The fan crest on his clothes once again pierced Chen Cheng's nerves—he was undoubtedly a member of the Uchiha clan.

"Kyohaku, I am sorry for what happened," the visitor said in a calm tone. "Your parents were the pride of the Uchiha; they sacrificed themselves to protect you and the other children."

Chen Cheng (Kyohaku) nodded silently, not daring to speak much, nor knowing what to say. As a forensic pathologist, he was skilled at observation and analysis, but from the man's tone and demeanor, he sensed more ceremonial concern than genuine warmth.

Must be careful. I can't let anyone discover that the soul in this body has been replaced. He warned himself privately.

When night fell, he finally had the chance to think alone. Outside the window, the village lights flickered on one by one, and the silhouette of the Hokage Rock loomed in the darkness.

Konoha 40, the Second Shinobi World War just ended... The merged memories gave him a sense of the timeline, and the part of his memory belonging to Chen Cheng began to sound frantic alarms. The dangerous future of this world flashed by like a revolving lantern.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Finally, he whispered to himself, his eyes gradually hardening. First, I must survive; then I can think of other things. Step one: absolutely do not get exposed!

The pain remained, but his mind was exceptionally clear. Under the unfamiliar ceiling, a soul both familiar and strange had finally completed its initial fusion and began to calmly plot a path of survival in this dangerous world.