"Who are you?"
"Who am I?" The Chakra Ghost's voice was strangely familiar.
Who was it?
Hayato felt the answer was on the tip of his tongue, yet he just couldn't say it.
An inexplicable irritation rose within him.
"Actually, you've always known, haven't you?" the Chakra Ghost continued mockingly. "You've always believed that there's no love without reason, and no hate without reason. At your core, you're a paranoid victim-complex patient.
"If you were transported into the world of Naruto, what would your first reaction be? Deep hypnosis? Hallucinations?
"Even in such a vividly real world, it took you years to convince yourself that it was real. Even so, you've always remained apart from the crowd, utterly out of place in this world.
"Protect Konoha?
"What an international joke! Are you sure that's the real you? Heh heh~ No! That's merely the persona you created to blend into this world. Like an actor, you've simply gotten too deep into the role. This—is not the real you. The real you trusts no one and believes in nothing. You wrap yourself in layer upon layer of shells, indifferent to everything.
"That's why, the moment the system appeared, you found yourself the excuse of 'no point wasting something free' and used it without a second thought. Then there was the bizarre, uncontrollable Chakra Ghost—me. You accepted me openly without the slightest wariness. Have you ever thought about why?"
"It's simple, because—" As he spoke, the Chakra Ghost's bandages peeled away layer by layer, gradually revealing his true appearance.
"—because I am you, and you are me!"
It was a face identical to Hayato's.
Hayato parted his lips slightly and fell silent.
"See? You're not surprised at all by what I said. Under normal circumstances, shouldn't you be shocked several times over...?" The