Ch. 1Mysterious Disappearance
Chapter Summary: “Mysterious Disappearance”
1. Key Plot Points and Events
- Fang Tianyi, a 25-year-old man, mysteriously disappears from his locked apartment at exactly 10:00 p.m. His doors, windows, and security footage show no sign of forced entry or departure.
- Detective Old Li and junior officer Little Liu investigate the case. Fang’s mother reports hearing a shout from his room before finding it empty, with only his computer still playing an anime.
- The narrative reveals that Fang has been transported into the world of Naruto. He now inhabits the body and memories of Hinata Tianyi, a Hyuga clan branch member and genin during Konoha’s Year 37, amid the Second Shinobi World War.
- Hinata Tianyi is badly injured after his squad is ambushed in the Land of Rain. He is hiding beneath a scorched tree, bleeding from a shoulder wound and convinced he may soon die.
- The strange ancient book that transported him activates at 10:00 p.m. and reveals itself as the Book of Ten Thousand Worlds. It allows ten minutes of daily communication, two-way transfer of non-living objects, and has limited storage space.
- Tianyi uses the book to contact his mother in the real world. His voice emerges from the book, shocking his mother and attracting Old Li and Little Liu.
- He explains that he is trapped in the Naruto world during a war and is injured. Little Liu recognizes the setting and confirms that the situation would be extremely dangerous for an ordinary modern person.
- Old Li demands proof. Tianyi decides to send a kunai through the book, using the transfer ability to verify his identity and circumstances.
- The chapter ends as the kunai disappears into the book, leaving the result of the transfer unresolved.
2. Character Developments
- Fang Tianyi/Hinata Tianyi: Transforms from an ordinary office worker into a terrified but resourceful survivor. Though overwhelmed by pain, homesickness, and fear, he quickly recognizes the book as his only chance for survival and reaches out to his mother.
- Old Li: Initially approaches the disappearance as a conventional locked-room case. His skepticism gradually shifts toward cautious belief as the voice from the book provides coherent information. His detective instincts lead him to request concrete evidence.
- Little Liu: Acts as the bridge between the impossible claims and the real world. His knowledge of Naruto helps Old Li understand the nature of Tianyi’s situation, and he takes the communication seriously enough to record it.
- Tianyi’s mother: Moves from grief and helplessness to overwhelming hope when she hears her son’s voice. She manages to remain engaged in the investigation despite her emotional distress.
3. Significant Themes
- Isolation and homesickness: Tianyi is separated from everything familiar and desperately longs for the safety of his former life and his mother.
- Hope amid despair: The Book of Ten Thousand Worlds appears at the moment Tianyi believes he is dying, turning an apparently hopeless situation into one with a possible lifeline.
- The collision of ordinary life and fantasy: A modern police investigation is forced to confront the reality of another world, blurring the boundaries between fiction and reality.
- Proof and belief: Old Li’s skepticism reflects the need for evidence, while Tianyi’s attempt to transmit the kunai demonstrates how extraordinary claims must be verified.
- Survival in a hostile world: Tianyi’s injury, the wartime setting, and the dangerous ninja society establish the high stakes of his new existence.
4. Character Interactions
- Old Li questions Little Liu about the locked-room disappearance and recruits him to revisit the scene.
- Tianyi’s desperate call through the book reconnects him with his mother, creating the chapter’s most emotional exchange.
- Old Li and Little Liu intervene, turning a private family communication into an official investigation.
- Little Liu explains the Naruto setting and its terrifying power scale to Old Li, helping him understand Tianyi’s danger.
- Old Li directly questions Tianyi and challenges him to provide evidence, prompting Tianyi to send the kunai through the book.
The chapter ends on a cliffhanger as the investigators wait to see whether the kunai successfully arrives in their world.