Emperor Of White Lightning (CH 1)

A/N: This story is rated M for mature content not suitable for children.

Story:

What if Naruto were reincarnated in the Solo Leveling Universe, and a piece of the soul of Baran, the Monarch of White Flames---also known as the Demon King---ended up within the reborn Uzumaki, nestled inside the seal that once contained Kurama? How would Naruto harness this newfound power to defend his loved ones, and what impact would this have on the future of the Solo Leveling Universe?

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Chapter 1: From Shinobi To Hunter

Solo Level Universe

Naruto gazed at the lifeless body of a mountain of goblins he had just defeated with his bare hands, crackling with white lightning. He pondered whether any more foes might be lurking nearby, but felt no presence of additional enemies.

The blonde let out a sigh of relief as he exited the dungeon. The world he had been reborn into was one where portals and gates emerged all over the globe, leading to dungeons filled with monsters and valuable treasures. The energy from these gates also granted humans unique abilities, and those who received them were known as hunters.

Portals manifest unpredictably, opening up into dungeons that mimic levels from video games, filled with different monsters and bosses. Once you vanquish the dungeon's boss, the portal will close. Naruto spotted a massive goblin head attached to a similarly large body, noting that the boss of this dungeon seemed to be quite feeble.

The Uzumaki made their way to the spot where the portal leading out of the dungeon was situated. With a sigh, he reflected on his reincarnation into this world as an ordinary human--though not entirely normal. From the beginning, he had been hearing a voice in his mind, initially believing it to be Kurama, but he eventually discovered that it was another entity altogether.

Once the gates emerged, he acquired new abilities that allowed him to revisit his mindscape and encounter the being residing within him. Unlike Kurama, who is a chakra entity, this being was a true demon that identified itself as Baran, the monarch of white flames.

Throughout the years, Baran attempted to break free from the reaper death seal but eventually lost hope when he understood that his only options were for Naruto to release him or for someone outside to break the seal. The monarch of flames recognized that the other monarch would rather kill him than offer assistance, leading him to abandon his escape efforts.

Through Baran, Naruto gained insights about monarchs, rulers, and even the concept of an absolute being, as well as the being's demise at the hands of its own creations. Over time, Naruto began to understand just how insignificant and powerless he was in the grand scheme of the universe.

To Naruto, Baran appears to be powerful, but in reality, he is the weakest of the monarchs. Although the demon doesn't openly acknowledge this, his stories of battles and his demise make it clear. He fell victim to the shadow monarch and served as a subordinate to the dragon monarch.

"Who cares if there are formidable monsters in this world? I'll just become the mightiest of them all," Naruto mused to himself as he left the dungeon, only to be welcomed by a representative from the hunters association.

Naruto observed the association representative bowing before him, feeling both entertained and uneasy. However, he recognized the reason behind it; he is Naruto Uzumaki, one of the world's elite hunters, holding an S rank.

"Mr. Uzumaki, could you please accompany me? The chairman wishes to speak with you," said the man identified as Woo Jinchul, Chief Inspector of the Hunters Association.

As an S rank hunter, Naruto has the freedom to act as he wishes; however, if he were to misuse that freedom, they could revoke his hunter's license, leading to significant complications for him in the future.

The reborn shinobi signaled for Woo Jinchul to take the lead and accompanied him to his vehicle. As they headed towards the chairman, Naruto couldn't resist creating small white sparks in his palm, causing the driver and Woo Jinchul to become anxious. However, they both breathed a sigh of relief when Naruto retracted his abilities.

The white Lightning was the monarch's power he inherited; Naruto found it funny that the monarch of white flames does not actually use flames, but lightning.

Naruto had cleverly harnessed the power of the monarchy, employing it in a manner akin to the Kage from the Hidden Cloud Village. He enveloped his body in powerful lightning, enhancing his speed, strength, and resilience.

Naruto possesses a unique ability known as Sage, which resembles his sage mode. However, since this world does not have chakra, he utilizes the abundant mana present in the world and especially in the dungeons to significantly enhance his strength to extraordinary levels.

Naruto and Baran were both astonished by the effects of combining Baran's Monarch abilities with his sage powers, resulting in a more formidable version of the white flame monarch power.

Even with this capability, Naruto recognized that he was still not as formidable as Baran had been in totality. Nevertheless, he was conscious of his potential to surpass the power of the white flame monarch and, ultimately, even the shadow monarch.

When Uzumaki initially utilized the Baran power, he realized that his body lacked the strength to manage the monarch power, necessitating an enhancement of his physical abilities.

Flashback Scene Ahead

At the age of 14, Naruto ventured into a beginner-level dungeon, carefully avoiding some hunters along the way. His objective wasn't to conquer the dungeon; instead, he aimed to collect the plentiful mana found inside to enhance his body through magic.

"I'm curious if this will actually succeed," Naruto pondered internally, but Baran, who was in his mind, picked up on his thoughts.

In a sinister tone, Baran replied, "Your scheme should succeed, human. Your magic enables you to accumulate mana in your vicinity to amplify your strength, so it's likely that you can make this enhancement last indefinitely."

Naruto's strategy involved enhancing his physical capabilities permanently through a connection with a nature spirit, effectively making him a blend of spirit, human, and demon from Baran.

Naruto understood that his abilities went beyond simply collecting mana from the natural world; he had the capacity to establish a connection with it, which allowed him to recognize the presence of spirits.

There are various spirits associated with all aspects of existence, including life, time, fire, wind, light, and darkness, among others. However, Naruto understood that a human body has its limitations.

The most powerful human could achieve an S class ranking at most, which pales in comparison to a monarch and their subordinates. In order to overcome this limitation, Naruto plans to merge his essence with that of a spirit, transforming himself into a half-human, half-spirit being. He intends to do the same with Baran as well.

The monarch consented to this because he realized he could no longer claim the body of the blonde human, particularly after the human evolved into a hybrid. Instead, he decided to establish Naruto as his legacy, designating him as the new ruler of white flames.

"I believe this place will work," Naruto remarked as he surveyed the dungeon, littered with the carcasses of demon rabbits he had defeated. He noticed there were no nearby monsters or humans. "Let's get started."

Naruto inhaled deeply as he started to channel the mana surrounding him, and gradually, a tiny entity materialized. It was a time spirit, resembling a firefly that shimmered in and out of reality.

Naruto decided to combine with his spirit primarily to combat the shadow monarch's abilities, known as the shadow of death, as well as to harness his own strength from his past as a ruler.

"Hey there, little buddy, I could really use your assistance to grow stronger. If we combine our abilities, we'll transform into something much more powerful," Naruto said. However, in reality, when the merging occurred, he would gain the strength of that entity, while their consciousness would reside deep within his mind, similar to Baran.

The essence of time circled Naruto before landing on his right hand, radiating a glow that permeated his body beneath the skin, causing the blonde to cry out in agony.

"Dammit, this fucking hurts!" Naruto yelled, writhing in pain. It felt as if his body was caught in a blaze and an ice storm simultaneously, with his bones and muscles seeming to melt and reshape. The last thing he caught sight of before losing consciousness was the faces of the hunters he had slipped past to enter the dungeon.

Flashback Scene End

Naruto laughed to himself as he recalled the scolding he received from the hunters for sneaking into the dungeon. None of them understood his true intentions for entering; they merely thought he was a foolish kid trying to gain fame by taking on the dungeon solo.

Little did they know, within a few years he would ascend to become one of the most powerful hunters in the world, earning the title of the Emperor of White Lightning. Many see him as a solo force, able to tackle dungeons all on his own.

Naruto reflected on the time he fused with the spirit of time and realized he should have exercised more caution. If the hunters hadn't discovered him, a monster would have, leading to his demise. Moreover, the process of merging was perilous and had never been attempted before.

Naruto utilized his experiences as a Jinchuriki to formulate his plan. Although he considered merging solely with Baran, the immense power of the monarch, even in its divided state, was overwhelming for a human, particularly for someone as young as he was.

Using his magical skills, he called forth a middle-class time spirit---powerful enough to enhance his body for the upcoming merger with Baran, but not so strong that it would endanger his life during the merging process.

"Haha, everything turned out well in the end," Naruto reflected, feeling grateful for his magic, along with the power of Time and Baran.

In his current state, he surpassed the original Baran in strength and possessed enhanced abilities, despite the demon's reluctance to acknowledge it.

Korean Hunters Association

Naruto arrived at the hunters association Headquarters and was escorted the Go Gunhee office, he is the chairman the one that oversee all Korea Hunter guilds.

Go Gunhee is a muscular old man with gray hair in a three piece suit, one wouldn't think that this man is a s rank hunter from his appearance alone or his usually kind personality but he is.

"I heard that you cleared another dungeon, brat," Go Gunhee stated causally to Naruto annoyance, this was not there first meeting as during the Uzumaki raise to power he had see alot of the retired hunter who tried to convince him to join the association, Naruto declined mostly because it would mean he would be able to raid dungeon anymore and that would slow his growth.

"I managed to clear it out, old man. It was really just a B-class dungeon, so I was able to finish it in less than an hour," Naruto said, recalling his battle with some feeble goblins, including a goblin king that was nearly an A-class monster. However, it too succumbed to his strength. The Uzumaki then gathered the treasures he found in the dungeon, planning to sell them since they were of no use to him.

The two began to banter throwing playful insults and jabs at the other, Naruto got a smile on his lips as he got a feeling of nasagia like if he was a kid again arguing with the three Hokage.

The chairman of the hunter association inquired with interest, "Have you considered our previous discussion about either becoming part of a guild or creating your own?" He recognized the strength of the blonde individual sitting across from him but sensed a hint of loneliness, which was common among those in high positions. Joining a guild might ease that isolation.

"I'm not sure, but I can say for certain that I won't be joining another guild. I can't imagine following someone else's commands, and honestly, who would want to be part of my guild?" Naruto said while glancing at Go Gunhee. "I might be a strong hunter, but not many are aware of me since I tackle dungeons solo and I don't engage with the media."

Go Gunhee regarded Naruto with an expression that suggested he thought he was foolish. While many were unaware of Naruto's true identity or appearance, his status as an S-rank hunter was recognized globally. He had successfully completed nine S-rank dungeons and over twenty A-rank ones, not to mention a multitude of B and C rank dungeons that he tackled simply out of boredom.

Clearing dungeons was a regular occurrence, except for S-rank dungeons. These typically require the efforts of an entire guild, and on occasion, multiple guilds if the dungeon is even stronger than S-rank---a situation that is uncommon but not impossible. Naruto's ability to conquer such dungeons on his own positions him, along with Korea, as one of the most formidable and influential forces globally.

"Why don't I assist you in completing the forms to establish a new Guild? I can also help you attract some members," Gunhee proposed with a knowing grin, as he anticipated that individuals from Korea and other places would eagerly want to join Naruto's guild, which was destined to become one of the most formidable, if not the most formidable, guilds around.

Fast Forward

Naruto was beginning to feel remorse for allowing Go Gunhee to persuade him to establish his own guild. Currently, he was en route in a limousine provided by the chairman to a training facility where high-ranking hunters would assess his skills. While that part wasn't an issue, the real problem arose when they reached the facility. As soon as he stepped out of the limo, he found himself surrounded by reporters, all equipped with microphones and cameras focused on him.

"Are you truly the Lightning Emperor?" a male reporter inquired assertively, shoving his microphone toward Naruto's face.

A woman reporter yelled out the question next, "Why did you wait until today to make this public? The public deserves to know what's happening behind those gates."

"What's your age and where do you come from?" another female reporter shouted her inquiries amidst the ongoing turmoil.

Naruto reached his breaking point when a reporter asked him if he was single and about the size of his manhood. The inquiries quickly turned inappropriate, prompting Naruto to use his speed to vanish in an instant. He made his way to the training facility, where guards were stationed outside to prevent the reporters from getting in.

"What is wrong with those people?" Naruto muttered under his breath as he was guided to the location of the chairman, along with several other hunters who were there to evaluate his skills.

Chapter End

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A/N: Next time I might incorporate a flashback that explores the period after Naruto bonded with the time spirit and honed his new skills. After that, we'll return to the present where he will put his abilities to the test to gauge their full potential against some s-class hunters.