MULTIVERSE TRAVEL STARTS FROM NARUTO WITH GACHA

After spending some time in town, Hiroshi returned to the mansion. As he made his way back to his room, a voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Where were you all this time?"

Hiroshi turned, his eyes landing on Yuma his cousin. The same cousin who had beaten the original Hiroshi so badly it led to his death.

He didn't respond, and Yuma's irritation grew. "Are you deaf? I asked you a question!" Yuma shouted, snapping Hiroshi out of his thoughts.

"I was out for a walk," Hiroshi replied, keeping his tone as neutral as possible despite the anger bubbling inside. "Do you need something?"

Yuma's eyes widened slightly. He couldn't remember the last time Hiroshi had spoken to him without fear in his voice.

He had beaten Hiroshi so often that even his mere presence was usually enough to make him tremble.

Even a moment ago, when Hiroshi didn't respond right away, Yuma had assumed it was out of fear. But now, hearing that steady tone, he felt something he didn't expect confusion.

"You're not scared?" Yuma asked, pointing a finger at him, disbelief etched across his face.

Hiroshi, of course, understood all of his cousin's thoughts. From the memories of the original Hiroshi, he knew Yuma enjoyed tormenting him, mostly because he was the only one Yuma could dominate without consequences.

Being the son of the least-favored wife of the daimyo made Hiroshi's authority or rather, lack of it laughable in most situations.

Yes, least favored.

Hiroshi didn't remember if this was shown in series , but in this world, polygamy was commonplace. The daimyo had four wives, and Yuma's mother was the eldest.

She had married Hiroshi's uncle back when Hiroshi's father was still alive but had failed to bear any children early.

When his father died, Hiroshi's uncle inherited the title of daimyo, at that time, his uncle already had four wives and children, including Yuma, who had been born just months before Hiroshi.

This left Yuma with minimal political support. When Yuma's father became the daimyo, the family's power dynamics shifted drastically. All the focus and attention were on the firstborn son of the daimyo's second wife a child groomed to inherit the title in the future. Yuma, despite being the son of the eldest wife, was sidelined in favor of his more politically favored sibling.

As Yuma grew older, the reality of his powerlessness in the family hierarchy became painfully clear. Frustration and resentment festered within him, fueling his need to assert dominance wherever he could. That's when he turned his attention to Hiroshi.

Hiroshi was the only person in a worse position than him weak, isolated, and with no support. He became Yuma's scapegoat, someone he could bully to feel a semblance of power in a world where he had none. For Yuma, tormenting Hiroshi wasn't just entertainment it was his way of masking his own feelings of inadequacy and failure.

"Why should I be?" Hiroshi said, his voice calm but cold, his eyes meeting Yuma's without hesitation.

He wasn't the same Hiroshi who would silently endure every insult and blow. That person was gone.

The reason they kept him alive was still unclear whether it was for political convenience or some personal agenda but one thing was certain the family didn't care about him.

Their apathy was obvious. If they did care, they would've stopped Yuma from tormenting him long ago. But no one had. To them, Hiroshi was as good as invisible.

"You should be. After all, I'm stronger than you!" Yuma snapped, his anger flaring at Hiroshi's defiance.

"Stronger?" Hiroshi raised an eyebrow, his voice steady. "I didn't fight back."

Yuma froze, the words hitting him like a slap. "Even if you did, I would've won!" he shouted, trying to cover his confusion.

"And?" Hiroshi asked, his tone calm, unfazed.

"My father is the daimyo!" Yuma barked, his voice louder but lacking conviction.

"And?" Hiroshi pressed again, staring Yuma down.

Yuma's words faltered, his mouth opening and closing as he realized he had nothing else to say. His anger simmered into an awkward silence.

Without another glance, Hiroshi turned and walked back to his room, leaving Yuma standing there, speechless.

"Don't walk away, coward!" Yuma shouted, his voice rising in frustration.

But Hiroshi didn't turn around. He kept walking, his posture unchanged, unaffected by the words thrown at him.

Yuma, now even more enraged, shouted again. "You're just a waste, like your father. That's why he died."

The words hit their mark, but Hiroshi's steps slowed, but didn't stop.He didn't react. His silence was the only response Yuma would get.

As Hiroshi finally entered his room, he muttered to himself, "His words... they seem to get to me." He paused, staring at the walls for a moment. "Looks like Hiroshi's memories are starting to affect me, especially when it comes to his parents."

He clenched his fists, feeling a surge of frustration. He didn't care about the past, but those insults about Hiroshi's parents... they hit harder than he expected. It felt like those memories were starting to affect him more than he wanted to admit.