He had made it.
After weeks of walking, hiding, and enduring the stares of strangers, Hyūga Aranji stood at the edge of King's Landing. The capital loomed before him its walls high, its torches flickering like stars in the mist. But the journey had taken its toll. He was tired. Not just in body, but in spirit.
"I swear," he muttered under his breath, "if one more farmer stares at me like I'm a ghost, I might actually become one."
He activated his Byakugan, scanning the perimeter. No guards on this stretch of wall. Just shadows and stone. He crouched low, chakra flowing to his feet, and leapt scaling the wall in seconds. He landed silently on the other side, crouched in the dark.
"No way I'm paying coin to enter a city that smells like fish and smoke," he said, brushing dust from his yukata. "Besides… I'm nearly broke."
His outfit had changed now a sleek black yukata, better suited for stealth. His long blade was sealed within the tattoo on his arm, but a kunai rested at his hip. He moved like a shadow, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, observing the city below.
King's Landing was chaos wrapped in stone. The streets were narrow and crooked, filled with the sounds of drunken laughter, barking dogs, and the occasional scream. He paused on a rooftop, watching a group of men gamble in an alley.
"So this is the capital," he whispered
He moved on, leaping to the next building, then the next. He was beginning to understand the rhythm of the city its heartbeat. But then, the world shifted.
A roar tore through the night.
It wasn't just sound it was pressure. The air trembled. The buildings seemed to shudder. Aranji froze mid-step, his eyes snapping to the sky.
"What in the name of the Sage was that?"
He activated his Byakugan again and what he saw made his breath catch.
A massive creature descended from the clouds, wings outstretched like sails of bronze. Its chakra was immense, swirling around it like a living inferno. It wasn't just powerful it was ancient. Alive in a way that defied logic.
"A dragon," he whispered
He watched as the beast landed atop a massive dome-like structure the Dragonpit. The ground shook beneath its weight. Aranji's heart pounded.
"This world… it has dragons. And they live under the city?"
He turned his gaze toward the Red Keep. The castle pulsed with energy less wild than the dragon's, but no less dangerous. It felt like standing near a dormant volcano. Whoever lived there… they were no ordinary man.
"I need to see more," he said, tying his hair into a tight bun. "I need to understand this place."
He dropped from the rooftop, landing in a narrow alley. Rats scattered. He moved quickly, sticking to the shadows, making his way toward the Dragonpit. Every few steps, he paused, listening. Watching.
As he neared the massive structure, he whispered to himself, "If they have beasts like that… what else are they hiding?"
He stopped atop a slanted roof, crouching low. The Dragonpit loomed ahead, its great dome cracked and weathered, but still imposing. He could feel the heat radiating from within.
"I've fought monsters," he said quietly. "But that… that thing could burn a village to ash in seconds."
He looked down at his hands, flexing his fingers. "And yet… I didn't feel fear. Just awe."
He sat there for a long moment, watching the dragon settle into its lair. Then he chuckled to himself.
"Maybe I'm more broken than I thought."
He sighed, leaning back against the chimney. "Alright, Aranji. You're in the capital. You've seen a dragon. You've got no money, no allies, and no idea how this world works. What's the plan?"
He closed his eyes, thinking.
"First, I need information. Then, I need coin. And after that… maybe I find a way to build something. A clan. A name. Something that's mine."
He opened his eyes, the Byakugan fading