In Konoha Year 34, the Second Great Ninja War continued to intensify. Konoha had gained some advantages on the various battlefields, but the situation remained grim. It was only thanks to the recent clashes between the Cloud Shinobi and Stone Shinobi that Konoha could spare some troops to focus on the Sand Shinobi and the Mist Shinobi, who were eyeing the Land of Water hungrily.
Yamanaka Tohru had also celebrated his first birthday. By the time he was six months old, he could already say a few simple words. "The young master of the Yamanaka family is a genius!" had become the talk of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans. And after people learned that Yamanaka Tohru had stopped wetting the bed at three months old, the whole village of Konoha knew that the Yamanaka family's young master was a genius.
Being more precocious than other children seemed perfectly normal to Yamanaka Seiko. After all, the Yamanaka Clan's secret techniques all concerned mental energy. While the baby was still in her womb, Yamanaka Seiko had used her clan's secret method to guide him in sensing mental energy. But soon, just after celebrating his first birthday, Yamanaka Tohru gave Yamanaka Seiko a huge shock!
Yamanaka Tohru had just turned one, yet he had learned Hand Seals after his older cousin demonstrated them a few times. When Yamanaka Seiko saw her son's chubby little hands clumsily practicing Hand Seals, she was stunned. What kind of talent for ninjutsu was this?!
In this world of Naruto, fraught with danger, especially during a Shinobi World War, Yamanaka Tohru didn't know whether he was a genius or not. At just one year old, he couldn't possibly refine Chakra, much less learn ninjutsu. He wouldn't have to fight in the Second Great Ninja War, since he was still an infant. But what about the Third Shinobi War? In the original story, even prodigies like Kakashi, who graduated at five, went to the battlefield. It was safe to say that even if Yamanaka Tohru graduated at the usual age, he'd be sent to the Third Shinobi War. So, unable to refine Chakra or learn ninjutsu, all he could do for now was practice Hand Seals.
On September 15, Konoha Year 34, Hatake Kakashi, the son of Konoha White Fang Hatake Sakumo, was born. On October 15, Hatake Kakashi's family held his one-month celebration. Every clan in Konoha sent someone to offer their congratulations, and the Yamanaka Clan was no exception.
The Yamanaka Clan sent Yamanaka Inoichi, one of the next generation of Ino-Shika-Cho. The previous year, the 15th Generation Ino-Shika-Cho had graduated from the Ninja Academy together. These three young men were also the future clan heads of the Yamanaka, Nara, and Akimichi Clans. Meanwhile, Yamanaka Seiko had received a personal invitation from Hatake Sakumo. On October 15, she went to offer her congratulations to the Hatake Clan with three others and an infant.
Hatake Sakumo had risen to prominence during the First Shinobi War, but it was in the Second Great Ninja War that he truly became famous. His short Chakra blade, which shone with a white light, had claimed the lives of hundreds, even thousands, of enemy shinobi. His strength made him the strongest person in Konoha beneath the Hokage.
The Hatake Clan's compound wasn't very large, and many people had come to offer their congratulations that day, so Yamanaka Tohru and the others had to queue up to enter.
"Aunt, didn't Lord Sakumo invite you? Couldn't you take Tohru in through the side entrance?"
"Yeah, yeah! Aunt, you could save us seats. Otherwise, there won't be anywhere to eat." The Akimichi Clan really did put food first. Hearing Akimichi Choza, Yamanaka Tohru rolled his eyes. Only someone from the Akimichi Clan would be thinking about food at a time like this.
"Exactly. Waiting here is such a pain." Nara Shikaku looked at the long queue ahead of them, clearly impatient. So Shikamaru learned to hate troublesome things from his dad. Watching the three of them, Yamanaka Tohru thought of their children. Yep, they were definitely their fathers' sons.
Yamanaka Seiko nodded and entered through the side entrance. In her arms, Yamanaka Tohru watched his mother walk through the Hatake Family's inner rooms as if she knew them by heart. She had clearly been here more than once.
"Seiko-senpai, you're here!" A purple-haired woman inside the Hatake Family's home looked delighted to see Yamanaka Seiko.
"Our Flower of Konoha Hospital has become a mother now, too." Yamanaka Seiko and Kakashi's Mother were clearly very close. The two chatted happily while Yamanaka Tohru watched Kakashi sleeping nearby.
One-month-old Kakashi naturally wasn't wearing a mask. In his previous life, Yamanaka Tohru had been a Kakashi fan. He'd graduated at five and become a Chunin at six, setting records. Unfortunately, after receiving Obito's Sharingan, his already meager Chakra reserves were further strained by the eye. He couldn't even bear to use a Shadow Clone, and wound up with the nickname "Kakashi Hatake." After he became the Sixth Hokage, Naruto fans widely mocked him as the weakest Hokage.
"Seiko, you're here!" While the two mothers chatted away, Hatake Sakumo came in. Yamanaka Tohru raised his head and looked at the man in front of him. He had long silver hair tied in a ponytail. At that moment, Sakumo showed none of the presence of the Konoha White Fang. He seemed more like an ordinary man greeting a friend.
"Sakumo, it's been a long time!"
"Is this Kagami's child?"
"Yes! His name is Yamanaka Tohru."
"Yamanaka Tohru? Very good. Hardly anyone knew about your marriage, so it was right not to return to that clan. After all, Kagami is gone. Seiko, if you ever need my help, just ask. You and Kagami were both my friends." After saying this, Hatake Sakumo waved to Junko and went back to greet the guests.
It was right not to return to that clan? Could my father have been from the Hyuga Clan? Would they have branded me with the Caged Bird seal if I went back? His mother's conversation with Hatake Sakumo sent Yamanaka Tohru's imagination racing. It seemed his father hadn't been an ordinary shinobi.
In Konoha Year 35, the 14th Generation Ino-Shika-Cho went together to the battlefield in the Land of Earth. Yamanaka Tohru was very reluctant to part with his uncle. This gentle man often held him, and although he was his uncle, Yamanaka Akito felt like a father to him.
That same year, Jiraiya, Orochimaru, and Tsunade joined forces in Amegakure to fight Hanzo of the Salamander, the powerful shinobi at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World who was known as a demigod. Though they didn't defeat him, they succeeded in stopping him and earned his respect. He dubbed them the Konoha Sannin. When the news reached Konoha, the whole village was stirred with excitement.
That same year, Tsunade successfully developed an antidote to the poison on Chiyo's puppets on the battlefield in the Land of Wind. The Sand Shinobi were forced back step by step, and Konoha gained a huge advantage on that front.
In Konoha Year 36, Konoha and the Cloud Shinobi fought on the battlefield in the Land of Lightning. Under pressure from both the Earth Shinobi and Konoha, the Cloud Shinobi were overwhelmed and chose to withdraw. That same year, Senju Nawaki accidentally fell into a trap and died.
In Konoha Year 37, Dan Katō was killed in action. Tsunade, the princess known for her Medical Ninjutsu and one of the Three Legendary Sannin, developed hemophobia.
That same year, Yamanaka Tohru began refining Chakra, taking the first step on his path to becoming strong.
PS: Tsunade must have developed hemophobia during the Second Great Ninja War, though it's hard to say exactly when. I personally think it was near the end of the war. The Three Legendary Sannin rose to prominence during the Second Great Ninja War, and it's certain that after confronting Hanzo of the Salamander in the Land of Rain, Tsunade went to the battlefield in the Land of Wind, since in the original story Chiyo held a grudge against her for figuring out her poison. Tsunade couldn't have gone to fight in the Land of Wind while suffering from hemophobia. So I've placed the onset of her hemophobia at the end of the Second Great Ninja War.
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