Chapter 1

"Where is this! Didn't I die? Why am I here...!" A wave of weakness washed over him, as if his body were being rejected by this space. Before long, a blinding light made it impossible for his eyes to perceive the world; he couldn't even open them, as a thin membrane covered his vision.

"Master, the Mistress has given birth to a young master. You may go in to see him now!" The maid opened the door, bowing respectfully to the three figures—one large and two small—standing outside.

"Good! I'm going! Madara, Izuna, let's go see your younger brother!" The man addressed as the Master looked exceptionally pleased. The birth of a son meant his clan had gained another source of combat power, making them that much stronger. He issued the order to the two children beside him.

"Okay!"

"Yes, Father!"

Madara looked particularly excited. The moment his father finished speaking, he was the first to dash into the room. The other youth bowed respectfully to his father before following him inside.

"So this is my little brother! He looks just like me and Izuna! Hehe!" Madara knelt by the bedside, his expression softening.

Didn't I die? Here... here... here... my body! Held in the hands of a giantess, the infant in swaddling clothes was at a loss, his brain momentarily short-circuiting. I transmigrated? My soul actually transmigrated?

Is this what they call transmigration in China? I never expected a piece of trash like me to have such an opportunity. Is Heaven giving me a chance to be reborn and atone for my sins? But this environment looks quite ancient. Could I have been born in the past? Why does this wooden house style feel so Japanese? He muttered to himself, shaking his head to observe his surroundings. Song Zhengtong analyzed the environment, but a wave of weakness hit him, and he drifted back into a deep sleep.

"We haven't given him a name yet. Madara, what do you think we should call him?"

"Hmm... let me think. Since he was born on the night of a lunar eclipse, let's call him Mingye."

"Mingye... Uchiha Mingye... a very good name."

"Uchiha... it seems I've transmigrated into an incredible world." Held in the air by Madara, the infant who had just received the name Mingye was finally certain: he had transmigrated!

He, who was now Mingye, never imagined that after jumping to his death due to the public outcry following a medical malpractice incident, he would end up in the world of Naruto!

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, several years had passed. On a sultry afternoon, the cicadas in the woods chirped incessantly, as if protesting the heat.

Step... step... step... step...

A flurry of rapid footsteps approached from the woods to the right of a youth roasting chicken wings by the river. The youth glanced at the woods, then continued fanning the fire and roasting his wings.

A figure darted out of the woods, charging straight at the child. The child shifted his position unhurriedly, neutralizing the figure's attack. The attacker landed where the youth had been crouching, but before he could steady himself, he felt the ground beneath him give way.

"A trap!"

The moment the figure fell into the pit, he pressed his palms against the wall, sticking to it as if by magnetism. With a surge of strength in his arm, he vaulted into the air, performed a somersault to clear the pit, and then dashed back toward the child in an instant.

"You think a trap like that could fool me, kid? Hand over those chicken wings!" A kunai was held against the child's throat. The figure finally revealed himself—a youth in his early teens, grinning as he threatened the child.

"My dear brother, do you really think you've won?" The child wasn't afraid; he glanced at the youth's lower half and countered.

"If we were on the battlefield, you'd be dead by now!" The youth retorted loudly, frustrated, as the child held a fire fork with the chicken wings, its tip pointing directly at the youth's inner thigh.

"And you'd be ending your bloodline!" The child didn't back down, his hand twitching slightly, causing the blade to graze the other's pants.

"Are you two ever going to stop? Where's Xiao Si?" Just as they were arguing, another youth, also around ten years old, walked out of the woods carrying a long sword as tall as himself.

"Second Brother, Big Brother, you're here!" A cute child with drool running down his chin ran out from the woods opposite the youth, clutching a pile of dry branches. He trotted over to the middle of the group.

The youth who had been threatening the child put away his kunai and looked at the child with the fire fork, questioning him indignantly, "He's only three years old! How could you let him go into the woods to pick up firewood?"

"What else? Do you think I should have Xiao Si come here to roast the chicken wings?" The child didn't flinch at the questioning, holding the fire fork in one hand and the fan in the other as he looked at the youth and asked back.

"You!"

The youth snatched the fire fork, stuffed a chicken wing into his mouth, and sat by the fire, quickly devouring the cooked food.

"Third Brother, Father might start your training next month!" The more composed youth sat down as well, picking up a grilled fish and eating as he spoke.

"So soon? My childhood!" The child called Third Brother's face fell, and he looked dejected.

"Third Brother will definitely be great!" The cute little toddler put the dry branches aside, brushed the dust off himself, and sat obediently next to Third Brother, cheering him up.

"I hope so. Alright, Xiao Si, you have some too. Even though you've just been weaned, a little meat won't hurt!" Looking at that cute face, despite the dust, the gloom brought on by his brother's words vanished. He reached out and ruffled Xiao Si's hair.

"Okay!" Xiao Si nodded obediently. Even at his young age, he knew what was delicious, so he picked up a glistening chicken wing and focused on eating it.

I never expected to become your younger brother. I wonder if this world will be slightly different from the manga because of my presence? Watching his brothers and the toddler eating happily, the child called Third Brother lay back, pillowing his head with his hands and gazing up at the clear sky, muttering to himself.

In the main hall of the house, the four children knelt at the entrance. The man sitting in the seat of honor looked exceptionally stern. "As members of the clan, you are to report back immediately upon completing a mission. Do you have any idea how dangerous it is out there? A six-year-old taking a four-year-old with him—are you trying to get yourselves killed? And lighting a fire! Were you trying to make sure everyone knew exactly where you were?"

"This son knows he was wrong!" Third Brother quickly kowtowed to the man.

"Xiao Si, go find your mother. This doesn't concern you!" Seeing the youngest four-year-old swaying as he knelt, the man couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy; it was clear they had been kneeling for a long time. Just then, the side door opened, and a woman appeared holding a child.

"Father, I take my leave. Big Brother, Second Brother, Third Brother, goodbye!" Xiao Si grinned, kowtowed to the man, bowed to his three kneeling brothers, and ran happily to the woman.

"As the eldest brother, not only did you fail to protect your younger brothers, but you joined in their madness. Madara, tell me, how should I punish you?" The woman sighed helplessly, took Xiao Si's hand, and left through the side door. Seeing her leave, the man stared at the older youth and questioned him.

"This son knows he was wrong!" Madara was very compliant, knowing better than to rebel at this moment, and kowtowed in apology.

"Hmph! Go practice your kunai throwing three thousand times. You don't eat tonight until you're finished!" Seeing Madara admit his fault, the man had no excuse to vent further and ordered him away.

"Yes!" Madara stood up, bowed to the man, and as he turned to leave, kicked Third Brother, who was trying to suppress a laugh, before sprinting out of the hall.

"Izuna!" Madara's little stunt and the pained expression on Third Brother's face made the quiet youth beside them burst into laughter. The man in the main seat clearly saw it, but didn't blame the already-departed Madara, instead coldly calling out the youth's name.

"I know, three thousand kunai throws. I'll go right now, no dinner until I'm finished!" The youth called Izuna quickly knelt, kowtowed, and accepted the punishment.

"Get out!" The man waved his hand to dismiss him.

"Mingye...!" With the children gone, only Third Brother and the man remained. The man was silent for a long time before speaking.

"Father! I can't do the three thousand kunai training!" The child called Mingye interrupted before the man could finish, honestly stating that he couldn't complete the kunai training. The Uchiha way of practicing kunai was simply insane.

"Starting tomorrow, you will begin your training with Lianhuo. You have three months until your birthday. I want you to master at least two Fire Style techniques. If you can't, you know the consequences!" Seeing Mingye's cowardly words, the man's anger flared, and he brought out his ultimate disciplinary tool.

"I understand, Father!" He had originally expected to have two or three months to play, but because of his own honesty, he had lost even that. Though he felt a bit depressed, he knew he couldn't defy the man's orders. With an optimistic attempt to comfort himself, he figured that since he couldn't resist the inevitable, he might as well smile and enjoy it. Uchiha Mingye kowtowed to accept the decree.

"You may go."

"Yes!"

Afterward, Uchiha Mingye packed his things and set off with Lianhuo toward their training grounds.

"Young Master Mingye, let's rest here for today!" Halfway up a mountain, the burly man pressed one hand to the ground to sense the surroundings. A moment later, he stood up and spoke respectfully to the panting youth beside him.

"Finally, a chance to rest. Lianhuo, are you trying to kidnap me? We must be a hundred thousand miles away from our clan grounds by now!" Leaning against a nearby rock, Uchiha Mingye sat down and glared at the burly man with dissatisfaction.

"Young Master Mingye is joking. It is barely a journey of twenty miles. Does the Young Master know that even a novice ninja (there was no distinction between low, middle, and high-ranking ninjas in the Warring States period) could cover this distance in half an hour? And without even breaking a sweat!" The man called Lianhuo smiled slightly, unbothered by Uchiha Mingye's questioning, and shook his head as he explained.

"Who said I was panting? This is a unique breathing and meditation technique. Fine, fine, I'll set up the tent myself. Can you at least go find me some meat? Don't make me eat pickled vegetables and rice balls again. Is there nothing else to eat besides rice balls?" Hearing Lianhuo's words, Uchiha Mingye sprang up like a coiled spring, forcing his weak body to stand as he argued back.

"Young Master Mingye, although this mission is not a major one, we must still act with caution. The ninjas of the Senju Clan have been very active lately. If they discover us, it will be difficult for us to escape! Besides, the pickled radishes and rice balls are enough to keep you full. Starting a fire would expose our location; even if it isn't the Senju Clan, other ninjas would mark us as targets if they saw us alone!" Lianhuo shook his head. Uchiha Mingye's gluttony was famous within the clan. "Damn it! Then we won't rest here. Let's find a village. Don't worry about me, I can definitely hold out until we find one!" Uchiha Mingye, truly unwilling to endure the cold, hunger, and misery in this wilderness, looked at Lianhuo with a grimace.