For the first time, Chenshu Senju felt that being alive was a very noisy affair.
Laughter filled his ears.
"Is that all the Senju Clan can do?"
"You can't even pass chakra extraction, and you still dared to sign up for the shuriken test?"
On the training grounds of the Konoha Ninja Academy, Kiba Inuzuka stood with his hands in his pockets and Akamaru perched on his head. Boy and dog stared at the youth sprawled on the ground.
Quite a few students stood around them.
Some frowned, some looked sympathetic, but most were simply enjoying the show.
After all, the name Senju carried extraordinary weight in the Hidden Leaf Village.
The First Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju-which of them hadn't stood at the pinnacle of the Shinobi World?
But when it came to Chenshu Senju...
His chakra reserves were pitiful, his taijutsu was utterly ordinary, and eight out of every ten shuriken he threw missed the target entirely.
He really was making things difficult for his ancestors.
"Hey, you didn't actually pass out, did you?"
Kiba Inuzuka stepped forward and nudged Chenshu Senju's arm with the toe of his shoe.
A moment later.
The youth lying on the ground snapped his eyes open.
Unfamiliar memories flooded his mind, sending a sharp pain through his temples.
The Hidden Leaf Village, the Ninja Academy, an orphan from a branch of the Senju Clan...
He had transmigrated.
The previous owner of this body, whose bloodline was diluted and who had endured years of ridicule, had just suffered cardiac arrest after a few taunts from Kiba Inuzuka.
Chenshu Senju fell silent.
A descendant of the mighty Senju Clan, taunted to death.
If word of this death got out, Hashirama Senju would probably sit up in his coffin and ask what on earth his descendants were doing.
[Host consciousness detected awakening.] [Ninja World God-Level Extraction System binding in progress.] [Binding successful.] [Beginner bonus granted: one ten-pull.]
An icy voice rang out in his mind.
Chenshu Senju froze briefly, then his gaze changed.
A system?
He knew all about those.
As a transmigrator, it would have been strange not to have one.
"Chenshu Senju, did you hear what I said?"
When he still received no response, Kiba Inuzuka frowned impatiently.
Chenshu Senju ignored him and spoke directly in his mind.
Start the ten-pull.
[Extraction successful.] [Common reward obtained: physique enhancement.] [Common reward obtained: ninja tool throwing proficiency.] [Common reward obtained: chakra control enhancement.] [Common reward obtained: basic taijutsu proficiency.] [Common reward obtained: wind-nature chakra.] [Rare reward obtained: doubled chakra capacity.] [Rare reward obtained: Body Flicker Technique proficiency.] [Rare reward obtained: sensory enhancement.] [Epic fragment obtained: Sage Body fragment.] [Ten-pull guaranteed reward triggered.] [Epic reward obtained: basic Wood Release mastery.]
Boom!
A warm surge of power instantly flooded every part of his body.
Chakra rapidly filled his once-parched chakra pathways. His frail body changed as well, his muscles, bones, and five senses all growing noticeably stronger.
Chenshu Senju slowly clenched his fists.
So this was what having cheats felt like?
It really was unfair.
"Having fun playing dead?"
Kiba Inuzuka reached for his collar, still muttering, "Get up. Stop holding up everyone's training."
Just as his hand drew close, Chenshu Senju vanished from the spot.
Kiba Inuzuka grabbed empty air.
"Where'd he go?"
"Behind you."
At the calm voice, Kiba Inuzuka's expression changed. He immediately turned and threw a punch.
But before his fist could land, Chenshu Senju caught his wrist and pulled him forward.
Thud!
Kiba Inuzuka lost his balance and slammed into the ground. Akamaru tumbled off his head as well.
The training grounds fell silent.
"What just happened?"
"So fast..."
"Was that the Body Flicker Technique?"
Kiba Inuzuka gritted his teeth and climbed to his feet, his face flushed red.
How could he stomach being thrown to the ground by the class dead last in front of so many people?
"I wasn't ready! Let's go again!"
Kiba Inuzuka grabbed three shuriken from his ninja tool pouch and hurled them.
The shuriken sliced through the air, cutting off Chenshu Senju's left and right sides as well as his retreat.
Iruka was about to intervene when Chenshu Senju moved.
He merely raised a hand.
Three kunai flew out at once, striking the incoming shuriken with pinpoint accuracy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
All six ninja tools changed direction in midair.
Before Kiba Inuzuka could react, the three kunai skimmed past his cheeks and buried themselves in the wooden target behind him.
Dead center.
As for the shuriken Kiba Inuzuka had thrown, they all landed at his feet.
Every last one.
Kiba Inuzuka stood frozen, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Just a little closer.
And those kunai would have pierced his skull.
Chenshu Senju looked at him and asked evenly, "Want to go again?"
"..."
Kiba Inuzuka opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Akamaru huddled at his feet and gave a low whine.
It had caught the scent of danger.
[Host has defeated a ninja student for the first time.] [One extraction granted.]
At the system notification, the corners of Chenshu Senju's mouth lifted slightly.
So defeating opponents earned him extractions.
In that case, the entire Shinobi World was his reward pool.
"Chenshu Senju."
Iruka approached, his expression wavering between surprise and suspicion. "Who taught you the Body Flicker Technique and ninja tool throwing?"
"I practiced on my own."
"Then why haven't I seen you use them before?"
Chenshu Senju thought for a moment, then answered earnestly, "Maybe that fall just now knocked some sense into me."
Iruka fell silent.
So did Kiba Inuzuka.
The watching students stared at the ground, feeling that this explanation was even more absurd than the Ninja Academy's theory exams.
Chenshu Senju offered no further explanation.
He walked past everyone and headed straight out of the training grounds.
To him, the Hidden Leaf Village was now nothing more than an enormous treasure vault.
Kekkei genkai, secret techniques, tailed beasts, the Sage Body, the Sharingan...
As long as he had enough extractions, all of them would fall into his hands sooner or later.
Deep in the shade of the trees.
Sasuke Uchiha leaned against a tree trunk, a single tomoe slowly turning in each of his crimson eyes.
He watched Chenshu Senju's retreating figure, his expression turning serious for the first time.
"That speed..."
Meanwhile, in the distant Hokage's office, the Third Hokage set down his pipe. The crystal ball before him shifted slightly, bringing the bustling training grounds into view.
In the crystal ball, Chenshu Senju suddenly stopped and glanced back toward the Hokage Tower.
The Third Hokage narrowed his eyes.
"Did that child notice?"
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[After checking your brains at the door: balance +∞, partners +∞, your little buddy +5 cm (can't let you get too full of yourselves).]
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