Inside Senju Toka's home.
After returning to the clan grounds, Uka Senju went with the Second Elder to the meeting hall!
Following the Second Elder's earlier instructions, Uka recounted what had happened that day. Amid the Clan Leader's Line's snide remarks, the people his aunt had arranged to pick him up took him home!
Back in his room.
Uka Senju lay on the bed, recalling the Second Elder's words. Ever since the elder had said them, he had thought about it for a long, long time, but still couldn't figure out what had given him away.
The only possible point was his energy gathering. But ever since he discovered that plant energy would instantly drain a plant to death, he hadn't touched any plants again!
As for living creatures, he'd always used fish, and he'd also tried extracting energy without affecting the quality of the fish's meat!
After thinking it over for a long time, Uka Senju was sure that, at most, the strange act of frying fish had exposed some issues!
There was no way the system or anything else had been exposed.
Once he'd figured that out, Uka Senju let go of his worries. After all, the meaning of the Second Elder's last words was clear: "You share my Senju name"!
Then Uka opened the system with a thought!
A page with the look of an online game popped up. This thing had awakened when he was five, after he crossed over and extracted Chakra for the first time.
And it had immediately dangled a huge carrot in front of him!
In this dangerous world, his former self... ahem... his own talent ranked in the lower middle among the many Senju. Even if he worked hard his whole life, Jonin would be his limit.
Thinking of the world-destroying scenes in the plot, Uka Senju wanted to keep living, to live better and carefree. His only choice was to follow the system's demands and sprint desperately toward the carrot above his head.
He'd fought hard for four years to get it, and had finally completed the task today!
[Name: Uka Senju] [Age: 9] [Identity: Konoha · Senju Clan] [Strength: Genin] [Attributes: Earth, Water] [Skills] Chakra Extraction Technique: Proficient (79/100) Hand Seals: Proficient (49/100) Senju Style Nintaijutsu: Proficient (65/100) Senju Style Kenjutsu: Proficient (58/100) Three Basic Techniques: Proficient (31/100) Temporary Paralysis Technique: Proficient (5/100) Hiding Technique: Proficient (11/100) Rope Escape Technique: Proficient (3/100) Water Release: Beginner (42/100) Earth Release: Beginner (38/100) [Energy: 100%]
Looking at the status panel before him, Uka Senju was very satisfied. Four years of uninterrupted hard training had raised all his basic skills to the proficient level.
Although he had only just begun learning Ninjutsu, wasn't that because he'd only just started?
By the time he graduated, he could at least train them to the proficient level!
After he ate the carrot, his talent would improve too, and his strength wouldn't progress so slowly anymore!
As he thought, Uka Senju opened the [Manufacture] page.
The interface popped open, and a huge furnace appeared before his eyes.
The energy bar on the left was already full!
With a thought, Uka Senju opened the slots on the right and took out all the Senju blood samples he'd collected over the years, pouring them into the furnace!
He closed the furnace lid. When the options appeared, Uka selected [Wood Release], then clicked "Confirm"!
"Vrrrrm-!"
After a cheap special effect, the furnace started running!
[1:59:58]
Looking at the crude countdown above the furnace, Uka Senju closed the page and waited.
This Gene System was rudimentary overall. It had only three interfaces: Personal Information, Analysis, and Manufacture. It also had a strong browser-game feel!
But despite its ugly appearance, its functions were very practical-and very overpowered.
Personal Information: It could show his condition and changes in strength in real time!
Analysis: Once materials were placed inside, it showed all the abilities that had appeared throughout the entire gene chain. He could choose what he wanted, then edit it according to his needs!
Manufacture: Once editing was complete, he could transfer it to the Manufacture interface and, based on the ability and materials, inject the required amount of energy as instructed to create the corresponding enhancement "potion"!
The first time Uka Senju used it, he had collected the genes of many people for analysis. In the end, he discovered that he himself, as a Senju, was the best material.
In the Analysis section, the Senju gene chain could be traced all the way back to the ancestor of the Ōtsutsuki Clan!
The various strange abilities in the gene chain had given Uka his first glimpse of just how overpowered the Ōtsutsuki were.
Unfortunately, the Ōtsutsuki were far too distant from him.
Faced with the practical constraint of energy, he could only choose Wood Release, which offered the best value for the cost!
And it wasn't the original Wood Release of Hashirama Senju.
Instead, it was "Wood Release Bloodline Version," with the Sage Body ability and most of the God Tree traits removed!
It wasn't that he didn't want Hashirama Senju's kind. It was just that Hashirama's version of Wood Release was an innate ability that came with awakening more than 80% of the Sage Body!
Before making his choice, Uka hadn't given up. He'd analyzed more than twenty Senju clan members, too.
The result was that the Sage Body content among the Senju these days was generally around 20%!
Even Tsunade, who had the best talent, only had 39%, while he himself had a pitiful 17%!
To raise it to over 80% in one go...
That would take at least three million energy.
But Wood Release Bloodline Version only needed 250,000 energy, plus some Sage Body gene fragments-or 500,000 energy on its own!
As luck would have it, he'd already gathered the necessary Sage Body gene fragments while analyzing those more than twenty Senju clan members.
In other words, Wood Release Bloodline Version only needed 250,000 energy!
Three million versus 250,000!
That vigorous life force, all things springing forth...!
Uka decisively chose Wood Release Bloodline Version!
Although it was only a combination of Earth and Water, it could be passed down to his descendants through the bloodline!
And according to the system's calculations, Wood Release Bloodline Version could also raise Uka's Sage Body by 3%.
That made it an excellent deal!
With Wood Release Kekkei Genkai and a 20% Sage Body, he was confident he could grow to Kage Level!
After all, 20% was already average talent among the Senju. The First Elder and his aunt, both Kage Level, only had a little over 25%!
As he grew, he could slowly gather energy and improve his Sage Body!
Waiting around to unleash a huge move was satisfying, but it was far too easy for something to go wrong.
Power in your own hands was real power!
For now, his only source of energy was "fish."
Once he was strong enough to leave the village, he'd have many more sources!
Especially the Three Great Sage Regions. They had as much energy as a river!
Although he wasn't strong enough to attack the Sage Regions anytime soon...
But the people, animals, and plants outside weren't protected, and he could accept absorbing his enemies' energy to strengthen himself!
"Uka, come down for dinner!"
"Okay!"
[00:36:39]
Uka Senju glanced at the countdown in front of him and tossed aside the Water Release Ninjutsu scroll in his hand.
With a nimble flip, he got out of bed. There was still half an hour, so there was no rush!
Dinner came first!
Didn't people spend their whole lives working for a meal like this?
After quickly changing into his home clothes, Uka Senju headed toward the dining room.
A woman with shoulder-length black hair, wearing the Senju clan uniform, was setting dinner on the table!
"Chiharu, what delicious food did you make tonight?"
"Sit down. There's meat, fish, and vegetables-all your favorites!" Hearing his voice, the woman looked up and smiled warmly.
Then she lifted the lid on a nearby dish to show Uka tonight's dinner.