April, Konoha Year 7.
Inside an apartment building with a distinctly Chinese style on Hokage Street in Konoha, Land of Fire, the room was quiet. A few faint rays of light filtered through a gap in the curtains and fell on the boy lying in bed.
Tsubasa lay quietly in white clothes, his eyes closed, but his mind churned like the waves. The wild experiences he had lived through since crossing into this world flashed through his mind. During the days he had spent tempering his body with the power of nature, pain had clung to him like maggots to the bone, making every second an ordeal. He could only grit his teeth and endure the agony that ordinary people could not bear. He spent most of each day cultivating, awake for only a few hours. Yet during those brief waking hours, he had worked desperately to learn the world's basic language and gain a general understanding of it.
When Tsubasa confirmed that he had crossed into the world of Naruto, a popular manga from his previous life, he was filled with shock and unease. He knew full well that this world was fraught with danger, that the weak were prey to the strong, and that strength was supreme. Finding that he had become a member of the Senju Clan left him with even more mixed feelings. The Senju Clan was the ancient clan that had been the first to disappear into the currents of history in the manga. By the later part of the anime, Tsunade was the only Senju descendant left in the entire Naruto world. In this world, where heroes were judged by their Chakra and Ninjutsu, those with abundant Chakra and powerful Ninjutsu could reign supreme and do as they pleased.
Now that he had completed Body Tempering, he could be considered to have taken the first step toward immortal cultivation. Qi Refining came next. But he had no immortal cultivation method, so he had no choice but to first learn how to cultivate in this ninja world. If he was going to learn, he would seek out the strongest, and the Hokage, Hashirama Senju, who bore the title "God of Shinobi," was undoubtedly the best choice. After his great battle with Madara Uchiha last month, Hashirama Senju had returned to the old Senju residence, leaving Tobirama Senju to handle the Hokage's work. So if Tsubasa wanted to become his disciple, he would have to make a trip to the old Senju residence.
The immediate priority was getting used to his new body. Since arriving in this world, he had lain in bed for over six years and had rarely gotten up to walk. Tsubasa rose, walked to the middle of the room, took a deep breath, and gave a light leap. Like an arrow loosed from a bow, he shot straight up to the ceiling. He stared at the ceiling above him, his eyes full of delight and disbelief, and could not help murmuring, "Is this the strength of this body?" Then he walked over to the solid wood table, gripped its edge with both hands, and applied a little force. To his surprise, he lifted it with ease. He then lifted the wardrobe and the bed he had slept in for over six years, all without the slightest effort. "This strength... it's incredible!" His eyes widened, his face full of shock. He was only a little over six, yet the bed, which weighed over a hundred jin, felt like a toy in his hands. He walked over to the table and punched it. His fist went straight through the solid wood, sending splinters flying. That terrifying strength left him dazed, as though he were in a dream.
Tsubasa pushed open the window and leaped into the courtyard behind the house. A cherry tree so thick that it took two people to wrap their arms around it spread its canopy over the courtyard. Targets, sandbags, wooden dummies, and other training equipment stood beneath it. This was clearly where his parents often trained. He walked up to a sandbag and punched it without hesitation. With a bang, it burst open, scattering its filling across the ground. His eyes sparkled with excitement as he moved to a wooden dummy and kicked it, snapping the solid wood clean in two. By now, he seemed drunk on his strength, wanting to punch and kick everything he saw. Before long, the training ground had suffered at his hands: he smashed the stone benches and table with his fists and punched deep craters into the ground. Finally, he wrapped his bare arms around the centuries-old cherry tree and, with a loud shout, pulled it out by the roots. Tsubasa gasped for breath, marveling inwardly, My body must have tens of thousands of jin of strength. First, I need to learn to control it.
Just as Tsubasa was so absorbed in his immense strength that he could not pull himself away, a piercing shriek suddenly rang out, jolting him from his reverie. He spun around and saw a stunning woman standing beneath the eaves. She wore a light blue dress embroidered with lotuses. The thin silk fluttered in the wind, and the lotus patterns seemed alive, swaying gracefully in the breeze with all the liveliness of spring. A slender belt in a matching shade outlined her slim waist perfectly. With her blue-and-white shoes, she looked all the more fresh and artistic, like a fairy who had stepped out of a poem or painting.
Wasn't this Senju Ga, his mother in this life? Tsubasa's heart tightened, and a trace of embarrassment and apology appeared on his face. "Mom, I'm sorry. I wrecked your training ground."
Senju Ga froze, her eyes full of shock and disbelief. Then her eyes reddened and tears spilled out. She rushed over in a few steps and wrapped Tsubasa in a tight embrace. Her voice trembled as she spoke through her tears. "My precious son, are you better? This isn't a dream, is it?"
Tsubasa was a little flustered by his mother's sudden embrace. He raised his hands slightly, then slowly lowered them, and could only comfort her softly. "Mom, I'm completely better. I just can't quite control my strength yet. I won't fall unconscious again."
Tears streamed down Senju Ga's face, and her voice nearly choked with excitement. "That's wonderful, truly wonderful! Mom's so happy. Quickly, tell me what's going on with you now. Should we call a doctor to take a look?"
Tsubasa hurried to explain, a hint of excitement in his voice. "When I got up, I found that the pressure and pain in my head were gone. My mind was really clear, and I felt like I had endless strength. There was no one in the room, so I wanted to test my strength. I found I could jump twenty or thirty meters high, smash a wooden dummy and stone benches and tables with a punch, stomp a hole in the ground, and even pull up this big tree. Before I knew it, I'd left the courtyard like this."
Senju Ga let go of Tsubasa and held him by the shoulders, looking him up and down with shock and delight in her eyes. She knew that someone would need at least Chunin-level strength to cause this much destruction. How could she not be left open-mouthed with shock when her son, who had lain sick in bed for over six years, now had such strength? Her heart was filled with disbelief and boundless joy. She suddenly remembered that Lord Hashirama had once said her son was not sick, but undergoing a baptism of Natural Energy, and that he could cultivate Senjutsu once the baptism was complete. Could the change in her son mean that the baptism was complete? Didn't that make her precious son a child prodigy? At the thought, Senju Ga could not help bursting into laughter, her face glowing with pride. "I knew it! My son really is a genius, just as Lord Hashirama said! When he was sick before, he was undergoing a baptism of Natural Energy. Now that he's better, he really is extraordinary! I'm going to tell the whole world and see who still dares to laugh at us!"
When Tsubasa heard this, he inwardly cried out that things were going badly. He hurriedly reached out and grabbed his mother's arm, saying anxiously, "Mom, we'd better keep a low profile. It'll be trouble if someone sets their sights on me. Sister Mei'er said there are lots of bad people around now who steal gifted children." Senju Ga frowned slightly. After a moment's thought, she nodded. "You're right. It's better to be careful. Then we'll only tell the family. We'll ask everyone to come over this evening and share the good news that you've recovered, so the whole family can be happy."
Although Tsubasa had spent little time awake over the years, he had gained a basic understanding of the family's situation. His family had worried endlessly about him and had even incurred a huge debt. Thinking of this, he was filled with guilt and silently reproached himself for his selfishness. But having finally crossed into another world and gained the chance to cultivate immortality, how could he give up so easily? Besides, this was a world where strength was supreme. He could only silently vow that once he became powerful, he would make it up to everyone.
As a Jonin, Senju Ga began patiently teaching Tsubasa how to control his strength. The morning passed in a flash. Tsubasa made rapid progress, gradually becoming familiar with his body and gaining control over his strength. His astonishing speed of learning once again left Senju Ga speechless with shock. Looking at her son, she marveled inwardly that he might truly be a genius seen only once in a century. He learned everything she taught him quickly, and could even apply what he learned to other things and offer his own unique insights. In just one morning, Tsubasa learned the Senju Clan's Taijutsu, swordsmanship, and throwing techniques. The progress he made before her eyes was enough to make her jaw drop and leave her unable to believe what she was seeing.
Just then, Mei'er returned from buying groceries. As soon as she entered the courtyard and saw Tsubasa practicing swordsmanship, the basket of vegetables fell from her hand with a smack. She stood rooted to the spot, her eyes full of delight and confusion. She hurried over to Tsubasa and circled him several times, murmuring all the while, "Is... is this really the young master I've looked after for six years, who's been sick in bed since birth?" Mei'er had been orphaned at a young age. She came from a family subordinate to the Senju Clan and had been adopted by Senju Yasuhei when she was one. Now twenty, she was already a Jonin. She had been assigned to Senju Ga's side since childhood, responsible for tending to Senju Ga and little Tsubasa's daily needs. In this household, she was like a head housekeeper.
Senju Ga stepped forward and smilingly gave Mei'er a general account of Tsubasa's condition. Then she instructed her, "Mei'er, go and tell everyone in the family to come over for dinner today. I have wonderful news to share with them. Make sure no one misses it."
Tears of joy glistened in Mei'er's eyes. She nodded vigorously and ran out happily to spread the good news.