A gentle breeze greeted him the moment he stepped out of the house. Elric squinted slightly as the wind brushed against his cheeks, carrying with it the earthy scent of the village and the fading memory of last night's rain still lingering in the air.
Above him, the sky stretched wide and endless—a soft blue canvas dotted with a few lazy clouds drifting slowly across it. The morning sun peeked over the distant hills, casting golden warmth across the rooftops of Uzumaki Village.
He stopped for a brief moment, tilting his head back to look up. Beautiful, he thought quietly, the corners of his lips curling upward into a small smile. His mood, already light, felt even brighter now.
But even as the scenery tried to pull his attention away, tried to make him pause and appreciate the peaceful morning, he didn't linger. There was something far more important waiting for him today, something he'd been anticipating for weeks.
Without another second of hesitation, Elric leaned forward and broke into a steady run. His sandals slapped rhythmically against the dirt path as he darted through the narrow streets of the village, his bright eyes fixed straight ahead with single-minded purpose.
The sounds of early morning life faded behind him as he ran—vendors setting up their stalls for the day, the clatter of wooden crates being moved, children's laughter echoing faintly from behind wooden fences somewhere in the distance. None of it mattered right now. None of it could distract him. He had something far more exciting to chase.
In just two minutes of running at full speed, he arrived at his destination.
Standing tall in front of him was a large two-story wooden house. Despite its clear and obvious age, there was an undeniable grandeur to it, something dignified in the way it stood—silent, but commanding respect nonetheless. The brown timber that made up its entire structure was worn in places, stained and darkened by time. The passage of centuries was visible in the weathered corners and patches where rot had begun to slowly nibble away at the wood. Even so, it stood firm, solid, unmoving.
One of the oldest houses in Uzumaki Village, Elric thought with quiet awe as he stared up at it. This house had history behind it, real history. It had been built nearly four hundred years ago by none other than the Senju clan patriarch of that era—a wedding gift to his beloved wife, crafted with his legendary Wood Style technique. That fact alone made it something of a sacred relic in the village, a living piece of their shared history with the Senju. And yet, for all its age and historical significance, the structure remained remarkably intact, cared for diligently through generation after generation of the family that lived here.
Elric didn't hesitate at the entrance. Without bothering to knock, he pushed the door open and stepped inside confidently. A cool, moist smell drifted up immediately to meet him, slipping into his nose and filling his lungs with the scent of damp wood and lingering rainwater. It reminded him instantly of the storm that had battered the village just the day before.
If it had been a normal day, he thought absently, I'd probably be out in the field right now, kicking through mud with my friends, wrestling around, getting into trouble. But today wasn't a normal day. Today was special. Today, he was finally going to learn his very first ninjutsu.
"Dad! Where are you?!" Elric shouted loudly, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement. The sound echoed through the quiet hallway, bouncing off the old wooden walls and ceiling.
From somewhere nearby—a hallway branching off to the left—a gentle, familiar voice replied. "Oh, little Elric. Your father and grandfather are in the study room upstairs."
An older woman appeared from around the corner, wiping her hands carefully on her apron as she stepped into view. Her hair was streaked heavily with silver, tied back neatly into a practical bun, and her face was lined deeply with years of kindness and laughter. But her eyes glowed with such warmth that it felt like her gaze alone could wrap you in a comforting hug.
"Thanks, Granny! I'll talk to you later!" Elric called over his shoulder, already halfway to the stairs. His feet were moving before he'd even finished the sentence.
The old woman watched him go with a soft, knowing chuckle. "Oh my... our little Elric's all grown up now," she said to herself with mock sadness. "He's even started ignoring his poor old granny." Her voice held exaggerated sorrow, though her smile betrayed exactly how proud she actually was.
Elric reached the second floor quickly, taking the steps two at a time. He stopped in front of a room with a simple wooden sliding door. Without pausing to collect himself or knock politely, he slid it open wide with both hands.
"Dad! Let's go!" he declared immediately, storming into the room with all the impatience only a ten-year-old child could possibly muster. "Where'd you run off to this morning?! You promised you'd teach me ninjutsu today! Don't try to sneak off to your world again!"
His loud entrance was met with the soft, delicate clinking of ceramic teacups. Inside the study room, two men were seated comfortably on tatami mats, sipping tea peacefully as golden morning sunlight poured through the shoji screens behind them, illuminating dust motes floating lazily in the air.
One of them was elderly—probably in his late sixties or early seventies. He had a long red beard that flowed down impressively to his chest, thick red hair streaked generously with strands of white and gray, and eyes that were wise and deep, clearly filled with decades upon decades of accumulated memories and experiences.
Beside him sat a man in his early thirties with the same vibrant red hair as both Elric and the elder—unruly and thick, like fire dancing wildly in the wind. His features were sharp but undeniably kind, and his lips curved naturally into an easygoing, relaxed smile.
"Alright, alright, I'm coming," the younger man said with an amused tone. He set down his teacup carefully on the low table and rose smoothly to his feet with a casual stretch. "If I don't take Elric out to train today, I'll definitely get an earful from him tomorrow. Maybe even from his mother too."
The older man chuckled deeply from his chest, also rising slowly to his feet with the deliberate movements of age. "I wouldn't want to face young Elric's wrath either, haaaa..."
He walked over to where Elric stood bouncing impatiently near the doorway and placed one large, weathered hand on top of the boy's head with a gentle motion.
"So you're finally learning ninjutsu, huh?" he said warmly, his voice carrying genuine pride. "That's a big step, grandson." He paused, his expression growing slightly more serious. "But don't overdo it, you hear me? You've got real talent—genuine talent that I can see clearly. You'll definitely grow up to be a powerful shinobi one day, a strong one. But there's absolutely no need to rush any of it. You're still only ten years old, you little brat. Don't push yourself too hard too fast. Understand?"
"Yeah, yeah, okay okay," Elric replied quickly, nodding his head under his grandfather's hand. But he wasn't really listening, not fully anyway. Old people always said the same exact things every single time—"Don't rush," "Don't overdo it," "You're still young," "Take your time." It was always the same story with adults, the same warnings, the same lectures. He figured most of it was just old people worrying way too much about nothing.
Without giving his grandfather time to add anything else, Elric grabbed his father's sleeve tightly with both small hands and tugged hard. "Come on, Dad! Hurry up! We're wasting time!"
"Alright, alright! You're really fired up today, aren't you?" his father laughed openly as Elric practically dragged him toward the door.
The two of them made their way out of the house together, back through the front door, down the dirt path, through the village streets. As they walked side by side, the trees lining the roads rustled pleasantly in the morning wind, and the cheerful chirping of birds accompanied them on their journey, creating a peaceful soundtrack to their walk.