The Senju clan estate lay quietly deep within Konoha, not far from the Hokage Rock. From a distance, one could still see the large tree in the courtyard, its branches lush and sprawling.
Nawaki Senju stepped into the courtyard. The air carried a faint scent of sandalwood, instantly calming his mind.
He gently slid open the shoji door, adorned with the Senju family crest, and whispered, "Grandma, I'm home."
Inside, the light was soft and warm. Mira Uzumaki knelt before a low tea table, a simple yet ancient scroll unfurled before her.
Mira Uzumaki Lv. Shadow Apex ⓘ
Whenever Nawaki glanced at the information panel hovering above his grandmother's head, he couldn't help but feel a pang of envy.
Details:
[Creature? : Mira Uzumaki]
[Domain: Second Stage, 3 Fusions ⓘ]
[Energy/Chakra: 1,125,452]
The ⓘ symbol indicated a reference for deeper information, clearly a standard for experts. In the original world, the divisions of power were vague and inconsistent.
Fortunately, Nawaki's system synchronized with the world's rules, refining and standardizing the classification of ninja power.
Stage One:
Academy Student (Genin Trainee)
Genin
Chunin
Special Jonin
Jonin (Mastery of Nature Transformation)
Elite Jonin (Mastery of Extreme Nature Changes)
Shadow (Mastery of dual fusion techniques, multiple nature transformations, or Sage-enhanced powers)
Stage Two:
Shadow Apex (3 Fusions)
Half Way to Rikudou (4 Fusions, requires Yin-Yang Release)
Rikudou (7 Fusions, requires Life Leap)
Stage Three:
Starfield (12 Fusions)
Cosmos (18 Fusions)
Eternity (18 Fusions + Time + Space + Antimatter)
(Fire, Wind, Lightning, Water, Earth, Yin, Yang)
(Normal, Fighting, Flying, Poison, Ground, Rock, Bug, Ghost, Fire, Water, Grass, Electric, Psychic, Ice, Dragon, Steel, Dark, Fairy)
In the world of ninja, combining two chakra natures forms a "Kekkei Genkai," three natures form a "Kekkei Teisha," and seven create a "Kekkei Perfecta."
Achieving this pushes a ninja to the theoretical pinnacle of power Stage Two, Seven Fusions, Rikudou!
Stage Three was reserved for the Otsutsuki clan, each with varying levels of strength. Only Kaguya Otsutsuki, who had consumed the Chakra Fruit and perfected her attributes, and the legendary Shibui Otsutsuki had reached Stage Three, 18 Fusions, or even the Cosmos level.
Compared to these extremes, Nawaki seemed exceptionally gifted with multiple chakra natures, yet he hadn't even mastered elemental transformations, let alone fusion techniques. His journey was far from over.
Seeing her grandson, Mira Uzumaki's face softened into a gentle smile. "Nawaki, you're back."
"Yes, Grandma. You look well today."
By system assessment, Mira was undoubtedly the strongest person in Konoha, both in status and in sheer power.
Nawaki sat upright across from her, his eyes scanning the intricate sealing formulas on the scroll.
Pushing the scroll toward him, Mira said, "Take a look at this 'Four Symbol Seal' and tell me what you understand about it."
Nawaki straightened, brimming with focus, staring at the scroll.
As a modern thinker, his view of sealing techniques differed from others. To him, these complex formulas resembled a specialized programming language.
"Grandma, I believe the essence of sealing lies in precise energy calculations."
He organized his thoughts and explained using concepts familiar to him. "A complete formula is like cooking a gourmet meal. It requires exact ingredients, the right heat, and precise steps."
"If your skills are refined, the dish will delight all senses. If your technique falters, or a step goes wrong, the taste suffers, possibly becoming bland."
Pointing to key nodes on the scroll, he continued, "The structure here is like seasoning, adjusting flavor. Chakra provides the energy, guiding flow, distribution, and control."
Mira nodded in approval, encouraging him to continue.
Though Nawaki's explanation was simple, it captured the core essence of sealing, far clearer than traditional teachings.
"The most clever part is this 'Recognition Formula,'" he added. "It forms the seal's foundation, operating through the specific energy frequency of four symbols."
"The entire seal functions like a meticulously designed chakra core. Once guided, it runs automatically according to its intended logic."
Mira paused, eyes glinting with surprise. "Nawaki, your way of understanding is unique and insightful. Comparing sealing to cooking is brilliant."
Her approval lifted a weight from Nawaki's shoulders.
In truth, he likened sealing more to modern integrated circuits, logic gates arranged to form functional modules. Chakra was the energy driving all things, like electricity.
Four Symbols, Five Elements, Eight Trigrams these techniques were essentially conditional statements, controlling energy flow.
The spiraling runes were components of a circuit, like verification codes identifying targets through energy frequency.
By blending modern logic with scientific concepts, he created something highly advanced yet practical in the real world.
Seizing the lighter mood, Nawaki straightened and asked seriously, "Grandma, about what I mentioned earlier I requested early graduation from the ninja academy. Have you decided?"
Mira studied the determination in his eyes and sighed softly. "I agree with your request, Nawaki. You are no longer suited to remain in the academy."
Overjoyed, Nawaki exclaimed, "Thank you, Grandma!"
Yet Mira shook her head gently, signaling him to wait. "My consent alone is not enough. You must ask Tsunade's opinion too."
Nawaki froze. "Huh? Why, Grandma?"
A clear voice came from the doorway. "Because I haven't agreed yet!"
He turned to see Tsunade entering the courtyard. Her golden hair was tied in a ponytail, and her sharp brown eyes were fixed on him.
Tsunade Lv. Elite Jonin ⓘ
[Creature? : Tsunade]
[Domain: Stage One, Elite Jonin]
[Energy: 263,623]
Behind her were two familiar figures: Jiraiya and Orochimaru.
Jiraiya Lv. Elite Jonin ⓘ
[Creature? : Jiraiya]
[Domain: Stage One, Elite Jonin]
[Energy: 193,425]
Orochimaru Lv. Elite Jonin ⓘ
[Creature? : Orochimaru]
[Domain: Stage One, Elite Jonin]
[Energy: 220,017]
They had clearly just returned from a mission.
"Nawaki, you little brat! Long time no see!" Jiraiya stepped forward, habitually ruffling Nawaki's hair. "So eager to become a ninja?"
Nawaki nimbly dodged, rolling his eyes. "Jiraiya, how many times must I tell you? Don't touch my head!"
Orochimaru followed quietly, a faint, almost imperceptible smile in his golden eyes. Over the years, though he was formally his sister's teammate, Orochimaru had guided Nawaki in secret. Their bond was like that of a mentor and student, especially in medical and ninjutsu research.
Tsunade greeted Mira, "Grandma, we're back." She then crossed her arms, eyes on Nawaki. "Nawaki, are you leaving the academy just to become cannon fodder?"
"Sister, I am not rushing blindly," Nawaki met her gaze calmly. "Staying at the academy is wasting time. I need real trials."
"Trials?" Tsunade scoffed, launching a strike toward his head.
Nawaki's hair stood on end. Instinctively, he used his 'Flash Step' technique, vanishing to the doorway in a near-ethereal blur.
"Oh?" Jiraiya's mischievous expression faded. "Is that the Flash Step?"
Orochimaru's eyes gleamed with faint approval. This was no ordinary Flash Step; it integrated subtle chakra manipulation far beyond standard techniques.
"You dare dodge?" Tsunade shouted.
As she pursued him, Nawaki leapt into the courtyard, clapped his hands, and channeled his energy through the system ninjutsu.
He exhaled, sending out an invisible sound wave, vibrating violently in a fan-shaped spread.
"Sound Burst!"
Though limited in range, everyone felt the uniqueness of his technique.
Jiraiya rubbed his chin. "That's not something taught in the academy."
Orochimaru added softly, "A very unique wind-style technique."
Tsunade's disdain vanished, replaced by serious scrutiny. She hadn't realized her brother had grown so much without her noticing.
"Did you figure all this out yourself?" she asked.
Nawaki glanced at Orochimaru, answering vaguely, "I combined chakra nature manipulation with some unique insights to develop these techniques."
He knew Orochimaru would interpret this as his usual guidance. True enough, Orochimaru gave a knowing smile.
Tsunade exhaled. "I really underestimated you. I can give you a chance to prove yourself."
"What chance?" Nawaki asked immediately.
"What do you think?"
Jiraiya laughed heartily. "Come on, Nawaki, show us what you've got!"
Nawaki looked around, especially at Mira, who watched him with love and pride.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the chaos in his mind, sharpening his focus.
"Then let's act!" His voice was firm and clear.
He stepped out of the courtyard, heading toward this critical trial.
Mira Uzumaki watched her grandson's retreating figure, then turned to Tsunade with a knowing smile, whispering to herself:
"It seems the new force of the Senju clan is ready to welcome the dawn of a new era…"