The entrance ceremony finally ended in a lackluster, anticlimactic manner.
No one cared about the subsequent process anymore; everyone’s minds were still echoing with terms like ‘Physics Ninjutsu’ and ‘Plasma Phenomenon,’ which they found impressive despite not understanding them.
Senju Naoki, the culprit, was grabbed by the back of his collar by his grandfather, Senju Tobirama, in front of all the teachers and students as soon as the ceremony ended, and was carried away like a kitten.
Along the way, Tobirama didn’t say a word, his face as dark as the bottom of a pot.
He didn’t take the main road but chose secluded, deserted alleys instead.
His speed was incredible; Naoki only felt the scenery on both sides receding rapidly, with the wind whistling in his ears.
He shrunk his neck, his heart feeling uneasy.
It’s over, it’s over; the time for settling accounts has come.
Where is Grandpa taking me?
He wouldn’t take me straight to the Valley of the End to have a heart-to-heart with Great-Grandpa’s statue, would he?
Or maybe to the Forest of Death to get close to the wild beasts inside?
Countless possibilities flashed through Naoki’s mind, each one making him shudder.
However, Tobirama’s destination was beyond his expectations.
With a ‘whoosh,’ Tobirama brought him along and appeared directly in the Hokage Office using the Body Flicker Technique.
Bang!
The office door was slammed shut.
Tobirama let go, and Naoki stumbled, nearly falling.
He looked up and saw that Tobirama wasn’t looking at him.
Instead, he walked straight behind the desk, pulled out an ancient-looking scroll from a row of neatly arranged scrolls, and then took out a strange instrument with a very complex design, full of various pipes and crystals, from another hidden compartment.
Naoki: “…?”
What is he doing?
Tobirama spread out the scroll, which was covered in dense runes that Naoki couldn’t understand at all.
Then, he walked up to Naoki, crouched down, and stared intently at him as if looking at a rare experimental material.
“G-Grandpa…
what…
what do you want to do?” Naoki felt creeped out by his gaze and couldn’t help but take a step back.
Tobirama didn’t answer him.
Instead, he suddenly reached out and, quick as lightning, plucked a hair from the top of Naoki’s head.
“Ow!” Naoki cried out in pain.
Holding the silver hair still attached to its follicle, Tobirama carefully placed it into a groove of the complex instrument.
Then, he pulled a small bottle from his robes, poured out a drop of bright red blood, and dripped it into another groove of the instrument.
Having done all this, he stood up, crossed his arms, and began to operate the instrument rapidly.
The various pipes of the instrument began to glow, the liquid inside bubbled, and the crystals emitted a flashing light.
A ‘tick-tock’ sound of mechanical operation filled the entire office.
Naoki was completely dumbfounded.
This…
Alchemy?
Grandpa, besides being a Ninjutsu master and a scientist, are you also an alchemist?
Looking at Tobirama’s extremely serious profile, an absurd thought suddenly popped into his mind.
Could it be…
Grandpa is doing a DNA comparison?!
Once this thought emerged, Naoki himself was startled.
No way?
No way?
Grandpa, has your suspicion of my lineage reached this point?
As it turned out, his guess was completely correct.
After about three minutes, the complex instrument made a soft ‘ding’ and spat out a small slip of paper, similar to a report.
Tobirama immediately stepped forward, grabbed the paper, and brought it close to his eyes to read carefully.
Naoki also curiously leaned in and saw a conclusion written in neat handwriting on the slip of paper:
[Blood Relationship Comparison Result: Paternal (Senju Butsuma – Senju Tobirama – Senju Souji) genetic marker match 100%, Maternal (Uzumaki Ashisai – Uzumaki Hanatana) genetic marker match 100%.]
[Final Conclusion: Confirmed as biological relatives (grandfather and grandson), biological similarity 99.99%.]
Tobirama: “…”
He looked at the report, then up at the innocent-looking Naoki, then back down at the report…
After repeating this three times…
A crack finally appeared on his eternally icy face.
He didn’t speak, but silently walked to the corner, his back to Naoki, his shoulders starting to tremble uncontrollably.
Then, he slowly raised his hands and held his head.
“Aaaaaaaaaah—!!!”
A silent roar, filled with collapse and madness, brewed in his throat but ultimately didn’t come out.
He felt his worldview being repeatedly shattered by his precious grandson within this single day, glued back together, and then shattered again…
He’s the real grandson!
A 100% pure, natural, and additive-free grandson!
But why!
Why can a pure-blooded Senju use Uchiha Madara’s signature Fire Release?!
This isn’t scientific!
This isn’t Ninjutsu!
What the hell is going on?!
Senju Tobirama questioned his life in the corner for a full ten minutes before finally turning around slowly.
His face had returned to calm, but the fatigue and exhaustion in his eyes could not be hidden.
He walked up to Naoki, neither scolding nor questioning, but just looking at him with an extremely complex gaze, slowly saying, “Naoki.”
“Here.” Naoki quickly stood up straight.
“In the future…
when outside, try…
“Yes.”
“Also, regarding the principle of that Ninjutsu, I will write a detailed report, and you will memorize it.
If anyone asks in the future, just say what’s in the report.”
“…Yes.” Grandpa, you’ve really thought of everything.
“Finally,” Tobirama took a deep breath, “for the time being, behave yourself!
No more causing trouble!
Do you hear me?”
“I hear you!” Naoki immediately stood at attention and saluted.
Tobirama waved his hand as if shooing a fly: “Alright, you can go back now.
Remember, don’t tell anyone about today, especially your great-grandmother (Uzumaki Mito)!”
He didn’t want to be laughed at again by his sister-in-law, who always loved to see the world in chaos.
Naoki, as if granted a grand amnesty, quickly bowed and slipped out of the Hokage Office like a fugitive.
In the office, Tobirama was left alone, sighing silently at the DNA report and the mess on the floor.
On the other side, Naoki, having run out of the Hokage Building, was in an unusually good mood.
Although the process was thrilling, the result was good.
Not only did he complete the mission without being punished, but he also successfully bamboozled his grandfather.
Most importantly, he received a new reward.
[Uchiha Fluid Taijutsu Basics]
As Naoki walked home, he studied this new skill in his mind.
A stream of information instantly flooded his brain.
No complex hand seals, no obscure principles, only the simplest, most direct, and most lethal way of attacking.
Every movement was designed to cause maximum damage to the enemy in the shortest time with the least amount of effort.
Elbow strikes, knee strikes, throat locks, tendon cutting…
all the moves were exceptionally simple and efficient, filled with the bloody scent of actual combat.
“Good stuff!”
Naoki’s eyes lit up.
This is much more practical than those flashy Ninjutsu!
His body is still small, and although his Chakra volume is supported by the system, endurance is a major issue.
With this Taijutsu, his close-combat capabilities will be greatly supplemented.
Moreover, many of the power-generating techniques and footwork of this Taijutsu are very suitable for stealth and assassination.
While thinking, Naoki unconsciously took a few steps according to the footwork in his mind.
His steps became light, his breathing became faint, and his whole person seemed to blend into the surrounding environment, his presence instantly dropping by several levels.
Just as he was immersed in the fun of studying the new skill, a voice interrupted him.
“Naoki!”
Naoki looked back and saw Uchiha Kagami standing not far away.