Noah approached the Genetic Recombiner and began preparing some materials.
First, the blood sample from the young Kaguya. Shikotsumyaku was a fascinating kekkei genkai, capable of manipulating calcium and bones at will. Its applications were innumerable.
Second, the lock of Ichiro's hair. Hyōton, Ice Release, was a combination of wind and water. It would grant him a new elemental nature and a variant.
And third… he took out a small vial he had been keeping for weeks. It contained a hair sample from a member of the Kurama clan.
The Kurama clan was known for their mastery of genjutsu, but some of its members possessed a special kekkei genkai: the ability to create illusions so perfect that the brain interpreted them as real, causing actual physical damage to the victim. A lethal genjutsu.
—Three new powers —Noah murmured, placing the samples into the Genetic Recombiner—. Shikotsumyaku, Hyōton, and the Kurama's genjutsu.
He programmed the machine to synthesize the serums and pressed the start button. A progress bar appeared on the screen, indicating the process would take two hours.
While waiting, he took a random book from one of the shelves. He sat down in a chair and began to read, letting time pass.
Two hours later, a beep announced the end of the process.
The Genetic Recombiner had produced three injectors, each with a slightly different liquid.
Noah took them and sat down in the chair. Without hesitating, he applied the first to his arm.
The Shikotsumyaku serum entered his bloodstream with a familiar burning sensation. When the process was complete, he raised his hand and concentrated.
A small prick, and a bone spike sprouted from his palm. It was white and smooth, perfectly formed. It didn't bleed; the wound closed instantly around the bone.
Noah aimed at the wall and, with a mental gesture, launched the spike. It shot out like a bullet and embedded itself halfway into the rock.
—Impressive.
The wound on his palm had already healed without a trace.
He took the second injector, the one for Hyōton, and applied it to his arm again.
The sensation was different, colder. As if liquid ice were running through his veins. When it finished, he extended his hand and concentrated.
A crystalline icicle formed above his palm, floating weightlessly. He spun it, lengthened it, sharpened it. Then he closed his fist, and the ice shattered into a thousand fragments that vanished before touching the ground.
—Two out of three —he smiled.
Finally, the third injector. The one from the Kurama clan.
His mind expanded for an instant, as if perceiving layers of reality that had previously been veiled.
When the dizziness passed, he smiled.
—Good. With this, I'm only missing one elemental nature to possess all seven basic ones. —He counted on his fingers—: Water, earth, fire, yin, yang, wind… and lightning. Lightning nature is the only one I lack.
He stood up and stretched his arms. The new abilities churned inside him, waiting to be mastered. But that would take time and practice.
For now, he was satisfied.
He threw away the used injectors and headed for the exit.
During the following year, Noah entered a new stage of his life. One in which people began to give him nicknames like the workaholic ninja, the deadly assassin, the mission maniac, or the taijutsu beast.
During that time, Noah completed missions nonstop. As a chūnin, he finished five A-rank missions and fifteen B-rank missions with uncommon efficiency. The fact that he operated as a one-man team drew attention both inside and outside the village.
Especially for one specific reason.
Whenever possible, Noah faced his enemies using only taijutsu. He rarely resorted to chakra in combat except when he wanted to practice his various Kekkei Genkai. But in those situations, all his enemies ended up dead.
When Tsunade asked him about it, he merely said that he had become interested in strengthening his martial skills and close-quarters combat style.
And that was the truth, with nothing deeper behind it.
Compared to his jutsu, his physical abilities and his experience in close combat still left much to be desired.
The next morning in Konoha was passing at its usual pace when Noah crossed the doors of the mission building with a carefree step, thinking about what kind of task he would accept today. Maybe a simple escort, or some reconnaissance mission.
—Good morning, Nawaki-kun —the receptionist greeted him with a smile, bowing slightly—. Just today, I have something for you.
Noah frowned, confused.
—A mission waiting for me? How so?
—Rather, a client specifically looking for you. —The woman flipped through her records.
—A couple of days ago, a woman came expressly to request you. —The receptionist lowered her voice, with a hint of intrigue—. She paid a considerable deposit. She insisted that she would only accept Nawaki Senju, the chūnin with a perfect mission record. And she is willing to pay substantial compensation.
Noah raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
—A woman? Did she give her name?
—She preferred to introduce herself in person. She's in the waiting room. —The receptionist pointed to a side door—. If you want, I'll take you to her.
Noah nodded and followed her.
The waiting room was small but cozy, with a few wooden benches and a window that let in the morning light. There, seated with an elegant posture, waited a young woman.
She must have been in her twenties. Her face was beautiful, with delicate features and fair skin, framed by dark hair that fell over her shoulders. She wore practical but good-quality traveling clothes. However, what truly captured Noah's attention was not her face, but what emerged from her back.
Two brown feathered wings rested folded behind her, their feathers softly gleaming in the light. They were not an ornament or an illusion; they were real, organic, and moved slightly with each breath of the woman.
Noah paused for an instant, processing the image. In his original world, humans with wings were a thing of mythology. Here, in the shinobi world, there were also no records of anything similar. Clans with kekkei genkai could have strange abilities, but functional wings…
The woman stood up when she saw him, a kind smile on her lips.
—You must be Nawaki Senju —she said, giving a slight bow—. I've heard a lot about you. They told me you were young, but… —She seemed to hesitate for a moment—. Can you really help me?
Noah regained his composure and nodded.
—It depends on what you need. If it's within my reach, I'll do it.
The woman sighed in relief and greeted him.
—The pleasure is mine… —Noah returned the gesture—. To whom do I owe the honor?
—My name is Hana. Hana Takeda. —She hesitated for a moment—. Although I suppose you're wondering about this.
An involuntary flutter of her wings accompanied her words.
—The truth is, it has piqued my curiosity —Noah admitted honestly—. In Konoha, there are no clans with… such characteristics.
Hana nodded, as if expecting that reaction.
—My father came from an island. An island located somewhere between the Land of Fire and the Land of Whirlpools. He… —Her voice broke slightly—. He passed away a few months ago, and before leaving, he told me about his home. He asked me to learn my roots, to see the place where he was born.
—And you don't know where it is? —Noah asked, already guessing what she wanted.
—I've tried. I've searched maps, asked sailors, hired other shinobi to explore the area. —She shook her head, frustrated—. Nothing. It's as if the island doesn't exist. As if my father came from nowhere.
Noah fell silent, processing the information.
Hana looked up, with a mixture of hope and despair. —That's why I came to you. They told me you're a chūnin with an impeccable record, that you've never failed a mission. Please… I need you to investigate, to gather information about that island. And if possible, to discover its location. I'll pay whatever it takes.
Noah rubbed his chin, thoughtful.
A mysterious island. Winged humans. An unknown origin between two great nations. This information sparked a growing interest in him.
—I accept the mission —he said finally.
Hana's eyes lit up.
—Really?
—Really. But I warn you, it may take time. If other shinobi haven't been able to find it, there might be more to it than just a simple navigation error.
—I have patience —she replied, with a radiant smile—. And I will trust you.
They signed the necessary scrolls, agreed on the payment terms, and said goodbye. Hana handed him a small diary of her father's, full of notes and drawings, as the only clue.
Noah left the building with the notebook under his arm and a new mission in mind. But more than the mission, what really interested him was the origin of those wings.