Chapter 1: Rebirth in Konoha
Pain was the first sensation. A sudden, suffocating squeeze, then cold air biting his lungs like frost on raw skin. Then came the sounds—muffled cries, the distant rush of voices, the unmistakable shriek of a newborn.
But he did not scream.
He breathed.
The breath was rough, imperfect—but it was his. His awareness came in a cascade, not like a baby's first thought, but like a storm of memories crashing in reverse. He was not an infant.
He had died. And now he was born again.
He tried to move but found himself bound—arms, legs, even his vocal cords refused his call. Panic threatened to rise, but he quelled it with sheer will. Instead, he focused on the faint rhythm of his breath.
Inhale through the nose. Expand the lungs. Control the heart.
The ceiling above was wooden. The lighting, soft and warm. Familiar architecture.
Konoha.
He was in Konoha.
More images trickled into his mind: Shinobi war, death, betrayal… and before all of it—a blade, red like the setting sun. A man in red armor… A fox with nine tails…
Then the [System] screen appeared before him, faint and ethereal.
[Template System Activated] [Host Identified: Reincarnated Soul – Retaining Past-Life Memory] [Initial Template Unlocked: Yoriichi Tsugikuni – The Breath of the Sun] [Template Progress: 0.0%]
'Yoriichi… Tsugikuni?' he thought, stunned.
He had read that fanfiction. "I'm in Konoha, Play Tsugikuni Yoriichi at the Start." It had been fiction—fan-made. A story. And yet here he was, gifted the path of the strongest swordsman of all time.
His thoughts slowed. Acceptance bloomed. Whether this was fate, karma, or madness—he would walk this path.
A nurse passed him to a man with silver-gray hair and a strong jawline. His father. A Hatake.
"Riku," the nurse said gently. "It's a boy. Healthy. Quiet one, too."
Riku Hatake smiled, but his eyes remained sharp, as if always on guard.
"We'll name him Kaien," Riku said. "Kaien Hatake."
Kaien—the name meant 'flame'. Fitting.
Weeks passed.
Kaien's body was helpless, but his mind was a forge. Every day, he would regulate his breath with painful discipline. He timed each inhale and exhale as if each moment was a training kata. The body's natural instincts screamed against him—crying for milk, sleep, or warmth. He endured it all.
[Breathing Discipline: Established – 0.5% Template Progression]
When no one was around, he began mimicking the first breathing technique.
Sun Breathing, First Form: Dance.
He couldn't move his limbs well, but he imagined the kata over and over, visualizing each step in his soul.
The system responded.
[Mental Simulation of Sun Breathing Detected – 0.3% Progression]
He began listening to voices around him. His father's conversations with other shinobi, reports about the Daimyo's movements, the Hokage's latest orders… the name 'Tobirama' appeared often.
Tobirama Senju was still alive. Hokage.
That meant he was born 16 years before Tobirama's death.
He was early. Earlier than he expected.
That would change everything.
Three months passed.
He had developed enough physical control to roll over, crawl, and even balance upright if he focused. No child should be this agile, and yet he was.
One day, while alone in the room, Kaien focused his chakra. He imagined drawing it into his lungs, then distributing it in time with his breath.
A surge of energy rushed through him. His tiny body trembled, and then the chakra dispersed.
He passed out for three hours.
But when he awoke, he felt it—his control was better.
[Basic Chakra Control Achieved – 0.4% Progression]
Six months in, Kaien had begun crawling out of his crib at night. Silent steps. No creaks. No cries.
He observed his father training in the courtyard. Riku was powerful—an elite jonin, he now understood. His blade shimmered with chakra, fast and fierce, like a lightning strike. His footwork was precise, brutal.
Kaien memorized everything.
He even caught sight of the Hatake clan's secret sword scrolls once, when a careless student left them unsealed. He memorized the stances instantly.
[Sword Style: Hatake Clan Fundamentals (Observed) – Logged for Study]
By his first birthday, he had learned to stand and walk with precision. He no longer fell. His breath never broke rhythm. Every movement was made with clarity.
He still couldn't talk much without breaking character—but he spoke when needed. Just enough to be considered a genius toddler.
Riku began to suspect something, but never asked. Not yet.
Kaien stood one morning in front of the mirror, a wooden stick in hand, feet apart.
His crimson eyes gleamed—not from his Hatake blood, but from the Yoriichi template awakening.
He was the sword. And he was ready to begin.
[Year 1 Complete] [Template Progress: 4.2%] [Status: Rebirth Complete – Foundation Established]