In Senju Nawaki's mind, three functions of the Boilers appeared:
Consuming chakra,
Stripping an opponent's bloodline,
Replenishing his own body.
As long as there were enough experimental materials, his bloodline could even surpass that of the Sage of Six Paths.
Memories of his past life surfaced, along with a line he once mocked:
"Only by enduring the harshest hardships can one become superior? No—hardship alone does not make one superior. Only by enduring… and growing… can one truly surpass others."
He examined his panel—it was already luxurious for a mere genin.
There were flaws, yes, but now he had the Bloodline Replenishment System to compensate.
His current body lacked only Yin attribute chakra. With it, he would be complete.
Once all attributes aligned, combined with the talent of this body, the gains would be unimaginable.
And now Yamanaka Shuichi had taken the initiative to step into his soul world—delivering himself as experimental material.
This was heaven's help.
Nawaki's eyes glimmered as a red light emanated from Shuichi's body.
"Beep… beep… beep~"
By pressing the "Boiler switch" in his soul-space, Senju Nawaki felt as though he were back in the laboratory, where his sharp scientific instincts could shine again.
"What kind of illusion is this?" Shuichi demanded. His soul-space twisted, transforming into a massive sealing device.
Nawaki narrowed his eyes and observed the change.
The entire inner world morphed into a closed PCR chamber.
Shuichi's soul became the experimental sample—roasting under invisible flames.
"Ahhh!!!"
The soul screamed as it melted into a ball of black liquid.
"Hah…"
Nawaki let out a long breath—the immediate crisis was finally resolved.
Beep… beep… beep…
The hand-rubbed PCR machine continued running. The second Boiler processed the black liquid, refining it into purer energy, perfectly suited for absorption.
Senju Nawaki stepped toward the third Boiler. Warm, welcoming energy radiated from it.
The refined chakra merged into his soul and body, completing what had once been missing.
Before, his chakra attributes lacked only Yin.
Now, Yamanaka Shuichi's soul—rich in Yin chakra—filled that gap.
A refreshing sensation swept through him.
His soul returned to his body.
Pain ebbed. The wounds on his shattered legs had already scabbed over.
"Primary Sage Body? Primary Wood Release?"
He focused on his panel—more than three hundred chakra consumed.
With all seven chakra attributes, his once-incomplete Sage Body had become a Primary Sage Body.
His recovery ability surged. It wasn't full regeneration yet, but with further bloodline strengthening, even Hashirama's legendary healing might be possible.
And his Kekkei Genkai—Wood Release—had awakened.
In official records, Wood Release was said to be a fusion of water and earth. But Nawaki now understood—the balance of Yin and Yang was just as vital. Yin created form from nothing. Yang gave that form life.
Hashirama Senju's Wood Release was tied to his terrifying Sage Body. Based on Nawaki's speculation, Hashirama's Sage Body was at least of a high level.
Now, such heights no longer felt unreachable. By devouring more bloodline material, he could surpass even Hashirama.
And with the legend of Wood Release restored to the Senju, Nawaki would have the confidence to reclaim his clan's authority.
Plop…
Not far away, Yamanaka Shuichi's lifeless body fell from a tree.
"Haha…"
Nawaki's eyes flashed with ferocity as laughter burst from his lips.
In this life, he would never again be trampled.
If fate had chosen him as Senju Nawaki, then with this identity, he would climb to the very peak of the shinobi world.
If given the chance, he would even return to his previous world—to make that old tyrant Professor taste oppression for himself.
Searching Shuichi's body, Nawaki found a flare. He lifted it to the sky, twisted—nothing.
It had been tampered with.
"Haha… Tobirama Senju, excellent work!"
Nawaki sneered bitterly. This identity was both a shield and a curse.
Dragging his broken body, he searched Shuichi again. Inside the jōnin vest, he discovered two more flares—identical to his own.
A backup. Just like how Shuichi had tried to rewrite his memories, it was meant to make his death look like an accident.
Whoosh… bang!
A red firework burst in the sky, displaying the emblem of the Senju clan.
"…Even within the Senju, there are traitors?"
Nawaki's eyes narrowed. This special signal was used only by the clan.
Was it a wider conspiracy? An internal traitor? Or both?
His gaze lingered on Shuichi's corpse. For now, open defiance was unwise. He needed a safe place to recover his strength—and the safest place was with Tsunade.
He would wait. The hole Tobirama had dug was too deep.
Within his soul-space, changes rippled from the Bloodline Replenishment System. He placed a hand on Shuichi's head.
The body vanished—drawn into Nawaki's inner world as new experimental material.
Unfortunately, he lacked chakra to continue fusing and upgrading.
He looked around. The battlefield was strewn with fragments of the other Ino–Shika–Chō members. If intact, they too would have been excellent material.
"Patience. Step by step."
Nawaki exhaled a foul breath. In this world, those sly old foxes would pay dearly.
Those who plotted against him would suffer.
But first, survival.
…
An hour later.
Senju Nawaki curled inside a pit, leaving only a small hole for air. His consciousness blurred.
Hisss…
The sound of snakes surrounded him.
He remembered being with Orochimaru once before.
"Orochimaru… is he here?"
Nawaki crawled out from hiding.
In canon, Nawaki and Orochimaru had likely not yet formed a true master–disciple bond, only mutual interest.
(As noted in Chapter 160 of the manga: after Nawaki's death, Orochimaru spoke words of regret. His name also never appeared on Ryūchi Cave's summoning scroll.)
Regardless, for now, being with Orochimaru meant safety.
Swish—
Orochimaru's thin brows furrowed. His cold gaze fixed on Nawaki.
"Nawaki, what happened here?"
Nawaki smiled faintly but gave no answer. His hoarse voice said only:
"Orochimaru… don't let me out of your sight."
At the very least, Orochimaru could be trusted for now.
With those words, Senju Nawaki collapsed into unconsciousness.
…
A day later, inside Konoha's temporary base.
Senju Nawaki's eyes slowly opened.
"Hah…"
He glanced around. An IV tube fed into his hand, with several bags of medicine above, restoring warmth and energy to his body.
Orochimaru leaned against the wall, eyes closed in rest.
"Nawaki? What exactly happened?" Orochimaru noticed him stir, stepping forward. His face showed fatigue—he had remained by Nawaki's side the entire day.
He had also noticed troubling changes in the camp. All high-ranking forces had been dispatched for a sudden strike against Sunagakure's base. Completely inconsistent with prior strategy, which had been aimed at peace talks.
"I accidentally stepped into a trap and was ambushed," Nawaki said after a pause.
"Where's my sister?"
He did not yet have the strength to speak freely. Even if Orochimaru was trustworthy, careless words could doom him. He would wait—until he secured the Senju's power.
"An accident?"
Orochimaru shook his head, eyes narrowing with suspicion.
The Nawaki he remembered was hot-blooded, reckless, and careless.
But the boy before him was cautious—like a frightened bird.
And there was a strange aura about him, one that should not exist.