Amano Ren feigned disappointment as he spoke, though in reality, he felt nothing toward these children who had little life experience ahead of them.
"I've gotten used to this over the years. Let's go, Teacher Iruka."
Sigh.
Iruka looked at Ren's small, seemingly downcast face and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. He was still just a child.
Meanwhile…
"Wow! Look at him! So handsome! Is that his brother? Kawaii!""Are they from the Uchiha clan? I love them!""That's Konoha's prodigy, Uchiha Itachi. I heard he's already in the Anbu.""He's not even that old yet, and he's already in the Anbu? Truly a genius of the Uchiha clan.""Yeah, if only my son were half as talented.""Tell me about it.""Oh? Uchiha Itachi? Itachi-kami!"
Amano Ren watched this famed figure of his previous world with keen interest.
Itachi's appearance was like moonlight over clear waters, refined and serene. His expression was calm and unreadable, exuding a quiet, almost meditative presence. Even Ren had to admit, compared to the anime version, this Itachi felt like a dignified gentleman—not a face of absolute beauty, but with an aura uniquely his own.
Beside him was a boy, pretending calm, but his brows betrayed a certain pride. Two arms tightly wrapped around Itachi's, eyes full of attachment. Itachi, in turn, gently patted the boy's head with evident affection.
A true brotherly bond… such devotion. It's a shame you two aren't together forever.
The scene of sibling harmony made Ren feel oddly awkward, the corners of his mouth twitching involuntarily. In the original story, if Itachi hadn't wiped out the clan, would Sasuke even consider marriage? After all, he "loved" his brother so much.
Perhaps noticing Ren's strange gaze, Itachi glanced toward him. Seeing a child roughly the same age as Sasuke, Itachi smiled and nodded.
Ren nodded in response and looked away.
"Onii-chan, what were you looking at just now?"
Sasuke asked Itachi curiously.
"An interesting child. Now, let's go," Itachi said, patting Sasuke's head as they continued walking.
Meanwhile…
"All right, Amano Ren, find a seat and sit anywhere you like," Iruka instructed as he led Ren into the classroom.
Ren nodded, scanning the room. A white-eyed girl caught his attention.
Hinata… this must be our second meeting.
He smiled but didn't choose the seat next to Hinata. Instead, he went for the desk at the far right by the window—not exactly a "main character" seat.
Back in his previous life, he'd favored that position since middle school when he could choose his desk. High school and university followed the same habit. Over time, it became second nature.
I wonder when I'll truly master chakra techniques. In the anime, they explain chakra as the perfect fusion of spiritual and physical energy. It can be drawn from cells or cultivated through training and experience. Without complete chakra control, I can't begin refining it. Even though I already have a substantial amount stored in my body…
Also, I suspected different worlds' cultivation systems might not be fully compatible. But when practicing innate energy, I can feel chakra from my Uzumaki lineage and the Nine-Tails being absorbed, almost devoured. Why? Is innate energy more than the "One" in "Dao gives rise to One"? Is it the origin, encompassing everything?
The unknown always makes training far more intriguing.
Soon, the classroom filled. For Ren, apart from a few future "Konoha pests," everyone was unfamiliar.
Once all the students were present, Iruka began explaining rules, course arrangements, and later came Hiruzen Sarutobi's opening speech.
Rather than inspiring, it felt hypnotic. Watching the students chant "Konoha!" and "Will of Fire!" made Ren sleepy, though he had to participate to avoid standing out.
Next came the distribution of the new student handbook, school regulations, and the chakra training scrolls.
The first two didn't concern Ren, but receiving a chakra training scroll on day one delighted him. His research could officially begin.
Other items, like weighted training gear and shuriken, he still needed to purchase. Finally, his taijutsu training could expand beyond home, as the Ninja Academy had dedicated fields.
After collecting the scrolls, it was nearly time to finish for the day. Iruka had planned to treat Ren to ramen, but he refused politely.
Ignoring Iruka's disappointed look, Ren returned home swiftly.
Without hesitation, he used innate energy to calm and perfect his inner state, then eagerly began chakra training.
Following the scroll's instructions, a warm blue energy slowly emerged from his body.
This was when the advantages of being a Nine-Tails Jinchuriki with Uzumaki lineage truly showed. Ordinary people—even prodigies like Minato Namikaze—would need three days to a week to cultivate chakra.
Ren succeeded instantly. Beyond the Nine-Tails and Uzumaki traits, innate energy seemed to assist in refining his chakra, complementing each other in a unique synergy.
An hour later…
Ren opened his eyes, filled with curiosity.
Refining chakra was far smoother than expected. Innate energy isn't obstructing but actually promoting chakra development? Are these systems inherently compatible? Could cultivation systems from other worlds also merge? Was my earlier assumption wrong? Maybe all energy in different worlds can converge into one.
He stroked his chin. If that's true, my training will accelerate tremendously.
From that day, Ren repeated his disciplined routine:
Morning: refine innate energy.Daytime: attend school to learn basic ninjutsu, shuriken, kunai, and ninja knowledge.Afternoon: practice taijutsu alone in the training field.Evening: master the Ten Thousand Scrolls and refine chakra.
Time passed quietly, day by day…