I don't remember crying.
Not really. There's a faint warmth, the smell of polished wood and ink, and voices—soft, hurried, careful. And then a pair of hands. Strong, warm, steady, holding me as though I might shatter with the slightest wrong move.
"Hah… so this is my son," a voice murmured. Calm, deliberate, and yet wrapped in quiet awe. Hiruzen Sarutobi. My father.
I blinked—or maybe tried to. Everything felt too sharp, too clear for a newborn. My tiny body throbbed with a strange energy, a pulse I didn't understand but felt at every nerve ending. My limbs twitched of their own accord, almost like they had memories of movement before memory itself existed.
I'm Jin Sarutobi.
The name felt foreign, yet I recognized it as mine. Even before I could comprehend words, I sensed my identity. Two faint vertical marks under my eyes glimmered faintly in the morning light filtering through the sliding doors. Hiruzen noticed immediately, his eyebrows rising in the slightest twitch of surprise.
"My… son already has Hiruzen's marks," he muttered quietly to himself. Awe, caution, and something else—expectation—danced in his gaze.
I didn't cry. I didn't fuss. I simply lay there, sensing, absorbing, noticing everything—the wooden floorboards, the sway of the house in the morning wind, the rhythm of my father's heartbeat through his hands.
Beside him, my mother, Biwako, watched quietly. She smiled faintly, brushing back a stray lock of hair as she whispered, "He's… different, isn't he?"
Different. The word resonated somewhere deep inside me. I felt it. There was a coil of potential, like a thread in the air, unseen but tangible, waiting for me to pull it.
The system appeared first on my third night.
[Viewing Panel]
Name: Jin SarutobiAge: 0 daysAffiliation: Konohagakure (Sarutobi Clan)Parent: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Biwako Sarutobi
[Attributes]Ninjutsu: InfantTaijutsu: InfantGenjutsu: InfantChakra: Minimal, but Rising
[Body]Strength: InfantSpeed/Agility: InfantStamina: InfantChakra Control: Undefined
[Abilities]None yet
I stared, or tried to, at the translucent panel hovering faintly above my chest. It didn't react when I waved my tiny hands. It didn't scroll, didn't blink, didn't make any sound. Just… was. Waiting. Watching. Like a silent promise of what I could one day become.
Hiruzen's voice pulled me from the haze. "Hm? Already awake?"
He leaned closer, dark eyes curious but warm. "You're different, little one. Already observing… already aware. I've never seen a newborn like this."
I couldn't understand him yet, but the weight of his gaze sank in anyway. He believed in me. That belief… mattered.
By the first week, my strength was already noticeable. I could push against my crib, twist my tiny body with a precision that startled the nurses.
"They say he's too strong for a newborn," one whispered nervously, adjusting his blanket.
Hiruzen chuckled quietly. "Not just strong… aware. Look at his eyes. He's watching, processing. He's not like other children. He'll surpass expectations."
I didn't cry. I didn't smile. I simply sensed. The world was sharp, vibrant, and full of potential.
And then… the staff.
A small wooden staff, lying in the corner of the room for when I was older, hummed faintly in my mind. Something pulled at me, like it recognized me. My fingers twitched in its direction. A connection sparked, tiny and fleeting, but unmistakable.
[Viewing Panel Updated]
Name: Jin SarutobiAge: 1 weekAffiliation: Konohagakure (Sarutobi Clan)Parent: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Biwako Sarutobi
[Attributes]Ninjutsu: InfantTaijutsu: InfantGenjutsu: InfantChakra: Low, but Rising
[Body]Strength: InfantSpeed/Agility: InfantStamina: InfantChakra Control: Low
[Abilities]Staff Resonance: Level 0 – Awakening
By the third week, I began rolling. Not aimless flailing, but deliberate, precise. Tiny muscles moved with intent, reacting instinctively.
The staff became more than a toy. I tapped it with my fists, rolled it across the mat, and for the first time lifted it slightly. The vibration ran through me, a resonance that felt like it recognized my soul.
Hiruzen observed quietly, leaning on the sliding doorframe. "Coordination beyond normal limits… and the way he senses the staff… it's as if it's part of his body already. Remarkable."
At one month, the system updated.
[Viewing Panel Updated]
Name: Jin SarutobiAge: 1 monthAffiliation: Konohagakure (Sarutobi Clan)Parent: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Biwako Sarutobi
[Attributes]Ninjutsu: Infant – Tiny AwarenessTaijutsu: Infant + Reflexes – ModerateGenjutsu: InfantChakra: Rising
[Body]Strength: Infant +Speed/Agility: ModerateStamina: ModerateChakra Control: Low
[Abilities]Staff Resonance: Level 1 – Basic AwarenessReflexive Combat Awareness: Level 0
System Note: Growth potential unusually high. Recommend early combat training.
By three months, I could push myself into a sitting position without help. The staff was no longer just a curiosity—I instinctively twirled it, caught it with one hand, and felt the energy pulse as I gripped it tighter.
Biwako watched me silently, a faint smile brushing her lips. "He's… extraordinary," she murmured. "Not just Hiruzen's child… Jin has his own path already."
Hiruzen crouched beside her, brushing a hand along my tiny head. "Careful, Biwako. We guide him, yes, but we don't push. This child… he'll carve his own way, and we'll simply observe until the time comes."
I didn't understand the words yet, but the feeling—the weight of expectation, the sense that I was meant for more—tangled with the energy in my small body. My reflexes felt sharper, my movements fluid, and the staff… the staff pulsed faintly as though alive, responding to my thoughts.
By six months, I had begun crawling. But not aimlessly—every movement was deliberate. My hands tested the world, my legs pushed against the floor in precision, and every time my tiny gaze fell on the staff, a spark of awareness flared.
The system updated again.
[Viewing Panel Updated]
Name: Jin SarutobiAge: 6 monthsAffiliation: Konohagakure (Sarutobi Clan)Parent: Hiruzen Sarutobi, Biwako Sarutobi
[Attributes]Ninjutsu: Infant AwarenessTaijutsu: Infant + Reflexes – ModerateGenjutsu: InfantChakra: Rising – Moderate
[Body]Strength: Low Infant +Speed/Agility: ModerateStamina: HighChakra Control: Moderate
[Abilities]Staff Resonance: Level 2 – Basic ManipulationReflexive Combat Awareness: Level 1
System Note: High potential for combat training and chakra growth.
By my first birthday, I could sit unsupported, lift and twirl the staff with ease, and even mimic simple motions I had never been taught.
Hiruzen crouched beside me, placing a hand on my small head. "You're not just Hiruzen's son," he murmured. "You're Jin Sarutobi. And someday… you'll choose your path. Whether you follow mine, or create your own, I'll be watching."
Biwako smiled softly, brushing my tiny hair from my forehead. "We'll help you, Jin. But remember… strength alone does not define you. Wisdom, patience, and heart… those will guide your hands as much as power."
I felt the coil inside me tighten, the pulse of energy in my small body syncing with the staff at my side. My senses were sharper than they had any right to be, my reflexes instinctive, my mind already reaching toward the horizon of possibility.
I was Jin Sarutobi. Born into the Sarutobi clan. Son of Hiruzen and Biwako.
And I was ready.
The world would have to wait.