What is the difference between children of the ninja world and us?
Very simple. Although everyone looks more or less the same on the surface, they are fundamentally not the same species.
The ninja world is a transcendent world. Every living being here contains chakra, a form of extraordinary energy. Because the Ōtsutsuki clan planted a Divine Tree a thousand years ago, the entire world was infected and assimilated by chakra. Not just cells—even souls were affected.
To be more specific, the human body in the ninja world contains up to 130 trillion cells, whereas humans on the Earth we come from have around 30 to 60 trillion.
That is a difference of two to four times.
As for the differences during childhood, Leon has the most right to speak on this matter, because he has been reborn here himself and now has a new name: Higashino Makoto.
Through Higashino Makoto's observations, he discovered that children of the ninja world are no different from those of his previous world before the age of two. But after that, it is as if they step onto an express lane.
After the age of two, both their physical qualities and intelligence experience a small surge, as if they are in a hurry to grow up, giving the impression of being forcibly ripened by some invisible power.
This phenomenon is especially obvious among large ninja clans, or in families that have produced ninjas for two or three consecutive generations.
Higashino Makoto felt that chakra was practically like Miracle Fertilizer.
It was probably the result of selection through a thousand years of constant warfare in the ninja world. In those chaotic times, ninjas had to go to the battlefield and kill enemies at a very young age. Those whose mental resolve and physical quality failed to meet the standard were likely eliminated.
Even after the establishment of the one-country–one-village system, and despite the Five Great Nations enjoying long periods of peace aside from a few ninja wars, prematurely mature children were still far from rare.
Here, a small child acting as calm and deep as an adult would not raise any suspicion at all. At most, others would simply think you were talented, matured early, and would one day surpass others in capacity.
The little white-haired Sakata Gintoki… oh, that's not right—Hatake Kakashi had a prematurely mature dead-fish expression from a young age. He graduated from the Ninja Academy at five, became a chūnin at six, and went out to cut people down. It caused a huge sensation at the time. He was known as Konoha's representative genius and the role model for all children to emulate.
Later on, the so-called filial son Uchiha Itachi scored his first kill on the battlefield at the age of four, and by six he was already pondering the issues of family, village, and peace in the ninja world. Did anyone say anything about that?
Not only did his father fail to provide proper guidance, he was even proud of it. The Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, praised him, saying that he possessed the thinking of a Hokage.
Now, Higashino Makoto had also become an early-maturing child like them. The difference was that his precocity came from rebirth—he was born carrying the memories of a previous life.
However, compared with those two earlier examples of precocious children, Higashino Makoto was merely steady in his behavior. He was not as lively and childish as his peers, but he would absolutely not think about grand social issues and then go consult some strange uncles about them.
He did not want to attract the attention of people with ulterior motives. The world of Naruto was not all hot-blooded passion; behind that passion lay far more darkness.
Higashino Makoto did not care about peace in the ninja world at all. Reborn into a new life, he only wanted to live for himself and live a more brilliant life.
As for dying one day amid the chaos of war? That would only mean he was not strong enough, and that the wisdom and effort he had invested were still insufficient.
If that was the case, then so be it. Death was death—after all, it was not as if he had never died before.
Compared with death, what he feared more was living an ordinary life like an ant, his fate scattered like dust, as in his previous life.
The Land of Fire, Konohagakure.
The sun had not yet risen, and the east was beginning to pale.
Within the village, aside from the bustling central commercial and administrative district, dense forests spread in all directions. Scattered buildings stood among them, along with a large number of training grounds.
To the northwest, inside a small training ground closest to a residential area, a tiny figure was drenched in sweat, carrying out the most basic physical training.
This was a small boy with dark brown, slightly messy hair. He had white teeth, delicate yet well-defined features, and a neat appearance, looking about three or four years old.
He was Leon. Of course, the name Leon was already a thing of the past. Now, he was called Higashino Makoto.
At this moment, Higashino Makoto was running laps around the training ground.
Training grounds built within the village were not large, and a single lap did not take much time.
Higashino Makoto maintained a relatively fast pace, keeping his breathing even and rhythmic while counting the laps in his mind.
After reaching his predetermined goal, he switched to frog jumps to continue, then changed again to running laps in a handstand using both hands.
After finishing those, he went on to push-ups, pull-ups, and similar exercises.
In addition to all that, he would later practice the throwing techniques for kunai and shuriken.
Among the large trees of the training ground, targets were tied to branches in every direction. From time to time, thud, thud sounds rang out—the sound of sharp weapons striking wooden targets.
Of course, the volume of all the training routines was not large, because Higashino Makoto had not yet learned how to refine and use chakra. Relying solely on the physical strength of a body not yet four years old, he simply could not sustain such a high level of exertion.
If he trained himself to the brink like Might Duy and his son, or like Rock Lee in the future, he would only cripple himself.
The ability to refine and use chakra is what divides ordinary people and ninja into two different kinds of existence.
And Higashino Makoto's current efforts were also meant as preparation for refining chakra later on. After all, although everyone in the ninja world possesses that stuff, it is not something you can refine just because you want to.
Unless one is exceptionally gifted, without the hardship of early-stage training—tempering a strong body and focused spirit—you could sit there straining until death and still fail to refine any chakra.
The reason ninjas can become ninjas is precisely because they can endure hardships that ordinary people cannot persist through.
Even the simple-minded Obito and the Naruto Prince, aside from their powerful bloodlines, also put in grueling effort from a very young age in private.
After completing one round of training, Higashino Makoto would rest for a short while, following the method taught by his father. He carefully used his mind to visualize and sense every corner within his body.
This was an extremely tedious practice, but it was a step that had to be maintained.
After persisting for about five minutes, he would continue on to the next round of training.
Only when the sun had risen and his physical strength was exhausted did he consider the day's predetermined training goal complete.
At that time, several older figures also arrived at the training ground.
Judging by their appearance, they were likely students from the ninja academy.
It was currently the spring break period. These were all people who lived near this small training ground, and training grounds like this were prepared specifically for them.
As for clan ninjas, they all had their own exclusive training grounds. Ninja is a profession that places great emphasis on information secrecy, especially when it comes to hereditary ninjutsu and secret techniques.
One of them, a girl of about eight or nine years old, noticed Higashino Makoto sitting to the side, drenched in sweat and drinking water, and curiously ran over.
"Ah—hey, little brother, you're here so early?"
"Yes, big sister. I've already finished today's training."
Higashino Makoto looked up as he answered, smiling with an innocent expression, deliberately putting extra emphasis on the words big sister.
The girl beamed with delight at being called that and patted Higashino Makoto on the head. "Working so hard at such a young age—tell your big sister, do you have some incredible dream?"
Here it came. In the ninja world, when you see a hardworking child, you have to ask about their dream. If you skip this step, you almost feel embarrassed greeting people.
"Of course I do. I want to become strong, so I can protect the village and my companions."
Higashino Makoto casually gave a standard answer. Similar ones—like becoming Hokage—were dreams commonly spoken by children in the village.
Protecting companions, becoming Hokage—these were the most politically correct dreams in Konohagakure. Say them out loud, and they perfectly embodied the pure Will of Fire.
"What a reliable junior!"
The girl rubbed Higashino Makoto's hair, then waved at him. "Seeing how diligent you are, big sister needs to go train hard too!"
"Mm, good luck, big sister!"
The training of these ninja academy students was far more impressive than Higashino Makoto's.
Whether it was shuriken and kunai practice or paired combat drills, their power and speed were on a completely different level from his. Watching them felt like watching an action blockbuster.
They were only ninja academy students, yet already so formidable. Then how spectacular would real ninja—especially those at the jōnin level—be when they fought?
It certainly would not be people randomly throwing pots and pans around.
At the very least, it would be like a special-effects blockbuster. This was an experience entirely different from watching anime in his previous life.
Sure enough, whether one could refine and use chakra was the crucial benchmark separating ninjas from ordinary people.
After watching for a while, Higashino Makoto dragged his tired body along, taking in the busy morning scenery of Konohagakure as he headed home.
Occasionally lifting his head, he could also see the three Hokage stone faces on the Hokage Rock in the distance, as if they had been gilded with a layer of gold under the sunlight.