After returning home, Higashino Makoto first went to the bathroom to wash up, then sat down at the dining table, ready to eat.
The table was already set with food. Although the style and taste were not quite the same as in his previous life, he was already used to it. It wasn't a big problem, as long as it wasn't dried fungus with weird, raw organ paste.
Sitting across from him at the table was his biological mother in this world, a beautiful young woman with long brown hair.
Her name was Higashino Megumi. She belonged to the class of commoners without a surname; before marriage, she was just Megumi, and after marriage, she took her husband's surname, Higashino.
Higashino Makoto's father in this life was named Higashino Jiro. He was an ordinary-looking but tall Konoha Chunin with decent strength. However, he was not at home right now, having been out on a village mission for some time.
Yes, Higashino Makoto was not an orphan in the world of Naruto. He was fortunate enough to have both parents, meaning he didn't receive the "orphan power-up" buff.
Moreover, his appearance now completely took after his mother. Even though he wasn't even four years old yet, one could see a 50-60% resemblance between mother and son. This led Higashino Makoto to believe that as long as nothing went wrong with his growth, he would likely become a handsome guy.
Of course, he could also grow up to look like a trap.
But the probability was low because he was very sure that no one in his family had the bloodline of the Yuki clan from the Land of Water, nor was he a proctologist in his previous life.
Higashino Megumi was only 20 years old when she gave birth to him, and she is now 23. Higashino Jiro is about the same age; they were even classmates.
They were very young, so young that Higashino Makoto's psychological age could be more than ten years older than theirs.
But now, he had to call them Mom and Dad.
Higashino Makoto didn't feel awkward about this. He hadn't transmigrated and taken over someone else's son's body; he had been directly reincarnated into Higashino Megumi's womb. This couple were truly his biological parents who gave birth to him and raised him in this life.
There was nothing wrong with calling them Mom and Dad. Li Sen in his previous life wasn't an ungrateful or pretentious person.
While eating, Higashino Megumi asked curiously, "Makoto, I remember you've been training this early every day since you were three. Is it hard?"
"It's not hard, Mom. On the contrary, I feel very happy. I like the feeling of becoming stronger."
"Why do you want to become stronger so much?"
" This is Konoha Village. I'm going to be a ninja in the future. Do I need a reason to want to become stronger?"
"Don't you?"
"Do I? Alright, I hope to become a powerful ninja so I can protect you and Father in the future." Facing his birth mother, Higashino Makoto didn't engage in political correctness like he did outside, talking about protecting the village or companions.
"Makoto, thank you." Higashino Megumi smiled, reached out to rub Higashino Makoto's head, and said happily, "But you got it backward. It should be me and your father protecting you.
"Compared to that, I'm happier that the way you talk big finally makes you look like a child your age. You know, you've always been a bit too precocious.
"You're not even four years old yet. How should I put it? It gives me no sense of accomplishment as a mother. I remember you never even wet the bed.
"Even when you were a baby, you would actually yell to remind me to take you to the toilet, leaving me no chance to change diapers. This is completely different from what everyone says; being a mother doesn't feel hard at all."
Facing his mother's long list of complaints, Higashino Makoto was a bit helpless and could only be cheeky: "Oh, it seems that not wetting the bed really disappointed you, Mrs. Higashino."
Bang!Higashino Megumi punched her son on the head. "Call me Mom! Which bastard did you learn that from?"
"Okay, Mrs. Higashino. I learned it from Uncle Kuroda downstairs."
Bang! "I said call me Mom!"
"No problem, Mrs. Higashino."
Bang!
After breakfast, Higashino Megumi went back to the bedroom to change clothes and hurriedly prepared to go out.
Before leaving, she instructed, "Makoto, Mom is going to work. Take care of yourself. If anything happens, come to the hospital to find me."
"Okay, I know, Mom."
Like her husband Higashino Jiro, Higashino Megumi was also a ninja. In terms of professional rank, she was even half a grade higher than her husband. She was a Tokubetsu Jonin specializing in medical ninjutsu and currently worked at the Konoha Hospital.
Back then, Tsunade Hime of Konoha, moved by the deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and many companions, proposed that the village should strengthen the training of medical ninjas and add them to ninja squads to reduce the death rate in war or missions.
Although this policy had not been implemented yet and her boyfriend Dan Kato also died, Konoha formally implemented her proposal after the war ended.
Higashino Megumi was a beneficiary of this policy.
Her combat talents as a ninja were limited, but she was quite gifted in medical ninjutsu.
Medical ninjutsu requires extremely high Chakra control, and women have a natural advantage in this regard.
Since giving birth to Higashino Makoto, Higashino Megumi had rested for more than two years to take care of her son and to study and improve herself.
Since Higashino Makoto expressed that he could take care of himself, she went back to work at the hospital because medical ninjas are relatively special and difficult to train; no matter how many are trained, there are never enough hands.
Fortunately, Higashino Makoto had always behaved very maturely, allowing the couple to feel at ease leaving him alone at home, even saving money on a nanny.
Like on other days, Higashino Megumi went straight to work. After Higashino Makoto washed the dishes, he picked up a book and studied seriously at home.
Children in the Ninja World are generally precocious, let alone a reborn person like him with an adult soul.
Around the age of 2, Higashino Makoto completed his introductory education in the written language of the Ninja World with his mother's help, and then began reading various books introducing the Ninja World.
To live well in this world, you must first understand it.
This mainly includes the geography and history of the Ninja World.
Geography was easy. Whether in his own study or the Konoha Library, he could find a large amount of non-confidential information introducing various large and small countries.
As for history, there were very few relevant records. It seems that few people in the Ninja World specialize in recording history, especially the millennium-long Warring States history, which is almost blank.
One wonders how much effort a certain black "filial son" put into this.
Perhaps some records could be found in ancient clans like the Senju, Uchiha, Hyuga, or the noble families of the Daimyos of various countries.
But these were obviously not things he could borrow right now.
Fortunately, Higashino Makoto's goal was not to be a geographer or historian. The geographical knowledge currently available to the public was enough for him to have a basic understanding of the large and small countries in this world.
As for history, with the memories of the plot from his previous life, he probably knew the general outline of the Ninja World's millennium better than 99.9% of the people in this world, which was enough.
He completed these learning tasks before he was 3 years old.
After the age of 3, he began the second stage of cultivation and learning, mainly divided into three directions.
First was the daily physical training. His parents formulated the items based on their experience, while he paid attention to his own endurance, increasing the amount of exercise every so often.
Second was learning the basics of Chakra and the human body, as well as practicing hand seals, preparing for refining Chakra and cultivating ninjutsu later.
Third was learning several natural science subjects, including mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, cryptography, etc.
Yes, ninjas have to learn these subjects. Looking at the content of the first exam of the Chunin Exams in the original work, one would know, although the knowledge involved in that exam was something only Chunin and above needed to master.
A qualified ninja doesn't have to be an all-rounder, but at least they must have a basic understanding of this knowledge, except for idiots like Naruto who only know how to fight when the blood rushes to their heads.
The Ninja Academy curriculum also includes those subjects, but it does not require students to go too deep.
This is Konoha Village, a military stronghold of the Land of Fire. The main task is still to train combat personnel.
Combat ability is the primary standard for measuring a ninja.
Students who are screened out due to a lack of combat talent will choose necessary subjects for further study based on their interests and talents.
They can later become various types of talents needed by Konoha, including sealing, code development and decryption, basic scientific research, medical treatment, etc., but they will not become frontline combat personnel.
Although Tsunade required medical ninjas to have combat power, not everyone is like her, with the bloodline of the Senju and Uzumaki, broad-minded and with amazing punching power, capable of both healing and carrying.
Higashino Makoto's goal was the same. Like the geography and history subjects before, it was just preliminary learning, and he would not become an expert in these fields.
He learned these just to serve the purpose of becoming a more comprehensive ninja.
So far, Higashino Makoto is about to turn four years old, and the preliminary study of the above subjects is coming to an end. The goal for the next stage is to strive to become a ninja.
This has been his study plan for the past two years, every single day, without a day of laziness, terrifyingly disciplined.
The motivation for this discipline came from his experience in his previous life. Once, he was also a promising seedling who was intelligent from a young age and took first place in every exam.
Unfortunately, laziness and a playful nature ruined his future and his life.
Since he had the chance to live again, he would absolutely not repeat the old path he took as Li Sen.
Now, Higashino Makoto just wants to say: Learning makes me happy, and cultivation brings boundless joy.