After school in the afternoon, Saiki Shiroya split off a Flower Clone to maintain synchronized senses and chat with Shizune, while his main body went alone to the back mountains of Konoha to train.
Despite Saiki's relaxed appearance at school—spending time playing house and flirting with young girls—he never once forgot the cruelty of this world.
Having arrived in this world under mysterious circumstances, Saiki had witnessed death long before he was ever picked up by Tsunade.
To survive, Saiki had used his abilities and joint-lock techniques to personally snap the limbs and spine of a Hidden Stone Chunin, leaving the man to die in unimaginable agony; Saiki had never regretted it for a second.
When he first arrived in the wilderness of the Ninja World, with little survival experience, he managed to hunt a wild pheasant using his powers.
A man had appeared before Saiki then, not only stealing his chicken but attempting to silence him to keep his own movements hidden; in the end, Saiki had counter-killed him.
It was because of that nameless man that Saiki realized he had been transmigrated into a brutal world of shinobi.
Deep in the mountains behind Konoha, inside a valley filled with massive boulders:
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As if he couldn't feel pain, while others used wooden posts for training and wrapped their knuckles in bandages, Saiki used no protection at all, slamming his bare fists directly into the stone.
The force of Saiki's strikes was so great that the multi-ton boulders emitted dull, heavy thuds. If one had keen enough eyes, they would see the stones trembling slightly, their surfaces spider-webbed with fine cracks.
The spot where Saiki's fists landed had already been pounded into a deep indentation.
It was likely that before long, this boulder would join the others; over a dozen similar stones lay shattered across the ground nearby, the result of Saiki's three years of relentless hammering.
The Stone: "What did I do wrong? Sob, sob, sob!"
As a transmigrator, Saiki hadn't just found the Flower-Flower Fruit nearby when he woke up; his body was also naturally tougher and much stronger than the people of this world.
He wasn't sure if it was because he ate the Fruit, but he had gained the resilient physique common to those in the One Piece world.
While his current physical stats weren't quite the "Iron Balloon" level of Big Mom or the indestructible, hyper-regenerative body of Kaido, Saiki could proudly say he wouldn't die from a simple kunai backstab.
It was this powerful physical foundation that allowed him to kill a Chunin even when he knew nothing about the Ninja World.
Saiki's main body focused on Taijutsu training; after all, whether it was Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu, a powerful body was required as a foundation—otherwise, one might end up like Itachi Uchiha, dying young of illness.
Meanwhile, over a dozen Flower Clones were busy training in swordsmanship, chakra control, hand signs, and learning Ninjutsu.
The Flower Clones created by the Hana Hana no Mi were different from the Shadow Clone Jutsu; the consciousness of these clones was transmitted to Saiki in real-time.
Saiki's current actions were equivalent to one person doing a dozen things at once; tasks like drawing a circle with one hand and a square with the other required zero concentration from him.
Given his current situation, it wouldn't be surprising if he developed a split personality one day.
However, considering Nico Robin could control tens of thousands of hands to perform complex tasks, he probably didn't need to worry.
After being brought back to Konoha by Tsunade, even though he had to serve her like a personal maid every day—cooking for her, handling her daily needs, and even doing her laundry—he had been given full access to her library of jutsu.
While Tsunade was a Taijutsu specialist and Medical Ninja, she was the Princess of the Senju Clan; many scrolls from the First and Second Hokage were in her possession. Aside from forbidden arts like Reanimation, Wood Style, or Flying Raijin, Saiki could study Medical Ninjutsu, the Five Elemental Styles, Genjutsu, and the Second Hokage's personal notes on swordsmanship.
Because of this, one of Saiki's Flower Clones was currently brandishing a chakra blade; although he didn't care for the Second Hokage's personality, the man's swordsmanship was top-tier.
Beside the clone practicing swordsmanship was another clone condensing a ball of chakra in its palm.
The highly condensed sphere of chakra in its hand was, indeed, the Rasengan.
The essence of the Rasengan is the ultimate change in chakra form; as a transmigrator, Saiki knew the theory behind it perfectly.
In the original story, given Naruto's poor teaching skills, he just told Konohamaru about the three elements—rotation, power, and maintenance—and Konohamaru figured it out in a few days.
Saiki wasn't a genius, but after three years of attempts, he had mastered it long ago. Now, he couldn't just produce a regular Rasengan; he had even developed the Big Ball Rasengan.
Coming to the Naruto world without knowing how to make a "meatball" would be an insult to transmigrators.
After training for a while, the Flower Clones burst into clouds of petals; although the stamina drain of the Flower-Flower Fruit was low, maintaining many clones for a long time was still taxing.
He stopped his punching and kicking, taking a breath; dispelling the Flower Clones didn't result in a sudden rush of memory feedback like Shadow Clones, because the clones' senses were already being fed to him in real-time.
To Saiki, the Flower Clones were somewhat like Nagato's Six Paths of Pain—vision and memory were shared simultaneously.
As he activated his ability again, a flurry of petals swirled, and several clones reformed in the air, resuming their Ninjutsu and swordsmanship drills.
"Mm, physical stamina is fine, but this really drains the brain."
Synchronizing the viewpoints of the clones while being his own person made it feel like he had several extra brains; it was a bizarre sensation.
Multitasking, he kept the clones training while his main body went back to pummeling the rocks.
While he trained in the mountains, the Flower Clone that had followed Shizune home was busy cooking dinner; Saiki truly lived a life of labor—clones training, clones cooking, and the main body tempering its flesh.
"Two thousand one hundred twenty-one, two thousand one hundred twenty..."
With the help of his clones, a massive boulder weighing over a ton was placed on his back; under this crushing weight, Saiki counted his push-ups.
If any of his classmates were here, they would never believe that the mild-mannered, non-competitive Saiki from class was this incredibly hardworking person.
Soon, darkness fell.
After leaving school around four in the afternoon and maintaining high-intensity training until dark—nearly four hours—it was enough for Saiki.
Saiki believed in healthy cultivation; he trained to become stronger and survive better.
He wasn't an idiot who would train until he dropped and cause permanent internal damage; studying Medical Ninjutsu under Tsunade allowed him to understand his limits perfectly.
Facts proved that scientific, rational exercise followed by proper recovery allowed one to go much further than those who desperately squeezed out every drop of their potential.
The Ninja World was dark, but it had its beautiful side; with so many beauties around, he didn't want to die young.
The key to cultivation was consistency, not madness; regardless of wind or rain, Saiki had maintained this routine for three years.
There was a waterfall near the training valley; after cleaning himself up and using chakra to dry his clothes, Saiki gathered his things and headed home, feeling famished.
"Walking down the country road, the evening cattle are my companions, the blue sky wears a sunset on its chest..."
Though tired, Saiki hummed a light, cheerful tune, enjoying his own company.
But as he passed through a section of the path with dense foliage, Saiki suddenly stopped, his right hand resting on the hilt of the katana in his left.
It was almost completely dark now, and most families were already eating dinner; apart from cultivators like him, few civilians ever came to the back mountains.
Sensing a presence in a tree not far away, Saiki grew alert.
Though he wasn't a member of the Uchiha or Hyuga clans and couldn't see chakra in the dark, his natural talent was maxed out; his sensory perception was very strong, especially combined with the scouting capabilities of the Flower-Flower Fruit.
He activated his ability. While the ninja hiding behind the tree cursed his luck—wondering how a mere brat had spotted him—his attention was entirely on Saiki. He failed to notice a single leaf above his head sprout an eyeball.
The moonlight was decent tonight; Saiki instantly recognized the metallic glint of the forehead protector in the dark. It didn't bear the mark of Konoha, but that of the Hidden Sand.
"A Sand Ninja? Why is a Sand Ninja in Konoha? I thought the Hidden Sand was fighting the Hidden Stone in the Third War?"
Though he didn't understand why, Saiki knew this sneaky bastard couldn't have good intentions.
"Dammit!"
He cursed inwardly. It would have been better if he hadn't revealed he'd spotted the guy, but now that the enemy knew he was compromised, all that was left was to prepare for battle.
As expected, the Sand Ninja attacked immediately.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of cutting air rang out as several kunai were hurled with precision toward Saiki, sealing off all avenues of escape.
"Shit!"
Although kunai couldn't kill him easily, Saiki knew his current defense wasn't enough to prevent injury; he drew his blade and swung it rapidly.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The katana accurately parried the kunai aimed at his vitals.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The remaining kunai buried themselves deep into the soil, leaving only the ringed ends visible—the sheer force of the throw was evident.
"Interesting brat. You accurately predicted and blocked my kunai. It seems you're a child from one of the clans."
The Sand Ninja finally stepped out, standing on a branch and looking down at Saiki with a cold sneer, his eyes radiating a piercing killing intent.
Setting aside the hatred between the Sand and Leaf, he was a Chunin scout of the Sand; he had finally managed to infiltrate the Land of Fire, only to be spotted by a kid.
Due to his physique, Saiki was half a head taller than most kids his age, but the Sand Ninja could see the youth in his face instantly.
A ten or eleven-year-old had discovered him; the Sand Ninja felt a surge of alarm followed by murderous intent.
This was too close to Konoha; he had to finish this quickly. If he was caught, his infiltration mission would be a failure.
Without a word, the Sand Ninja drew a short blade and lunged at Saiki.
Since the man attacked without hesitation, Saiki confirmed he wasn't a friendly, so he had no qualms about fighting back.
Seeing Saiki standing there dazed, seemingly forgetting to resist, the Sand Ninja felt a surge of joy. "A brat is just a brat. He blocked the kunai, but he's been paralyzed by my killing intent."
"Life has been too easy these years. Konoha has truly fallen into decay."
In the blink of an eye, as the Sand Ninja prepared to slash Saiki's throat:
"Clutch!"
The Flower-Flower Fruit ability activated. Before the Sand Ninja could even react, two arms sprouted from his shoulders, grabbing his jaw and the back of his head, and gave them a violent twist.
CRACK!
The sound of a snapping cervical spine echoed through the air. The Sand Chunin didn't even have time to comprehend what was happening before his wide eyes began to glaze over and his pupils dilated.
With Saiki's superhuman strength, he could snap a tree trunk like a twig, let alone a human neck.
And this was only the second Chunin whose neck he had snapped!
Without the protection of chakra, a ninja is no different from an ordinary human; they can be killed just as easily with a kunai.
Thud!
A corpse with eyes bulging and a head twisted a full 180 degrees backward collapsed onto the ground in front of Saiki.
Staring at the body, Saiki didn't let down his guard. Although he had been using his Flower-Flower powers to sprout hidden eyes and track the man's every move, his actual combat experience was minimal. He couldn't be entirely sure if the guy had managed to use a Substitution Jutsu or something similar.
After sensing the area and confirming there were no hidden threats, Saiki finally looked at the corpse. A wave of nausea surged into his brain, forcing him to bite his lip hard to suppress it.
"I really am not cut out for this shinobi world, am I? Even though I've killed before, I still can't get used to this."
He couldn't help it. Having lived in a civilized 21st-century society for over twenty years, he had barely even killed a chicken, let alone a human. It was a miracle his legs hadn't turned to jelly from the shock.
"The Third War is getting closer. Even the outskirts of Konoha aren't safe anymore. I should probably avoid coming to the back mountains for a while."
Once he suppressed the urge to vomit, he had no intention of touching the Sand Ninja's body or cleaning up the battlefield. With a Body Flicker, Saiki vanished from the spot.
Regarding the cleanup—given his amateur skills, Saiki knew he couldn't hide the scene from the elite sensory teams of the Anbu or the patrol units. Leaving immediately was his best bet.
Of course, the most logical choice would have been to report the incident, but Saiki didn't want to expose himself to the scrutiny of Konoha's high-ranking officials. Even though he knew they would likely find out soon anyway, he "selectively" chose to forget that.
It wasn't his first time using the "Mental Victory" technique. As long as he didn't think about it, it didn't exist; he would deal with the fallout when it arrived. Enjoy the wine today, and let tomorrow's sorrows deal with themselves.
Besides, even if he were exposed, he had Tsunade to cover for him!
Saiki had actually overestimated the Anbu. The commotion of the fight was quieter than his usual training sessions. It wasn't until late at night that the patrol finally discovered the scene.
"Captain, we've got something up ahead!"
Several Leaf Shinobi wearing forehead protectors and green flak jackets rushed to the site. They were accompanied by a large grey dog—members of the Inuzuka Clan.
While the Uchiha Police Force was officially responsible for Konoha's internal security, the high-ranking officials led by the Third Hokage never truly trusted the Uchiha. Beyond the Police Force, Konoha maintained separate barrier teams and patrol units.
Looking at the corpse, Tsume Inuzuka, accompanied by her great dog, said in shock, "What is this?"
Without even touching the body, the sight of blood leaking from the seven orifices and the head twisted a full 180 degrees was enough to know the man was dead as a doornail.
One ninja knelt down to examine the body. "Likely a Sand scout, a Chunin. Time of death was approximately two hours ago."
Another ninja looked at the kunai embedded in the ground and then at the posture of the corpse. "The fight ended quickly. It started with a kunai attack, then transitioned to close quarters. His neck was snapped in an instant. But this method of killing...?"
The analyst trailed off. The state of the corpse was far too bizarre. Reconstructing the scene, it looked as if a pair of hands had materialized out of thin air to twist the man's neck—it defied standard ninja logic.
Shinobi usually relied on Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, or Taijutsu, but this death didn't seem to fit any of those categories.
"Kuromaru!"
Finding no other clues, Tsume looked at her dog.
"Follow me!" the dog spoke.
After securing the body, they followed the dog's lead. Eventually, they arrived directly in front of Tsunade's estate.
"Here?"
The team members looked at one another in confusion.
"Could it be Lady Tsunade? It makes sense. Only a powerhouse like her could dispatch someone like that so effortlessly."
"Wait, is Lady Tsunade back?"
"I'm not sure!"
"Regardless, anyone who can infiltrate the back mountains must be an elite Chunin at the very least. Lady Tsunade is the only one who could have taken him out so silently. It's late, and she hasn't reported it yet—which is strange—but let's pack this up and report the situation to Lord Hokage!"
"Understood!"
At that moment, Saiki wasn't asleep. He was standing by his window, only breathing a sigh of relief once he sensed the patrol leaving the area.
"They tracked it all the way here? Damn dogs. If this gets out, I'm definitely turning you into stew."
The next day, Hiruzen Sarutobi looked at the report in his hands with a puzzled expression. "When exactly did Tsunade return?"
Since developing her hemophobia, Tsunade had stopped taking missions. Hiruzen knew she had left the village recently to handle clan matters.
But he didn't give it much more thought; perhaps Tsunade had already returned, and he could just send an Anbu to check in a while.