"The war is over! The war is over!"
Looking at the cheering crowd before him, Ryujin Kenichi felt no joy. The voices blended into a chaotic noise that failed to stir his emotions. Even so, he couldn't deny the relief that settled in his heart. The Third Shinobi World War had finally come to an end.
At the very least, he wouldn't be sent on a suicide mission anymore, not that he expected any orders to come his way now. Konoha had suffered heavy casualties, and Genin like him were often considered expendable. Yet, he had survived. He owed that to his teacher.
"The war is over, Kenichi."
A familiar, smooth voice reached his ears. Kenichi didn't need to turn around to know who was standing behind him.
One of the legendary Sannin—Orochimaru. A man who would be revered and feared, nearly irredeemable, yet somehow finding redemption in the end. But that was a future yet to come. Right now, he was still the ambitious, enigmatic shinobi striving to secure his place in history. And he was Kenichi's teacher.
"Teacher, now that the war is over, Lord Third must be feeling his age. Do you think he'll retire?" Kenichi asked. His voice, though steady, carried traces of childhood curiosity. After all, he was only ten years old. Despite his youth, his composure and sharp mind had always set him apart, something Orochimaru had clearly noticed.
Of course, the real reason for his maturity was simple—he wasn't originally Ryujin Kenichi. In his past life, he had been an ordinary man who, after a long night of overtime, had lost consciousness, only to awaken as a war orphan in Konoha. He had been raised in an orphanage, struggling to find his place.
Then he met Orochimaru.
At the time, Orochimaru had been secretly collecting human test subjects. Kenichi had narrowly escaped such a fate. His intelligence and adaptability had intrigued Orochimaru, elevating him from potential experiment fodder to student.
Even now, thinking about it sent a chill down his spine. One misstep, one wrong word, and he would have been another nameless body in Orochimaru's research. But he had survived, walking on the razor's edge, using his knowledge to carve out a place beside one of Konoha's most brilliant yet dangerous shinobi.
Though he had never watched Naruto in full, he remembered key events and had seen various explanations online. He had a rough grasp of the timeline, even if some details were hazy. But even with limited knowledge, he knew enough to navigate this world.
"Mind your words, Kenichi. The Third Hokage is still Konoha's leader," Orochimaru said, his voice devoid of emotion. But Kenichi wasn't fooled. There was no real reprimand in his tone, just indifference. He knew well that Orochimaru harbored unspoken dissatisfaction with Hiruzen Sarutobi.
When had it begun? Perhaps the moment the Third hesitated in naming a successor. Orochimaru still desired the position of Fourth Hokage, though Kenichi knew that once Minato Namikaze was chosen, his teacher's ambitions would shift entirely.
"Teacher, how is the experiment progressing?" Kenichi asked, falling into step beside him.
By traditional standards, he was not a particularly gifted ninja. Even at ten, he barely qualified as a Genin. Under normal circumstances, someone like him wouldn't have lasted long under Orochimaru's tutelage. But he had an edge—his knowledge of science and research.
That was his true value.
His ideas, observations, and unconventional insights had secured his place. Orochimaru found his intellect fascinating, and that was the only reason Kenichi was still alive.
"Not bad," Orochimaru replied, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Danzo has been pressing for faster results, but our research has indeed progressed. Perhaps it's time to begin live experimentation."
Kenichi mirrored his teacher's smile, though for different reasons.
Orochimaru and Danzo were experimenting with the First Hokage's cells, attempting to create individuals capable of wielding Wood Release. Kenichi didn't remember all the specifics, but he knew the experiments would eventually succeed—at the cost of many lives.
But that was the kind of man Orochimaru was. And Danzo? He was even worse.
Kenichi had narrowly avoided being pulled into Root on multiple occasions. Danzo had seen potential in him, wanting to mold him into one of his emotionless, disposable soldiers. But Orochimaru had refused.
Later, Shimura Danzo even proposed placing a Binding Seal on Ryujin Kenichi's tongue, similar to the Curse Root members bore, ensuring his absolute silence. However, Orochimaru refused, dismissing Danzo's paranoia as unnecessary.
This refusal did not change Kenichi's opinion of Danzo—if anything, it deepened his wariness. He understood the necessity of schemes, but excessive control would only breed suspicion. Kenichi suppressed his dissatisfaction, revealing only a fleeting trace of displeasure. Until his power was sufficient to overturn the game, he would not openly oppose Danzo.
Returning to Orochimaru's hidden laboratory, Kenichi finally allowed himself to relax. This underground facility housed attendants tasked solely with cleaning and tending to his daily needs—prisoners, in truth, who would never leave alive. He had long grown accustomed to such a reality. In this unforgiving world, strength was the ultimate foundation. Thinking of the monstrous powerhouses that would emerge in the future, Kenichi's desire to grow stronger intensified.
[Current Research Target: Hashirama Senju's Sage Body]
[Analysis Progress: 99.8%]
A translucent interface—visible only to him—hovered before Kenichi's eyes. This ability, his greatest advantage after transmigrating, allowed him to analyze and assimilate the essence of anything he studied. However, he required physical samples to complete the process. Thanks to this cheat-like ability, Kenichi, who would have been unable to become a ninja at all, had climbed his way to the rank of Genin.
But that was his limit. His body was inherently weak, incapable of progressing further through conventional means. Thus, he shifted his focus to bloodlines, specifically those with exceptional physical potential. Initially, he had set his sights on the Uzumaki clan—Kushina Uzumaki, in particular, was a prime candidate. Their lineage granted them immense vitality and chakra reserves.
However, after falling under Orochimaru's wing, his plans changed. He leveraged his unique position to obtain something even greater—Hashirama Senju's cells.
Yet, despite acquiring them, the First Hokage's unique physique proved immensely difficult to analyze. It had taken him two and a half years to bring his research to near completion. But the wait was worth it—Hashirama's Sage Body would undoubtedly elevate his potential to new heights.
"Bring me my sample."
At his command, a test tube was promptly handed to him. Though his primary focus remained on the Sage Body, he was also beginning preliminary research on the Sharingan…