"Tobirama, come down for dinner!"
His mother's voice called from downstairs.
"Got it, I'm coming."
Upstairs, Tobirama closed the book in his hand and placed it on the desk. He then lightly leapt down from a chair that was still quite a bit taller than he was.
---
After finishing dinner, Tobirama returned upstairs, flopped onto his bed, and let his thoughts wander while listening to the sounds of people in the streets outside.
Tobirama was a transmigrator—or perhaps it was more accurate to say he had been reincarnated?
It was now Year 39 of the Hidden Leaf Village—the same world of Naruto everyone knows—and this was his fourth year here.
Coming to this world had been a complete accident. A freak twist of fate.
In his past life, he was a 28-year-old office worker. A totally average guy—normal background, normal college, normal job. Maybe the only unusual thing was that he was still single at that age.
As for the whole transmigration thing, the only thing he could connect it to was a web game called "Life Simulator" he had been playing on his phone before bed. He'd fallen asleep mid-game, and the next thing he knew, he was a four-month-old baby.
Why it was the Naruto world? He still had no idea.
The only relief was that his younger sister had already graduated college, and his elderly parents weren't left helpless. But now, at age four, what could he realistically do?
Tobirama—no, Yamanaka Tobirama—often wondered: if he had to be sent to the Naruto world, couldn't he at least have been given the Senju surname? Tobirama Senju—that would've been awesome. Uchiha would've worked too.
Hyuga? Eh… let's not go there.
Yamanaka Tobirama's name was oddly similar to a certain emo duck. His grandfather had been a die-hard fan of the Second Hokage, and after realizing his own son was hopeless, he named his grandson Tobirama as a tribute—even if the Second Hokage himself might not have approved.
Yamanaka Tobirama had a mischievous thought: if he ran into Tsunade and dropped his name, would she beat him half to death for the disrespect?
Four years had passed, and he still hadn't gotten any kind of cheat ability. That simulator game before bed? Useless.
He'd transmigrated with no hacks—into a world where bloodline meant everything, and he had none. Truly unfortunate.
Yamanaka Tobirama was a hybrid: part Yamanaka, part Nara. His father was cousins with Yamanaka Inoichi's father, and his mother was the younger sister of Nara Shikaku's mother. That technically made him second-generation of the legendary Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
He walked up to the half-body mirror in the room, looked at his reflection, and groaned.
His hair was a mix of light brown and black—Yamanaka blond and Nara black—but it was his face that was the real issue. He looked suspiciously like Sasuke.
Wait… Sasuke hadn't even been born yet. That meant… he had Izuna's face?
Soft red lips and fair, handsome features made even him want to squish his own cheeks.
Tobirama's name with Izuna's face—what a cosmic joke. Even his usually upbeat personality struggled to stay positive. He could only hope Madara didn't randomly show up and take "interest" in a little kid like him.
Sigh… too many worries. First, just focus on surviving.
Over the past four years, he'd studied ninja basics, trained his body, and started herbal soaks as early as one and a half years old.
He could now confidently say his chakra potential was decent. His innate spiritual energy had been measured at birth, and according to the clan elders, he was the kind of genius the Yamanaka hadn't seen in a hundred years.
Which, honestly, made sense. Otherwise, why would every big-name clan in Naruto always fade into the background when things got serious? That's the real plot hole.
Earlier at dinner, he heard he'd be starting chakra extraction training soon—which left him feeling excited.
He'd considered trying to extract chakra on his own, but after being repeatedly warned not to, today he'd finally get a proper experience of real ninja power.
After fixing a few rebellious hairs that stuck out like a "king's tuft," he headed down to the clan's training grounds.
---
When he arrived, some other clan kids were already training.
The elder in charge of introductions, Yamanaka Rokuchōrō (Sixth Elder), gestured for him to come over. As Tobirama approached, he realized his grandfather was also present.
Given the close ties within the Ino-Shika-Cho clans, it made sense for the Nara clan's Second Elder to be here too.
"Grandpa. Sixth Elder," Tobirama greeted them politely.
The two elders clearly had something to say.
"Come with us."
They led him into a large, quiet room and sat down.
"Where's your father? Why didn't he come with you?" his grandfather asked, slightly annoyed.
"Dad got called into the Intelligence Division. Emergency mission. And it's just chakra extraction training—besides, I've got you here, Grandpa."
The Sixth Elder smirked slightly at their interaction.
"Fine, I'll let it go this time. Seisen (Sixth Elder), you may begin."
Though still a bit annoyed, his grandfather seemed to mellow out when looking at his obedient grandson.
"Tobirama?…"
Even before the elder finished his sentence, Tobirama began reciting from memory:
> "Chakra is a form of energy created by perfectly merging spiritual and physical energy.
It is the source of power used to perform ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu. Simply put, it's the energy needed to use any technique.
Chakra is generated by extracting physical energy from the body's 130 trillion cells and combining it with spiritual energy cultivated through training and experience.
In other words, 'ninjutsu' is the result of refining these two energies, then channeling them through hand signs to activate techniques."
"Very good. Seems like you've mastered the basics—no need for a lecture."
The Sixth Elder nodded in approval and continued:
"However, what you just recited is the textbook version. For ninja clans like ours—with unique secret techniques and bloodlines—we've refined chakra extraction methods over generations.
For example: the Yamanaka and Nara clans emphasize spiritual energy more than physical energy. The ratio differs, but the resulting chakra is better suited for our techniques. On the other hand, the Akimichi clan focuses more on physical energy.
Since this is your first attempt, try both versions. Your grandfather and I will guide you."
He handed Tobirama two manuals with different chakra extraction methods.
Tobirama eagerly opened the left one, reading through it carefully. It matched everything he'd studied—it was the standard method.
He glanced at the elders, who were seated and ready, then entered meditation.
Simple. Almost too simple.
As soon as he closed his eyes and focused, he felt it—that sensation. Chakra had already begun to stir within him.
And then, as if triggered by the moment, a pale blue interface suddenly floated into view inside his mind—
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