Inside a room of the Senju Clan residence, a pregnant woman slept peacefully beside her husband, unaware of the changes occurring in her womb.
The embryo that was meant to become their son began to mutate when an unknown gene fused with its genetic code. Strangely, instead of causing disorder, the gene integrated perfectly, reactivating latent sequences. The genes of the Uzumaki and Senju clans, along with Hashirama's heritage, were further strengthened under the influence of this anomaly.
And along with these changes… a foreign soul fused with the embryo.
Upon regaining consciousness, Noah felt his body compressed on all sides. A few seconds later, a blinding light pierced the darkness surrounding him. Knowing what he had to do, the baby began to cry.
—Ma'am! Congratulations! It's a healthy boy!
The midwife cut the umbilical cord and closed the wound with chakra before handing the newborn to his mother. With a tired smile, the woman with red hair, characteristic of the Uzumaki clan, held him tenderly.
—Nawaki… your name will be Nawaki.
Exhausted, the woman closed her eyes and fell into a deep sleep.
Noah watched her with curiosity.
She seems like a good woman… it's a shame she won't live much longer.
With a sigh, he closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep.
---
Three years later.
In an open field, a group of children aged three to five played happily, chasing each other. Among them, one stood out.
His hair was silver, and his eyes shone with an intense emerald green.
—Nawaki! Stop running so fast! I'll never catch you if you keep going! —complained a dark-haired boy with completely white pupils.
—Hahaha! That's because you're too slow, Hizo.
Hizo, a member of the Hyuga clan's main family and nephew of the patriarch, ran after Noah with all his might. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't catch him. Finally, exhausted, he fell to his knees on the ground.
Noah stopped beside him with a triumphant smile.
—Ha! Admit it, you'll never catch me.
—Tsk… You win. I give up.
Hizo sighed in resignation and, as a self-imposed punishment, pulled out a small lock of his hair and handed it to Noah.
Noah blinked for a moment before casually putting it in his pocket.
Perfect. High-quality genetic material from the Hyuga clan.
Hizo's bodyguard observed the interaction but found nothing strange. After all, who would suspect a three-year-old child? Especially the grandson of the First Hokage. Anyone who dared to question him would face Lady Mito's wrath.
—Well, Hizo, I'm tired now. If I don't get home soon, big sister Tsunade will scold me. See you tomorrow!
Without giving him a chance to respond, Noah ran towards the Senju residence.
Tsk… Acting like a child is harder than I thought.
For the past three years, Noah had worked hard to behave like a slightly exceptional normal child. He didn't display intelligence too exaggerated for his age or extraordinary abilities. He preferred to be seen as a promising future genius rather than a monster, especially with the ever-suspicious Tobirama still alive.
Not to mention the always perceptive Uzumaki Mito. Drawing too much attention could bring problems.
Although I must admit, this body is perfect… and the Elder Blood has enhanced it even further.
Apart from the Elder Blood, his Kekkei Genkai were powerful in themselves.
The Uzumaki genes granted him an immense chakra reserve.
The Senju genes gave him a formidable constitution.
And Hashirama's latent genes, activated thanks to the Elder Blood, granted him one of the rarest and most coveted abilities in the shinobi world: Mokuton.
As he ran, Noah observed the small sprout that emerged from his palm. With a simple hand movement, he dissolved it, letting the wood disintegrate into motes of chakra before touching the ground.
In this world, chakra was not an abstract mystical concept, but the result of two fundamental forces present in the human body interacting with each other:
physical energy, generated by the body, and spiritual force, born from the mind and soul.
Constitution determined the base for producing physical energy; spiritual force determined the quality and quantity of mental energy. Chakra was nothing more than the stable fusion of both.
For the past three years, Noah had meditated every night, using the spiritual cultivation technique he had brought with him. He managed to increase his spiritual power to such a level that he had reached the limit his infant brain could withstand without suffering damage.
Slowing his pace, Noah sank his consciousness deep into his mind.
Void energy had been passively accumulating over these three years, about a hundred points per year.
Opening a dimensional portal consumed that exact amount. And by the time he wanted to return to the Shinobi world, he would have to consume another hundred points.
The inherent abilities of the Elder Blood also used this energy, though to a lesser extent, avoiding draining his vitality.
Minutes later, he arrived at the Senju residence, but something was wrong.
The atmosphere was different.
Uzumaki Mito, elderly but still imposing, saw him enter and enveloped him in a silent embrace.
Sigh… So it happened as I feared.
He knew his parents wouldn't live long, but still, he felt some sadness at their departure. However, he didn't have the power to change it.
As for changing the plot to save their lives?
He had decided from the beginning not to become attached to anyone in this life. Bonds were chains, and he had no intention of dragging them again. Besides, even though his body was that of a child, his mind was still that of an adult man who had already lived, lost, and understood too much. Death, no matter how harsh, was ultimately something ephemeral to him.
The funeral was held that very night.
Now, the Senju family was reduced to the ever-absent Tobirama, Mito, Tsunade, and Nawaki. Tsunade, usually loud, remained silent, in a state of shock. She just clung tightly to her younger brother while staring at her parents' portrait.
When the ceremony ended, Noah approached his grandmother with a dejected expression.
—Grandma, I'm tired… I don't want dinner tonight.
Mito looked at him sadly before nodding.
Once in his room, Noah locked the door and removed the rug covering the floor.
—Wood Style Technique: Wood Control.
The floor opened, revealing a tunnel. Without hesitation, he jumped inside, and the opening closed behind him.
The wooden tunnel led to a small underground cave.
It had been created entirely with Mokuton, reinforced and compacted until it resembled solid rock. It was situated outside the perimeter of the Senju residence; far enough away that Uzumaki Mito wouldn't perceive any anomaly each time Noah left this world.
For the past two months, he had been working secretly in this place.
It wasn't big, nor comfortable, nor designed for living. It was functional. And that was enough.
Noah sat in the center of the cave and took out the small lock of hair he had obtained earlier.
Hair from the Hyūga clan.
His lips curved slightly.
In his left hand, space distorted. A dark cube appeared floating above his palm, covered in golden engravings.
It was the Horadric Cube.
With a thought, he opened its internal dimensional space. From inside, he extracted a transparent glass tube. He placed the lock of hair inside and sealed it without rush before returning it to the cube's space.
The Horadric Cube vanished, retreating back into his soul.
Noah closed his eyes and exhaled slowly.
Channeling his thoughts, he visualized the world he wanted to travel to. Suddenly, he felt his void energy draining, and a spatial vortex appeared before him.
Without hesitation, he stepped into it.