After school in the afternoon, Saiki split off a Flower Clone to maintain synchronized senses and accompany Shizune home, while his main body headed alone to the back mountains of Konoha to train.
Despite Saiki's laid-back demeanor at school, where he even had time to play house and cultivate relationships with the little girls, he had never once forgotten the brutal reality of this world.
Having transmigrated into this world inexplicably, Saiki had witnessed death firsthand even before Tsunade picked him up.
Furthermore, just 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 miserably in unimaginable agony. Yet, Saiki had never regretted it.
Arriving in the desolate wilderness of the ninja world with little to no survival experience, he had painstakingly used his powers to hunt down a wild pheasant.
That guy had suddenly appeared in front of Saiki, not only stealing his chicken but attempting to kill him to silence him and hide his tracks. In the end, Saiki had counter-killed him.
It was precisely because of that nameless bastard that Saiki truly realized he had transmigrated into the ruthless, cutthroat world of shinobi.
Deep in the back mountains of Konoha, inside a valley littered with massive boulders.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
As if utterly devoid of pain, while others trained using wooden posts with their fists wrapped in protective bandages, Saiki used zero protection, violently smashing his bare knuckles directly into the solid rock.
Saiki's striking force was so immense that the multi-ton boulders echoed with heavy, muffled thuds. If one had keen enough eyesight, they would notice the stones trembling slightly, fine cracks spider-webbing across their entire surfaces.
The spots that took the brunt of Saiki's fists had already been pounded into deep, crater-like indentations.
It was certain that before long, this boulder would follow in the footsteps of the others. Scattered around it were the shattered remains of over a dozen similarly sized rocks—the direct result of Saiki's relentless hammering over the past three years.
The Stone: "What did I do wrong? Sob, sob, sob!!!"
As a transmigrator, Saiki woke up in this world to find not only the Flower-Flower Fruit nearby, but also discovered that his physical body was far tougher and his raw strength far greater than the native people of this world.
He wasn't sure if it was a side effect of eating the Flower-Flower Fruit, granting him the insanely resilient physical constitution typical of people from the One Piece world.
While his current physical stats weren't as indestructible as the "Iron Balloon" physique of Emperor Big Mom, nor did he possess the immortal, hyper-regenerative "Vajra" body of Kaido, Saiki could proudly declare that he definitely wouldn't die from being backstabbed by a mere kunai.
It was exactly because of this robust physical foundation that Saiki, completely ignorant of the ninja world upon arrival, managed to successfully counter-kill a Chunin.
Saiki's main body focused on training Taijutsu. After all, whether it was Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, or Taijutsu, a powerful physical body was an essential foundation. Otherwise, he'd end up like Itachi Uchiha, dying prematurely from illness.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so Flower Clones he spawned were busy practicing swordsmanship, chakra control, weaving hand signs, and studying Ninjutsu.
The Flower Clones bloomed by the Flower-Flower Fruit were fundamentally different from the Ninjutsu Shadow Clones. The consciousness and sensory feedback of these Flower Clones were transmitted to Saiki in real-time.
Saiki's current routine was equivalent to one person doing over a dozen different complex tasks simultaneously. Things like fighting himself or drawing a circle with his left hand while drawing a square with his right required zero mental concentration.
Given his current state, it wouldn't be surprising if he developed a severe split personality one day.
However, considering that Robin could simultaneously control tens of thousands of hands to perform highly complex actions, he probably didn't need to worry about it.
After being brought back to Konoha by Tsunade, even though he had to serve her like a live-in maid—cooking her meals every day, handling her daily living arrangements, and doing her laundry... cough, he didn't actually have to wash her underwear, such a lucky job didn't fall to him—Tsunade gave him free reign to study her entire personal collection of Ninjutsu scrolls.
Although Tsunade was primarily a Taijutsu and Medical Ninja, she was the Princess of the Senju Clan. Many precious legacies of the First and Second Hokage were in her possession. Aside from forbidden jutsu like the Impure World Reincarnation, Wood Style, and Flying Raijin, Saiki had full access to Medical Ninjutsu, the Five Elemental Styles, Genjutsu, and the Second Hokage's personal insights on swordsmanship.
Thus, one of Saiki's Flower Clones was currently brandishing a chakra blade. Even though Saiki didn't particularly like the Second Hokage as a person, his kenjutsu was undeniably top-tier.
Right next to the clone practicing swordsmanship was another clone with a sphere of chakra coalescing in its palm.
The highly condensed ball of chakra in its hand was, indeed, the Rasengan.
The core essence of the Rasengan is the ultimate extreme of shape transformation. As a transmigrator, Saiki naturally understood the theory behind it.
Even with Naruto's abysmal teaching skills in the original story—merely explaining the three elements of rotation, power, and maintenance to Konohamaru—the kid managed to figure it out in just a few days.
Saiki wasn't an absolute unparalleled genius, but after three years of experimentation, he had mastered it long ago. Right now, not only could he effortlessly form a standard Rasengan, but he had also developed the Massive Rasengan.
Transmigrating into the Naruto universe and not knowing how to "rub a meatball" (Rasengan) would simply be unacceptable.
After training for a solid stretch, the Flower Clones exploded into flurries of petals. While the stamina drain of the Flower-Flower Fruit was minimal, maintaining the ability for extended periods was still incredibly taxing.
He stopped his punching and kicking to catch his breath. Dispelling the Flower Clones didn't cause a sudden, overwhelming rush of memory feedback like Shadow Clones did, because the clones' sensory inputs had been streaming directly into Saiki's mind all along.
To Saiki, the Flower Clones were somewhat similar to Nagato's Six Paths of Pain; their vision and memories were completely shared.
Activating his ability once more, a flurry of petals drifted by, coalescing back into several clones in the air, which immediately resumed their Ninjutsu and kenjutsu training.
"Mm, it doesn't consume much physical stamina, but it's really draining on the brain."
Synchronizing the viewpoints of the clones looking back at himself, spawning clones made him feel like he had grown several extra brains. To Saiki, the sensation was profoundly bizarre.
Multitasking effortlessly, he directed the clones to continue their drills while his main body went back to ruthlessly battering the boulders.
While he trained in the back mountains, the Flower Clone that had followed Shizune home was busy cooking. Saiki truly lived a life of relentless labor; not only did he have to micromanage clones for training and cooking, but his main body couldn't afford to stop tempering its flesh either.
"Two thousand one hundred twenty-one, two thousand one hundred twenty-two..."
With the help of his clones, a massive boulder weighing over a ton was hoisted onto his back. Bearing this crushing weight, Saiki counted out his push-ups one by one.
If any of his classmates were present, they would never believe that the mild-mannered, unenthusiastic Saiki from the classroom was this terrifyingly hardworking maniac.
Soon, the sky went dark.
Dismissed from school around 4:00 PM, he had maintained this high-intensity training until nightfall—nearly four hours. For Saiki, this was enough.
Saiki believed in health and self-preservation. He trained to get stronger so he could survive and live comfortably.
He absolutely refused to engage in that moronic "train until you drop" mentality that only resulted in permanent internal damage. Having studied Medical Ninjutsu alongside Tsunade, he knew exactly where his physical limits lay.
Countless facts proved that scientific, rational training paired with proper recovery allowed a person to go much further than those who recklessly squeezed out every last drop of their body's potential.
The ninja world was undeniably dark, but it had its beautiful aspects too—with so many gorgeous women around, he had zero intention of dying young.
The true value of cultivation lies in absolute consistency, not fleeting madness. Rain or shine, Saiki had maintained this exact training regimen for three solid years.
There was a waterfall right next to his training valley. After washing himself clean and using chakra to completely dry his clothes, Saiki gathered his things and began the trek home. He was absolutely starving.
"Walking down the country road, the evening cattle are my companions, the blue sky wears a sunset on its chest..."
Even though he was physically exhausted, Saiki strolled leisurely, humming a cheerful little tune and enjoying his own company.
However, as he passed through a section of the path shrouded in dense foliage, Saiki abruptly stopped in his tracks. His right hand casually rested on the hilt of the katana held in his left.
It was almost completely dark now, and most families were already having dinner. Aside from dedicated cultivators like him, civilians rarely wandered into the back mountains of Konoha at this hour.
Detecting a subtle presence in a tree not far away, Saiki immediately went on high alert.
Even though he wasn't a member of the Uchiha or Hyuga clans and couldn't literally see chakra in the dark, Saiki's natural talents were maxed out. His sensory perception was incredibly sharp, not to mention he possessed the Flower-Flower Fruit, which boasted unmatched reconnaissance capabilities.
The Flower-Flower Fruit ability activated silently. As the ninja hiding behind the tree cursed inwardly, "Dammit, how did I get spotted by a fucking brat?", his focus was entirely locked onto Saiki. He completely failed to notice a single leaf directly above his head suddenly sprout an eyeball.
The moonlight was decent tonight. With a single glance, Saiki recognized the metallic glint of the forehead protector in the dark. It didn't bear the insignia of Konoha, but rather the symbol of the Hidden Sand.
A Sand Ninja? Why the hell is a Sand Ninja sneaking around Konoha? I thought the Hidden Sand was currently fighting the Hidden Stone in the Third Great Ninja War?
Though he didn't fully understand the political context, Saiki knew for a fact that anyone skulking around like this harbored nothing but malicious intent.
Shit!
He cursed internally. It would have been fine if he hadn't accidentally revealed that he'd spotted the guy. But now that the enemy knew he was compromised, all Saiki could do was prepare for a fight to the death.
As expected, in the very next second, the Sand Ninja launched a decisive strike.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of piercing air rang out as several kunai were hurled with deadly precision toward Saiki, completely sealing off all his avenues of escape.
"Shit!"
Even though a kunai couldn't outright kill him, given his current level of defense, Saiki knew he would still sustain injuries. He instantly drew his blade and executed a flurry of rapid slashes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The katana accurately parried and deflected the kunai aimed at his vitals.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The remaining kunai buried themselves deeply into the soil, leaving only the ringed pommels exposed—a clear testament to the terrifying physical force behind the Sand Ninja's throw.
"Interesting brat. You were able to accurately predict and block my kunai. It seems you must be a child from one of the major clans."
The Sand Ninja finally revealed himself, standing on a thick tree branch. He looked down at Saiki with a cold sneer, his eyes radiating a chilling, naked killing intent.
Setting aside the deep-rooted blood feud between the Sand and the Leaf, he was an elite Chunin scout of the Hidden Sand. He had painstakingly infiltrated the Land of Fire, only to be compromised by a random kid.
Due to his unique constitution, Saiki was half a head taller than normal kids his age, but the youthful innocence on his face allowed the Sand Ninja to instantly deduce his true age.
An eight or nine-year-old brat had actually spotted him. The Sand Ninja was momentarily shocked, which was immediately followed by an overwhelming urge to murder the boy.
They were far too close to Konoha. He had to resolve this immediately. If he was discovered, his infiltration mission would be an absolute failure.
No further justification was needed. Drawing his tantō, the Sand Ninja lunged down to slaughter Saiki.
Since the guy attacked without a second word, Saiki confirmed he wasn't a friendly party. Consequently, Saiki threw all hesitations out the window.
Seeing Saiki standing there blankly, ostensibly forgetting to even mount a defense, a surge of joy erupted in the Sand Ninja's heart. "A brat is just a brat. He managed to block my kunai, but faced with my pure killing intent, he's been scared completely stiff."
"Years of peace have made them far too comfortable. Konoha has truly fallen into decay."
In that split second, as the Sand Ninja lamented inwardly and prepared to slice Saiki's throat open...
"Clutch!"
The Flower-Flower Fruit ability activated. Before the Sand Ninja could even register a single thought, two arms abruptly sprouted from his shoulders, clamping down brutally onto his jaw and the back of his head, delivering a violent, merciless twist.
CRACK!
The sickening sound of a snapping cervical spine echoed sharply. The Sand Chunin didn't even have the time to comprehend what had just happened before the pupils in his wide, bulging eyes began to dilate into nothingness.
With Saiki's thousands of pounds of raw strength, he could snap thick tree trunks like twigs, let alone a fragile human neck.
Furthermore, this was simply the second Chunin whose neck he had snapped!
Without the active protection of chakra, a ninja was biologically no different from an ordinary civilian; they could be easily killed by a simple kunai stab.
Thud!
A corpse with its eyes forced wide open and its head twisted a full one hundred and eighty degrees backward collapsed heavily onto the ground right in front of Saiki.
Staring at the fallen body, Saiki did not let his guard down. Although he had been using the Flower-Flower Fruit to sprout hidden eyes to monitor the man's every move, his actual life-or-death combat experience was still too lacking. He couldn't be absolutely certain if the bastard had managed to pull off a Substitution Jutsu or some other trick.
After thoroughly sensing his surroundings and confirming there were no impending ambushes, Saiki finally let himself look at the corpse. A wave of profound nausea surged directly into his brain, forcing Saiki to bite down viciously on his own lip.
"Just as I thought, I'm really not cut out for this ninja world! Even though I've killed before, I still can't get used to this sick feeling."
He couldn't help it. Having lived in the civilized society of the 21st century for over two decades, let alone killing a human being, he had rarely even slaughtered a chicken. It was a miracle Saiki's legs hadn't turned to jelly from the adrenaline crash.
"The Third War is getting closer and closer. Even the immediate outskirts of Konoha aren't safe anymore. Looks like I better avoid coming to the back mountains from now on."
Forcing down the overwhelming urge to vomit, Saiki had absolutely no intention of touching the Sand Ninja's corpse or cleaning up the battlefield. With a swift Body Flicker, Saiki vanished from the area.
As for cleaning up the scene—with his amateur techniques, Saiki knew full well he couldn't possibly fool the elite tracking methods of the Anbu and patrol units. Leaving immediately was unequivocally the smartest choice.
Naturally, the best choice would be to go and report the incident, but Saiki absolutely refused to expose himself to the scrutinizing gaze of Konoha's high command. Even though the higher-ups would likely find out soon anyway, he "selectively" chose to forget about that little detail.
It wasn't his first time employing the "Mental Victory" coping mechanism anyway. As long as he didn't think about it, he could pretend the whole thing never happened. He could figure out a solution when the problem actually stood in front of him—enjoy the wine today and get drunk, let tomorrow's sorrows be handled by tomorrow's self.
In the absolute worst-case scenario, even if he were exposed, didn't he still have Tsunade to cover for him?!
Saiki had actually overestimated the Anbu. The commotion caused by the brief skirmish was significantly quieter than the noise from his own training. It wasn't until late into the dead of night that the patrol personnel finally discovered the scene.
"Captain, we've got a situation up ahead!"
Several Konoha shinobi wearing forehead protectors and standard-issue green flak jackets rapidly converged on the battle site. A large grey dog accompanied them, making it blatantly obvious they were members of the Inuzuka clan.
While the Uchiha Police Force was officially responsible for Konoha's internal security and public order, the high-ranking officials led by the Third Hokage never truly trusted the Uchiha. Consequently, alongside the Police Force, Konoha maintained separate barrier teams and dedicated patrol units.
Staring at the corpse on the ground, Tsume Inuzuka, accompanied by her great dog, spoke with a mix of shock and bewilderment, "What is this?"
Without even needing to physically examine the body, just the horrifying sight of blood leaking from the seven orifices and the head twisted a complete one hundred and eighty degrees was enough to know this man was dead beyond saving.
A ninja crouched down, briefly verifying the state of death before reporting, "Looks like a Chunin scout from the Hidden Sand. Estimated time of death is roughly two hours ago."
Another ninja analyzed the kunai embedded deep into the dirt, then looked back at the collapsed posture of the corpse. "The battle ended extremely fast. First came a kunai assault, followed by a transition to close quarters. In that instant, his neck was snapped completely. But this specific method of execution...??"
As he spoke, the analyzing ninja found himself trailing off. The corpse's state was far too bizarre. Reconstructing the scene based on the evidence, it looked as though a pair of phantom hands had materialized out of thin air to snap the Sand Ninja's neck. It completely defied conventional shinobi logic.
Shinobi techniques fell into three categories: Genjutsu, Ninjutsu, and Taijutsu. Clearly, this method of killing didn't fit into any of those standard parameters.
"Kuromaru!"
Finding no further clues, Tsume Inuzuka looked down at the great dog.
"Follow me!" the massive dog barked, speaking human language.
After bagging and securing the corpse, they followed the dog's lead. Eventually, the trail led them directly to the front gates of Tsunade's large estate.
"Here?"
The squad members looked at each other in utter confusion.
"Could it be Lady Tsunade? That makes sense. Only an absolute powerhouse like Lady Tsunade could effortlessly butcher a guy like that without making a sound!"
"Wait, is Lady Tsunade back in the village?"
"I have no idea!"
"Regardless, anyone capable of infiltrating the back mountains undetected has to be an elite Chunin at the very least. Lady Tsunade is the only one around here who could have eliminated him so silently. It's extremely late, and it is a bit strange that Lady Tsunade hasn't submitted a formal report yet, but let's compile our findings and report this directly to Lord Hokage!"
"Understood!"
At that very moment, Saiki wasn't asleep. Standing perfectly still by the window, he only let out a heavy sigh of relief once he sensed the patrol squad finally leave the premises.
"They tracked it all the way here? Damn dogs. If this gets exposed, I'm definitely chopping you up for dog meat stew."
The next day, Hiruzen Sarutobi stared at the intelligence report in his hands with deep confusion. "When exactly did Tsunade return?"
After developing severe hemophobia, Tsunade had stopped taking on active combat missions. Hiruzen was fully aware that her recent departure from Konoha was strictly to handle clan-related business.
But he didn't dwell on the discrepancy for too long. Perhaps Tsunade had quietly returned ahead of schedule. He figured he would just dispatch an Anbu operative to ask her about it later.