A scorching heat burst through his entire body.
Kenichi grunted, fingers digging into the edge of his desk.
Here it comes again.
Every time he "acquired" a new ability from his research, his body reacted badly—but this time the discomfort was on a whole different level.
It felt like someone had laid him on an operating table and carefully dissected him piece by piece.
By the time the searing pain finally faded, Kenichi was drenched in sweat.
He collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the dim ceiling, and a faint smile crept onto his face.
His body felt… different.
The amount of chakra he could extract with a single thought was already more than what he used to squeeze out after an entire exhausting day of training.
This was the difference between an ordinary person and a monster-level genius.
Between a war orphan like Amemiya Kenichi…
and the "God of Shinobi," Hashirama Senju.
Kenichi pushed himself up from the bed, excitement surging in his chest.
His guess had been right.
Hashirama's Sage Physique didn't just mean ridiculous talent for Sage Mode—it had straight-up rewritten his base aptitude.
Talent was very real in this world.
He and Kakashi were about the same age, but Kakashi was already a jōnin.
And him? Still stuck at genin.
If things went on like that, he'd probably only scrape his way to chūnin when he was in his twenties or thirties.
But now… Kenichi had finally grabbed hold of the key to becoming a true powerhouse.
"…Doesn't look like I awakened Wood Release though."
He felt the chakra flowing calmly inside him and clicked his tongue.
Wood Release would've been nice.
But in truth, not awakening it might be a blessing.
This was Wood Release—an ability only Hashirama himself had ever possessed in Konoha.
If some random orphan suddenly started using it, he wouldn't be called a genius.
He'd be called… "experimental material."
Especially while he was still living right under his teacher's and Danzō's noses.
Kenichi had absolutely no intention of ending up strapped to a lab table.
[Current research project completed]
[Elective task list updated]
Kenichi pinched the bridge of his nose and brought up the new prompt.
Aside from direct "research targets," his cheat also generated a list of optional tasks—like university electives.
Most of them were bizarre.
But the rewards were always tempting.
Last time he'd completed one, he'd received a full microscope set.
[1. Obtain biological tissue from Uzumaki Kushina and isolate the unique genetic chain of the Uzumaki clan.]
[2. Establish a completely independent personal laboratory.]
Good news: just like last time, there were only two missions.
Bad news: both were a pain.
"Kushina's tissue, huh… a hair strand would work, but blood would be better for gene analysis."
Kenichi frowned at the task.
Getting a sample wasn't the hard part.
The hard part was identifying what made the Uzumaki genetic structure different from normal people.
He had his own theory about kekkei genkai and clan-specific physiques.
To him, all of them—Sharingan, Byakugan, special bodies—were just unique genetic data passed down through inheritance.
Only those carrying the Uchiha genetic "code" could awaken the Sharingan.
If it were otherwise, Danzō wouldn't cling to the Uchiha clan so obsessively.
The Uzumaki clan followed the same logic.
As long as he could isolate the unique Uzumaki gene sequence, the task should count as complete.
As for extracting that sequence and inserting it into someone else's…
With the current level of science in the ninja world, that was still difficult.
But fortunately, his teacher was Orochimaru—a man who had already dabbled in similar techniques.
"As for the second mission… it's simpler on paper, but the money is going to be a problem."
Kenichi sighed.
As expected, you don't gain anything in this world without paying a price.
"Looks like I really need to start planning my exit route."
His gaze drifted to the photo on his nightstand: Orochimaru in pristine white, and himself beside him, smiling.
Orochimaru was a good teacher.
Too good, in some ways.
The next morning, after making himself a simple breakfast, Kenichi began his daily routine—physical training.
He even had a regular training partner: Might Guy, son of the man who'd died in battle and forced Konoha's leadership to finally take taijutsu seriously—the same man whose son would one day nearly end the war with a single kick.
"Good morning, Kenichi! What a youthful day it is!"
The moment he walked out the door, he was greeted by Guy's blindingly white smile.
"Morning, Guy."
Kenichi grinned back.
His contact with Guy was absolutely intentional—done for one reason: the Eight Gates technique.
Of course, the Eight Gates had already been sealed away in the Forbidden Scroll.
Guy had never mentioned teaching it to him, likely due to orders from Konoha's higher-ups.
Kenichi didn't rush it.
Some things couldn't be forced.
As long as he maintained a good relationship with Guy, he'd eventually get his hands on the Eight Gates. It was just a matter of time.
"Kenichi, how about frog-jumping around the entire village today?!"
Guy's eyes shone with expectation.
Kenichi simply nodded.
If this had been right after he'd first transmigrated, he would've died on the spot.
Back then, just frog-jumping two hundred meters would've killed him, never mind circling the village.
But after months of training, his body had grown strong.
A full lap was exhausting—but not impossible.
"Ohhhh! This is youth!"
Fired up, Guy shot forward, and Kenichi followed.
He didn't dislike Guy.
Yes, the guy was too hot-blooded sometimes, but he was a true friend—and a man who had become strong purely through effort.
Compared to genius types, people like Guy were much easier to be around.
When their morning training finally ended, Kenichi waved goodbye with a smile.
He still had to find his teacher; today's research hadn't even started.
But just as he stepped out of the forest, he spotted Orochimaru leaning lazily against a tree, munching on a dango skewer.
"Sensei!"
Kenichi hurried over, looking genuinely delighted.
Whatever his future plans, for now he still needed to maintain a good relationship with his teacher.
"The chakra in your body has grown… quite a bit," Orochimaru said, giving him a sidelong glance and a faint smile. "At this rate, becoming a chūnin is only a matter of time."
Kenichi lowered his head to hide the flash of satisfaction in his eyes.
Only he knew—becoming a chūnin was just the beginning.
With Hashirama's Sage Physique in his hands, he'd already stepped onto the path of monsters.
(End of Chapter)