STIN: Chapter 1/5

Chapter 1: The Sleeping Tyrant

Konoha Year 31.

Class 3-A was eerily silent, the sunlight making the chalk dust drift lazily in the air.

At the back of the classroom, by the window in the so-called "Protagonist's Seat," eight-year-old Kamiyama Ryo was fast asleep.

His chin was pressed firmly against the desk, as if glued there. His eyelids were too heavy to lift, and his entire being radiated: "I'm done, I'm exhausted, just let me sleep."

The afternoon sun shone on his strikingly red hair, but it failed to wake him.

At the front of the classroom came a few stifled giggles, like the buzzing of mosquitoes.

Ryo rubbed his face against the desk in irritation, which only made the sharp lines of his jaw stand out more.

Just then, the teacher, Kimura Shū, pushed open the door, bringing in a little girl.

Her red hair blazed like fire, framing a small, round, and rather cute face.

"Quiet down, class!" Kimura Shū's voice broke through the drowsy air in the back. "We have a new student joining us today." He gestured for the red-haired girl to step forward.

The girl took a deep breath, then shouted bravely, "H-hello, everyone! I'm Uzumaki Kushina, 'ttebane!" Her voice was crisp, but the strange, rolled-tongue verbal tic at the end stood out clearly.

That single shout stirred up a hornet's nest.

The entire class burst into laughter.

"Hahaha! Look at that hair!"

"It's as red as a tomato!"

"Hey, hey, her face is all red now, she looks even more like one!"

The jeers poured down without mercy. Kushina felt like a stone sinking into mud, sinking deeper and deeper.

Her throat tightened. She blinked furiously, trying to hold back tears. But no matter what, they welled up, and her vision blurred.

No! She couldn't just take it. She suddenly looked up and, with a desperate shout, declared, "My dream is to become the first female Hokage of Konoha Village!"

That was like pouring oil on the fire. The laughter grew louder, full of mockery.

"Hahaha, she's insane!"

"An outsider, a red tomato, wants to be Hokage?"

"Go back to your countryside home!"

"Daydreamer! You don't deserve it!"

The words stabbed her like thorny knives. Kushina's face burned hot, she couldn't tell if it was from shame or anger.

This time, she couldn't hold back her tears. She threw her head back hard, trying to stop them from falling.

Kimura Shū frowned, about to speak, but his voice was swallowed by the uproar.

Minato Namikaze, sitting near the podium, couldn't stand it anymore. Seeing Kushina's eyes turn red, determination surged in him. His hands braced on the desk, fingers turning white, ready to stand and defend her.

But then,

"Shut up!"

The roar, like a thunderclap, drowned out everything. "You're too damn loud! Are you tired of living?!"

The classroom instantly froze.

All laughter, all mockery, all whispers vanished as though their throats had been seized.

Every eye, filled with shock and disbelief, swish, turned to the back by the window.

A living nightmare had awakened.

Ryo was awake.

He lifted his head from the desk with a sharp crack of his neck that echoed in the dead silence.

He opened his eyelids, revealing silver-gray eyes filled only with irritation at being woken and a fierce, cutting intensity as they swept across the class.

Those caught in his gaze felt as though a cold wind had sliced through them. The loudest laughers from earlier shrank their necks, not daring to breathe.

Oh no!!!

They had been so busy mocking the new red-haired girl that they forgot the truly terrifying redhead in this class.

Ryo's red hair, to them, was a warning sign, a symbol of violence. He was absolutely not someone to provoke.

Why?

Because when he first entered the academy at six, his red hair had drawn the same mockery and bullying.

His family was poor and without backing, his parents gone, leaving only a few distant and insignificant Senju relatives.

However, Ryo had a cheat with a somewhat cliché name, "the Strongest Legacy System." Likely due to his red hair, it first granted him the legacy of Red-Haired Shanks, the Yonko from the One Piece world.

After the system's modification, Ryo inherited Shanks's physique. Even as a child, he became abnormally strong, with passive skills like massive stamina and rapid regeneration, a blend of Shanks's traits and Senju blood, plus 30% of Shanks's combat experience and techniques. As Ryo grew, the system would gradually unlock more, until he inherited everything Shanks possessed.

(Note: 30% = Jonin, 30–60% = Jonin–Kage, 60–80% = Kage–Super Kage, 80–100% = Super Kage.)

(System condition: Next stage unlocks only when Ryo fully digests the current inheritance and his body is strong enough.)

Moreover, Ryo was inherently ruthless and extremely hardworking.

The result went without saying.

At the academy, whether it was seniors bullying juniors or classmates joining in mockery, anyone who dared insult his red hair was "persuaded" physically by his fists.

The words "Don't leave after school" were no joke when coming from him, they struck fear in everyone's heart.

Could the teachers control him?

The truth was, most of them, after weighing their own strength, weren't even sure they could subdue this ferocious little monster.

With this fearsome reputation, Ryo reigned at the top of Class 3-A, no, the entire academy.

For three years, everyone lived under his shadow, miserable.

All knew that once this red-haired boy, who loved to sleep, opened his eyes, he was a human T-Rex.

So, his single low growl of morning temper was enough, the class instantly went silent.

Kushina was completely bewildered. What had just happened?

…

"Hmph! Boring!" Ryo saw the cowards shrink like quails and his irritation faded slightly.

He glared around the room, his gaze like a blade scraping across faces, full of warning: Make another sound? I'll show you what happens when you interrupt my sleep.

Satisfied, Ryo slammed his head back onto the desk with a thud, sticking himself there once more.

In short, even if the world ended, no one was allowed to disturb Ryo's sleep.

As for why he was always so sleepy?

He couldn't help it.

Ryo was just an ordinary poor kid in Konoha. His ancestors were once Senju, but ever since the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, disbanded the clan and everyone gave up the surname, by Ryo's parents' generation, almost nothing was left.

His parents died early, leaving only a run-down house where heavy rain outside meant rain inside as well.

Plus a few cheap-sounding C-rank ninjutsu scrolls, forget about anything like Kage Bunshin, and meager savings that weren't even enough to pick his teeth.

And worse, Ryo's body.

"He had inherited the iron-blooded physique of Shanks. His appetite was bottomless."

How long could his parents' pitiful inheritance last? It was gone in an instant.

On top of that, Ryo trained like a maniac.

So at night, after training, he had to sneak to the outskirts of the Forest of Death to hunt for food, wild rabbits, fruits, wild boars, anything edible.

For two years of school, this was his routine.

The result, class in the daytime was his only recharge time.

That's why his temper was so bad.

Being woken from deep sleep? Morning grumpiness, MAX.

Vaguely, he thought he heard someone mocking his red hair again?

Unforgivable. Ryo's mental blacklist was already noting down names.

Damn it, wait until after school. Let's see how I deal with you clueless brats.

As for the new student?

What new student?

His eyelids weighed a ton, his brain hadn't left deep sleep mode, so he hadn't even noticed an extra person at the front of the room, let alone who it was.

…

The classroom air froze solid.

Seeing the terrifying redhead flop back down and resume snoring, everyone let out an extremely quiet, relieved breath, as though surviving a disaster.

"Shhh," "Hoo," "Softer! Don't wake him again!"

The students even held their breath, terrified of disturbing the sleeping volcano again.

The ones who had mocked Kushina earlier were drenched in cold sweat. Had Ryo heard them insulting red hair? If so, they were doomed.

"Kushina-chan," the teacher at the podium sighed in relief, lowering his voice unconsciously as if meeting someone in secret. "Find yourself a seat."

Kushina still had a faint blush of anger on her cheeks, her light blue eyes misty.

She looked around, clutching the hem of her clothes nervously.

Empty? Empty? Empty… The only empty seat was next to that terrifying red-haired boy.

Under the whole class's sympathetic and gloating eyes, as if watching someone march to their death, Kushina gathered her courage. Step by step, she moved softly to the window seat.

Her heart pounded like a drum. She carefully pulled out the chair, making almost no sound, then quickly sat like a little rabbit.

"Ahem… Alright, class, let's… continue the lesson." The teacher cleared his throat, still barely louder than a mosquito, and hurriedly resumed lecturing to divert attention.

Kushina quietly turned her head to observe the boy beside her, his flame-red hair buried in his arms as he slept soundly.

Although he had been terrifying just now, his eyes as sharp as knives, he had helped her, hadn't he?

Everyone mocked and isolated her, but he hadn't joined them. And he had the same red hair as her.

Kushina remembered Grandma Mito's gentle words, "Make lots of friends at school."

Her small fist clenched under the desk, cheering herself on.

Yes! Isn't this her chance to make her first friend? He's the one!

"Um…" Kushina summoned the greatest courage of her life, cheeks flushing again. She leaned slightly toward Ryo, voice soft and timid, full of twelve-thousand percent anticipation. She whispered to the red-haired boy with his head buried in his arms, "H-hello! My name is Uzumaki Kushina. Can we… be friends?"

After her words fell, only the teacher's low lecture and the occasional shhk of chalk on the board could be heard.

Kushina held her breath, waiting.

Nervous? Excited? Both.

One second… two seconds…

His reply, "Hoo… snore… hoo…"

Soft, steady snores rose from the red-haired boy's head.

Kushina: (?_?)…

Her expression froze. Her blue eyes blinked, then blinked again, staring at the unresponsive sleeper.

At that moment, Kushina felt as though a tomato had hit her on the head, dull, sour, and embarrassing.

Her first attempt to make a friend, defeated by snoring?!

Her balloon of courage went poof, completely deflated.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 2: The Straight Man and the Fiery Girl

Ding-a-ling-a-ling—!

Oh, thank heavens. The dismissal bell was practically the sound of angels.

Their teacher, Kimura Shū, almost instantly clapped his lesson plan shut. Before he could even finish his sentence, the small group of kids who had laughed the loudest and shouted the cruelest words earlier jumped up from their seats as if springs had gone off under them, shooting up with a "whoosh."

They moved so fast, it was like a pack of starving wild dogs was chasing them. Scrambling and stumbling, they didn't even have time to put their backpacks on properly, rushing out the classroom door with a clatter, stirring up a gust of wind that sent chalk dust flying from the podium.

Why were they running so fast?

Obviously!

They knew perfectly well that when they mocked the new red-haired student earlier, their voices were as loud as loudspeakers. The problem was—the words "red-haired"!

There were only two redheads in the room.

One was the new, tomato-headed girl, easy to bully. The other… was sleeping by the window, the one whose name alone was enough to make Ninja Academy students break into a cold sweat—Kamiyama Ryo.

They hadn't forgotten the look in Ryo's eyes when he woke up, saying, "You're too damn loud! Are you tired of living?!"

That gaze was as cold as a blade scraping bone. It had stunned them with fear at the time, and thinking about it now still made their hair stand on end.

Shouldn't they get out of here as fast as possible?

Were they supposed to stay and wait until the red-haired tyrant fully woke up, remembered everything, and then gave them a "loving greeting" on the way home?

Remembering the miserable state of those who had been "greeted" by Ryo's fists in the past…

Hiss, forget it! Running faster might just save their lives!

"Yawn—"

In the last row by the window, the red-haired boy who had been sleeping soundly finally stirred.

Ryo stretched and let out a long yawn, his bones popping.

That nap was truly comfortable.

All the irritation from earlier had completely vanished. After a full rest, he felt refreshed.

The fierce, menacing look on his face was gone, his brows relaxed. Coupled with his undeniably handsome features, he gave off a strangely gentle impression.

There was no helping it. Ryo was at his core a grinder, not some natural-born killer.

As a good young man who had grown up in a relatively peaceful environment in his previous life, he didn't have twisted thoughts. He just had a bad temper, extreme morning grumpiness, and slightly stronger-than-average fists.

After a good sleep, he was like a fully charged battery, calm and steady.

Ryo rubbed his eyes, ready to grab his bag and head home to feed his bottomless stomach and then plan his evening training regimen…

"You're awake!"

A clear voice suddenly came from beside him, carrying a trace of… resentment?

Ryo was startled. Only then did he realize that the desk next to him, which had always been empty, now had someone sitting there.

A little girl, with the same fiery red hair as his own. Her round, cute face was staring at him with light blue eyes, her small mouth slightly pouted.

"You are?" Ryo hadn't registered it yet.

He had just woken up, and his mind was still fuzzy.

All that filled his head were the words: "school's out," "hungry," "eat," "train."

Kushina looked at Ryo's confused expression, and the frustration in her heart surged again.

She remembered earlier, when she had bravely and nervously asked, "let's be friends," and his response had been nothing but steady snoring?

Even more frustrating!

She took a deep breath, swallowed her irritation, and almost exactly repeated her actions from earlier. She stiffly introduced herself again: "H-hello! My name is Uzumaki Kushina. Can… can we be friends?"

Though her tone carried some indignation, there was still hope in her eyes.

After all, this was the only one with the same red hair as her, who hadn't mocked her, and had even helped her.

Ryo blinked at the pouting red-haired girl, puzzled.

Oh… right. He remembered now!

It seemed that when he was half-asleep, the homeroom teacher, Kimura Shū, had brought in a new student.

Wait… Uzumaki Kushina?

Uzumaki… red hair… married a blond guy in the future… gave birth to the Child of Prophecy?!

Naruto's mom?!

Now Ryo was wide awake.

"Ah! Oh, oh!" He quickly snapped back. The girl was waiting for his answer. "My name is Kamiyama Ryo. Hello, nice to meet you!"

His tone was calm, not fierce at all.

Ryo wasn't actually hard to talk to, as long as you didn't insult his red hair, call him "tomato head," or make noise while he was sleeping. When he was in a normal state, he wasn't unreasonable.

It was just that his "persuasion" record with his fists over the past two years was too notorious, and since he only came to class to sleep, no one dared talk to him.

So his "keep away" aura had been maintained all this time.

Kushina, this fearless (or clueless) warrior, was the first to approach him.

Seeing Ryo respond so easily in a gentle tone, the brave Kushina's temper suddenly flared.

She had stared at him all afternoon just to make friends.

Ryo, meanwhile, had snored the whole time.

Even though his face was unfairly handsome, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became.

"Hmph!" Kushina wrinkled her little nose. "Ryo-kun has excellent sleep quality! Your eyelashes didn't even twitch all afternoon! I called you several times and you didn't wake up!" Her tone was part complaint, part grievance, and part "you owe me."

Ryo looked at her with a blank expression. "What…?"

Forgive his straight-laced mind, but he simply didn't understand why Kushina was so angry.

The only thought in his mind was: school's out, time to eat.

"Um? Kushina-chan, do you still need something? If not, school's out. I'm going home!" Ryo said directly.

To this grinder, chatting and making friends didn't compare to going home to eat and prepare for training. His evening plan of weighted running and ten thousand sword swings was waiting.

Socializing with an eight-year-old girl? Please. He had no interest, nor the time.

Besides, he had vaguely felt something watching him earlier, most likely related to this girl. Trouble magnets should be avoided.

He had no time for romance. At least not now. This wasn't the time to chase girls, even if she was the future Hokage's mother. His only goal was to grind for strength and avoid dying as a nameless casualty in the coming Second Great Ninja War.

Survive. Get stronger. That was it.

"Hmph! Nothing!" Kushina was nearly choked by his bluntness. Her big eyes rolled fiercely, and she shouted inwardly: "Stupid blockhead! I took the initiative! And his attitude is this bad? Am I, Uzumaki Kushina, not cute?!"

Ryo didn't notice her resentment. Once she said "nothing," he immediately relaxed. "Alright. I've got things to do, so I'm leaving. See you tomorrow, Kushina-chan!"

Before he even finished, he grabbed his faded, tattered backpack. Moving quickly, he strode out the classroom door without looking back, his figure casual and carefree.

Kushina watched his red hair vanish through the door, her small chest heaving with anger.

She suddenly stood up, faced the door, and wrinkled her nose with all her might, letting out a loud, heartfelt protest:

"Hmph—!!!"

Kamiyama Ryo. She would remember him!

(To be continued.)

Chapter 3: Kushina’s “Problem”

The sun slanted westward, casting a dazzling golden glow over Konoha.

Kushina kicked a small stone with her foot as she trudged toward the old house in the Senju clan compound.

Her vibrant red hair seemed to burn even brighter in the setting sun, but it only made the lingering traces of anger on her round, cute face more obvious. She was still sulking over Ryo.

"Hmph! Stupid jock! Blockhead!" She kicked another stone far away, muttering under her breath. "I… I was so proactive! Sleeping! All he does is sleep! His snores are louder than anything!"

The memory of her courage that afternoon made her cheeks burn again, her heart had pounded like a drum when she walked up to him, speaking in the softest voice she'd ever managed. And what did she get in return? A loud, drawn-out "Huuu… rrr… mmph…" from him in his sleep.

When she entered the familiar courtyard, the sight of the heavy wooden door lifted her mood. A brilliant smile stretched across her face as she pushed the door open and ran inside.

"Grandma Mito! I'm home!"

Her voice was like a stone dropped into calm water.

The light inside was much softer. Uzumaki Mito sat on the tatami near the courtyard with a steaming cup of tea in front of her.

Time seemed to have touched only her eyes; the Yin Seal kept her appearance like that of a gentle maiden.

Seeing Kushina rush in like a little flame, Mito's eyes curved into a smile.

"You're back? How was school today?" Mito's voice was as gentle as a spring breeze. "Did you make any new friends?" She knew too well what this girl, whose clan had been destroyed and country lost, needed—acceptance, recognition, new bonds. Those were the remedies for her wounds.

"New friends?" A spirited female voice chimed in from the side.

Tsunade, with long golden hair and a tall figure, sat cross-legged, munching on senbei. Her eyes lit up at the question, and she didn't even bother brushing off the crumbs on her clothes.

Beside her sat Nawaki, a little older, flipping through a basic ninjutsu book. At Kushina's words, he also looked up curiously.

Tsunade put her senbei down on the low table, leaning forward like a big sister. "Quick, tell me! Did anyone bully you at school? Tell your big sister, and I'll have Nawaki teach them a lesson!" She jabbed her elbow into him, her eyes sharp with command. "Right, Nawaki?"

Nawaki almost dropped his book, rubbing his shoulder as he straightened. "Right, right, right! Sis is right! Kushina, don't worry! If anyone dares bully you, just tell me. I'll make sure they regret ever stepping into the academy!"

As the eldest grandson of the Senju in this generation, it was only natural for him to protect this adorable little sister. At school, except for a few geniuses (and a certain redhead), he truly feared no one.

Kushina felt warmth spread in her chest as she saw their concerned eyes.

Mito was her pillar, and Tsunade and Nawaki were like blazing flames that melted away the chill left by the fall of the Uzumaki.

She walked over to Mito's side, nestling close. The gloom on her face faded, replaced with a hint of childish charm.

"No, no one bullied me," she shook her head, then suddenly brightened. "I just met a… uh, a classmate. His hair is red, just like mine!"

"Oh? Red?" Tsunade's gossiping spark immediately caught fire.

She let out a meaningful "oh" and grinned mischievously, leaning forward even more. "A red-haired classmate that caught your attention? Tell me, is that kid especially handsome?" She deliberately emphasized "especially handsome," nudging Kushina lightly. "Do you like him?"

"Big Sister Tsunade!" Kushina's face flushed red like a ripe cherry tomato.

She shot up from Mito's side, flustered and shy. "You… what nonsense are you talking about! I don't like him at all!" She stomped her foot and then immediately turned, diving into Mito's embrace, burying her burning face as she wriggled and whined, "Grandma Mito! Look at Big Sister Tsunade! She's bullying me!"

Mito chuckled, swayed by Kushina's sudden dive, and gently patted her back as if she were soothing a ruffled kitten. "Alright, alright, Tsunade is just teasing you." She gave her mischievous granddaughter a warning look.

Tsunade only laughed, ignoring Kushina's complaint, her grin widening as if she'd just gotten more ammo. "Don't like him? Then you must hate him, right? Did that kid upset you?"

Her expression shifted in an instant, going from playful gossip to protective big sister. Her gaze snapped toward Nawaki, sharp as a blade. "Nawaki! Did you hear that? Tomorrow, find that red-haired brat named Ryo and give him a proper 'greeting' from me! Let him know what happens when someone upsets our Kushina!"

"Uh… Ryo?!" Nawaki, who a moment ago had been eager to play hero, froze. His smile vanished as if someone had grabbed his throat.

His eyes widened in horror. "Sis! You… you want me to die?!"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Tsunade blinked, completely caught off guard by his reaction.

What was so special about this kid named Ryo?

Nawaki swallowed, remembering the countless stories floating around, his palms sweating. "Sis, you've been away from the academy for years, so it's normal you don't know. But… but…"

He stammered, his eyes full of lingering fear. "That redhead, his name's Ryo! Kamiyama Ryo from Class 3-A! He's the academy's infamous little tyrant! He fights like a monster, he's ridiculously strong, and he's vicious! I heard some older students tried to teach him a lesson, but he knocked their front teeth out! Even the teachers back off when he gets mad! You want me to go 'greet' him? Forget it! I'll end up in the hospital first!"

The words poured out like a machine gun, and Nawaki still didn't think it was enough. He added, "That red hair of his is basically a danger signal in the academy! Nobody dares mess with him! Whoever does, ends up unlucky. Seriously!"

Nawaki desperately wanted his sister to understand the situation.

In short, Ryo was terrifying, and his record spoke for itself.

Kushina, listening nearby, was a little stunned.

Ryo? A tyrant? Even the teachers avoided him?

She unconsciously recalled the cold, bloodthirsty look in his eyes when he was woken up in class. The way the entire room had gone silent instantly… it didn't seem impossible.

But when school ended earlier, hadn't he seemed harmless?

He just spoke stiffly. A stupid jock! Hmph!

Tsunade finally dropped her playful act, her brows furrowing. "That strong…" She had no impression of this Ryo.

Mito, who had been gently patting Kushina's back, shifted her gaze, her eyes distant yet knowing. She spoke softly.

"Red hair… named Ryo…" Her hand stroked Kushina's soft red locks as her expression grew thoughtful. "Then Grandma knows who it is."

(To be continued.)

Chapter 4: Tyrannosaurus in Disguise

Uzumaki Mito paused for a moment, as if recalling the past.

Back when Ryo first enrolled, because of his striking red hair, the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, had personally visited her.

At first, the Hokage thought an ancestor of the Uzumaki clan had appeared in Konoha. After all, the Uzumaki clan had carried red hair for generations and were renowned as ideal vessels for sealing Tailed Beasts.

But after careful investigation, it was discovered that Ryo was simply a civilian descendant of the Senju scattered throughout Konoha. His parents had died young, and he had grown up in hardship.

Considering the frequent intermarriages between the Senju and the Uzumaki, with their bloodlines often intertwined, it was possible for ancestral Uzumaki traits to surface in Senju descendants.

Children with such red hair naturally had strong physiques, abundant life force, and vast chakra reserves, making them prime candidates for becoming Jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails.

Most importantly, Ryo was a Konoha native with a clean civilian background.

He belonged naturally to the Hokage's faction. He was one of their own.

The Third Hokage even considered grooming him to replace the aging Uzumaki Mito as the next Nine-Tails Jinchuriki.

So he asked Mito to personally confirm whether Ryo had awakened the Uzumaki bloodline and to evaluate his potential.

Mito remembered that scene clearly.

She had carefully "looked" at the six-year-old boy with red hair. Silent, stubborn, wearing old clothes, but standing with a straight back.

The result, however, was disappointing.

Mito sensed that the chakra within Ryo's body was pitifully weak, even thinner than that of the most ordinary academy student.

It did not resemble an awakened Uzumaki bloodline at all.

'Perhaps it's just a special hair color, without inheriting the chakra talent of the Uzumaki,' Mito concluded, and she reported this to the Third Hokage.

Ryo was excluded from the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki candidates, left as nothing more than a poor, unnoticed Senju orphan.

It was precisely because of this that, after the fall of the Uzumaki, the Hokage urgently dispatched the Anbu to bring back Kushina, whose bloodline was purer and stronger, to Konoha for training.

Mito's judgment had not been wrong.

At that time, the original Kamiyama Ryo was indeed nothing more than an ordinary child with mediocre talent and meager chakra, destined to remain unknown in the ninja world or even to die as cannon fodder.

His chakra reserves were so pitiful that he could barely perform even a simple E-rank ninjutsu.

But what neither Mito nor the Third Hokage could have imagined was that the Ryo who had transmigrated was no longer the same mediocre child.

Soon after enrolling at the age of six, a cheat system quietly bound itself to him."

Perhaps because of his red hair, similar to the Uzumaki, the first inheritance the system granted him was from a peak figure of another world—the One Piece world's "Red-Haired" Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, master of the strongest Conqueror's Haki.

The system's power completely and fundamentally transformed Ryo's body.

He was granted a terrifying physique on par with Shanks in his youth: dense muscles, tough bones, monstrous strength and stamina, fast recovery, and terrifying growth potential.

Within him lay the potential for Conqueror's Haki, and he unlocked about 30% of Shanks' combat skills and fighting experience.

This transformation even unintentionally fused with the tiny trace of life energy within his Senju bloodline.

The result was today's Ryo, a small Tyrannosaurus in the skin of an eight-year-old child. His health bar was ridiculously thick, his recovery astonishingly fast, and he carried the instincts of a top-tier fighter, albeit in a younger form.

And his so-called thin chakra?

That was just an illusion.

As everyone knows, chakra is the fusion of spiritual and physical energy.

With his terrifying physique nourished by Shanks' legacy, his dormant Conqueror's Haki, and his powerful spiritual energy as a transmigrator, Ryo was destined to become a sea of chakra in the future.

Mito had only given him a brief glance, failing to see the deeper layers. That was why she had concluded his chakra was thin and without Uzumaki talent.

Listening to Nawaki's description of Ryo like he was some terrifying monster, seeing Mito's thoughtful look, and remembering Ryo's roar in class that silenced everyone even while half-asleep, Kushina couldn't help but feel dazed.

This deskmate of hers… did seem… really strong?

But when school ended earlier, he hadn't seemed scary at all.

Most of her indignation had faded, replaced by a strange mix of curiosity and lingering resentment from Ryo brushing her off earlier.

Mito's soft, soothing voice pulled her back from her thoughts. "So, Kushina and Ryo are in the same class, and even deskmates?"

She looked down at Kushina with a gentle smile. "That is fate. Since you are deskmates, Kushina, get along well with him. Both of you are very special children."

"Get along with him…" Kushina repeated, pouting again. "But all he does is sleep! He barely listens when I talk to him! This afternoon, when I tried to be friends with him, he just said, 'If there's nothing, I'm going home!'" She mimicked Ryo's stiff tone, which drew laughter from Tsunade and Nawaki.

"Haha, such personality?" Tsunade chuckled. "Interesting! Kushina, looks like your path to making friends won't be smooth."

Nawaki couldn't help but laugh as well, though his laugh carried more relief. Better Kushina than him dealing with that walking disaster.

"Hmph! I'm not talking to you guys!" Kushina's cheeks turned bright red as she buried herself in Mito's arms again.

The fading glow of the sunset filtered through the paper doors, bathing the room in a warm orange light.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 5: Midnight Beast Feast

Discussions about Ryo in the Senju compound were completely unknown to him, the protagonist.

Right now, his stomach was rumbling with hunger, like a giant pit churning inside.

This wasn't ordinary hunger. It was the kind of hunger where he felt like he could eat an entire cow.

He just wanted to stuff himself.

All of this was because of his body—he had inherited Shanks' monstrous physique. Even though Ryo was still a child, the more he trained, the hungrier he became.

He knew that if he didn't put at least a hundred catties of meat into his stomach, today's training would be wasted.

Home?

Just a dilapidated shack on the edge of the village, dirt poor, a pathetic contrast to his bottomless appetite.

The rice jar was always empty.

The most valuable thing in the entire house was a spice box against the wall. That was his lifeline.

The money left behind by his parents?

Already eaten long ago!

Now, he lived on a monthly pension from the village. He wouldn't waste a single coin on rice or flour. Other than daily necessities, all his money went straight to the Konoha store for seasonings: big jars of coarse salt, dried chili flakes, cheap miso, animal fat, dried wild onions, and ginger blocks.

Beside them were his handmade two-meter-long skewers, wicker baskets for smoking meat, and large clean tree leaves for wrapping.

This was his "kitchen arsenal."

The few scraps of smoked boar jerky left?

Not even enough to get stuck in his teeth.

He chewed them down, changed into old clothes, and under the cover of night, slipped out of the village like a shadow, heading for the Forest of Death.

Little rabbits and birds?

That kind of meat wasn't even enough to snack on. If he was going to hunt, it had to be something big.

Because of the natural energy in this world, the Forest of Death had an abundance of oversized wild beasts. Look, a boar the size of a small hill, thick skin, bristly fur, and tusks sharp enough to gut a man. Just its bulk alone was enough to make anyone drool.

Ryo didn't say a word. He didn't draw his broken katana. Instead, he grabbed a sharpened wooden club. This thing worked better against thick hides anyway.

When the boar lowered its head to root around, exposing its neck, Ryo tensed his body like a drawn bow and—whoosh!

With his current strength and sharp eyesight, the club flew like it had eyes, stabbing straight into the weak spot of the boar's neck.

A clean kill. Done.

Bleeding, gutting, skinning, butchering… his movements were quick and precise. How many innocent lives had he ended to get this skilled?

Dragging back half a side of meat (which still weighed over a hundred catties), Ryo tossed it into his backyard "slaughterhouse + tough guy kitchen." There sat a large bluestone chopping block, a chipped cleaver, a scrap iron pot big enough to stew a whole pig, a branch barbecue grill, and piles of coarse salt, chili powder, and other spices.

Rolling up his sleeves, he instantly switched into gourmet veteran mode.

"Swish, swish, swish!" The cleaver flew, breaking the boar down: thick hindquarters? Chunk them up for stew. Ribs and legs? Slice for grilling. The tender parts? Cut into wide slabs for marinating.

Earthenware basins were set out. He dumped in the sliced meat, poured in coarse salt, sprinkled chili powder and spices, drizzled oil and miso.

With bark gloves on his hands, he kneaded the meat thoroughly, making sure every piece was coated. Then he wrapped them in tree leaves, tied them down with stone weights to marinate, while the extra strips were salted for air-drying.

The giant iron pot was filled with water. Bones and scraps went in. He tossed in handfuls of wild onions, ginger, mushrooms, and fruit he'd gathered nearby. Soon it was boiling hard, "gurgle, gurgle," as the smell of broth filled the air.

Those two-meter skewers weren't just decoration. He threaded ribs and leg slices onto them and placed them on the grill, carefully controlling the distance from the fire.

Fat dripped onto the coals, sizzling loudly, sending waves of aroma straight up.

Ryo crouched beside the fire, flipping meat like it was his own child.

The rest of the meat was hung in wicker baskets, smoking over pine needles and fruit wood. Another portion was laid on a stone slab, waiting.

He wasted nothing.

Even as a child, Ryo did the work of several men. Shanks' physique made it easy. He processed the hundred catties of meat without breaking a sweat.

The backyard filled with smoke, fire, and the overwhelming aroma of meat, a giant's kitchen party.

Hungry? Yes, starving.

But in his heart, he knew eating was just fuel. Only by filling up could he keep training. Before eating, he had to take his "Overachiever's Body Training Package."

With a giant log strapped to his back, heavy enough to crush several men, he began weighted steps. Each stomp left a crater, sweat pouring down: "One! Two! Three!"

In his mind, he replayed Shanks' training—breathing, step control. He grit his teeth, pushing to his limit. When he finally dropped the log, his back was red like it had been branded, muscles twitching.

He caught his breath, then drew his katana. "Clang!" He slashed downward. "Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!" The sound of blades cutting air pierced the night.

He didn't know how many tens of thousands of cuts he made, only that his arms eventually went numb. Leaning on the sword, panting, he felt like a dog about to collapse.

Then his nose twitched. "Whoa!"

The bone broth was bubbling into a milky-white soup, steam rich with the smell of onions and mushrooms.

The skewered meat turned golden, fat popping open, a charred scent rising.

The smoked meat gave off the deep aroma of pine and fruit wood.

The marinated raw slices carried a spicy punch.

This avalanche of smells hit him like a slap.

Ryo's exhausted body suddenly sprang up.

The physique from the One Piece world was just that absurd. As long as he ate, his fatigue and minor injuries healed automatically.

The value of this "sit-up lock-health cheat" was off the charts.

Indeed, the best medicine was the hundred-catty feast laid before him.

He inhaled deeply, mentally taking notes: when to add meat to the stew, which skewer needed flipping, which smoked cut needed more salt. Cook fast, feed stomach.

In his past life, Ryo had been a cooking fanatic.

Single for decades, all his energy went into food.

Every day, he watched food bloggers, then practiced on his own, perfecting techniques to make even cheap ingredients delicious.

Training himself half to death? Fine. He could endure.

But disappointing his stomach? Never.

If after sweating blood all day, he still ate like a pig, what was the point of living?

So no matter how tired he was, he would always turn giant beast meat into something mouthwatering.

That was his one stubbornness.

Only by eating his fill could he keep grinding.

After a short break, more training would continue through the night.

As for chakra?

What chakra?

He had Shanks' inheritance. Even without Six Paths-level cheats, he could climb to the top of the ninja world the normal way.

Extracting chakra at this age was basically self-harm, burning away his life force and cutting years off his lifespan.

And besides, he didn't even have access to advanced ninjutsu right now. What was the point of hoarding chakra?

So his chakra reserves were small, on purpose. The little he had was enough to pass school exams.

Now, only when he was dead tired would he glance at his system panel, watching the assimilation progress tick forward by a tiny fraction, like sword skill unlock progress. Every bit of growth made it worth it.

After his feast and some rest, he pushed himself again.

…

By dawn, the night-long training ended.

He washed up, soaked in a hot bath, and ate a hearty breakfast.

Then he packed the bento he'd prepared the night before for the academy lunch, dragging his drained body to school.

Daytime? That was prime time for him to lie flat and recover.

(To be continued.)