Shin ate quietly, listening to the two of them reminisce, a faint smile lingering on his lips.
Shin's family background wasn't complicated.
His mother, Morisaki Aoi, had once been an outstanding special jonin of Konoha.
Relying on her immense chakra reserves and solid taijutsu, she had accomplished many remarkable feats during missions and had been only one step away from an official promotion to jonin.
However, a single mission had completely changed her fate.
Her squad encountered a powerful enemy. Although the mission was ultimately completed, she was severely injured, and the chakra pathways in her body were heavily damaged, leaving her unable to endure the high-intensity demands of a ninja's life.
She spent a long time recovering in Konoha Hospital. During that low point in her life, she met Hiroshi, who was then just an ordinary medical chunin.
This man, whose personality clashed slightly with the calm nature of his profession, used his boundless optimism and steady care to slowly dispel the gloom in her heart.
From acquaintance to friendship, to love, they eventually built a family together and gave birth to Shin.
Watching his parents interact so warmly, Shin felt a quiet sense of contentment living in such a home.
Then, as if recalling something, he took another bite of rice and spoke in a casual tone, "By the way, Mom, my chakra is so abundant because of the Senju bloodline, right?"
"Yes," Aoi replied with a gentle smile, placing a piece of fish into his bowl. "The Senju bloodline gave me a strong foundation. Back when I was on missions, I often relied on my chakra reserves and recovery ability to get through difficult situations."
Shin took another bite, chewing slowly, the faint smile still lingering on his face.
"Yeah," he said, "thanks to the Senju bloodline, I have such a large amount of chakra. It's enough to leave my peers far behind."
However, beneath that calm exterior, his mind was anything but at ease.
The Senju bloodline was undoubtedly the source of his immense chakra; there was no questioning that.
As a former Special Jonin, Morisaki Aoi's chakra reserves had already ranked among the finest of her peers, something clearly reflected in her past achievements and even in Hiroshi's admiration.
But… The problem was that his own reserves felt far beyond what they should be.
And there was also that hidden power he had awakened just a few days ago. Is it because of that?
Based on his own perception and comparison during daily training, the chakra within his body was far beyond what could be explained by simple inheritance or a child surpassing their parent.
It was an overwhelming difference in scale. By rough estimation, it was likely dozens of times greater than his mother's at her peak.
Dozens of times.
That number weighed heavily on his mind.
A genin who hadn't even graduated could, if exceptionally talented, possess chakra comparable to or even exceeding that of an average chunin. That was still within reason.
But dozens of times greater than a special jonin… especially one with the Senju bloodline…
That completely surpassed the limits of what an "excellent bloodline" could explain.
Such a result would be unbelievable not only to his mother, but even Shin himself had been deeply shaken when he first realized the true scale of his own chakra.
Of course, such anomalies weren't entirely unheard of. Kakashi had once mentioned that if Naruto's chakra weren't constantly suppressing the Nine-Tails, he would possess nearly a hundred times his own chakra… and that was Naruto just after graduation.
But then again…That guy was Ashura's reincarnation. Having that much chakra was only natural.
If Shin didn't clearly know that the real reincarnation of Ashura, Uzumaki Naruto, was still alive and well in this very village, he might have suspected that he himself was the one chosen by destiny.
---
The atmosphere at the table became relaxed again, as if the discussion about the Senju Bloodline just now was merely casual dinner talk... Late at night, Shin lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with his eyes open.
The night grew deeper, but he had no desire to sleep.
After some time, Shin suddenly sat up, got out of bed, walked to the window, gently closed it, and pulled the curtains tight.
The room instantly fell into isolated darkness and silence. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and spread his palm.
A faint trace of chakra stirred within his palm, flowing so quietly. But the moment it gathered, something changed.
Heat.
His entire hand began to glow a deep, molten red, as if the flesh itself had transformed into boiling magma.
The air around it shimmered, distorting slightly under the rising temperature. Thick, viscous droplets formed along his fingers, glowing like liquid fire, before slowly dripping downward.
Magma!
In the absolute darkness, the glow was strikingly bright.
Shin watched in silence.
This was something that defied logic. It went beyond anything he understood about chakra, beyond even the limits of bloodline abilities in this world. It wasn't a kekkei genkai. It didn't feel like one.
He awakened it a few days ago, naturally, without training, without any clear trigger. It had simply… appeared.
If he had to define it, the closest comparison would be the Magma-Magma Fruit wielded by Sakazuki. And yet, even that wasn't entirely accurate.
This power carried subtle differences, as if it had adapted to this world in its own way.
The shock far surpassed even the moment he first arrived in the world of Naruto.
Until now, he had believed his greatest advantage was the Senju bloodline flowing through him. Strong vitality, immense chakra, and natural taijutsu. That alone should have been enough to set him apart.
But, he hadn't expected to awaken a power akin to Akainu's magma.
Shin slowly curled his fingers inward.
The molten glow dimmed, the heat receded, and within moments, his hand returned to normal as if nothing had happened.
Shin stood up, pulled back the curtain, and looked out at the sleeping Konoha Village in the distance, his gaze deepening.
Since I possess this power… Then this world is about to become far more interesting.
---
The next morning, Kagutsuchi Shin finished organizing his ninja tool pouch and prepared to head out.
"Shin, wait." Morisaki Aoi called out to him, walking over to carefully straighten his slightly wrinkled collar. Her gaze was gentle, carrying a hint of quiet instruction. "During the exam, stay calm. Just perform at your usual level."
Hiroshi stepped forward with a piece of bread still in his mouth, cheering him on in a muffled voice: "That's right! My son definitely has no problems! Let those other kids see what the top student is truly capable of!"
As he spoke, he gave Shin's shoulder a firm pat.
Shin looked at his parents, feeling their simple yet heartfelt concern.
The confidence brought by the awakening of Magma power left him unusually relaxed. There was even a hint of youthful spirit in his demeanor now, more than he typically showed, as if something within him had quietly changed.
The corner of his mouth lifted slightly as he gave his parents a casual wave. "Got it. I'm off."
With that, he turned and pushed open the front door.
The soft morning light poured in instantly, falling across him and outlining his figure in a faint golden glow.
Kagutsuchi Hiroshi watched his son's departing figure, noting how his stride seemed calmer than usual, yet carried an almost unrestrained confidence.
He paused for a moment, then swallowed his bread and let out a low chuckle. "That brat… with that attitude… just who does he take after?"
Morisaki Aoi stood beside him, her eyes following the direction where their son had disappeared into the morning light. A gentle smile appeared on her lips as she softly shook her head.
"He takes after himself."