Chapter 3: 3
The moon was hanging in the sky as Kenji Uzumaki, now a young boy, dragged his scarred body back to the small hut he had lived in for five years. He lay down on the dilapidated bed and looked coldly at the shabby furniture around him.
Kenji touched the red marks on his forehead, remembering how his parents had died five years ago to save him by sealing the Nine-Tails within his body. Although they perished before his eyes, he had been powerless to help.
The resentment in his heart reached its limit, and this deep-seated resentment and hatred became the catalyst for awakening the Byakugan in his forehead. Kenji suddenly felt a surge of power reaching his brain, allowing him to see everything around him with startling clarity.
Although he didn't fully understand what was happening, his chaotic heart and emotions began to calm remarkably.
Kenji realized that his Byakugan had activated, and he understood that the red mark on his forehead symbolized the soul inheritance from Otsutsuki Ray.
At the same time, he grasped the reality that this was the world of Naruto, a world filled with powerful forces and incredible ninjutsu. His past life's girlfriend had loved watching anime, and he had watched with her, learning that in this ninja world, there was a jutsu capable of reviving the dead: the "Rinne Rebirth."
Kenji's mind calmed completely. He recalled how Nagato had once used the "Rinne Rebirth" to revive the fallen Leaf Village ninjas.
Kenji looked at where Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki had died and thought of resurrecting his parents. To do so, he needed a complete body, soul, and the Rinnegan.
The Rinnegan and his soul were unreachable for now. The Rinnegan required the Sharingan of the Uchiha clan and the cells of Hashirama Senju, the combination of Asura and Indra, essentially himself and Sasuke Uchiha.
As for the soul, his mother's was straightforward; it could be summoned with the "Impure World Reincarnation." However, his father's soul was trapped by the "Reaper Death Seal," making it temporarily unreachable.
But he couldn't wait for the body. Under his Byakugan, he saw that Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, was approaching. He had to find a way to save Minato and Kushina.
Kenji frantically searched his mind for the memory fragments of Otsutsuki Ray, though they were too chaotic. After much effort, he found a viable plan: using the Nine-Tails' chakra within his body.
The Nine-Tails was a mass of chakra, and even though it had just been sealed inside Kenji, it had already infused his body. As Kushina's son, he had been exposed to the Nine-Tails' chakra since birth, and his body was accustomed to it.
The Byakugan's control over chakra was nearly maddening. All Kenji needed to do now was unleash the Uzumaki clan's bloodline limits within himself.
When Kenji opened his eyes, he understood his physical condition. The chain-like pattern in his bloodstream represented the Uzumaki clan's bloodline limit.
Kenji aggressively mobilized the Nine-Tails' chakra flowing from his body to merge with his blood, allowing the chain to manifest outside his body.
This process allowed Kenji, only a child, to discover the Nine-Tails' presence within him early and cooperate with it to control the chakra, preventing early death.
The Nine-Tails, while cooperating with Kenji to control the chakra, muttered: "Damn you, Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, sealing me inside this brat. This kid is a freak, daring to mobilize my chakra right after birth, and he has the Byakugan too. It seems like he's activating the Uzumaki clan's bloodline limit. What kind of intelligence is this? His mother must be a monster. Poor me, having to cooperate with him, or I'll perish with him. No rest, no rights."
With the Nine-Tails' cooperation, Kenji finally unleashed his bloodline limit. Blue and light green chains emerged from Kenji's body, quickly wrapping around Minato and Kushina's bodies.
At the same time, Kenji's Byakugan shone brightly, enveloping Minato and Kushina in white light, causing their bodies to disappear.
The Nine-Tails, observing from within Kenji, murmured: "This Byakugan actually contains its own independent space."
Kenji had learned from the Otsutsuki memory fragments that there was an independent small space within the Byakugan, which pleasantly surprised him.
This space, within his Byakugan, allowed Kenji to keep Minato and Kushina's bodies hidden, using the chains to control their vitality and sealing power.
Having secured Minato and Kushina's bodies, Kenji noticed that Kushina's barrier had broken and her chakra was exhausted. Hiruzen Sarutobi arrived quickly, picking up Kenji.
Hiruzen glanced around, finding no bodies of Minato or Kushina, murmuring: "Was it the white light that took away their bodies? What was that white light? I've never seen it."
Hiruzen then ordered all nearby ninjas not to mention Kenji's identity or that he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki. "Kenji, I'll raise you to adulthood and let you inherit your father's will," Hiruzen said, smiling at the young Kenji, who smiled back.
At that moment, a disagreeable voice sounded: "Hiruzen, I hope you'll let me raise this child." Hiruzen looked at Danzo Shimura and replied, "Impossible. I know what you want, but he's Minato's son. I won't let you turn him into a tool. Give up on that idea." With that, Hiruzen walked away with Kenji.
Danzo, displeased by Hiruzen's refusal, muttered: "I'll make you regret this. Jinchūriki don't need emotions. I'll prove you wrong."
After Kenji was brought home and raised by Hiruzen, word that he was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki spread in the village. Though Hiruzen issued a gag order, the damage was done, and resentment was directed at Kenji.
People who lost loved ones needed a scapegoat, and they didn't seek the conspiracy behind the events. They simply needed someone to blame, and even if it wasn't Kenji, it would have been someone else. This was human nature.
Kenji, having experienced the highs and lows of his previous lives, understood human nature well. There was no surprise or excitement left.
What Kenji desired now was strength. At age three, he requested to live alone. Initially, Hiruzen was reluctant, but after Kenji's persistent requests, he agreed, providing him with living expenses and a small hut.
The day after Kenji moved into the hut, he found his roof had a large hole. Outside, people stared at him as if he were a monster. Children threw stones at him, and vendors overcharged him for expired food and outdated clothes.
Kenji considered retaliating but knew he couldn't act rashly, with Danzo watching him.
After obtaining a method to refine chakra from Hiruzen, Kenji hid at home, focusing on refining chakra and using it to stimulate every cell in his body. His past life experiences taught him that to wield great power, he needed a strong body. With a strong enough body, not even the Nine-Tails' chakra could harm him.
In addition to stimulating his cells with chakra, Kenji meditated for 15 minutes daily to sense natural chakra and ran 20 kilometers each day.
To sustain himself, he foraged for food in the woods behind the Hokage monument, battling the forest's wild beasts. He couldn't use his bloodline limit, as Hiruzen was observing him.
Kenji fought using basic taijutsu and ninjutsu provided by Hiruzen, returning to his cold hut daily with injuries, silently tending to his wounds.
But he knew that fighting these beasts improved his combat skills and resilience, a lesson from his first life. He was also surprised to find that each time he was injured, the Nine-Tails' chakra healed him, making his body stronger and more accustomed to the chakra.
Kenji tirelessly trained in the backwoods every day for five years.
Touching the red mark on his forehead, Kenji felt his parents' presence, reflecting on the past five years. His heart calmed, and he contemplated reincarnation.
Currently, only Nagato possessed the Rinnegan, but persuading him to use the "Rinne Rebirth" was too difficult. Kenji was no ordinary Uzumaki, possessing the strongest "adamantine chains" and protagonist's aura. It felt hopeless.
After dismissing the idea, he considered acquiring the Rinnegan himself but realized it was futile. Revealing this plan would lead to his destruction by the organization, though not out of fear, but to avoid headaches.
He briefly thought of taking Sasuke's Sharingan but dismissed it, knowing he couldn't bring himself to do so, especially since they shared a bond. Plus, his mother's friendship with Mikoto Uchiha would ensure his demise.
In the end, Kenji couldn't think of a good method and considered a dangerous one, knowing the risk of failure and death. But success would yield the perfect Rinnegan.
Looking at the bright moon outside, Kenji remembered Kushina's last words and smiled confidently, whispering, "There are still two years left."