"You've already been challenged twice. Now it's my turn. Let me see if the birthday rumors are true," said a masked Anbu ninja, his voice echoing slightly through the cavernous training field. His civet-style mask concealed his identity, but his chakra flared aggressively.
As his form flickered and turned translucent, the ground around Tom lit up with khaki-colored light. More than a dozen spikes of hardened mud erupted from beneath the surface, aiming straight for Tom's chest.
But Tom's body moved with fluid precision. Without warning, he flipped backwards through the air, landing lightly in a clear area a few meters away. Where he once stood, over a dozen kunai made of compacted earth now pierced the ground.
Tom immediately formed a series of hand seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Fire Jutsu!"
A barrage of fireballs flew from his mouth, each tracking the earlier earth kunai like guided missiles. The explosions lit up the training field with bursts of flame and smoke.
From behind him, a shadow flickered to life—another Anbu agent, appearing seemingly out of thin air. The kunai in his hand shot toward Tom's back, aiming straight for his heart.
Before Tom could react, a rustling sound beneath his feet drew his attention. Two glowing yellow hands burst from the ground, clamping tightly around his ankles like iron shackles.
In a split second, Tom twisted his body with uncanny flexibility. His frame contorted, avoiding the kunai strike by a hair's breadth. With a flick of his wrist, Tom's own blade parried the incoming attack with a metallic clang.
Twisting again, Tom compressed his calves, sliding his feet free from the gripping hands like a pair of wet loaches. He leaped backward, creating distance between himself and the attackers.
The original attacker performed a rapid hand seal sequence, clearly preparing another technique. The ground exploded in smoke as the yellow hands slammed into it. From the cloud emerged another Anbu, charging at Tom with a dark short blade.
Tom tensed, readying his counterattack, when suddenly two chains whipped out of the smoke, slicing through the air like twin vipers.
Just as he prepared to retaliate, a wooden barrier shot up from the ground between him and the attacker.
"Wood Style: Wood Pillar Wall!"
Thick wooden columns emerged, shielding Tom from the attack. Yamato's calm voice followed. "That's enough. This is the second time you've tried to push him. Isn't that overkill?"
"He's just a kid," one of the Anbu whispered.
"Younger than Uchiha Itachi when he joined Anbu," another muttered.
"Another genius? Or the next Itachi?"
Yamato frowned slightly, watching Tom catch his breath. This boy was personally recommended by Kakashi. He's no ordinary genin.
Tom straightened up. "It's fine, Captain Yamato. I understand."
Yamato nodded. "Good. Let me introduce your teammates. This is Moonlight Hayate, a close-combat and kenjutsu specialist, and Uzuki Yugao, who specializes in medical ninjutsu."
"Nice to meet you," Hayate and Yugao said in unison, nodding respectfully.
"Thank you. I look forward to working with you," Tom replied, bowing slightly.
---
Three months passed in a blur of shadows, missions, and secrets.
Tom had completed numerous operations alongside Yamato. During that time, he marveled at the utility of Yamato's Wood Clone Technique—a jutsu that used chakra-infused trees as its medium. Unlike shadow clones, these wood clones endured for significantly longer periods due to their material base.
Tom's analytical mind immediately saw the possibilities.
If I can master a clone that lasts multiple times longer than the shadow clone, I could free up time to focus on technique development. Especially my personal project...
Recently, he'd come across a classified research document from the Uchiha archives detailing the principles of Susanoo. The jutsu fascinated him.
Susanoo, a chakra construct of immense power, was a pure manifestation of Yin Release. Yin Release—the power of imagination and spiritual energy—was the foundation for genjutsu, many clan secret arts, and high-level jutsu like Nara Clan's Shadow Possession and the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Transfer Technique.
Susanoo is the pinnacle of Yin Release… and I want to create my own.
This drive had become Tom's obsession. The vision of his unique version of Susanoo motivated him every day.
But there was a problem.
Anbu missions were relentless. Tom had little time to breathe, let alone research.
He tried using shadow clones to multitask, but the results were disappointing. Shadow clones divided chakra and couldn't generate more of their own. They constantly drained his reserves and had strict distance and time limits.
On one mission, he had to be away for more than three days. His shadow clone lasted only 32 hours before dispersing. Worse, it couldn't leave Konoha's borders without vanishing.
If only I had a better clone technique, he thought.
Then he remembered Yamato's Wood Clone. Compared to shadow clones, it was vastly superior in durability.
But what truly ignited his ambition was another memory: White Zetsu.
White Zetsu, born from Hashirama's cells, was essentially a walking clone—capable of independent action, unlimited stamina, and prolonged existence. In the Fourth Great Ninja War, thousands of White Zetsu were used as disposable soldiers.
That's it. If I can gain Wood Release, I can create something far superior to a shadow clone. Maybe even my own version of White Zetsu.
To most, attempting to acquire Wood Release was a death sentence.
Konoha's experimental history with Hashirama's DNA was full of failures and fatalities. The process was risky, invasive, and often fatal.
But Tom wasn't most people.
He had something they didn't: a regenerative healing ability that rivaled even Tsunade's Strength of a Hundred Seal. His body could mend itself continuously, adapting to internal changes.
That made him a uniquely qualified candidate for DNA fusion.
If I'm 70% confident I won't die… isn't that enough? High risk, high reward. I've come too far to stop now.
The decision was made.
From that moment, Tom began drafting a detailed plan—from acquiring the cells to controlled integration and recovery.
Wood Release is my key, he thought. And with it, I'll unlock my Susanoo, my legacy, my true strength.
He looked down at his gloved hand, pulsing faintly with chakra.
The ninja world is cruel. But I will survive, I will adapt, and I will transcend.
And thus began Tom's journey into forbidden science, ancient power, and the dark arts of chakra transformation.
Not for glory.
Not for vengeance.
But for evolution.