Unknowingly, three months had already passed since Tom arrived at the underground research facility. Finally, he received a "discharge notice."
After extensive tests, no traces of the First Hokage's cells—known as the legendary power of Hashirama Senju—were detected in Tom's body. The changes triggered by the awakening of the Wood Release bloodline had stabilized.
To Konoha, these three months of research weren't groundbreaking, but they were valuable. They provided better insight into the difficulty of awakening or transplanting Wood Release. For Tom, however, these months held much deeper meaning.
During this time, the ANBU directly under the Hokage treated him with warmth and respect. Almost all known information about Wood Release—even classified files detailing its brutal history—was shared with him. They even included data from the infamous "Blood Massacre" experiments.
The knowledge Tom received was further supplemented with data confiscated from Danzo's Root organization. Together, these sources allowed Tom's mastery of Wood Release to grow exponentially. What was once a basic understanding had now developed into a qualitative leap forward.
Tom was a member of the Huobi clan, and it turns out that the Huobi and Senju clans were distant relatives. The two clans had practiced intermarriage over generations, which meant Tom carried a faint trace of Senju blood within him.
(This detail is original to the story: The downfall of the Uzumaki Clan wasn't just coincidence. It was partly because no one in the ninja world wanted to see another "Senju Clan" rise to power. Otherwise, how could a powerful and allied village like Konoha allow such a tragedy to happen? Konoha, historically, has always been a powerhouse in the ninja world.)
The Huobi and Senju clans shared several similarities. Both possessed strong, special physiques and incredibly potent chakra. Their chakra also had a natural restraining effect on tailed beasts. Tom's own unique body constitution was awakened during the Nine-Tails' attack on the village.
At the time, Tom was barely two and a half years old—just a toddler learning to speak. During the chaos, he had been injured by the scattered chakra of the Nine-Tails. Any ordinary child would have died on the spot. But Tom survived, thanks to his special physique.
Years later, when Tom's soul merged with this body, he brought with him an extraordinary healing ability. This, combined with the unique body of the Uzumaki bloodline, forged the exceptional physique he had today.
The final conclusion drawn by Konoha's researchers was that Tom had experienced "ancestral blood awakening"—a rare phenomenon that allowed him to naturally awaken Wood Release.
Of course, no one could explain the bizarre and overwhelming phenomenon that occurred when Tom first awakened his power. But under the strict sealing technique of the Third Hokage, it was deemed acceptable to leave it unexplained—at least for now.
Upon leaving the underground facility, Tom visited his favorite place in the village: Hokage Rock. Sitting atop the carved face of the Third Hokage, he gazed at the setting sun, feeling a sense of detachment from everything.
Since awakening Wood Release, his clone technique had greatly improved. The clones could now persist much longer, but they still hadn't reached the level of White Zetsu. It felt like something essential was missing—perhaps "the power of the Gedo Statue" or maybe some form of "spirituality"?
In the Naruto world, the Gedo Statue was formed from the husk of the Ten-Tails after its chakra was extracted by the Sage of Six Paths to create the Tailed Beasts. Even in the original story, the nature of the Gedo Statue was deeply mysterious and emphasized as something unique and unexplainable.
When Tom awakened his Wood Release, he felt as though the power of the Gedo Statue had somehow merged with the mask he had been wearing at the time. Whether this was a blessing or a curse, he still wasn't sure.
Fortunately, the fragments of that mask seemed to resonate with his Wood Release clones through a special ability called "Ghost Luoya." If he could fully integrate them, the issue of clone duration might finally be resolved.
Tom set aside his thoughts and looked down toward the village. He spotted Naruto and his classmates attending a supplementary class below the cliff.
"Maybe I should go have some ramen with Naruto later," Tom mused aloud, a small smile forming on his face.
As if on cue, the Third Hokage arrived below Hokage Rock. "Today, I want to share something important with you all. Please remember it well," Hiruzen Sarutobi said to the children gathered before him.
"Bah, what's the point? I won't remember it anyway!" Naruto blurted out, trying to be the center of attention even before the lesson started.
"Naruto!" Iruka stepped forward, scolding him firmly.
"I didn't mean anything by it, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto replied quickly, flustered.
Watching the scene unfold, Tom chuckled quietly. "Naruto still needs Iruka-sensei to keep him in check."
"Hahaha, Iruka, let it go," the Third Hokage said warmly. "These kids are just being honest."
He turned serious, his eyes gazing deeply at each of them. "I don't expect you to understand the meaning of my words now. But one day, when you've grown, I hope you'll remember them. They will guide you."
"This… is the Will of Fire."
Hiruzen's voice was solemn and almost sacred, like a priest delivering an ancient truth. "Wherever the leaves dance, the fire will burn. The light of that fire will shine on the village and allow new leaves to grow."
Tom felt the weight of those words. They were meant for Naruto and his classmates, yes—but they were also meant for him.
"Thank you, Lord Third," Tom whispered under his breath. "I will carry that fire in my own way."
In that moment, something profound happened inside him. As if triggered by the Will of Fire, the original soul that once inhabited this body finally let go, fully entrusting the vessel to Tom.
Tom no longer felt like he was simply trying to survive—to ride the tide of the Fourth Great Ninja War as a passive observer.
No, not anymore.
He was no longer a spectator from another world named Tom. He wasn't Zhu Weihong.
From now on, he was Uzumaki Tom—someone who truly belonged in this world.
A gust of wind swept across the sky, rustling the leaves around him.
In a distant forest, tall trees stood like guardians, shielding the smaller saplings from the wind while letting sunlight pass through. So the younger trees could grow strong… and one day become pillars of the forest themselves.