Ninja World: Power through Bonds

Fifty-two years after the founding of Konoha.

A year has passed since the Nine-Tails attack. The wounds left behind by the demon fox are gradually healing, and the village's bustling energy is slowly returning.

"Mam, you wouldn't want your child to be bullied at the academy, would you?"

In the heart of a lively commercial street, right in front of a popular dango shop, the question came from a boy—black-haired, dark-eyed, and as strikingly handsome as a handcrafted doll. His delicate appearance made it all the more shocking that such a threatening statement came from his lips.

The shop's owner, Mrs. Mieko, forced a polite smile. "Child, it's alright if you didn't bring money today. You can just come back and pay me next time—"

Before she could finish, a pudgy boy burst out from the back, crying and begging her not to take any money at all.

It dawned on Mrs. Mieko that the boy wasn't bluffing.

In the end, at her son's insistence, she not only let the boy keep the dango but also added a few more skewers for free.

Satisfied, the boy flashed her a sweet smile. "Auntie, you're very sensible. Don't worry—I'll look out for your son at the academy from now on. My name is Shimura Denji."

With that, he turned and walked away, carrying his neatly packed box of dango, vanishing into the busy crowd.

Mieko stood frozen for a moment before turning to her son, whose relieved expression worried her even more. "Touma, has that boy been bullying you at school?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Touma weakly shook his head. "N-not exactly, but Denji is the grandson of the Elder of Konoha. Anyone who crosses him… well, they don't have a good time."

The boy shivered at the memory of his classmates who had disappeared from school for days after angering Denji. Some came back battered; others didn't return at all. Worse yet, the teachers didn't reprimand Denji. On the contrary, they praised his "technique."

If his mother had taken money today, Touma knew he'd be the next victim.

Mieko paled. " The Village Elder and The Hokage's assistant? You mean Danzo?"

Touma nodded, and Mieko felt a chill run down her spine.

The Shimura clan wasn't just any clan. It was a prestigious and powerful family, even among Konoha's elite. Mieko had heard the name often enough to understand its weight.

Shimura Denji… She repeated the name silently, committing it to memory. For the sake of her son's safety, she resolved never to charge that boy again, no matter how many skewers he took.

At that moment, a faint chime echoed in Denji's mind.

[Ding!]

[Congratulations! You have established a "fear bond" with Saiba Mieko and Saiba Touma. Reward: "Grandmaster of Dango-Making" and "0.1 Standard Unit of Genin Chakra."]

Denji smirked. This so-called "system" was proving to be quite an unreliable companion.

As a reincarnated soul in the world of Naruto, Denji was born into an ominous lineage. His mother had passed away during childbirth, and his father had died in the field before he was born. An orphan from the start—a classic protagonist trope.

But fate had thrown a twist. He was the grandson of Shimura Danzo.

Danzo, a name reviled in every corner of the Naruto universe. Villains like Obito and Madara had legions of fans eager to explain their actions, but Danzo? No one defended him. He wasn't just a scapegoat; he was the scapegoat, blamed for every dark deed in Konoha's history.

For a while, Denji felt despair at his lot in life. With a grandfather like Danzo, how could his future be anything but bleak.

But after thinking about it in the arms of the nanny for a few days, he thought it through again.

This wasn't all bad.

Unlike those fan-fiction protagonists who constantly had to dodge Danzo's schemes, Denji didn't have to worry about being targeted by the Shimura clan's shadowy maneuvers. As long as he avoided assassination attempts from rival villages and stayed out of early conflicts, he'd be fine. By the time the Fourth Great Ninja War rolled around, he could sit back and enjoy the Infinite Tsukuyomi like a stress-free vacation.

And when it was all over, he'd awaken to a world at peace.

As for retribution? Impossible. Naruto and Sasuke were the epitome of shonen heroes. No matter how much they despised Danzo, they wouldn't punish the entire Shimura clan for one man's actions.

Once Denji embraced this perspective, he stopped worrying. Being the eldest grandson of the Shimura family had its perks.

In Konoha, Sarutobi Hiruzen ruled as Hokage and maintained a semblance of decorum. Danzo, on the other hand, had no such restraints. Where Sarutobi disciplined his son Asuma, Danzo let Denji run wild.

Denji was the ultimate second-generation aristocrat—the true prince of Konoha.

Even Konohamaru's antics in later years wouldn't compare to the privilege Denji enjoyed.

And then there was the system.

Activated on his sixth birthday, the "Strongest Ninja Bond System" allowed him to forge connections with people, rewarding him with their skills, talents, chakra, and even ninjutsu. The deeper the bond and the stronger the individual, the better the reward.

Take the dango shop owner, for example. Establishing a basic bond with her earned him some modest chakra and dango-making expertise. But Denji didn't see much value in that relationship. He preferred to focus on more promising bonds—people with rare talents or powerful bloodlines.

Just as he was mulling over his next move, a young man appeared behind him. Wearing sunglasses and exuding a nearly imperceptible presence, Aburame Seiji, a Root operative, stood silently.

"Master, it's time for today's training," Seiji said quietly.

Denji acknowledged him with a lazy wave. "Got it."

Before returning home, he stopped by another shop owned by a classmate. With a few choice words, he established two more bonds and walked away with a bag of round fans.

[Reward: "Introduction to Round Fan Making," "Genin Chakra +0.1."]

Smirking at the small boost, Denji finally made his way back to the Shimura clan's estate, feeling quite satisfied with his day's work.

...

"Master Denji, in today's training we'll focus on Chakra extraction."

In the courtyard of the wooden house, Denji listened closely as his instructor, Ebiki, explained the techniques and key points of Chakra extraction.

What's a Special Jōnin?

They're ninja whose skills fall between a Chūnin and a full-fledged Jōnin. Special Jōnins are promoted based on exceptional talent in a specific area, and Ebiki was promoted for his teaching prowess.

The expertise and methods he used in Chakra extraction far surpassed anything taught at the ninja academy. It was at this stage that the gap between the ninja clans and ordinary civilians began to show. Even with identical physical strength and mental focus, clan ninja extracted Chakra more efficiently, resulting in a larger reserve and faster recovery rate than their civilian counterparts.

For ordinary ninja to rise above their league, they needed to find a skilled instructor. But those skilled instructors often came from the same strong clans. Over time, this led to the formation of factions within the village.

Despite having both a special system and powerful backing, Denji never slacked in his training. In fact, he worked harder than most. In the world of shinobi, strength dictated respect. Without strength, even the respect of others would only be skin-deep, born of fear or superficial obligation.

In his previous life, Denji had known only mediocrity. But now, he had the means and the opportunity to aim for greatness. He wanted to be more than just a background figure—he wanted to be the person who shaped his own destiny.

However, Denji hadn't always been this diligent. His commitment to training only began after he turned five. Chakra, after all, was an energy drawn from the cells and combined with mental focus. Starting too early wasn't always beneficial. Overdevelopment at a young age could lead to future complications.

In other words, young shinobi needed to pace themselves.

...

Two hours passed in what felt like no time at all. After concluding the lesson with a bow, Ebiki took his leave, clearly pleased with his student. Denji wasn't just another kid to babysit—he was intelligent, quick to grasp concepts, and far easier to teach than most. Unlike other young ninjas who needed constant emotional management, Denji absorbed his lessons without unnecessary distractions.

Back in his room, Denji accepted the dinner and medicinal herbs prepared by his servants. He downed the bitter tonic in a single gulp, wincing as it went down, then turned his attention to his meal.

From a purely biological standpoint, the use of Chakra is taxing. It's like borrowing energy from your body's cells. Yet, even without using Chakra, the body's cells divide and age over time. Most humans don't die because their cells reach a limit—they die because their organs fail. As long as Chakra use is balanced and the body is well cared for, it doesn't shorten one's lifespan.

Denji had learned these principles from his grandfather, Shimura Danzō. Despite his age, Danzō still harbored ambitions of becoming Hokage, which made him particularly cautious about his health. If anyone else acted like this, it might seem laughable. But Danzō's reputation as the "Shadow Hokage" made everything he did carry weight.

...

After finishing his meal, Denji wandered through the quiet mansion. His grandfather hadn't been around for a few days, leaving Denji the sole master of the sprawling estate aside from the servants and guards.

He lay on his bed, summoning a system interface with a mere thought. His personal stats appeared before him.

[Name: Shimura Denji]

[Gender: Male]

[Age: Six]

[Date of Birth: April 1, 46th Year of the Konoha Calendar]

[Chakra Affinities: Fire (Genius), Wind (Genius), Yang (Excellent)]

[Total Chakra: 6.1 Standard Genin Units]

[Chakra Control Talent: Genius]

[Learned Jutsu: Transformation Jutsu (Proficient), Wind Release: Great Breakthrough (Normal), Fire Release: Flame Bullet (Normal)]

[Nature Transformation: None]

[Special Talents: "Father's Hopes," "Mother's Love," Senju Bloodline (dormant), Swordsmanship Genius, Stealth Mastery, Dango-Making Master, Fan-Making Master]

[Overall Rating: Bully of the Academy.]

For a system-enhanced prodigy, these stats were underwhelming. But considering Denji had only received the system a few days ago, most of his progress was due to his own efforts. For a six-year-old, he was already at the level of a graduating academy student.

The system classified talents into levels: ordinary, good, excellent, genius, ultimate, and beyond limits. Jutsu mastery was divided into beginner, normal, proficient, master, ultimate, and beyond limits.

Genius-level talent put him on par with the renowned Kakashi, while ultimate-level talent matched that of the Third Hokage, the Professor of Ninjutsu.

Based on this panel, Denji's potential topped out at the level of an elite Jōnin. With time and effort, he might scrape the edges of Kage-level strength. But what caught his eye were two specific talents:

["Father's Hopes": Your father, though you never met him, held high expectations for you. All existing talents are increased by one level.]

["Mother's Love": A mother's love is the greatest gift. She left behind her most precious legacy. This talent develops in three stages:

Stage 1: Awakens the Senju bloodline, which matures as you age, disappearing upon adulthood.

Stage 2: Upon becoming a full-fledged ninja, all talents increase by one level (breaking limits where possible).

Stage 3: Upon reaching adulthood (16 years), this talent doubles your total Chakra.]

Denji's heart ached at the memory of his mother, the kind woman he only met briefly. She was of Senju descent, a lineage that held unmatched vitality and Chakra reserves. Long ago, Senju Tobirama had encouraged intermarriage between the Senju and other clans to create a new generation of ninjas. While this diluted their short-term strength, it increased the potential for exceptional offspring.

However, awakening the Senju bloodline wasn't easy. Denji's mother had left him the greatest gift she could—something to fill the gap left by the system's missing starting bonus.