The road to Senju Park seemed longer than ever. Itachi's words still echoed in my mind. "Sacrifices. Choices. Truths." It was as if every step I took was accompanied by that cold, piercing gaze, as if he were watching me even from afar.
'Okay, where do I begin?'
I began to explore the park, walking along the paths I knew so well, looking for an area where I could be sure I wouldn't be disturbed by anyone. As I reached a more secluded part of the park, where the vegetation thickened and the trails disappeared, something began to feel off.
The air grew heavier, almost as if the forest itself was observing me.
That's when I noticed a path I had never seen before. The leaves covering the ground seemed to form a pattern, guiding me into a denser area. The trees around me rose taller and pressed closer together, nearly blotting out the sky.
The isolation was suffocating, yet oddly familiar — like the place was calling me.
After a few minutes of walking, I came to a clearing. In the center stood a gigantic tree, larger than any I had ever seen. Its bark was marked with strange patterns, almost as if symbols were carved into it.
"What... is that tree?" I murmured, approaching cautiously.
Before I could touch it, the system flashed again.
*
[Ancestral Tree Detected]
Description: This tree is directly connected to the legacy of the Senju clan. Secrets that have been passed down through the ages can be discovered through it.
*
I sighed. "Of course it wouldn't reveal all the secrets right away, would it?"
I began to explore the tree, examining the kanji I couldn't quite identify, except for the one meaning "Senju." The tree also seemed to connect with me in some way.
'Maybe if I just...' I thought, bringing my hand closer to the bark.
When I touched the bark, a wave of energy ran through my body, as if something had been awakened inside me. Images began to flood my mind — scenes of Hashirama Senju in battle, creating entire forests with a simple movement of his hands. Scenes of the Senju clan building Konoha alongside the Uchihas.
And then, a different scene. A hooded figure with eyes that seemed to glow in the shadows. He stood before the Ancestral Tree, his hands touching the bark.
"You're not ready for this, boy."
The voice echoed through my mind, but when I opened my eyes, no one was there — only the tree.
A mixture of emotions surged through me, and something told me this was only the beginning.
The weight of the Senju legacy was heavier than I had imagined. Somehow, Itachi had been right — it wasn't just a skill or a name.
It was something far deeper — something I needed to understand quickly.
I tried again to have those visions while touching the tree, but nothing happened. That's when I decided to stay and train, since the area seemed ideal for honing my skills.
The training was long and exhausting as usual, but it paid off when I saw the system screen in front of me indicating the level I had reached.
[Congratulations! You have advanced to level 4!]
[EXP: 570 / 750 to the next level.]
'Still level 4... but I gained 2 levels just from this session. I'll definitely need to complete more missions to level up faster. The EXP I get now is too low compared to how much I need,' I thought, wiping the sweat from my brow and catching my breath.
After a few minutes of analyzing which techniques would be best to choose, I decided it was time to go home. Night was falling, and my stomach was rumbling loudly.
The walk home was short, but it kept me thinking. The clearing, the Ancestral Tree, the glimpses of memories, and that hooded figure... it all seemed like pieces of a much larger puzzle.
"You're not ready for this," the words echoed in my head like a dark warning.
When I finally got home, my mother was in the kitchen, stirring something in a pot, while my father was reading ancient scrolls at the table.
It was a familiar scene, but after what I had just experienced, everything seemed a little... different.
"Welcome back, Riku!" my mother said with a warm smile.
"Hi, Mom," I replied, trying to hide the mess in my head.
My father looked up from the scrolls and gave me a curious look. "You're quieter than usual. Did something happen?"
For a moment, I thought about telling them about the Ancestral Tree, about what I had seen and felt.
But something told me it wasn't the right moment.
"No, just thinking about tomorrow's graduation," I lied, forcing a smile.
He watched me for another second before returning to his scrolls. "It's good that you're thinking. Tomorrow is an important day, and you must be prepared."
My father was strict with me, even though he was careful and wanted the best for me. My father was strict, but also thoughtful, and he always wanted the best for me.
This time, he seemed a little more firm in his words, which I didn't quite understand.
Later, in my room, I sat on my bed and opened the window to let the night breeze in.
I started thinking about how I could learn more about the Ancestral Tree, or who that person might be who had spoken to me during the missions.
That's when I came to a conclusion that seemed obvious.
"Konoha Library," I muttered to myself.
It was a place I'd visited before, but never with the goal of truly understanding my clan or its legacy.
I decided I would go there the next morning, before graduation. If there were answers to be found, that seemed like the logical next step.
As I sat there on my bed, staring at the screen in front of me, I heard a soft knock on my bedroom door.
"Can I come in, Riku?"
It was my father.
I got up quickly, trying not to look as lost as I felt.
"Sure, Dad."
He entered calmly, carrying something rolled up in his hands — an old scroll, worn by time. His gaze was serious, as if he were about to give me a lecture or something. He sat down on the chair next to the bed and watched me for a moment, as if trying to decide where to start.
"I saw you training last night, Riku," he said.
"Yesterday?! What did you see?" I said, a little worried. I hadn't had the chance to tell my parents about Mokuton, and I didn't intend to — not at that moment.
"I saw you channeling your chakra into the earth and creating branches. Mokuton. Do you have that kekkei genkai?"
Damn... he knew.
...
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