—Congratulations, boy. You have passed the trials of Ryūchi Cave. Now you are worthy to learn Senjutsu.
This test would never have begun if the Wise Serpent had not sensed the ambition and hunger for power within Noah. Otherwise, she would have immediately expelled him from the place.
Now that he had passed her trial, he proved himself worthy of learning Senjutsu.
The Wise Serpent let out a mocking hiss.
—I hope you are ready… If your body cannot withstand the transformation, I will devour you without hesitation.
Before Noah could respond, the giant serpent lunged at him. In the blink of an eye, her form shrank to the size of a normal snake, and her fangs sank into Noah's neck, injecting natural energy directly into his bloodstream.
Noah's body reacted instantly. A searing heat coursed through his veins like liquid fire. He felt his skin tingle and his flesh writhe. It was as if every cell in his body was resisting an inevitable transformation.
—Do not resist. Flow with the energy. Balance it.
The Wise Serpent's words echoed in his mind as he struggled to sit cross-legged and close his eyes. His breathing was erratic and his heart pounded wildly in his chest.
Scales began to emerge on his skin, only to disappear and reappear in an irregular cycle. His body struggled to find equilibrium between natural energy, spiritual energy, and physical vitality.
Days passed.
Noah remained in that state of meditation and suffering for three full days. His skin changed color, ephemeral horns sprouted and vanished on his head, his tongue split like a snake's only to return to normal.
But finally, as the third day ended, his transformation stabilized. His eyes, once emerald green, were now a deep amber with the slit pupils characteristic of the snakes of Ryūchi Cave. A thin purple line adorned the edges of his eyelids, a distinctive mark of having perfectly mastered Sage Mode, just like Naruto.
Noah exhaled heavily.
—I did it… Though my body can only sustain it for a limited time.
Noah's body was still too immature to use Senjutsu without risking contamination from natural energy.
The Wise Serpent inclined her enormous head and hissed with satisfaction.
—Well done, boy. You have saved yourself from being my dinner. Now leave.
But instead of stepping back, Noah raised his gaze and spoke.
—I want to make a summoning contract.
The serpent seemed to consider it for a moment before whispering a name.
—Garaga.
From the cave entrance, a slender, dark-red cobra appeared, slithering toward the throne and bowing its head in respect.
—Sign the contract with this boy. He is talented.
Noah and Garaga exchanged glances, and in an instant, a bond was sealed.
Looking at the docile and obedient Garaga before him—who still had both eyes—Noah reflected.
—It seems Garaga hasn't yet met the summoner who would betray him in the future… Who would have thought that Boruto's summoning beast would become mine?
The Wise Serpent lost patience and exhaled a puff of smoke that enveloped Noah, sending him back home.
—Hehehe… I look forward to seeing the chaos you will cause in the shinobi world, descendant of Hashirama.
—Huh? Nawaki? Is it me or have you gotten taller?
After returning home, Noah went down to the dining room looking for something to eat. Tsunade observed him for a few seconds and frowned slightly, noticing his slight physical changes after mastering Senjutsu.
—Who knows —Noah replied indifferently—. I'm still growing, after all.
Dismissing it, he ignored Tsunade and went back up to his room. He flopped onto the bed and fell asleep almost instantly.
The next morning, news arrived that shook the entire village.
Tobirama Senju, the Second Hokage, had died.
Noah attended the funeral with Mito and Tsunade.
Afterward, he listened to Hiruzen officially assume the position of Third Hokage, delivering his first speech before the village.
Not interested in listening to his ramblings about the Will of Fire, Noah withdrew and returned to his secret chamber.
With Tobirama's death, the First Great Shinobi World War was slowly coming to an end, but the entire ninja world would remain unstable for many years.
A few days after Tobirama's death, Noah insisted that his grandmother retrieve his personal belongings and not let Hiruzen, the new Hokage, requisition them.
Mito was not difficult to convince and readily agreed.
Thus, Tobirama's personal equipment returned to the ancestral residence of the Senju Clan.
Back in his room, Noah looked at the two weapons in front of him. The first was the katana that Tobirama usually used, which was also a Kusanagi sword. This katana possessed certain special abilities and properties. One of them was its ability to cut through almost any material due to the composition of the blade.
The second had a more unusual appearance.
It looked like a typical Buddhist vajra, but it was actually the hilt of a lightsaber like in Star Wars. This weapon was known as the Thunder God Sword. Once chakra was infused into it, a blade made of concentrated lightning chakra formed on its surface, glowing in intense yellow and seemingly imbued with pure electrical energy; hence its name.
Storing the Thunder God Sword in his 4D pocket, Noah took out the Denkomaru sword he had obtained from the world of Doraemon, then summoned the hollow cube into his hand before placing both the Denkomaru and the Kusanagi sword inside it.
Since both weapons were katanas, there were no compatibility issues, and the two objects began to fuse within the cube.
—Ten days…
That was the time it would take for the cube to complete the fusion.
With a wave of his hand, the hollow cube returned to the inside of his soul before he stepped outside.
Noah walked through the village streets for a good while, dodging the passersby going about their daily business. Finally, he stopped in front of a small shop from which a warm orange glow emanated. The rhythmic sound of a hammer striking metal resonated from within.
He pushed the door open, and a small bell announced his entrance.
—Good afternoon, Master Tetsuo! —Noah greeted with a smile, addressing an old man who, wearing a leather apron with his sleeves rolled up, was working intently on an anvil.
The old blacksmith looked up and, recognizing the boy, set the hammer aside with a wide smile.
—Ah, Nawaki! Right on time. —He wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand and walked over to a shelf, from which he took a well-crafted wooden box. —The commission you asked for is finished. I hope it meets your expectations.
He placed the box on the counter and opened it carefully.
Noah stood on his tiptoes to look inside. On a black velvet cloth rested four metal pieces: two wrist guards and two ankle guards, impeccably finished with a faint sheen.
—I followed your instructions to the letter —Tetsuo explained, leaning his elbows on the counter—. They are imbued with a seal that responds to your chakra. Just by concentrating, you can alter their weight at will. They weigh as much as a normal object, but when you infuse them with energy… —He paused and looked at the boy with a slight frown of concern—. Hey, Nawaki, aren't you a bit too young to start using these? Your body is still developing…
Without flinching, Noah reached out and took the wrist guards. With quick movements, he fastened them to both wrists, adjusting the straps. He did the same with the ankle guards. Once equipped, he raised his right thumb with a radiant smile.
—Master Tetsuo's work is unbeatable! The fit is perfect. —He hopped off the ground a couple of times, testing the fastenings—. Now, let's try…
He closed his eyes for a moment and channeled a small amount of chakra into the seals. Suddenly, his arms dropped sharply and his body lurched forward. He stumbled and nearly crashed to the floor, but managed to plant one foot and extend an arm to regain his balance.
—Ugh! —He grunted, straightening up with a strained smile—. Maybe I overdid it a bit with the weight…
Tetsuo let out a hearty laugh, crossing his arms.
—Ha, ha, ha! Next time adjust more carefully, boy. I don't want my weights to be the cause of your first fracture.
Noah adjusted the chakra flow again, reducing the load until he found a point where his body could move normally while feeling the appropriate resistance. He took a few steps, moved his arms, and nodded with satisfaction.
—Perfect. —He turned to the blacksmith with a mischievous smile—. By the way, Master… have you thought about my proposal? Will you teach me to forge?
The old man shook his head, though his eyes sparkled with amusement.
—With the workload I have, I barely have time to breathe. —He shrugged—. But once this damned war ends, orders will drop. Then, maybe… —He leaned toward Noah and winked—. As long as you truly put in the effort, of course. I don't want a student who gives up at the first difficulty.
Noah nodded seriously, placing a hand over his chest.
—I promise, Master! When that day comes, I'll work twice as hard to learn everything I can.
Tetsuo gave a satisfied smile and patted him on the shoulder.
—Good boy. Now go, it's late. And be careful with those weights.
—Thank you, Master Tetsuo! —Noah gave a small bow and headed for the door to leave.