Chapter 1: Ishikawa Kiyoshi

MC Appearance:

Younger [Image]

Older [Image]

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Land of Fire, Konoha Village

At dawn, in the forest outskirts, towering trees with lush, green leaves swayed gently with the breeze.

A boy, about eight years old, with a noble and determined face, sat alone, cross-legged, with his eyes closed in quiet meditation. 

His aura was calm and soothing, lacking the usual mischief of children his age, as if he were one with nature. 

Occasionally, a bird or two would fly over, chirping, unafraid to perch on him, and dry leaves fell around him, softly landing on his shoulders.

"One…two…three leaves…" he counted softly.

Sunlight filtered through the canopy above, casting patterns across his figure. Yet he remained still, eyes closed, listening to the forest's song.

"Thirty-three leaves, exactly?"

The boy opened his eyes slowly, brushing off the scattered leaves from his shoulders. 

Had someone been watching from the start, they'd have noticed a curious detail, precisely thirty-three leaves had fallen around him since he'd settled under this tree.

Gazing at the sparrow that had jumped from a branch onto his hand Kiyoshi smiled. 

The sparrow chirped twice, as if in response, then flapped its wings and flew off into the distance.

He got up gracefully, feeling a deep sense of peace within. It had been eight years since he woke to find himself in this world.

His father, Ishikawa Masato, had been a medical Jonin at the Konoha Hospital, while his mother, Ishikawa Akane, was a medical Chunin. 

Eight years ago, on the fateful night of the Nine-Tails attack, they'd both sacrificed their lives to protect him, leaving him with his elderly grandmother.

However, his parents had left behind a decent inheritance, and the village had also provided a substantial compensation which gave him a comfortable life.

His father's old friends also lent a helping hand, so he and his grandmother lived comfortably.

But the true wonder for Kiyoshi lay elsewhere. He possessed an innate amount of chakra far beyond the norm, accompanied by an extraordinary sensory ability.

When he was five, during an aimless wander in the forest, he stumbled upon a mysterious green fruit marked with strange patterns—a fruit identical to the legendary devil fruit he'd read about from One Piece.

After hesitating for sometime, he decided to take a gamble and eat it.

The taste was, to say the least, unforgettable. But more importantly, he gained the powers of the Wood-Wood Fruit, a rare Logia-type devil fruit that was eaten Admiral Ryokugyu in One Piece.

Armed with foreknowledge of the potential dangers within Konoha, Kiyoshi was careful not to reveal his newfound powers casually. 

Although still in the Academy, he had inherited his father's excellent chakra control, allowing him to excel both academically and in ninjutsu.

Even the talented Neji Hyuga from the Hyuga clan's branch family found it hard to keep up with him.

In taijutsu, the top of his class was Neji, a born prodigy from a prestigious family, with his Byakugan granting him a near-360° field of view and unparalleled insight. 

Next to him ranked Rock Lee, a boy born without any ninjutsu or genjutsu talent, who tirelessly trained his body to become an indomitable force.

Yet no one truly knew the extent of Kiyoshi's abilities. 

His chakra control had already surpassed his father's, and he had mastered every medical jutsu in his father's scrolls, including the advanced A-rank Healing Jutsu.

Even more astonishingly, the Wood-Wood Fruit power fused with his chakra, producing miraculous effects. 

He could become one with the nature, conjuring and manipulating plant life at will. 

Unlike traditional Wood Release, he required no hand seals or gestures. A mere thought could summon a vast array of plants under his command.

His abilities not only allowed him to drain chakra from others, similar to a carnivorous plant, but he could also absorb their flesh and nutrients, transforming it into energy to heal himself.

Though his skills were advanced enough to graduate early, Kiyoshi felt no rush to leave the Academy.

"At least the hard work paid off…" he murmured to himself. "Years of practice, merging with nature—I can now sense the omnipresent natural energy in the world around me."

Every day, he dedicated time to meditate, quieting his mind, sensing his surroundings, and enhancing his spiritual and sensory skills. But his deeper goal went beyond personal strength.

He sought to master Sage Mode.

"Just sensing natural energy isn't enough. If someone attempts to absorb it recklessly they might turn into stone."

"But I am different," he whispered, eyes glinting with a faint crimson that only he could perceive. 

"As a Wood-Wood Fruit user, I am part of the forest—a piece of nature itself. With my chakra control, balancing the three forces of spiritual energy, physical energy, and natural energy to produce sage chakra is within reach."

"And if anything goes wrong, I can halt the process instantly."

As he spoke, he glanced down, the crimson light in his eyes deepening in determination.

"Maybe…it's time to begin!"