After returning home, Shin washed up in the bathroom before sitting neatly at the dining table, ready to eat.
The dishes were already laid out. Though the flavors and cooking styles differed from those of his previous life, he had long since grown accustomed to them.
Across from him sat his biological mother in this world—a young and attractive woman with long brown hair.
Her name was Higashino Megumi. Like most civilians, she originally had no family name; before marriage, she was simply Megumi. After marrying, she took her husband's surname and became Higashino Megumi.
Shin's father in this life was Higashino Jiro, a tall, solidly built Konoha Chūnin with an unremarkable face. He was currently away on a village mission and had been gone for several days.
Yes—Higashino Shin was not an orphan in the ninja world.
He was fortunate enough to have both parents, which meant there would be no miraculous orphan buffs waiting for him.
His appearance clearly favored his mother. Though he wasn't even four yet, five or six parts of his features already resembled hers. Shin was confident that as long as he didn't grow up crooked, he would likely turn out handsome.
Megumi had given birth at twenty and was now twenty-three. Jiro was about the same age; the two had even been classmates back then.
Ridiculously young.
So young that Shin's mental age surpassed theirs by more than a decade.
And yet, he now had to call them Mom and Dad.
Strangely, Shin felt no discomfort about it.
He hadn't taken over someone else's child—he had been conceived, carried, and born from Megumi's womb. This couple had truly brought him into the world and raised him with care.
Calling them his parents was only natural. In his previous life, Ryan hadn't been an ungrateful drama queen.
While eating, Megumi asked with curiosity, "Shin, I remember you started training every morning when you were three. Isn't it hard?"
"Not at all, Mom. I actually enjoy it. I like the feeling of getting stronger."
"Why do you want to be strong so badly?"
"This is Konohagakure. I'm going to be a ninja—does wanting to be strong really need a reason?"
"Doesn't it?"
"Does it?" Shin paused, then smiled. "Fine. I want to become a powerful ninja so I can protect you and Dad in the future."
Facing his mother, Shin didn't recite politically correct slogans about protecting the village or comrades.
"Thank you, Shin." Megumi smiled and gently ruffled his hair. "But you've got it backward. Your father and I are supposed to protect you."
Then she added softly, "I'm just glad you finally sound like a child your age when you say things like that. You've always been far too mature."
"You're not even four yet. Sometimes it feels like I've missed out on being a mom. I don't think you've ever wet the bed."
"Even as a baby, you'd cry just to make me take you to the bathroom. I never even had the chance to change diapers. Being a mother hasn't felt hard at all."
Faced with his mother's long monologue, Shin could only joke, "So… you're disappointed I never wet the bed, Mrs. Higashino?"
Smack! Megumi knocked him on the head. "Call me Mom! Where did you pick up that bratty way of speaking?"
"Got it, Mrs. Higashino. I learned it from Uncle Kuroda downstairs."
Smack!
"I said call me Mom!"
"No problem, Mrs. Higashino."
Smack!
After breakfast, Megumi changed clothes in the bedroom and hurried to leave.
Before heading out, she reminded him, "Shin, I'm going to work. Take care of yourself, and if anything happens, come find me at the hospital."
"Got it, Mom."
Like her husband, Megumi was also a ninja, half a rank higher in professional classification. A Tokubetsu Jōnin specializing in Medical Ninjutsu, she worked at Konoha Hospital.
Back then, Tsunade, devastated by the deaths of her younger brother Nawaki and countless comrades, proposed strengthening the training of Medical Ninja and assigning them to squads to reduce wartime casualties.
Although the policy had not yet been implemented—and even her lover Kato Dan fell before it could—the system was formally adopted after the war ended.
Megumi was one of the beneficiaries.
Her combat strength was limited, but she possessed genuine talent in Medical Ninjutsu.
After all, medical techniques demand exquisite chakra control—an area where women often excel.
After giving birth to Shin, Megumi spent over two years resting, raising her child while continuing her studies. The moment Shin declared he could take care of himself, she immediately returned to the hospital.
Medical ninjas were simply too scarce. No matter how many were trained, it was never enough.
Fortunately, Shin had always behaved with maturity beyond his years, allowing his parents to leave him home alone and saving them the expense of hiring a nanny.
As usual, Megumi went straight to work. Once Shin finished washing the dishes, he picked up a book and began studying at home.
Children in the ninja world mature early. Let alone a reincarnator carrying an adult soul.
By the age of two, with his mother's guidance, Shin had already mastered the written language of this world. From there, he devoured every introductory book he could find.
To live well here, one must first understand the world.
That meant geography—and history.
Geography was simple. Between the family's collection and Konoha's public library, there were plenty of non-classified maps and gazetteers detailing nations large and small.
History, however, was another matter.
Few people in the ninja world bothered to record events, and the thousand-year Warring States era was almost entirely blank.
Who knew how much effort a certain black-clad, "filial" son had put into erasing it?
Perhaps ancient clans—the Senju, Uchiha, Hyūga—or the great daimyo families possessed hidden records.
But those were hardly books a child could borrow.
Fortunately, Shin never intended to become a historian. The available maps had already given him a clear understanding of the world's layout.
As for history, his memories from his past life's storylines gave him a broader grasp of the last millennium than ninety-nine percent of the people living in this world.
That was more than enough.
He completed all of this before turning three.
After that, he entered the second stage of training, divided into three paths.
First: daily physical conditioning. His parents designed the regimen based on experience, while Shin carefully monitored his limits and adjusted the workload every few weeks.
Second: theoretical study of chakra and human anatomy, along with hand seal practice, laying the groundwork for future chakra extraction and ninjutsu training.
Third: natural sciences—mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, cryptography, and more.
Yes, ninjas study these subjects.
Just look at the written exam during Chunin Exams—material typically required of Chūnin and above.
A qualified ninja need not be a genius in every field, but at least the fundamentals are required. Hot-headed exceptions like Naruto Uzumaki are rare.
The Ninja Academy teaches these subjects as well, though it does not demand deep mastery.
This is Konoha, the military heart of the Land of Fire. Its primary mission is to produce combat-ready shinobi.
Battle capability is the foremost measure of a ninja.
Those who fail to pass the combat filter later specialize according to their strengths, becoming sealing experts, cryptographers, researchers, or medical ninja—support personnel rather than frontline fighters.
Tsunade insists medical ninja should fight as well, but not everyone possesses Senju and Uzumaki blood, overwhelming strength, and the ability to heal while carrying others.
Shin's goal was simple.
General competence, not specialization.
All this learning existed for one purpose—to make him a more complete ninja.
Now, nearly four years old, he was finishing this foundational curriculum. His next goal was to become a true ninja.
This had been his daily routine for two full years—no slacking, enforced by terrifying self-discipline.
That discipline came from his past life.
Once, he had been a gifted child who topped every exam. Laziness and indulgence had ruined that future—ruined his life.
Given a second chance, he would never repeat Ryan's mistakes.
Now, Higashino Shin could only say this: Studying brings joy. Training brings boundless happiness.