"Yue, it's time to eat!"

A red-haired boy sat on the windowsill, staring blankly at the moon. His mother's gentle voice called out to him, making him blink. He then jumped down and walked toward the living room.

"Come on, wash your hands first, Yue! Mom made your favorite dishes today!"

Yue glanced at his mother but said nothing as he went to wash his hands. Then, he climbed onto his chair. Fortunately, their household wasn't too traditional—there was no need to kneel while eating, which he found uncomfortable.

"Yue, Little Sun will be back tomorrow! The war is finally over. It's such a relief. Oh, and your fourth birthday is coming up soon! Have you thought about what you want as a present?"

"As long as Father is safe... I don't need any gifts."

Yue disliked interacting with people, even with his parents in this life. After years together, he still didn't know how to be close to them—having never experienced parental love before.

He was about to turn four, yet his personality remained withdrawn, making Minato and Kushina feel guilty. Minato, in particular, blamed himself for being away from home so often, believing that his absence had shaped his son's personality. Meanwhile, Kushina treated Yue with extra gentleness, hoping he could be a little more like their "Little Sun."

But despite Yue's solitude, he was exceptionally mature and well-behaved. Aside from his personality, there was nothing for his parents to worry about.

"Tomorrow, come with me to welcome Little Sun! Your father is a hero of the village now! That makes you the son of a hero! Many kids will admire you—you should try to make some friends! Oh, speaking of friends, your little friend Itachi is still in the Land of Earth with his father, Fugaku. He might return a bit later."

"I understand. I'm done eating. I'll go to my room and sleep now. Good night, Mom."

"Yue..."

Kushina watched her son's small figure retreating and sighed.

She wanted to talk to him more, to hear him say a few extra words to her. But as always, he ate quietly while listening, then left as soon as he finished. During the day, he either stayed in his room refining chakra or trained at the facility Minato had arranged for him. At night, he would sit and stare at the moon until it was time to sleep.

Kushina and Minato had Yue when they were eighteen. It was... an accident. Minato had returned injured from a mission, and Kushina had taken care of him. Alone together, one thing led to another. (Jinchūriki giving birth isn't that easy—this will be explained later.)

"This child... his personality is nothing like mine or Little Sun's..." She sighed again before finishing her meal and cleaning up the table.

Kushina entered Yue's room. As always, he was sitting by the window, lost in thought. She walked over and picked him up.

"You know I don't like this, Mom," Yue said awkwardly. His mature soul couldn't handle this kind of affection.

"Yue, your father will be back tomorrow. Aren't you looking forward to it at all?" Kushina held him as they both gazed out of the window. His deep blue eyes were unreadable.

"Father will be fine."

"Of course! Little Sun is a powerful ninja! But what about your birthday present? Can't you tell Mom what you want?" Kushina smiled as she thought of Minato.

"You already know what I want." Yue's expression and tone were as flat as ever.

"Honestly, why does a little kid like you want a sword and Rasengan training? You're still growing—you can't do such damaging training yet! Just wait until you're older, and your father and I will teach you together, okay? And really, Little Sun! He already taught you how to refine chakra last year! Do you know how dangerous it is for a three-year-old to start chakra refinement?! But Yue, why are you so obsessed with getting stronger? You're still so young—you should be making friends instead!"

Kushina couldn't understand Yue's behavior. He refused to play with other kids. She had asked him why before, but he never gave her an answer.

His only friend was Uchiha Itachi, the son of her best friend, Uchiha Mikoto. But even then, the two of them didn't play—they only sparred, practicing taijutsu and shuriken throwing. They didn't act like normal children at all.

"I'm going to sleep now, Mom."

"Yue!" Kushina's voice grew stern—she was starting to get angry at his indifference.

"Sorry, Mom."

"Ahh... fine, just rest up. Tomorrow morning, come with me to greet Little Sun." Kushina didn't know what else to do. She could only wait for Minato to return so they could celebrate Yue's birthday together and try to be there for him more.

That was the end of their conversation. Kushina gently placed Yue on the bed, tucking him in with great care.

"Good night, Yue."

"Good night, Mom."

After Kushina left, Yue sat up, hugging his knees. The moonlight spilled into the room, casting a glow on his emotionless face.

Appearance-wise, Namikaze Yue had perfectly inherited his parents' genes—sky-blue eyes, shoulder-length red hair, and strikingly handsome features. He was sure to be a heartthrob when he grew up.

Too bad he was so expressionless…

——

"Four years... and I still haven't fully adjusted..." Yue murmured to himself.

He had no idea how he had ended up in this world. The chakra, the various jutsu, the superhuman abilities of the ninjas—everything defied his understanding of reality.

In his past life, he had been a world-renowned biologist. Despite his youth, his breakthroughs in DNA splicing technology were unparalleled. At just twenty-four, while still in his doctoral studies, he had won the highest honor in his field—a true miracle.

But the reason for his achievements was simple—he had been trying to survive.

Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome had turned twenty-four-year-old Yue into an old man. Desperate to extend his life, he had immersed himself in research, absorbing knowledge like a sponge. His intense pursuit of survival shaped his withdrawn, obsessive, and even cruel nature.

In his past life, he had conducted illegal experiments on criminals—attempting to induce unlimited, mutation-free cell division while maintaining normal metabolic functions. A crime against humanity.

'I wasn't a good person... But at least I never harmed the innocent. Those men were already waiting for death in prison.'

That was Yue's belief.

But after achieving partial success, he ran out of test subjects. And with his own body failing, he had no choice but to apply the experiment to himself before it was fully perfected.

And then—he woke up here.

He didn't have any complaints about it. Facing death from a young age had prepared him for anything. He had simply never expected fate to play such a joke on him—giving him a second chance.

Still, his long years of isolation made it hard to adapt to this new life. Especially with Minato and Kushina… He didn't know how to be close to them. But he understood the deep love they had for him.

He had heard of this world before. "Naruto"—a hot-blooded anime. But he had never watched it. As a scientist devoted to knowledge and experiments, he only knew of it because his middle school classmates used to perform hand seals and "stab" each other as a joke.

"This is a world where death is everywhere. Law, justice, and morality all depend on personal strength. Without power, you have no voice.

And modern weapons might not even work against ninjas. I didn't study engineering or physics... My only option is to grow stronger—to ensure I can continue my research without being killed.

I don't fear death, but I don't want to die.

I spent twenty years fighting to stay alive. Now, what should I do next?

One step at a time.

But this whole 'ninja' thing…

What an interesting profession."

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