“You... you created a new Kekkei Genkai?” Maki whispered as her eyes widened in disbelief.

Kaoru glanced up at her, his cyan Suijingan glowing brightly. “Not exactly,” he said with a small grin. “It’s still water... sort of. I was experimenting with density and realized I can manipulate temperature too, although doing that pushes the limits of what I can do with my chakra control and reserves.”

Maki stepped closer, her shock slowly giving way to awe. “Ru, this isn’t just pushing limits. Do you realize what this means? You’re creating ice without a secondary nature. This is...” She trailed off, trying to process what she was seeing.

Kaoru’s grin widened. “Grandma always says we don’t know the full potential of Suijingan, right? So, I thought... why not see how far it can go?”

Maki crouched next to him, staring at the frozen orb in utter amazement. “Ru, if this isn’t a new Kekkei Genkai, it’s pretty damn close. Does Grandma know about this?”

“Nope. You’re the first one to see it.” Kaoru chuckled. “Guess I ruined your big news moment, huh?”

Maki shook her head, her earlier excitement returning with full force. “Ru, you didn’t ruin anything. You might’ve just made it ten times better.” She ruffled his hair, grinning from ear to ear. “Takimura is going to lose their minds when they see this. But for now... teach me how you did it.” Said Maki with a cheeky smile.

Kaoru laughed. “You can’t just learn this in one sitting, Maki. Besides, don’t you have your Predator’s Pact to brag about?”

Maki’s grin turned mischievous. “Fair enough. But one day, Ru, you’re going to spill all your secrets. Until then...” Her eyes flicked to the frozen orb again. “...you better keep creating even more crazy techniques.” She laughed, then asked, “Ru, can you use this in battle?”

“No, not yet,” Kaoru admitted as he scratched the back of his head. “It takes too much chakra, and the speed is way too slow. Actually, I was working on something completely different when I realized I could manipulate temperature. Then I got... carried away.” He grinned. “Wanna see it?”

Maki’s jaw dropped. “Wait—you created a new kekkei genkai and a new technique? At the same time? Ru, you’re starting to sound made up.”

“If it’s water, I feel like I can do anything as long as my creativity and chakra reserves hold up.” Kaoru shrugged, but his expression darkened slightly. “Although, if I manipulate too much water, my head feels like it’s going to explode. Once, I even fainted. Honestly, I think the only way to train Suijingan is through pain. A lot of pain.” He massaged his temples, the memory of countless headaches fresh in his mind.

“Show me the new technique, genius,” Maki said, folding her arms but unable to hide her excitement.

Kaoru nodded, activating his Suijingan. He moved water from a massive barrel nearby, and soon, the liquid began swirling around him until he was completely submerged in a perfect sphere of water. His glowing cyan eyes locked onto Maki as he gestured for her to attack.

Maki hesitated briefly but then smirked. She didn’t hold back much as she delivered a punch straight at the sphere. Her fist didn’t even pierce the water—it felt like she’d just struck solid steel. She winced, shaking her hand. “What the hell, Ru? This hurts!”

Kaoru smiled and then dismissed the water, guiding it back into the barrel as his eyes dimmed.

“The idea came to me when I saw your new technique,” Kaoru explained. “I realized I was completely defenseless against you. My long-range attacks are useless if I can’t hit you, and you could close the distance whenever you wanted. So, this is my ultimate defense mode. Unless the attack is really strong, it should hold up.”

Kaoru paused, frowning slightly. “There are weaknesses, though—lightning, sound attacks, and probably a few others. I’m working on it. But it’s not just for defense. I can make spikes, tentacles, all kinds of stuff. And the best part? It costs me almost no chakra to maintain.”

Maki raised an eyebrow. “We’re testing this at the training ground later. But wait—can you boil water too?” she teased with a laugh.

Kaoru grinned, shaking his head. “Not yet. I can lower the temperature, but increasing is a whole different story. I tried, but it’s ridiculously taxing. I think it’s possible in the future, but for now, just slowing the particles down is already a big win.”

Maki couldn’t help but laugh as Kaoru explained his technique in detail, clearly proud of his progress. She fondly remembered the book she’d given him for his tenth birthday—a guide on water element manipulation written from a scientific perspective rather than tailored for shinobi. She was thrilled to see how much it had helped him.

From that book, Kaoru had learned that by accelerating water particles, he could increase the water's temperature, and by slowing them down, he could lower it—even freezing it entirely.

“Well, good job, Ru.” She ruffled his hair and grinned. “But don’t even think about one-upping me during training.”

“Maki, what about the surprise?” Kaoru asked as his laugh faded.

“Oh, I almost forgot! The council agreed—we’re going to Konoha to participate in the Chunin Exams!” Maki grinned widely.

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“Finally! I’ve been stuck in the village for months now.” Kaoru groaned. Since they discovered that Kirigakure was hunting their shinobis, Takimura had forbidden genins from leaving the village unless an Oinin squad scouted ahead first. And with only two squads available, most genins had been grounded indefinitely.

“Don’t worry,” Maki said, puffing her chest with mock bravado. “Both Shin and I will be coming this time, so even if Kiri dares to make a move, they’ll regret it.”

Kaoru chuckled at her words. “How’s your wind release training coming along? Shin told me you are studying this new scroll he gave you on your birthday,” Maki asked casually, grabbing an apple from the table and taking a bite.

“No progress whatsoever,” Kaoru admitted with a chuckle. “Wind release doesn’t come nearly as easily as water. But I’ve made progress with my chakra rotation. My left hand is done now. I think I’ll be able to rotate chakra throughout my whole body next year—or, worst case, in two years.” His tone turned boastful, and he shot Maki a cheeky grin, he wanted to ask her to spar with him but Maki interupted.

“Alright, Ru,” Maki said, tossing the apple aside and stretching her arms. “I’ve got tons of work to finish before bed.” She waved him off and disappeared, leaving the half-eaten apple behind.

Kaoru smiled to himself, stretching his hand toward the discarded fruit. Slowly, the apple began to shrink and wrinkle as its water content drained away. Kaoru examined his work with satisfaction. His mastery over Suijingan took a significant leap the day he finally managed to control eight water tentacles simultaneously.

[So I’ll be meeting Itachi, huh?] Kaoru thought as he leaned back, feeling a mix of excitement and unease. [How old is he now? Seven or eight, I think? I can’t believe I’m nervous about fighting a seven-year-old kid.] He chuckled at the absurdity of it, though the nervous tension lingered in the back of his mind. [Should I show my true strength during the exams?]

He glanced at the dehydrated apple on the table, “I’ll ask Maki what she thinks,” he muttered to himself, already mentally preparing for the biggest challenge of his life.

“Itachi Uchiha, The child who sacrificed himself to solve adult's problems” Kaoru muttered as he sat down cross-legged, his cyan eyes started glowing once again. Eight water tentacles rose from the barrel, moving fluidly toward him and forming a protective sphere. His voice grew softer, almost swallowed by the swirling water. “Do I even want to try saving him…?”

<<<>>>

Two weeks flew by, and the time had finally come for Takimura’s delegation to depart.

The village was sending two genin teams: the first comprised Sugeru, Yuji, and Akito—each of them twelve years old. The second team included Kaoru, Mizuki, and Akane, aged ten, eleven, and twelve respectively.

Kaoru stood near the entrance, he was chatting with Akane and the other kids. The genins were clad in dark blue clothes bearing Takimura’s colors, their clan symbols proudly displayed on the backs of their cloaks. For the first time, they wore Takimura’s official headbands, each etched with the waterfall emblem.

“I’m so excited to see Konoha!” Akane exclaimed, practically bouncing in place. “Do you think their food is good? They probably have, like, a million types of ramen! I heard they even put eggs in it.”

Kaoru chuckled. “You’re excited about ramen?”

“Food is part of the experience, Ru!” Akane said, giving him an exaggerated look. “Why else would I train so hard if not to eat all the food I want?”

“Sure, that’s why you’re training,” Kaoru said, smirking.

“Am I the only one worried about this whole thing?” Akito asked nervously, glancing around. His comment earned simultaneous groans from Sugeru and Yuji.

“Don’t worry, Akito,” Kaoru reassured him. “Maki and Shin are coming with us. If anything happens, they’ll handle it.”

“No, I mean about the exam itself!” Akito said, lowering his voice. “I heard Lady Suiren talking with Akura-san yesterday. She said Kiri genin might target us during the exams.”

“That just means we’ll get to beat some Kiri kids!” Yuji said confidently, puffing out his chest. “I’m ready to show them who’s boss!”

“Yuji, they’re kids like us,” Akane said, rolling her eyes. “You don’t have to act like we’re fighting for our lives.”

“Maybe we are,” Mizuki said suddenly, her voice quiet but chilling enough to send a shiver down everyone’s spine. She wasn’t smiling, either.

“Why do you have to be like that, Mizuki?” Akito muttered, trying to shake off the tension. “You’re scary.”

“Exactly,” Mizuki replied flatly, turning her gaze to him. Akito immediately averted his eyes.

“Excitement is good,” Maki interrupted, stepping into the group’s circle with her usual vibrant energy. “This is Takimura’s first official delegation ever. We need to leave an unforgettable impression.”

She shot a meaningful glance at Kaoru. They’d had a long discussion about the mission, and it had been decided: Kaoru wouldn’t hold back. He was guaranteed to become a target after the exams, because there was no way he would be able to keep the Suijingan secret. So it was better to make him famous and let the world know howe powerful Takimura’s new generation truly is.

Yuji grinned. “Unforgettable, huh? Don’t worry, Maki-san. I’ll be so good they’ll call me Yuji the Unstoppable by the end of the exams!”

“They’ll call you Yuji the Unbearable,” Sugeru muttered, earning a laugh from Akane.

“Hey!” Yuji protested. “I’ve been training harder than anyone! Just wait, I’ll pass this exam before you even realize what happened!”

“I don’t think that’s how exams work,” Mizuki said dryly. “There’s no extra credit for being annoying.”

“Alright, kids. Time to depart,” Shin said as he appeared out of nowhere, startling Akito so badly he almost dropped his satchel.

“Does he always do that?” Akito whispered to Kaoru. “It’s not normal.”

Kaoru smirked. “Better get used to it.”

With that, the delegation set off.

**

A/N -

This chapter was a bit shorter than usual, but it marks the start of the Chunin Exam arc. Expect plenty of action-packed fights, and I’ll do my best to sprinkle in some humor along the way—even though I’ll admit, comedy isn’t exactly my strong suit!

By the way, if you’re enjoying the story, please consider adding it to your library and leaving a review. It helps the story gain more attention and gives me the motivation to keep writing! ❤️

Character Note:

Akito - Paranoid - “What if other villages also target us?!”

Kaoru - Excites - “If I manage to defeat Itachi then I’m truly a genius”

**