“I’m Uchiha Itachi,” he said simply and offered his hand, despite his young age Itachi was very calm and mature.

Kaoru blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before regaining his composure. “I’m Takime Kaoru,” he replied, shaking Itachi’s hand.

Itachi studied Kaoru with a faint frown. “I know you were following me, just like those other three. Why?” The smile had faded from his face, leaving his tone serious.

Kaoru had expected the question and didn’t hesitate. “Several reasons, actually,” he began. “I noticed them trailing you and got curious. But even if they hadn’t been there, I’d probably still have followed.” He grinned, he was not trying to mask his excitement. “I was curious about the legendary Uchiha dojutsu and wanted to ask if you’d show me.”

This time it was Itachi who was caught off guard as his eyes widened. He hadn’t expected such honesty or boldness. He contemplated for a moment before nodding. Slowly, his eyes turned crimson, and two tomoe emerged, spinning gently within his Sharingan. The dojutsu gleamed like embers in the dim forest light, a hypnotic combination of beauty and power.

Kaoru’s awe was unmistakable as he stared, captivated. For a moment even a flicker of jealousy crossed his expression before his curiosity took over.

“That’s so cool! What can it do? Can you see my chakra? If I lie, can you detect it based on my expression? Can you tell a clone apart from the real one?” He fired off a barrage of questions, his voice brimming with excitement.

Itachi blinked at the sudden enthusiasm. Normally, such questions would annoy him, but Kaoru’s sheer earnestness was... amusing. For a moment, Itachi allowed a small smile to tug at his lips. “I’m sorry,” he said gently, his tone apologetic. “I can’t reveal the details. Sharingan techniques are a clan secret. And honestly,” he added with a light chuckle, “it’s kind of rude of you to even ask.”

Kaoru paused, realizing the truth in Itachi’s words. “Fair enough,” he said thoughtfully. Then, after a moment of silence, his eyes began to glow, a brilliant cyan light radiating from them. The sudden change caught Itachi off guard. His earlier calm was replaced with visible intrigue.

“I figured it’s only fair to show you my kekkei genkai since you showed me yours,” Kaoru explained with a chuckle. “Consider it an apology.”

He raised his hand, and water began to swirl into an elegant spiral around his head, forming a crown-like halo. The fluid danced with a mesmerizing grace, controlled with absolute precision.

“This should be enough to prove my sincerity,” Kaoru said, dispelling the water as the glow in his eyes faded.

And now it was Itachi who was excited as his eyes sparkled. “Wow,” he murmured. “What’s the name of your dojutsu?”

“It’s called Suijingan,” Kaoru explained with a smile. “It allows me to control water freely.”

Itachi nodded, impressed. “It’s incredible. That level of control...” He paused before offering a genuine smile. “Thank you for sharing.”

Kaoru grinned. “It’s only fair. Plus, it’s a lot more fun when you’re honest with someone who’s as cool as you.”

Itachi let out a soft laugh, a rare sound that surprised even himself. Kaoru’s earnestness was endearing, and though Itachi didn’t know why the boy was so eager to gain his trust, he found himself appreciating the honesty.

“Kaoru, I have to go,” Itachi said. “But I’m really glad we met. I hope we’ll see each other in the final exam. I’d like to fight you.”

Kaoru’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Likewise, Itachi! You’re even cooler than I expected. Let’s make a deal—let’s avoid running into each other until the final exam.”

Itachi smiled, the faintest hint of amusement in his expression. “Deal,” he said, giving Kaoru a small wave before vanishing into the trees.

Kaoru stood there for a moment, staring at the spot where Itachi had disappeared. [I just made friends with Itachi Uchiha... I can’t believe this!] he thought, his face practically glowing with excitement as he began walking through the forest. [Okay, maybe not friends YET, but still... this is awesome.]

Kaoru couldn’t stop grinning as he wandered back to meet his team, his mind buzzing with thoughts of what had just happened.

<<<>>>

The second round was about to begin, and the proctor had just finished explaining the rules. Each team now clutched their scrolls tightly.

“Sugeru, as soon as we’re inside the forest, try to find us,” Kaoru said to Sugeru, who was holding his team’s scroll. “The teams from the same villages will likely team up, and it’ll be hard to survive without backup.”

Sugeru nodded. “Alright. Let’s regroup near the tower in the center of the forest.”

“No, bad idea,” Kaoru quickly corrected. “The center’s going to be a bloodbath. Everyone will head there,” Kaoru did not want to tell others that he wanted to avoid Itachi’s team. “Instead, head to the far southeast corner of the forest. It’s out of the way, and we can figure things out from there. Honestly, it’d be best if we could just hide on the first day, but none of us have the skills for that, so we’ll need to focus on meeting up and—”

Kaoru’s words were cut short as the proctor’s voice boomed across the field. “Enter the forest!”

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The gates creaked open, and teams began to sprint into the dense, ominous greenery. Kaoru shot one last glance at Sugeru and nodded. “Stick to the plan.”

“Got it,” Sugeru replied, and then they were off, disappearing into the Forest of Death.

<<<>>>

Just like every other team, Kaoru, Akane, and Mizuki were randomly teleported somewhere in the Forest of Death. The moment their feet hit the ground, Kaoru dashed to the nearest tall tree, scaling it with ease. From his vantage point, he activated his Suijingan, the glow of his cyan eyes cutting through the forest gloom. Scanning the area, he quickly identified several teams nearby. None of them seemed like a significant threat. It would be simple enough to take a scroll from one of them, and with a little luck, they might even have the Heaven Scroll they needed.

Still, Kaoru had his priorities. He wanted to locate Sugeru and his team first before making any moves. “Alright, let’s flicker to the rendezvous spot,” Kaoru said, jumping down to where Mizuki and Akane were waiting.

Both girls nodded, and in a flash, the team disappeared into the dense greenery.

However, just as they began moving through the forest, another team intercepted them. Three shinobi, all wearing headbands from a minor village Kaoru didn’t recognize, emerged from the bushes, blocking their path.

“Well, well, what do we have here?” the leader of the trio sneered typical minor villain line, his kunai twirling lazily in his hand. “Looks like some kids wandered into the wrong part of the forest.”

“Hand over your scroll,” another one demanded, stepping forward with a smug grin. “And maybe we won’t hurt you too badly.”

Kaoru sighed, clearly unimpressed. “We don’t have time for this.”

Without waiting for them to make the first move, Akane flickered behind the closest shinobi and landed a clean kick to his back, sending him crashing into a tree. Mizuki then made hand signs and threw a scorch ball at one of the shinobi. Even though the ball did not hit him, the shinobi stumbled back, wide-eyed, before Akane’s fist slammed into his gut, knocking him out cold.

The leader of the group barely had time to process what was happening before Kaoru’s Suijingan locked onto him. Water droplets began to form in the air around Kaoru, condensing into ball-like shapes. “You might want to run,” Kaoru said, his voice calm but chilling. Before the leader could even consider retreating, the water balls shot forward, and the shinobi was soon on the ground full of bruises.

“Let’s see what you’ve got,” Kaoru muttered, walking over to the unconscious shinobi and rummaging through their pouches. A grin spread across his face as he pulled out the scroll they were carrying. “Earth Scroll. Looks like luck’s not on our side.”

Akane dusted her hands off, standing over the shinobi she had knocked out. “They were too easy.”

Mizuki maintained her emotionless expression. “I almost feel bad for them. Almost.”

“Don’t,” Kaoru said with a smirk. “They tried to ambush us.”

With their new scroll in hand, the team flickered away, heading toward the rendezvous point, leaving their attackers unconscious and humiliated in the dirt.

Kaoru learned his lesson from the earlier encounter and kept his Suijingan active this time, carefully guiding his team to avoid enemy groups. [Unless we encounter a strong sensor or a Hyuga, we should stay undetected,] he thought, knowing full well that while Suijingan allowed him to see quite far, it didn’t grant him sensory abilities on par with the Byakugan.

The rendezvous point was still far, but thanks to Shin’s relentless training, the team covered the distance rapidly. Their flickering skills were among the best of their peers. Every movement was sharp, efficient, and silent.

“There are a few teams ahead,” Kaoru warned Akane and Mizuki as he continued scanning the area with his glowing cyan eyes. “We can’t avoid all of them, so I’ll guide us toward the weakest. We need to get to Sugeru and his team as soon as possible.”

The two girls nodded silently, trusting Kaoru’s judgment.

Not long after, they were confronted by a trio of shinobi bearing Konoha headbands. Unlike Itachi, these genin were unremarkable—average at best. They stepped forward, blocking the path.

“We don’t want to fight. Let us pass, and we’ll just keep going,” Kaoru offered, though he doubted they’d agree. He stayed ready, his stance light, prepared to strike the moment they made a suspicious move.

“We don’t want to fight either,” said one of the Konoha genin, a blond boy with bright blue eyes. He looked like a younger version of Yamanaka Inoichi. [He’s definitely from the Yamanaka clan,] Kaoru thought, his eyes shifting to the other two for clues about their clans. [Not Akimichi, at least. And I can't tell if there is Nara among them, can't really test them for laziness.] Kaoru chuckled internally.

The Yamanaka stepped forward. “Just hand over your scroll, and we’ll let you go.”

Kaoru’s only response was to flicker behind one of the genin, aiming a kick at his back. To his surprise, the boy sidestepped smoothly, flaring his chakra in response. Kaoru’s eyes widened slightly. [Huh, he was suppressing his chakra? What an insane amount. It’s at least double mine.]

While Kaoru admired his opponent’s reserves, Akane flickered beside the Yamanaka, engaging him in close combat with swift strikes. Mizuki, on the other hand, kept her distance, launching precise ranged attacks at the remaining shinobi.

The fight, while intense, had a distinct undertone: neither side was trying to deal serious damage. Team Shin had explicit instructions to avoid killing unless absolutely necessary, and Konoha’s genin were similarly known for their softer approach compared to other villages. Despite the effort they poured into their moves, it was clear that both sides were holding back.

Still, Kaoru was acutely aware they couldn’t afford to waste time. While the sparring-like battle was enjoyable in its own way, they had a mission to complete. “We need to hurry!” Kaoru shouted, his tone sharp.

The shift in tone was all the signal Akane and Mizuki needed. Team Shin immediately became more serious. Kaoru activated his Suijingan again, forming water spikes with intentionally dulled tips around him. Akane unsheathed her new blade from her storage seal, the sharp edge gleaming menacingly. Mizuki conjured five small scorch balls that hovered ominously above her head, radiating heat.

The Konoha genin froze for a moment. It was now clear that their opponents weren’t ordinary genin—they were strong, perhaps stronger than they’d initially assumed.

The boy Kaoru was facing smiled faintly and took a step forward.

“My name is Toji Senju,” he said with a smile on his face.

**

A/N -

I've always felt that the Senju clan was vastly underexplored in the canon. A clan that’s supposed to rival the Uchiha in strength and influence is reduced to having only one known surviving member—Tsunade. They don’t appear in the council meetings, nor do they play a significant role in the war. It’s almost as if they’ve faded into nothing.

I’m gonna try to give the Senju the respect and depth they deserve, I won't promise arcs dedicated to Senju, but we will explore their clan and situation at some point.

Character Notes:

Kaoru - Surprised - “I met Uchiha and Senju the same day?!”

Toji - Smug - “Surprise mf”

**