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

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

[Senju, huh? That explains his massive chakra reserves,] Kaoru thought. Both teams stood still, watching intently to see what Kaoru and Toji would do next.

“What’s your name, and which village are you from?” Toji asked politely, his tone was calm and even. “Forgive me if I sound impolite, but I couldn’t recognize your headband.”

Kaoru returned the smile. “I’m Takime Kaoru, from Takimura Village in the Land of Water. It’s a relatively new village, so no offense taken,” he said, then added with a chuckle, “Honestly, if you had recognized it, I’d be more concerned—you’d seem suspicious.”

Toji laughed, his posture remaining relaxed. “I’d love to fight you, Kaoru, but considering the goal of this exam, I don’t think it’s wise to take on someone as strong as you right now. How about we just pass each other, like we never even met?”

Kaoru’s lips twitched into a grin. “Works for us. We’re in a hurry anyway.” He was already preparing to flicker away.

“Kaoru,” Toji said as he turned, his voice carrying a playful note, “I hope we’ll get to fight in the final exam.” He gave a small wave before he and his team flickered away first.

[Wow, both a Senju and an Uchiha acknowledged me.] Kaoru couldn’t help but smile to himself as he watched them disappear. He had no doubts about Itachi’s strength, but Toji’s abilities were a mystery. Still, just the raw chakra he felt from Toji was already enough to convince him that the Senju would be a formidable opponent.

But one thought nagged at him. [Why was Toji never mentioned in the series? Now that I think about it, why weren’t any Senju mentioned in this timeline, apart from Tsunade? Where did they all go?]

As Kaoru and his team flickered toward the rendezvous point, he couldn’t shake the unease. [Something doesn’t add up.]

It took Kaoru and his team half an hour to reach the rendezvous point, but as they got closer, Kaoru’s Suijingan picked up several chakra signatures locked in combat.

“Hurry up, they might be in trouble!” Kaoru shouted to Akane and Mizuki as he surged ahead, increasing his speed. When he finally arrived, the sight before him made his blood boil.

Sugeru was kneeling on the ground, badly injured and struggling to stay upright. Yuji stood protectively in front of him, clutching his bleeding shoulder with one hand while his other dripped with blood, his fist clenched tightly. Akito, though mostly unscathed apart from a few scratches, was trembling with rage, his tear-filled eyes glaring at the enemy as he clutched a kunai like his life depended on it.

Kaoru’s fierce gaze locked onto their opponents—four Kiri genin. One had cuts on his left arm, but the rest were unharmed. [This was probably a sneak attack,] Kaoru deduced as he scanned the scene. Behind him, Akane and Mizuki were following as close as they could, but Kaoru had already hit his max speed and was increasing the distance between them every second.

The Kiri genin, still oblivious to Kaoru’s approach, took their time, savoring their dominance.

“No matter how much you struggle, you’re not leaving this forest alive,” sneered one of them. His shark-like teeth and long blade made his menacing grin even more terrifying.

Then a girl chimed in with a devious smile. “Look at this one—crying like a baby,” she mocked, pointing at Akito. “No wonder trash like you was expelled from Kirigakure. Waste like this doesn’t survive in Kiri.”

Akito found no words to answer, he was just glaring and gritting his teeth. Yuji and Akito were trying to come up with a plan that could save them but there was none. Luckily, Kaoru was already close.

With one final flicker, he appeared between the Kiri genin and his injured friends. The metallic smell of blood hit his nose, making him look at Sugeru. [Sugeru must’ve lost a lot of blood,] he noted, his gaze hardening.

“Take care of Sugeru, I’ll deal with them,” said Kaoru. His voice was so cold and commanding that Yuji immediately turned to move towards Sugeru. Akito thought that Kaoru might need their help and wanted to stay, but Yuji shook his head saying,

“I'm badly injured, and won't be able to help even if I stay. Besides, since he is here Akane and Mizuki will also arrive soon. We better take care of Sugeru”

Kaoru turned to the Kiri genin, his cyan eyes glowing brighter as his chakra flared menacingly. The Kiri shinobi were still frozen, caught off guard by his sudden appearance.

“Why did you even have to target us?” Kaoru asked, there was no anger in his voice. “We all come from the Land of Water. I thought we could at least try to find common ground, but I see now that was too much to hope for.”

The shark-toothed genin sneered. “Oh, shut up, you’re—”

Before he could finish, the glow in Kaoru’s eyes intensified, and a sudden metallic thud silenced him. One of the Kiri genin in the back collapsed to the ground, unmoving. His teammates turned, horrified, and saw a dark blue needle embedded in the fallen boy’s head.

“You are all going to die.” Kaoru sneered, his voice devoid of mercy. The Kiri genin, now visibly shaken, stared at him. Their bravado cracked under the realization that they had underestimated their opponents. But their nightmare was far from over.

It took only a few moments for Akane and Mizuki to arrive. Akane quickly assessed the situation and knelt by Sugeru, her movements were careful and anxious. “I have chakra-sealing bandages with me. I’ll tend to Sugeru—go help Kaoru,” she said.

Mizuki didn’t even wait for her to finish talking. She was already at Kaoru’s side, her purple eyes burning with rage. Her clenched jaw made an audible grinding sound, her anger barely contained. Before Kaoru or Mizuki could act, the shark-toothed genin flickered, appearing behind Mizuki with his blade swinging toward her neck.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The strike never landed.

A dark blue disk of water materialized behind Mizuki, intercepting the blade just in time. The Kiri genin’s eyes widened as he looked toward Kaoru, whose glowing cyan eyes were locked onto him, his gaze was full of quiet fury. He flickered again to retreat, but as he reappeared, he was greeted by a massive fiery ball surging toward him.

“That slow-ass attack will never hit me,” he sneered, preparing to flicker away. But when he tried to move, his legs refused to obey. Water tentacles had coiled around his legs, locking him in place. He swung his blade in desperation, slicing through the tentacles, but the brief delay was all Mizuki needed. The scorch ball slammed into him, engulfing him in flames.

His agonized scream pierced the forest as fire ravaged his body. He writhed on the ground, clawing at his burning clothes. The girl in his team quickly weaved signs, summoning water to douse the flames, but it wasn’t enough to save him from the pain. Though alive, he was left a charred, whimpering mess on the forest floor.

The last uninjured genin, who was doing nothing but observing, finally made his move. His hands blurred through seals, summoning a dense mist that shrouded the area in seconds. Kaoru chuckled darkly, the glow of his Suijingan piercing through the veil. [You’ve just handed me the advantage.]

Kaoru guided Mizuki with precision, his eyes tracking the movements of the Kiri genin through the mist. “Two to your left,” he whispered. Mizuki didn’t need further instruction. She flickered, her fury palpable as she engaged the girl who had saved her teammate earlier.

The Kiri girl unleashed a torrent of water in a desperate attempt to block Mizuki’s advance, but Mizuki’s scorch balls swirled around her, burning through the water like it was paper. One of the balls shot forward, grazing the girl’s side and igniting her arm. She screamed, patting frantically at the flames, but Mizuki didn’t relent. She was already closing the distance.

Mizuki’s kunai glinted in the misty light as she slashed, cutting deep into the girl’s thigh. Blood sprayed onto the ground as the girl crumpled, her screams echoing through the mist. “You don’t deserve to live!” Mizuki snarled, her voice dripping with venom. She raised her kunai again, aiming for the kill, but Kaoru's voice cut through her rage.

“Mizuki, don’t kill her yet! We need information,” Kaoru called out. Mizuki froze mid-motion, her glare locked onto the girl. For a moment, it seemed like she might reconsider, but then she saw the girl’s lips curl into a smirk—a mocking, defiant expression that reignited Mizuki’s rage tenfold.

Without hesitation, Mizuki’s hand moved. The kunai slashed cleanly across the girl’s neck. Blood erupted like a crimson fountain, spraying onto the ground and staining Mizuki’s hands. She stood still, her face devoid of emotion as the girl’s body collapsed lifelessly at her feet. Mizuki didn’t even flinch, her purple eyes remained cold as she stared down at her fallen opponent.

Meanwhile, Kaoru faced the last standing Kiri genin. This one was older than the others. “You’ve pushed us too far,” he muttered, forming a series of seals. A massive wave of water surged toward Kaoru, threatening to crush him and Mizuki.

Kaoru smirked, activating Suijingan fully. The water halted mid-air, contorted and twisted by his chakra until it reshaped into a massive wall, protecting both him and Mizuki. “You think water will work on me?” Kaoru taunted.

With a flick of his wrist, the water wall collapsed, transforming into a torrent of spikes that rained down on the Kiri genin. He managed to dodge most, but one pierced his shoulder, pinning him to the ground.

Mizuki took the opportunity to strike. She leaped forward, her scorch balls swirling menacingly. The pinned Kiri genin raised his hands in surrender. “Wait, please!” he begged. But Mizuki wasn’t listening. Her fury had consumed her completely.

“No mercy for those who hurt my friends,” she hissed. She extended her hand, and a scorch ball flew directly at his chest. The impact sent him sprawling, his body convulsing as the fire burned through his flesh. Mizuki approached his twitching form, her eyes devoid of any warmth. She summoned a final scorch ball, this one pulsating with an intensity that made even Kaoru flinch.

“Mizuki, that’s enough,” Kaoru called out. But she didn’t stop. She slammed the ball down onto the genin’s head, silencing his cries forever.

The mist cleared, revealing the battlefield. Three Kiri genin lay lifeless, their bodies charred and broken. The last one, the shark-toothed boy, remained unconscious but alive, his burned skin barely recognizable.

Mizuki stood in the center, her chest heaving, her hands trembling. Her purple eyes flickered, and for a moment, Kaoru thought he saw a tear. But then she wiped her kunai on her sleeve and turned to Kaoru with a blank expression.

“Let’s go,” she said coldly. Her voice was hollow, as though the rage had left her drained and empty.

Kaoru glanced at her, concern flickering in his glowing eyes. He wanted to say something, but he knew this wasn’t the time. Instead, he nodded and led the way back to Akane and the others, leaving behind the gruesome scene.

Sugeru lay on the ground, his face pale, his breathing shallow. He had lost too much blood and barely had the strength to lift his head as Kaoru and Mizuki approached.

“They… they need to forfeit. I tried stopping the bleeding, but it’s no use,” Akane said, her voice trembling despite her efforts to sound calm. There was an undeniable undertone of panic.

“No…” Sugeru rasped, his voice barely audible. “I won’t… I won’t be the reason my team fails. I’ll survive… somehow, until you get the scroll and reach the tower.”

“What are you talking about?! It’s my fault you’re hurt!” Akito suddenly burst out, tears streaming down his face. “If I wasn’t useless, you wouldn’t have had to shield me with your body!”

“Stop shouting. This isn’t over yet,” Kaoru said in a calm voice. He crouched next to Sugeru, his glowing cyan eyes narrowing as he assessed the wound. “This might hurt a bit,” he warned, hovering his hand over the injury.

Water began to gather at Kaoru’s fingertips, slowly encasing Sugeru’s wound in a dense, high-pressure shell. The transparent casing glimmered faintly, sealing the wound completely.

“That should stop the bleeding for now,” Kaoru said, his tone leaving no room for doubt. He turned to Yuji, his expression serious. “What scroll do you need?”

“We need the earth scroll,” Yuji said, his voice was solemn.

“Perfect,” Kaoru replied, already rising to his feet. “We’ll give the one we got earlier. We’ll take you to the tower and leave you there. After that, we’ll go get what we need to complete the exam.”

“You’ll really do that…?” Yuji asked, his expression caught between gratitude and guilt.

“Of course,” Kaoru said firmly. “We’re not leaving anyone behind. This isn’t just about us - we represent Takimura, don't forget that.”

Everyone saw Kaoru in a different light at that moment. Akito wiped his tears, clenching his fists as determination reignited in his eyes. Sugeru, though weak, gave a faint, grateful smile. The Takimura team wasn’t done yet.

**

A/N -

I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I don’t have much to add this time, but if you’ve been enjoying the story, please consider leaving a review and adding it to your library. It helps the novel reach a bigger audience and gives me the motivation to keep writing. Thank you for your support!

Character Notes:

Kaoru - Worried - “I need to speak with Mizuki"

Mizuki - Avenger - "I don’t forgive, and I certainly don’t forget."

Toji - Friendly Rival - "Let’s fight in the finals, Kaoru."

**