Kenji woke up with a barely audible whine, his head spinning like a merry-go-round. 'Fucking hell, I feel like shit,' trying to focus on his racing thoughts. Attempting to clear his befuddled mind, he heard Taro and Chiyo conversing in hushed tones nearby, their words muffled and hard to understand.

He focused on their whispering, their voices barely audible. Kenji could hardly comprehend what they were saying, but he was able to decipher that the situation was grim from the small fragments he could overhear. It seemed that border disputes between the different villages were hindering trade. Kenji puzzled together that the smaller villages seemed to be the cause of it and it was getting progressively worse.

'Shit, this is bad,' he cursed, attempting to clear his befuddled mind, 'Please, no wars. Wait a minute, why don’t I remember any of this from the story?'

Another bout of dizziness hit him, and a loud groan came out of his mouth, alerting Chiyo and Taro. They immediately fell silent, hovering over him with concern.

"Kenji, you're awake!" Chiyo exclaimed, her voice laced with worry.

"I feel sick," Kenji said weakly, still feeling dizzy.

Chiyo shot Taro a stern look before turning back to Kenji. "You exhausted your chakra, dear," she said softly. "You pushed yourself too hard."

Taro tried to defend himself, "Don't worry son. A few days of rest, and you'll be back in shape in no time." He scratched the back of his head and looked at him with a reassuring smile. "We won’t do that again for a few days, but you should focus on your meditation. It'll help you feel better faster."

“Okay,” Kenji weakly nodded.

Kenji had taken a few days off to rest and to recover from his last training session mishap, but he was now eager to get back to his ninja training. He started his day with a morning workout with his father. But before they began, Taro pulled Kenji aside for a serious conversation.

"Listen to me closely, Kenji," Taro said, his tone grave as he seated the boy down. "Your chakra abilities are not something to be shared with anyone outside of this home. It's crucial that you keep them secret, as it could put you in danger." Kenji listened closely, recognizing the weight of his father's words. Taro continued, "This is part of your ninja training, Kenji. You must keep this a secret, just like all the other ninja techniques you will learn. Can you do that for me, Kenji?"

Kenji looked up at his father, his expression serious. "Yes, I can keep it a secret," he promised solemnly.

Taro grinned, giving Kenji a quick ruffle of the hair. "Good job, son. Now, let's get back to training, but don't forget this. No telling anyone about your chakra abilities, okay?"

Kenji nodded his head, but he couldn't help feeling a little annoyed at being treated like a child. He understood the concept of secrecy all too well, especially given that he was hiding a larger secret. Still, he was more eager to resume his training, to unlock more of his hidden potential and become something akin to a superhuman.

Taro clapped his hands together, "Alright Kenji, let's get started." He motioned for Kenji to take a stance. "This is the 'Flowing Leaf' style, a taijutsu technique. It's based on the natural movements and abilities of the leaf."

Kenji watched with interest as Taro demonstrated the basic stances of the style. Taro's movements were quick and precise, and Kenji could see the potential power of the technique. "It's all about using quick strikes to take down opponents and evasive footwork to avoid incoming attacks," Taro explained.

Kenji asked, "What's the point of being graceful like a leaf, though? Why not just go for strength and power?"

Taro smiled. "Because being graceful allows you to move in unexpected ways. Your opponents won't know what you're going to do next, and you'll be able to use that to your advantage."

Kenji nodded, trying to absorb everything Taro was teaching him. "This is perfect for someone like you, Kenji," Taro said, clapping him on the back. "With your natural talents, this will make you quick and agile for your age."

Kenji couldn't help but feel excited, letting out his childish side out. "So I can use this and flip around in battle against other foes?"

Taro chuckled. "Yes, but also remember, this style is about being adaptable and resourceful. You need to be able to adjust your movements to suit different situations and foes."

Kenji diligently practiced the stances, making sure to perfect each one under Taro's watchful eye, correcting him along the way. As he moved through the forms, he felt himself becoming more fluid and graceful, just like a leaf blowing in the wind.

Kenji finished tidying up the training room, wiped the sweat off his forehead, and went to have breakfast with his family. As they discussed plans for the day, Chiyo abruptly said, "Kenji, it's time for you to go outside and make some friends with other children in the village." Smiling, she added, "We're going to the park so you can play."

Kenji was taken aback by this sudden change in his routine. He couldn't help but feel frustrated at the thought of having to pretend to be a child and play with a bunch of kids he didn't know. 'Why does she have to change things up all of a sudden?'

Trying to hide his annoyance, he forced a smile and said, "Okay, Mom," as he got up from his seat and headed to his room, his mind whirring with ways to make the trip as painless as possible.

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

Taro noticed the look on Kenji's face and tried to reassure him, "Hey, it won't be that bad. You might even have fun."

Kenji snorted in disbelief, "I doubt it, Dad."

"Come on, Kenji," Chiyo interjected. "It's important for you to socialize and make friends with kids your own age. You can't spend all your time training."

Kenji knew his mother was right, but the thought of playing with kids who were decades younger than him mentally was not appealing. "Fine, I'll go," he said with a sigh.

As Kenji made his way to his room, he tried to think of ways to make the best of the situation. 'Maybe I’ll teach them some earth games.' He laughed, 'it would be funny watching ninja kids kicking a rugby ball around. I wonder if there are any balls in this village, there should be right?' he thought to himself. 'That will definitely make it make it less boring.'

Kenji trudged behind Chiyo as they approached the park. As they arrived at the playground, Chiyo turned to him with a beaming smile and exclaimed, "Alright Kenji, go have some fun!" Kenji just stared at her for a moment, a mix of confusion and frustration bubbling up inside him. As he watched the other children running around and playing, he made his way to the playground equipment and began practicing his moves.

Feeling like an outsider, he looked around the playground, 'What am I supposed to do here?' he thought to himself, growing increasingly exasperated, 'there's no ball to play with, and how the hell do I make friends with kids?' He felt like he was trapped on a strange alien planet.

A little voice interrupted Kenji's training, "What you doing?" Kenji turned to see a curious child, with a wrinkled nose, standing in front of him.

"Training," Kenji replied, trying to hide his annoyance.

"That's boring," the child said before running off to play with his friends.

'Typical kids, scattered brained and have the attention span of a goldfish' he mused.

Kenji was about to continue exercising when another child approached him. "Hey, come play with us!"

"Great, just what I need," Kenji muttered, feeling a sense of frustration. But then he thought, 'Maybe if I play along, they'll leave me alone. What game should I we do. Hmm. Ah, that right.'

He turned to the group of kids and grumbled, "Fine, let's play. But were going to play hide and seek," Kenji suggested, trying to make the best of a bad situation. "I'll be the evil ninja from outside the village in hiding, and you guys are the good ninja from the village and you have to find me. You can't look when I'm hiding and you have to count twenty."

The kids eagerly agreed, and Kenji instructed them to turn around and count to twenty while he hid. 'Hopefully, they know how to count,' he thought to himself. As soon as they started counting, he quickly made his way into the forested area of the playground and climbed a tree with his hands and feet. After looking around he found a comfortable spot that hid him from view and from his perch, he watched as the kids searched frantically for him, trying to stifle a chuckle at their obvious attempts in searching.

Chiyo sat on a bench, watching her son Kenji play alone in the playground. She felt a complex mix of emotions - pride in his cleverness and resourcefulness, but also guilt for his lack of social skills.

"That's quite the clever child," one of the other parents chuckled, and another added, "I wonder how long they'll last before they get bored."

As she watched Kenji hiding in the playground, Chiyo couldn't help but feel disappointed that he wasn't making friends. Had the accident something to do with his behavior? The anger towards the person responsible for it rose within her, leaking a minute amount of killing intent. She knew that the village and Taro were on their trail, and they would make sure they suffer for what they did.

'Why can't he just be like other children?' Chiyo thought to herself. 'Why does he have to be so different?' She sighed, wishing she could do more to help her son. But for now, she could only watch, train him, and hope that he would find his place in the world.

As the children continued to play, Kenji remained hidden in the tree, taking in the serene view of the village. He watched the bustling city below, observing the villagers as they went about their daily routines. His gaze turned to the Hokage Mountain, its carved faces looming over the village.

'Ah, the Hokage Mountain,' Kenji mused. 'I wonder how the old man is doing. I can't believe I ran into him when I first arrived.' But as he studied the mountain more closely, his curiosity turned to concern. He remembered there being more faces carved into the mountain, but now there were only three.

'What's going on here?' Kenji wondered, feeling a growing sense of confusion and uncertainty. He knew he needed to uncover the truth, and he made a mental note to research the village's history and its leaders when he returned home. He was certain that this was the key to understanding the situation he found himself in.

"There has to be more to this," Kenji whispered to himself, his gaze fixed on the Hokage Mountain. The questions swirled in his mind. 'What happened to the other faces?' he pondered.

Chiyo and Kenji walked through the door of their home, with Kenji feeling a sense of relief after the chaos of the playground, while Chiyo was visibly disappointed that Kenji hadn't made any connections with the other children. Taro was out, doing ninja stuff as usual.

Without a word, Kenji headed straight to the library, his determination to uncover the answers he sought only growing stronger. As he sat in the library, studying a book on the Hokage's of the village, the truth hit him like a ton of bricks.

"No fucking way," Kenji muttered, his disbelief evident in his voice. "Fuck. Nooo! Dammit." he let out a cry of despair, as the reality of the situation set in. With a flicker, Chiyo appeared in the room like a ghostly apparition with a kunai in hand, her movements silent and swift as she scanned the room for any threats.

Kenji was momentarily stunned by her sudden appearance but quickly regained his wits. Chiyo, seeing no threat in the room, asked Kenji softly, "What's wrong, honey? You look like something scared you."

Kenji stared blankly at her and the book in front of him. His mind was racing with the realization that he knew nothing about his current situation. He couldn't help but wonder where the other Hokage's were. 'Am I in the timeline before, fuck! What the hell am I supposed to do?' he thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, mum," Kenji finally said, tears streaming down his face. "I was reading this book, and it scared me."

Chiyo hugged Kenji tightly and whispered soothing words, "It's okay, sweetie. It's just a book. Let's not read it again, okay?" She glanced at the book in his hands, 'The Legendary Leaders: A History of the Konohagakure Hokages,' and couldn't help but wonder what it was that scared Kenji so much.

"Alright, let's go grab a bite to eat," Chiyo suggested, noticing Kenji's troubled expression. "It'll take your mind off things." Kenji nodded, his mind racing with the realization that he had no information to work off of in this timeline. He couldn't rely on his foreknowledge, and the thought of potentially causing a butterfly effect by changing the future made him anxious. He knew he would have to adapt quickly and be ready to navigate this world blindly.