KONOHA :THE RISE OF KAITON

In the Evening, Senju Clan Residence

Tsunade, Senju Hashirama, Uzumaki Mito, and Senju Tobirama sat around the round table. The dishes that once adorned the table had been completely devoured.

Satisfied, Hashirama patted his stomach and laughed heartily. "Ah! I'm so full! Kaiton, your cooking is unmatched! I, Hashirama, hereby declare you the strongest chef!" He gave a thumbs up in approval.

Mito rolled her eyes at her husband's antics and turned to Kaiton with a warm smile. "My dear, I really appreciate all the effort you've put in. Making all this on your own must have been exhausting. We should've helped more."

Kaiton waved his hand dismissively. "Grandma Mito, it's no trouble. It was good practice for me. Once I master Shadow Clone Jutsu, I'll have my clones handle all the cooking."

Hashirama's eyes lit up. "What a brilliant idea! But Shadow Clones are nothing compared to my Wood Clones. Kaiton, how about I teach you that? Then you can send a clone to our house to cook!"

Kaiton was taken aback but quickly nodded. "I'd love to learn!"

Tobirama, sipping tea, raised an eyebrow. "Brother, you do realize that Wood Clones require Wood Release, which Kaiton can't use."

Hashirama slapped his forehead. "Oh, right! Haha! Never mind, then!"

Though Kaiton felt a pang of disappointment, he quickly brushed it off. His real goal wasn't Wood Release—it was something else entirely.

"Grandpa Hashirama," Kaiton began, "I'd like to learn medical ninjutsu. Tsunade has also expressed interest."

Hashirama stroked his chin, then nodded. "Very well!" He left the room and returned shortly with a massive scroll, placing it on the ground with a dramatic thud.

"This scroll contains the foundational knowledge of medical ninjutsu, passed down through generations of the Senju clan. You must master everything here before learning advanced techniques."

Kaiton and Tsunade stared at the scroll in disbelief. It was as tall as they were.

Tsunade frowned. "Grandpa, this is huge! How long will it take to learn everything?"

Hashirama chuckled. "It took me a whole year, and no one's broken my record yet. How about this—let's make a bet! If either of you finishes this in under a year, I'll grant you one request. But if you fail, you owe me a favor. Deal?"

Before Tsunade could respond, Kaiton eagerly agreed. "Deal!"

Confident in his photographic memory—enhanced after his reincarnation—Kaiton was sure he could finish the scroll in a month.

Tsunade hesitated. Spending a year buried in study meant no time for play, but she'd already agreed to learn medical ninjutsu. Reluctantly, she nodded.

That night, Kaiton returned home with a spring in his step.

---

The Next Day, Academy Grounds

During class, Tenzou, their teacher, stood on the podium, watching as Jiraiya attempted the Three Basic Techniques. Though clumsy, Jiraiya managed to execute them.

Tenzou's eyes widened in amazement. Another prodigy! He glanced at Kaiton, who cheered loudly for Jiraiya, and at Orochimaru in the back, calmly taking notes. A thought struck him: These three are destined for greatness.

After class, Tenzou called the trio to his office.

"Jiraiya, Orochimaru, Kaiton," he began, "as promised, I'll teach each of you a ninjutsu suited to your affinities."

Jiraiya, with his fire and earth attributes, received the Great Fireball Technique.

Orochimaru, whose attributes were wind and earth, was given Wind Release: Great Breakthrough.

Kaiton chose Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall.

Afterward, Jiraiya invited Kaiton to hang out, but Kaiton declined, citing his focus on mastering medical ninjutsu.

Jiraiya grumbled, then turned to Orochimaru, only to find he'd already left. "Darn it! He ditched me!"

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The Rising Prodigies

Word of Kaiton, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya's rapid progress spread throughout the academy, shocking everyone. Many common-born students admired them, while children from established clans looked on with envy.

Everyone knew how difficult it was to sense chakra within three days, let alone begin mastering techniques. These three not only achieved that but also demonstrated exceptional chakra control—a skill crucial for advanced ninjutsu.

Among the admirers, one name stood out: Tobirama Senju. Known for his unmatched chakra control, Tobirama's mastery of Water Release was legendary. People whispered that these three could one day rival even him.

---

Training Grounds

Kaiton stood in the middle of the training ground, reviewing the seals for Earth-Style Wall in his mind. Slowly, he formed the sequence: Rat → Snake → Tiger → Boar → Horse → Dragon.

Placing his hands on the ground, he called out, "Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall!"

A small mound of earth rose in front of him, barely reaching his knees. Kaiton sighed.

"Not enough chakra," he muttered.

Despite his genius, Kaiton's chakra reserves were limited. Fully releasing the Earth-Style Wall required far more chakra than he currently possessed.

To meet the requirement, Kaiton estimated he'd need to increase his reserves fiftyfold, which could take a year at his current pace. Though frustrated, he understood the importance of pacing himself. Overtraining could harm his physical growth.

"One more year," he murmured. "Until then, I'll focus on mastering medical ninjutsu and taijutsu."

---

New Plans

Determined to make the most of his time, Kaiton shifted his focus to physical training and chakra control exercises. He also delved into the medical ninjutsu scroll, devouring its contents at an astonishing speed.

His ultimate goal was clear: to surpass the limits of his current abilities and carve out a legacy worthy of the Senju name.

As the academy buzzed with rumors of his brilliance, Kaiton remained steadfast, knowing that his journey had only just begun.

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