KONOHA :THE RISE OF KAITON

"Come on, everyone, shout with me: eggplant!"

On the training ground, a group of students formed a semicircle around Tenzou, cheering loudly. Facing the camera positioned not far away, Tenzou grinned brightly, his face radiating excitement.

Click!

A white flash marked the end of the session as Akirai took the photo. "I'll bring the prints tomorrow," he announced. With that, the day's training officially concluded.

On the way home, Kaiton walked with Tsunade and Jiraiya. Tsunade, as usual, was headed to Kaiton's house for dinner, while Jiraiya was preoccupied with thoughts of the photobook Kaiton had promised him.

At home, Akirai was manning the family store, so it was Hinatabi who greeted them warmly as she prepared dinner in the kitchen. Spotting Kaiton with Tsunade and Jiraiya, she quickly ushered them inside.

"Ah, Tsunade, it's good to see you again! Come, sit down," Hinatabi said cheerfully.

Tsunade, being a frequent guest, made herself comfortable, chatting animatedly about their day at the academy. Meanwhile, Kaiton stood quietly, a thoughtful look on his face.

"Kaiton, why so silent?" Hinatabi teased.

"Mom, with all this talking, who's going to feed us?" Kaiton quipped.

Hinatabi smirked, squinting at him. "There are fresh rice balls in the kitchen. If you're hungry, help yourself."

Rolling his eyes, Kaiton muttered, "I get it, I'll do it!" He trudged to the kitchen.

Kaiton grumbled under his breath. His mother's obsession with rice balls meant he had taken up cooking just to have variety in meals. What started as necessity soon became his responsibility after his parents declared his cooking better than their own.

---

A Cozy Dinner

After a hearty meal, Hinatabi went out for an evening stroll, leaving Kaiton, Tsunade, and Jiraiya sprawled across the living room sofa, too stuffed to move.

"Man, that was amazing! Hiccup~," Jiraiya exclaimed, using a toothpick. "Kaiton, your cooking is a hidden talent!"

Kaiton waved lazily. "If you like it so much, come by the store sometime. We serve excellent barbecue."

Jiraiya sat up, eyes wide. "Wait, you mean that barbecue place everyone's talking about? That's your family's?"

Tsunade smirked. "That's right. Kaiton invented the recipes. Oh, and I'm a super VIP—I eat for free!"

"What?!" Jiraiya's face lit up. "Kaiton, my dear brother, you're a legend!"

Before Jiraiya could finish his plea, Kaiton interjected. "Calm down, Jiraiya. Tsunade's lying—she pays just like everyone else. In fact, Tsunade, maybe it's time I raise your tab, considering how rich your clan is."

"What did you say, Kaiton?" Tsunade leapt at him, and the two wrestled playfully. As usual, Kaiton was no match and quickly found himself pinned.

"Okay, okay! I'll cook a few extra meals for you to take home!" Kaiton relented.

Grinning triumphantly, Tsunade gathered the packed meals and skipped off happily. Watching her leave, Kaiton clenched his fists. One day, I'll become a powerful ninja and settle this score.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya leaned closer, rubbing his hands mischievously. "So, Kaiton, about that photobook..."

Reluctantly handing over the promised item, Kaiton sighed as he watched Jiraiya leave with a spring in his step. "Farewell, my treasure!"

---

Chakra Refinement

Over the next two weeks, the academy focused on ninja fundamentals. Kaiton, with his sharp memory, had already mastered the theoretical aspects of their studies, including an in-depth understanding of the ninja world and its power dynamics.

Practical training sessions were dominated by throwing kunai and shuriken. Unsurprisingly, Uchiha Jingyan and Hyuga Tatsu excelled due to their family techniques and natural talent.

The highlight came when Tenzou introduced the class to Chakra Refinement, the cornerstone of ninja abilities. Without Chakra, one couldn't perform ninjutsu or even graduate from the academy. Failure meant dropping out and pursuing a non-ninja path.

For Kaiton, the next month would determine whether he could fulfill his dream of becoming a ninja.

---

The First Spark

That evening, Kaiton sat cross-legged in his bedroom, taking a deep breath. He recalled Tenzou's instructions.

"Sensing the body and spirit… Mobilizing energy in the lower abdomen… Mixing physical and spiritual energy in a 1:1 ratio to create Chakra…"

Clearing his mind, Kaiton focused inward, visualizing the process. Time seemed to blur as his consciousness delved deeper.

Suddenly, a faint glow appeared in his mental landscape, growing brighter with each passing moment. In a flash, a brilliant white light enveloped him.

Opening his eyes, Kaiton felt different—a small blue flame flickered in his lower abdomen. Following the refining technique, he concentrated, feeding the flame with his energy.

"This is... Chakra! I did it!"

Elated, Kaiton double-checked his sensation several times before sprinting to his parents' room. Throwing the door open, he shouted, "Mom, Dad, I've extracted Chakra!"

Startled awake, Akirai and Hinatabi looked at their son in disbelief.

"Wait, today was your first lesson in Chakra Refinement," Akirai said, astonished. "You succeeded already?"

Kaiton nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Check for yourself!"

Placing his hand on Kaiton's abdomen, Akirai sensed the faint, steady flow of Chakra. His eyes widened with pride. "It's true. You did it! My son is incredible!"

Hinatabi beamed. "Akirai, you promised to teach him ninjutsu once he succeeded. You're retired now—pass on everything you know!"

Chuckling, Akirai shook his head. "We'll start simple. No need to overwhelm him."

Walking to his desk, he retrieved a small slip of paper. Handing it to Kaiton, he explained, "This is Chakra Paper. It reveals your elemental affinity. Fire burns it, water moistens it, lightning creases it, earth crumbles it, and wind splits it."

With a proud grin, he added, "I'm wind-natured and later trained in fire. Most of my ninjutsu use these elements. Let's see what you've got."

---

Discovering Affinity

Kaiton held the Chakra Paper, his heart racing. Slowly, he infused it with Chakra. The paper crackled before splitting neatly in two.

"Wind element!" Akirai exclaimed. "You've inherited my primary affinity!"

Excitement surged through Kaiton as he envisioned his future. With Chakra coursing through him and his first step as a ninja complete, he couldn't wait to begin training in earnest.

That night, as he lay in bed, Kaiton resolved to master every skill his father taught him and to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the great ninja of his time.

His journey had only just begun.

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