"Did you hear? Apparently there was some awful screaming coming from the Sarutobi compound yesterday, and now the Third Hokage is on sick leave at home," said Nara Kazuki, grinning as he squatted on a training stump next to Kakashi.
Kakashi nodded. Of course he'd heard. Even though Sarutobi Hiruzen had retired, he still held great respect in the village. And when the Fourth Hokage himself went to visit him afterward, it stirred quite the buzz.
As a member of the Nara clan, Kazuki naturally had a better-than-average grasp on the rumors.
For example: when the Fourth left the Sarutobi compound, his expression had been... just a little off. He said nothing, rushed back to the Hokage office, and locked himself inside.
That single expression had already spawned hundreds of interpretations.
Some said the Fourth had walked in on Biwako physically beating Hiruzen and couldn't stop her.
Some said Hiruzen had actually died and the village was covering it up to prevent unrest.
Naturally, the ones spreading that theory were quickly detained by ANBU Intelligence. They suspected those speakers might be enemy spies trying to sow discord.
And then, someone said Hiruzen had fallen for the Fourth and wanted to marry him into the Hokage family.
...Yeah. Clearly that guy wasn't normal. But considering the kind of bizarre romance novels you could find at Konoha's bookstores, it was almost expected.
"Rumors spread like wildfire. I bet the Third's gonna step out soon to clear the air," Kazuki muttered. He knew better than anyone how insane village gossip could get.
At this rate, it'd be written into Konoha's unofficial history.
Kakashi didn't say a word. It reminded him of his father—the late Sakumo Hatake, the White Fang of Konoha. The man had been crushed by similar slander and scorn.
Kazuki's hands formed a seal, and a bolt of lightning crackled between his fingers—then dispersed just as quickly.
They weren't here to train, though. They were waiting.
Fox—Yamanaka Mai—had retired from ANBU, which meant their squad was one man short. Normally, the ANBU would assign a replacement, but they hadn't been told who yet.
"Hello. I'm White Tiger, newly assigned to Team Deer-Wolf," came a calm voice. A slightly short masked ninja appeared before them. Kazuki and Kakashi exchanged glances, then rose to greet their new teammate.
It wasn't long before they got a basic read on his skills.
White Tiger specialized in medical ninjutsu and assassination techniques—a strange blend, reminding Kazuki a bit of Haku, though White Tiger's medical ninjutsu was even more refined.
He was also a quiet one, saying little beyond what was necessary.
To get a better feel for him, Kazuki and Kakashi took a seven-day ANBU reconnaissance mission together. By the end of it, White Tiger was officially integrated into their squad.
After returning to HQ and submitting the mission report, Kazuki looked down at his hand—lightning danced across his palm.
"Finally maxed out chakra nature transformation..." he murmured, pleased. It had taken dedicated grinding, but now he'd fully mastered the transformation.
His physical strength stat was also just ten sessions away from its next threshold. He resolved to push that one today too.
Kakashi had been about to say something, but seeing Kazuki spacing out with a smile on his face, he held back.
Then the options appeared:
[Smooth Like Dove Chocolate] – Your chakra nature transformation speed is greatly increased.
[Whoa! A Golden Legend!] – Every time you use chakra nature transformation, there's a low chance of awakening a fused chakra nature. This will slightly increase your mastery of that fused nature. Upon full mastery, you will unlock the corresponding Kekkei Genkai.
[Stability is King] – Your basic chakra natures now gain a visible mastery bar. Maxing one out will solidify that nature into your innate chakra pool permanently.
"...This isn't even a contest."
Option One was a glorified filler—nice in theory, but nowhere near as exciting as Option Two.
Option Two offered the chance to unlock Kekkei Genkai—ice release, boil release, storm release, and more—just by consistent training.
Sure, the drawback was that it was random and slow, but the potential was absurd.
Option Three was safer. It let him solidify basic natures like fire, lightning, wind, earth, and water as innate chakra types over time, making jutsu of those types stronger overall. A solid, long-term investment.
"Yeah. Kekkei Genkai it is."
The words alone were worth it.
In the world of shinobi, it was all about talent—or bloodline. Hard work alone wasn't worth much. Most legendary shinobi were geniuses who also worked hard.
In short, hard work alone didn't cut it.
Kazuki knew that better than anyone. Once, he'd been seen as just another average genin who'd never reach chunin without sheer luck.
Now? He was a rising ANBU with a system that could eventually let him master multiple Kekkei Genkai.
Once he fully mastered those fused chakra natures, he'd gain unparalleled combat potential. Even before that, those unique chakra types could grant him new and powerful jutsu.
He remembered that having multiple Kekkei Genkai in canon had a special term... something like "Kekkei Mora"?
No matter. The real concern now was—
"Kakashi, you looked like you had something to say earlier?" Kazuki asked, finally snapping out of his daydream.
Kakashi glanced at White Tiger, hesitated, then nodded.
"Yes. Our missions will be limited to within the village for a while."
He understood immediately.
Uzumaki Kushina must be nearing her due date.
The last time he'd seen her, her clothes had been notably loose—clearly meant to hide her pregnancy.
Now, the birth was likely coming soon.