"What did that brat do this time?" Hiruzen asked curiously.
"Well…"
Kakashi paused for a moment, then spoke with utmost seriousness.
"He seems to have learned the Flying Thunder God Technique."
"…Huh?!"
Trying to calm himself, Sarutobi Hiruzen nodded while pulling out his pipe.
But just as he struck a match, his hand froze. His eyes widened instinctively.
"Flying Thunder God? He's learned it?"
"That's right, old man," Jiraiya added, somewhat emotionally. "That kid really seems to have figured it out."
"Just now, right before our eyes, he actually formed a Flying Thunder God seal. And then—he showed us how he used it!"
"The technique, the teleportation—while still rough around the edges, there's no mistaking it. That was the Flying Thunder God."
Jiraiya stopped speaking there. The shock he felt in that moment was impossible to put into words.
"Exactly, Hokage-sama," Kakashi confirmed, nodding solemnly. He too fell silent, clearly replaying the entire scene in his mind.
"He's really learned the Flying Thunder God?"
Sarutobi Hiruzen stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief.
Even though Jiraiya had mentioned that Gen's use of the technique was unpolished… the fact remained: how long had it even been since Gen was introduced to the Flying Thunder God?
And how difficult was that technique?
At that moment, Hiruzen fully understood Jiraiya and Kakashi's earlier distraction. If he were in their shoes, he wouldn't have been able to focus on a briefing either.
"That kid…"
Standing up, Sarutobi Hiruzen took a deep breath to calm the storm within.
He walked over to the window and gazed at the Hokage Rock towering over the mountain peak. After a long while, he murmured softly—
"Konohagakure will only continue to grow stronger."
A gentle breeze blew through the village, the green leaves swaying along with the wind. Yet at that moment, Sarutobi Hiruzen pressed his lips together thoughtfully.
"If only his temperament were a bit more like Minato's… that would be even better."
Surprisingly, both Jiraiya and Kakashi nodded in agreement at those words.
...
"They left in such a rush… I'm guessing the operation in Kirigakure is about to begin."
After Jiraiya and Kakashi departed, Kitagawa Gen decided to head home as well.
Given how hurriedly the two had left, combined with the mission he had previously received, it wasn't hard to guess what was going on.
In fact, the reason he revealed the Flying Thunder God Technique was precisely this—he needed the power to deal a heavy blow to Obito.
Otherwise, if he couldn't even protect himself, there was no way he would've accepted such a mission—no matter what, he simply wouldn't.
"My only concern now is that Sarutobi Hiruzen won't approve of me going. Looks like I'll need to work on changing his mind."
Gen pressed his lips together once again. If he hadn't demonstrated the Flying Thunder God, he probably wouldn't even be considered for this kind of mission. But now that he had—ironically—he might be excluded from it altogether.
After all, when it comes to protecting valuable talents, the village tends to be overly cautious. Gen could only sigh helplessly at the thought.
"For now, I'll focus on completing Kakashi's assigned mission first."
With that thought, Gen began walking toward home. The village was nearly deserted at this hour—likely because it was a workday. He hadn't even seen Naruto around.
But that suited him just fine. It gave him time to reflect and refine his own plans for growth and development.
"The chakra absorption rate through bone is slow… the progress is sluggish. But my eyes…"
Gen could feel it—his eyes were reaching their limit.
The rate at which his eyes absorbed and nurtured chakra had begun to accelerate rapidly. It felt like a final surge—an intense burst that would slow only once a certain threshold had been reached.
And when that moment came, his eyes would finally awaken.
As for what kind of eyes… Gen was almost certain they would be Byakugan. After all, that was practically the Ōtsutsuki's default trait.
"Besides, no matter what type of energy I absorb, it all seems to get converted into pure power and fed back into my Ōtsutsuki bloodline."
He muttered quietly to himself. Sometimes, he even wondered if his bloodline was undergoing some kind of atavism.
That is to say, returning to a primordial state—perhaps even earlier than the evolved Byakugan, to the very roots of the Ōtsutsuki lineage.
Of course, this was all speculation. No one truly knew what the earliest Ōtsutsuki had been like.
"Once my eyes are fully developed, the next step is my body. But even that won't be enough to push my development much further. I still need more power—like…"
Kekkei Genkai.
Tailed Beasts.
The power of Indra and Asura.
Gen had no intention of developing into just another run-of-the-mill Ōtsutsuki. He craved something greater—a being who possessed the power of the God Tree's fruit.
If that was the goal, then none of these things could be ignored.
As for Tailed Beasts—he wasn't ready for that yet. At the moment, they were far out of reach. Sure, Naruto was close by… but that didn't mean he had the guts—or the means—to try anything.
Perhaps that guy named Sora could be an option?
"But that's only one Tailed Beast. It's nowhere near enough. Besides, as a genin, I'm not even allowed to carry out missions on my own."
Which is why Gen believed his energy should be focused on Kekkei Genkai.
Across the shinobi world, aside from the Uchiha, Senju, Hyūga, and Kaguya clans—and a few other fixed bloodlines—most Kekkei Genkai originated from chakra fusion.
And Gen had already achieved a level of chakra control so refined, it was practically instinctual.
Given that, there was every reason to pursue this path further.
True, fusing chakra came with enormous risk. Otherwise, why would Kekkei Genkai users be so rare throughout the entire ninja world?
Even so, Gen figured he could engage with Kekkei Genkai users in combat.
"Even if I don't obtain anything directly from the mission, just by clashing with them and sensing the ratios in their chakra fusion, I'm confident I can replicate it!"
The new generation's 'Copy Ninja' didn't earn that title for nothing.
And as luck would have it—despite Kirigakure's intense rejection of Kekkei Genkai users, they just so happened to have quite a lot of them.
"Looks like…"
Thinking this far, Gen couldn't help but glance up at the Hokage's office.
"I've found yet another reason I absolutely have to go."
...
"Damn it, this is all your fault!"
In Konohagakure, inside Ichiraku Ramen—
While scarfing down noodles, Naruto glared gloomily at Kitagawa Gen, who was also eating ravenously. He gave a snort and spoke.
"If you hadn't stopped me that day, I wouldn't be in such a mess now. Iruka-sensei's been watching me like a hawk! I can't even sneak a nap without getting caught. Forget about going out—it's impossible! It's just too hard."
"Pfft. And you're blaming me for that?"
Gen glanced at Naruto, then went right back to wolfing down his food. Only after slurping up the last noodle did he wipe his mouth and reply.
"Didn't I warn you? I told you not to deliver it, but you didn't listen."
"But why didn't you tell me those mushrooms were poisonous?!"
"Isn't that something they teach at school? Oh, I get it now—you must've been zoning out during class!"
"I-I wasn't! I just... didn't learn that part!"
"Don't lie. You clearly weren't paying attention. No wonder I heard you're at the bottom of the class. You better hope you can even pass the exams."
"You bastard!"
The short-tempered blond couldn't help but blow up again. Honestly, thinking about his current situation made him want to cry.
With Iruka tailing him day and night, he couldn't do anything. And Gen's constant jabs weren't helping either—it was all too much.
"Hey, hey, watch your mouth," Gen said, raising an eyebrow as he tilted his head at Naruto. "I'm treating you today, remember?"
"…"
Naruto froze. Ever since he blew all his money on a bunch of limited-edition ramen, his wallet had been completely empty. He wouldn't be getting his stipend until next month.
After school today, looking all gloomy, he'd run into Gen heading out for a meal and got invited to tag along.
Knowing Gen's lousy personality, if he ticked him off, there was a good chance he'd end up having to wash dishes or something.
"Haha, right, uh… oh yeah! Why are you carrying a sword?"
Naruto's eyes darted around until he finally zeroed in on something hanging from Gen's back.
"Oh, this?"
Of course Gen knew what Naruto was trying to do, but he didn't care. He just shrugged and said casually: "It's a gift from my sensei. Not bad, huh?"
"Looks alright, but it's so short…"
Naruto was clearly a bit envious. After all, it was a real ninja weapon. But after a closer look, he pursed his lips and muttered: "Everyone else's swords are longer. Why's yours so short?"
"Because this sword isn't ordinary."
Off to the side, Teuchi seemed to have noticed the blade on Gen's back a while ago. Now he smiled and spoke up.
"Never thought I'd see that sword again after all these years."
"Huh?"
Naruto blinked and asked in confusion, "Old man, you know about it? Is it famous?"
"That sword... I'd say quite a few people recognize it."
Before Teuchi could reply, a voice suddenly came from behind them.
They turned to see Sarutobi Hiruzen walking in with a smoking pipe between his lips. He seemed to be off-duty, as he wasn't wearing the Hokage hat.
"Gramps Hokage!"
"Hokage-sama."
Naruto lit up with excitement, while both Teuchi and Gen gave respectful bows.
"No need to be so formal."
Hiruzen smiled at Teuchi, then reached out and gently patted Naruto's head. But his gaze lingered on Gen.
Maybe he was recalling that pot of poisonous mushroom stew—his hand paused slightly, but quickly resumed its motion.
"The previous owner of that sword was no ordinary man. It holds a lot of memories for many people. It's a fine blade. I hope you make good use of it."
"I will, Hokage-sama."
Gen nodded with a smile, though he couldn't help grumbling inwardly.
He'd waited an entire day for this!
All to head to Kirigakure, he had even shown off the Flying Thunder God Technique—and had been waiting to see Hiruzen's reaction.
But he never received any notice. Just when he was about to report to the office himself the next day, Hiruzen showed up on his own.
Still… maybe this way feels a bit more personal?
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