After a long, teary laugh, Naoki wiped his eyes and stood tall. Nostalgia softened his voice as he spoke.
"Kid, when we were teenagers…"
He continued walking as he talked. "…once, Shibi said that in the Aburame Clan, they make their children train against five-foot beetles. I commented that if I ever became a boy's father, I'd train him against an Inuzuka hound. Enji—being the bragging lord of the team—said that if he had a son, he'd train him against a bear."
"WOAH," Kaen chuckled.
"Yeah… and in the Second Great War, enemies from the western front called him The Hakaikaen." Naoki smirked. "Though we—his peers—preferred Hakaibaka instead."
Kaen's eyes widened. "Oh yeah… that's what Fugaku-san once mentioned him as."
"Yeah. Anyway, kid… enough talk about the Hakaibaka."
Naoki's tone shifted, gentler but direct.
"Now tell me—why did you prefer not taking the Taijutsu class?"
By now, Kaen had grown comfortable with him. He stopped dodging the truth.
"Because… because, Naoki-san… I think I may end up hurting my classmates."
"Why's that?" Naoki asked. "Why only now? You were taking the class just fine before."
"Before, it was just… Taijutsu," Kaen said slowly. "But now I think… I won't hit to win… but to—"
He fell silent.
"To kill?" Naoki asked, deadpan.
Kaen looked up immediately. He gulped.
"Yeah…"
Naoki stopped near a bench and sat down. "Come. Sit."
Kaen followed.
"Now tell me… why."
"The last few days…" Kaen began. "Whenever I think about fighting—or even practicing to fight—I get angry. I get angry about the faces…"
His fists clenched. He took a heavy breath and swallowed.
"Those faces of the Kumo shinobi… who came to our home that day… who—"
His teeth gritted. He was spiraling back into the nightmare.
Uchiha Enji, come with us or it won't be good for you.
ENJI, YOU SON OF A BITCH—YOU KILLED MY BROTHER.
I'LL KILL YOU AND YOUR SON TO AVENGE HIM.
His breathing grew ragged. A tear slid down his cheek.
The Sharingan flared back to life.
Naoki wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close.
"Son…"
He kissed Kaen's head.
"Do not think your father was killed mercilessly. He did not die for nothing."
Kaen looked up, tears flooding his eyes.
"I DON'T CARE WHAT HE DIED FOR. I WANT—"
His voice broke.
"I WANT MY PARENTS."
Naoki held back his own tears and pressed Kaen's face into his chest, hugging him tightly.
Ah, Lord… lighten this burden on this little soul. It's too heavy for him.
Kaen sobbed.
"Does your heart want vengeance?" Naoki asked quietly.
Kaen nodded.
"Don't worry, kid," Naoki said, kissing his head again.
"You're not wrong to feel that"
After a dozen heavy breaths, Kaen wiped his tears.
Naoki took a deep breath and began to speak.
"Look, Kaen… I am past thirty. I have lived through hell." He looked down at the boy.
"And in my life, I have learned one thing… focus on what you have, not what you lost."
Kaen looked at Naoki, absorbing the words.
"You have a lovely grandma, loving aunts, and even a big brother… don't you?" he said.
Kaen's lips curled slightly as he nodded.
"Yeah."
Naoki studied him for a long moment, weighing what to say next.
"Now…" he continued, "…if you say, I can be your training partner."
Kaen's head snapped toward him.
"WHAT?… but… but am I worth the time?"
Naoki deadpanned and punched Kaen on the head.
"Oww," the kid growled. "What was that for?"
"I just called you son, did I not?" Naoki said with disdain.
"There's nothing more worth my time than you, dumbass."
Kaen smiled for a second—then his expression hardened with resolve.
"I am ready."
Naoki smiled.
That's my boy.
===
12pm. Training Ground 2.
On the ground, Naoki stood a few meters in front of Kaen. He removed his kunai pouch, pulled out a single kunai, and tossed the rest aside.
"Oye," he said, tossing the kunai toward Kaen.
"Use this."
Kaen raised a brow. "But you can get hurt."
"No worries, kid… but I warn you… I am not your classmate, neither am I your Sensei… so fight like your life depends on it," Naoki said plainly.
Kaen gulped and picked up the kunai. He expected a countdown—
NAOKI VANISHED.
Before Kaen could react, he was slammed to the ground, Naoki's knee pressing into his chest.
"Huh!?"
Naoki stepped back. "Tch… I SAID FIGHT LIKE YOUR LIFE DEPENDS ON IT," he yelled.
"HAI," Kaen replied.
Before Kaen could even settle into a stance, a sweeping low kick took his legs out again.
What the hell is he tryna do??!!
He looked up just in time to see Naoki lunging straight for his face.
Kaen swung and forced himself back to his feet. Naoki redirected mid-motion and leapt to pin him down. Kaen raised the kunai on instinct.
Naoki dipped low and drove a kick into Kaen's gut, launching him backward.
He avoided the kunai, Kaen analyzed midair.
His stomach churned—one more hit and he would vomit—but the sight of Naoki charging again without hesitation sent a surge through him.
Pure adrenaline.
Kaen dropped low and slipped between Naoki's legs.
Naoki spun instantly—and for a split second, he lost sight of him.
Kaen struck.
A skull-crushing dropkick slammed into Naoki's face.
How did he get this high so fast? Naoki thought, resetting his stance.
I don't need to worry—he'll definitely dodge the kunai… and that's my cue, Kaen breathed out as his eyes flared crimson. The two tomoe spun to life.
"Hm… the Sharingan," Naoki murmured.
Kaen lunged, pouring all his strength into his legs.
Naoki skipped forward. Kaen slipped back, aiming for the blind spot—
—but he couldn't rise.
"Tch tch tch… you think the same thing will work again and again?" Naoki said as he sat on Kaen's chest.
"GET OFF ME," Kaen struggled to yell.
Naoki let out an amused breath and stood. Kaen immediately rolled and skipped backward.
I can't do anything head-on in an open field… I need to change the game, Kaen wiped his shoulder.
Naoki sprinted toward him.
Kaen grinned, turned, and bolted toward the trees as fast as he could.
Naoki paused for a moment—then smirked.
"Ahh… the kid's got brains too."
He entered the shade of the trees.
Nothing.
"Hm… where are you, kid?" Naoki scanned the area patiently—
BAM.
A flying head kick came out of nowhere—
—but Naoki caught it.
POOF.
A shadow clone dispersed.
"Haha… I am loving it," Naoki said, wiping his face.
SSHHH—SHHH.
The leaves rustled.
Naoki turned toward the sound and moved carefully in that direction. A faint glint caught his eye—a wire.
Trap.
He skipped back instantly—
A kunai came straight down.
Naoki stepped forward again.
"Hm… he figured my response in advance," Naoki gave an impressed nod. Then—
The ground vibrated.
Naoki jumped just as the earth beneath him collapsed.
"WAIT… when did he learn that??"
"HAHA GOT YOU," Kaen screamed with joy as he weaved hand seals.
"FIRE STYLE: FIRE BALL JUTSU."
"SHIT." Naoki instantly formed his own seals.
"WATER STYLE: BARRIER."
The nearly fifty-foot fireball collided midair with a massive wall of water. A humongous cloud of steam erupted, swallowing the clearing.
I thought Enji's kid would be a brawler. This kid is definitely Hokage-level potential with Shikaku's guidance, Naoki thought, taking cover behind a tree as he waited for the steam to settle.
"HIKEN!" Kaen yelled from close range.
"I'll be damned…" Naoki realized.
He stood instantly and wove signs.
"EARTH STYLE: MUD WALL."
A massive, fist-shaped burst of fire tore through a tree and slammed into the mud wall.
"Hehe," Kaen grinned from behind the flames.
Within seconds, Kaen shattered the mud wall with his HIKEN, charging straight through.
Naoki watched him come head-on.
He grimaced.
Kaen thought he had it—
Then Naoki's expression changed.
POOF.
"HUH—"
And… LIGHTS OUT.
---
Fifteen-ish minutes later.
Silence.
Sharp light pricked at Kaen's eyes as he slowly opened them. He found himself lying on the ground.
"What… what just happened?" he muttered as he pushed himself up.
Naoki sat beside him, calmly sharpening a kunai.
"I hit you. You passed out," he replied without looking up.
Kaen raised a brow. "Why'd you have to hit me that hard to knock me out?"
"I didn't hit you that hard, kid," Naoki said flatly. "You exhausted yourself and knocked yourself out."
Kaen shook his head. "I don't get it."
Naoki set the kunai aside and finally turned to face him.
"Think back. What ninjutsu did you use?"
Kaen rubbed his chin, thinking.
"Hm… Shadow Clone—two… no, three times." Naoki nodded.
"Then Earth Style: Quick Mud once… Fireball once… and then I attacked with Hiken."
"Yes," Naoki said. "Shadow Clone is B-rank. That Earth Style was borderline A-rank. And that Fireball—at that size—almost crossed into A-rank territory."
Kaen's brows rose, pride mixing with shock.
"And that Hiken…" Naoki continued. "Its rank depends entirely on the user. When your father or Fugaku used it, it was easily S-rank. By that standard, you should be producing a C–B rank version at best."
He paused.
"What you used was almost S-rank. If that had hit anyone with below jōnin skill level… it would've killed them."
Kaen giggled. "I know."
Naoki stared at him, mouth slightly open.
Then—thwack.
"AAAH!"
"Chibi Hakaibaka, you're SIX!" Naoki yelled.
"Yeah, but my chakra's enough for high-level ninjutsu," Kaen protested, rubbing his head.
Naoki sighed.
"Alright. Time for theory."
He stood and spoke calmly.
"Simply put, kid… you're cracked."
"What?!"
"You heard me. You share the blood of both the Uchiha and Uzumaki clans. Your Uchiha side gives your chakra extreme variety."
"Ohhh."
"And your Uzumaki side amplifies everything. Your raw chakra mass is enormous."
"But that's what I said."
"Here's the difference," Naoki replied. "Raw chakra mass is not the same as usable chakra mass."
Kaen leaned in.
"At your age, your raw chakra equals about three jōnin. But your usable chakra?"
He tapped Kaen's forehead.
"Slightly less than a twelve-year-old graduate."
"Aww man…" Kaen puffed his cheeks.
"That's not a bad thing," Naoki said. "It's a safety mechanism."
"How?"
"Your body isn't developed enough to output that much chakra. So when you push past the limit, it shuts you down."
"Ohhh." Kaen's eyes lit up. "So I just need to increase the limit!"
He chuckled, puffing his chest like a bodybuilder.
"Yeah yeah, I know. I'm too smart."
Naoki stared at him in silence.
Is this universal?
I would've said the same thing at his age… and look at this little Enji, trying to be Mr. Konoha.
He exhaled slowly.
"No, kid. You can't."
"What?!" Kaen deflated instantly.
"It'll increase as you grow, not just by training harder. What you need to do is learn to operate within that limit."
"Okay… how?"
Naoki replied calmly, "Remember what I said during the spar. I am not your sensei. Ask your uncle Minato to teach you that."
Kaen looked disappointed.
Then—two seconds later—his face lit up.
"Oh! Right! Tomorrow Minato-san's teaching me Wind Style!"
"Good," Naoki said as he picked up his pouch and walked away.
Kaen watched him go, smiling.
For a moment, he saw the reflection of his father.
You two are way too alike.
---
1:00 PM. Konohagakure Academy.
Rinka sat on the assembly ground, legs tucked in neatly as parents arrived one by one to collect their children.
"Ah, Papa… today was so hard… I went straight from the CS class to Taijutsu—"
She paused, frowning.
"No, no… too dramatic."
She tried again, whispering to the air.
"Papa… you know how hard today was…"
Another pause.
"Umm… no, that's too generic."
She cycled through excuses in her head, each collapsing faster than the last.
"Yamanaka Rinka."
The guard's voice snapped her attention forward.
She looked up.
Naoki stood there.
Normally, he would be smiling. Normally, he would wave.
Today—there was no smile.
"Lord, please save us," she whispered, scrambling to her feet as she ran to him.
They turned and began walking home.
No words.
First street crossed—nothing.
Second street—still nothing.
The silence pressed down heavier with each step.
As they neared the Yamanaka Compound, Naoki finally spoke, calm and even.
"So. How was your day?"
"Ah… it was good…" Rinka answered quickly. Too quickly.
Then she stopped walking.
Naoki took a few steps ahead before noticing. He stopped and turned.
"Papa… I have something to tell you," she said, tears pooling in her eyes.
"Say whatever you want, sweetheart," Naoki replied gently.
She stepped closer and, for a moment, wrapped her arms around him. Then, gathering all her courage—
"I bunked class today."
Naoki's brows lifted. "What do you mean?"
"I… I took one of my friends and jumped from the academy roof to go eat snacks."
She looked up at him, eyes shimmering.
"I'm sorry. I'll accept any punishment."
"Hm." Naoki hummed thoughtfully.
"Well, punishment you will get. But not just you—your friend will face it too."
Rinka gulped. "What… what will it be?"
"Two hours," Naoki said evenly. "Standing on one leg."
Rinka absorbed that. Thought it through. Calculated carefully.
Then, with a worried expression, she asked softly,
"Can I do four… so my friend doesn't have to?"
Naoki's eyes widened—genuinely.
"Rinka," he said, lowering himself slightly, "you do know how long four hours are, right?"
"Umm… I do," she nodded earnestly. "But… can I get breaks every thirty minutes?"
Naoki stared at her in dead silence.
Then he broke.
Laughter spilled out of him as he bent down and pulled her into a hug.
"Stupid little kids," he muttered fondly.
He straightened and looked at her.
"I'm letting you and your friend off—just this once."
Rinka beamed, kissed his cheek, and giggled.
"Okay, Papa. I won't do it again. He won't either. Pinky promise."
"Good," Naoki said simply.