Chapter 76: Could the Next Step Be the Tenseigan?
It was late afternoon, and Hiruzen Sarutobi, having enjoyed a hearty meal, was ready to resume work.
"Kakashi is recovering at the hospital. Guy is keeping him company. Jiraiya has taken off with Kitagawa Gen… finally, a moment of peace."
Settling into his chair, Hiruzen couldn't help but muse aloud, "That kid Gen… can he really master Sage Mode?"
To be honest, he wasn't entirely sure. But then again, the kid had even learned the Flying Thunder God Technique. Maybe he really would surprise everyone again.
"Well, time to get back to work."
With his pipe in hand, Hiruzen glanced toward the mountain of documents on the table and fell silent. His eyes shifted to a cloth-covered towel nearby. Stroking his beard, he muttered, "It's still early. A little rest shouldn't hurt. Besides, checking up on Konoha's current state is part of the job…"
Just as he reached out his hand—
"Old man!!"
Startled, Hiruzen yanked his hand back as Jiraiya suddenly burst in through the window, his voice loud and urgent.
"What is it? What happened?" Hiruzen tried to stay calm as he looked at the flustered Sannin.
"That brat Gen—he did it!"
"Did what?"
"He's already mastered Sage Mode!"
Hiruzen's hand trembled at the news.
"What? But it's only been… how long?"
"You're not joking?"
Hiruzen narrowed his eyes. He'd seen countless storms as Hokage and didn't lose his composure easily.
"You said it was incredibly difficult to learn—so how...?"
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Jiraiya said, his voice dry and still stunned. "That brat seems to have a natural affinity for chakra. I gave him the basics, just a general idea of how Sage Mode works, and then he told me he could feel natural energy."
"I didn't even have time to stop him—he absorbed the senjutsu chakra and actually controlled it. Perfectly."
Hiruzen was stunned. But he quickly recalled what Jiraiya and Kakashi had both said before: Gen had exceptional chakra control. That was why he learned so fast.
"Incredible chakra control… able to sense natural energy…"
Pipe in mouth, Hiruzen slowly nodded. He was surprised, yes, but he was also starting to understand. As Hokage, he had access to all kinds of intelligence. There were rare individuals across the shinobi world who had been 'favored' by natural energy. But without the right control or knowledge, those people often lost themselves—going berserk like wild beasts.
Even some of Orochimaru's post-defection research contained vague references to similar cases.
"I see… and how stable is he now?"
"Not bad. But it's still too early to say for sure."
Jiraiya gave an honest answer after some thought.
"Good. Then keep training him—make sure he learns to use that power skillfully."
Hiruzen's tone became firm as he clapped his hands. An Anbu agent immediately appeared.
"I've already ordered a search for the First Hokage's old records. Once you have them, pass them on to Gen as part of his training. Raise him well. Understood?"
Jiraiya nodded. Even if Hiruzen hadn't said it, he would've done so anyway.
"This is great news…"
A smile broke across Hiruzen's face. Konoha truly felt like it was thriving again.
But just as he was enjoying the moment, Jiraiya's next words nearly choked him.
"Hey, old man—how come you never gave me any of those records? Playing favorites, huh?"
"Cough cough! You were training at Mount Myoboku! You didn't need them!"
"Well then, you owe me. How about we go take a peek at that crystal ball of yours?"
"You! Get out. Right now."
---
Sage Art: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu!
By the pond deep in the Konoha Forest, Kitagawa Gen stood with one hand raised in a completed seal. In the next instant, a colossal crimson fire dragon roared to life, spiraling out with explosive force…
A massive fire dragon roared across the pond, its enormous body casting a shadow over the water. As it swept through the air, thick steam billowed upward where fire met moisture.
BOOM—!
The fire dragon slammed into the opposite bank, igniting a blazing inferno that threatened to devour the nearby forest. But Kitagawa Gen didn't rush. Calm and composed, he formed another hand seal.
"Sage Art: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"
As his chakra surged, a water dragon no less formidable rose from the pond. It shot forward with a deafening roar, quenching the forest fire in moments and shrouding the area in a heavy mist.
"How did I do, Jiraiya-sensei?" Gen asked, turning around.
Jiraiya's mouth twitched before he nodded with a stiff smile. "Very good… really good."
Truthfully, he was almost numb to it by now. Performances like this had become common over the past month and a half.
Time had flown. A month and a half had passed since Hiruzen Sarutobi, after learning of Gen's progress, ordered a batch of key scrolls and documents to be compiled and delivered. Gen had immersed himself in study—and then his progress exploded.
Watching him develop so rapidly was more frustrating than satisfying for Jiraiya. He'd read those same documents himself, and they hadn't helped him much.
"This kid's a true genius," Jiraiya thought with a sigh, staring at Gen's flawless Sage Mode. Finally, he asked, "How long can you maintain it now?"
"I'm not really sure," Gen said, tilting his head. "Probably over ten minutes?"
In truth, he could maintain it far longer if he wanted.
"Not bad," Jiraiya nodded. That duration was enough to decide most battles.
Then Gen said something unexpected.
"Jiraiya-sama, staying in Konoha doesn't seem to help me much anymore. I think it's time I trained out in the field. Why don't we travel?"
Jiraiya blinked. "Travel, huh…"
He'd been considering the same thing. His last attempt at tracking Orochimaru had failed, and it still nagged at him. Watching Gen's progress in the village was satisfying—but also a blow to his pride.
Unlike Jiraiya, who needed the help of two toads to enter Sage Mode, Gen could slip in and out of it seamlessly. The gap was undeniable.
Plus, the boy did need real-world experience.
"…All right, I'll ask the old man if there's any valuable intel we can follow up on."
"Then I'll keep training here while you go talk to him," Gen said.
"No problem."
As Jiraiya disappeared, Gen deactivated Sage Mode and smiled. Finally, he could openly use his Byakugan.
"And those scrolls from the Third really did help a lot."
[Name: Kitagawa Gen]
[Age: 13]
[Bloodline: Otsutsuki Clan (Development Level: 24%)]
[Chakra Capacity: SS (Above-Kage Level)]
[Chakra Nature: Water, Fire, Earth, Lightning, Wind, Yin, Yang]
[Special Ability: Ice Release]
Looking at his personal stats, Gen felt content. He'd been right—deepening his connection to natural energy was indeed accelerating his bloodline awakening.
He was curious about how Hashirama Senju had attained Sage Power—through Shikkotsu Forest or as an Asura reincarnation? But it didn't matter. Now that Sage Mode was "publicly acceptable," it was time to shift focus.
"Time to focus more on developing my bloodline…"
With Sage Mode and his Byakugan—or perhaps something beyond the Byakugan—he felt ridiculously strong.
But he knew strength alone wasn't enough. The history of the Otsutsuki clan was full of downfalls, and even Naruto and Sasuke had stumbled.
He needed battle experience, technique, and strategy. No shortcuts.
"Tailed Beast chakra… Kekkei Genkai… These are all my targets. I still have a long way to go."
He looked up at the sky.
As his bloodline awakened, his senses grew sharper. That "super energy cannon" up there had been waiting for him.
His eye and bones continued to draw chakra. The bones—slow and steady—made him stronger physically but with no drastic external changes.
Still, he wasn't worried. He knew the power sealed in his bones was immense—too immense to rush. That path could easily end in tragedy, like Kimimaro.
His eye, however, was progressing well. The rate of chakra absorption had accelerated—clearly, a new transformation was approaching.
"I already have the Byakugan… or maybe not. Maybe it's something else entirely," he murmured, falling deep into thought.
"Could the next step… be the Tenseigan?"
He didn't know for sure. But it seemed likely. After all, awakening the Tenseigan required multiple stages—not something easily done in one leap.
"My journey is just beginning…"
Meanwhile, in the Land of Rain, Pain suddenly opened his eyes atop the Gedo Statue.
Around him, chakra projections began to flicker into existence.
He scanned the gathering quietly, then spoke in a calm voice: "Now that everyone's here—let's begin."