Besides the traditional Fire and Lightning chakra natures of the Uchiha clan, Uchiha Kaien also possessed Water release. That had been confirmed in earlier tests.
Compared to their vast archives of Fire and Lightning techniques, the Uchiha barely bothered collecting Water-style jutsu. Whatever they had was mostly collecting dust.
High-level Water-style techniques were especially scarce. They had plenty of mid-tier stuff like Water Dragon Bullet, but anything B-rank or higher was practically nonexistent.
To make matters worse, most of these techniques had been copied from the Senju clan during the Warring States period. Honestly, what a mess.
Then there was the Dan Heng template Kaien drew from his first spin at the lottery system, which granted him Wind release as well.
"Oh right, I've got Wind too," Kaien said, as if just now remembering.
He wore a thoughtful expression, as if trying to recall something important.
Sometimes having too many chakra natures was its own kind of headache. There were only so many jutsu one could train in, and mastering any of them took time.
"Don't worry about it, Minato. Chakra nature can be cultivated later," Kaien said with a grin. "You don't have to master everything right now."
"Really?" Minato tilted his head, then nodded, visibly relieved. So it wasn't that he was just bad at it.
...
After school.
Kaien and Minato headed together to Training Field 19 in Konoha.
The place was mostly empty. Only a few others were around—and all of them were familiar faces.
A mature and striking blonde woman was roughly rubbing the head of a boy about Minato's age. Nearby stood a pale, serpentine man with a mysterious, unsettling air. Off to the side, a bored-looking white-haired man scribbled in a notebook.
"Good afternoon, Orochimaru-sensei, Lady Tsunade, and Lord Jiraiya."
"Oh, you're finally here! I've been itching to start the lesson already!" Jiraiya was the first to speak, shaking off his boredom.
"By the way, Minato, how'd the jutsu I gave you yesterday go? Don't stress if you didn't get it—guiding disciples is part of a teacher's job!"
He looked entirely too eager, already picturing the moment Minato would be lost trying to figure out Earth-Style: Mud Wall, only for him to swoop in with a brilliant explanation.
"Um, Jiraiya-sensei… before that, can I get my chakra nature tested?" Minato scratched his cheek sheepishly. "Kaien said I might not have Earth release, so maybe that's why I couldn't use it."
"As for the theory… I think I understood a little bit?"
"Oh… is that so?" Jiraiya suddenly looked awkward.
He'd totally forgotten to test his new student's chakra before handing over an Earth-style jutsu. Great—day one and he was already looking like a flaky teacher.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead. He couldn't lose authority in front of his students like this.
Jiraiya quickly turned to Orochimaru for help.
Orochimaru, already reading the situation, wordlessly pulled two chakra papers from his sleeve and handed them over. The ever-meticulous shinobi never forgot basic supplies like this.
"Just channel your chakra into the paper."
Kaien and Minato each took one and followed the instructions.
Kaien's paper quickly split into three distinct reactions: it wrinkled, grew damp, and caught fire.
Minato's, on the other hand, only showed three signs—no moisture.
"Torn and showing the other three reactions… So all elements except Earth?" Orochimaru mused aloud.
He turned his attention to Minato.
"And this one… Wind, Fire, and Lightning? You're both exceptional."
A smile played at Orochimaru's lips, faint and unreadable. Then he glanced at Jiraiya, who didn't need words to understand the meaning behind the look.
Kaien had the broader advantage when it came to chakra natures. That was the takeaway.
"Don't feel discouraged, Minato," Jiraiya said quickly, stepping in to reassure his student. "Chakra nature can be trained later, and having three is already super impressive compared to most people!"
"Don't worry, Jiraiya-sensei. If anything, I'm glad." Minato beamed. "Now I've got someone I can try to catch up to."
Having a goal to chase kept a person from slacking off. That was a good thing. Friends were meant to grow together, after all—to learn from each other and improve side by side.
Jiraiya felt a warmth stir in his chest at Minato's bright, genuine smile.
Such a driven, thoughtful kid... He silently vowed to give his all as a teacher.
While Jiraiya was mentally psyching himself up, Orochimaru offered his own thoughts without holding back.
"Having four innate chakra natures places you above almost everyone in the shinobi world. If you combine that with the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai, you might one day reach the level of Lord Hiruzen himself."
Orochimaru spoke from experience. Thinking of the days when Hiruzen trained him, he instinctively reached out to pat Kaien on the head—just like he once did with Nawaki.
Then he froze.
Right… they weren't that familiar yet. Hand half-raised, he hesitated, unsure whether to continue or pull back.
But Kaien—ever perceptive—stepped forward on his toes and leaned his head into Orochimaru's palm.
It was the picture of quiet obedience.
Orochimaru ran his fingers through the boy's silky black hair, a faint smile curving his lips as memories stirred in the back of his mind.
Was this what it felt like… to be a teacher?
For a brief moment, the cold walls inside his heart warmed just a little.
[Affection from Orochimaru +2]
...
Not far away, Tsunade had just finished scolding her younger brother and approached with Nawaki in tow. She stopped short, staring at Orochimaru's uncharacteristically soft expression.
What the hell was that look?
She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Orochimaru smile like that.
Young Nawaki, meanwhile, wasn't paying attention to the adults. His eyes were fixed on Kaien.
With cherry-red lips, porcelain features, and closed eyes framed by long lashes, Kaien looked almost ethereal. The way he leaned into Orochimaru's touch added a layer of vulnerability that tugged at the heart.
What a cute little girl... Nawaki's eyes lit up. Was this the other student Tsunade had mentioned earlier? The one who'd also become Orochimaru's disciple?
As if sensing Nawaki's gaze, Kaien turned to look at him directly.
His serious, piercing stare made Nawaki's face flush pink.
He quickly looked away, flustered, pretending nothing had happened.
But after locking eyes with Kaien, even his ears had gone red.
So... so cute!
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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