The air in the Academy hummed with a new kind of tension. Graduation wasn't some distant speck on the horizon anymore; it felt close enough to touch, discussed in excited whispers and anxious huddles between classes. The final year meant pushing boundaries, delving into chakra control exercises that hinted at the real jutsu awaiting them as Genin. Kenji felt the pressure acutely – the need to pass, to advance, warring constantly with the need to remain unnoticed.
One particularly demanding exercise focused on elemental shape transformation. No flashy attacks, just raw control: holding pure elemental chakra in a stable form outside the body. For those like Kenji with a Water affinity, the goal was to draw water from a basin and suspend it mid-air as a perfect, unwavering sphere. For Wind types, it meant generating a contained vortex between their hands, visible only by the trapped dust motes dancing within.
The classroom dissolved into a symphony of frustrated effort. Water spheres wobbled precariously before collapsing with disheartening splashes. Attempts at wind vortexes either dissipated instantly or exploded outwards in uncontrolled gusts, earning yelps from nearby students. Naruto, predictably, was having a terrible time, his immense Wind chakra erupting in miniature gales that sent papers flying. Even Sakura, usually so meticulous, struggled to maintain more than a trembling blob of water.
Iruka moved patiently through the chaos, offering encouragement. "Steady flow! Clear visualization! Don't force the shape, guide it!"
Kenji watched, dissecting the runic mechanics. Holding the water sphere required a constant, intricate weave of 'containment' runes fashioned from water chakra, an invisible, high-tension skin. The wind vortex demanded a precise balance of 'rotation' and 'containment' runes made of wind chakra, a self-sustaining cyclone in miniature. Both exercises demanded continuous, pinpoint focus.
When his turn came for the Water drill, Kenji dipped his hands into the basin. His Fuinjutsu practice had taught him the importance of structure. Simply projecting 'containment' wasn't enough; it needed an anchor. He subtly visualized an invisible framework of supporting runes, like an unseen spherical mold. He channeled his Water chakra, carefully weaving it into this runic scaffold as he drew the water upwards.
Effortlessly, a perfect sphere of water, clear as glass and roughly the size of a handball, lifted from the basin. It hovered between his palms, absolutely still, reflecting the overhead lights without a single ripple. It felt easy, almost thoughtless, compared to the struggle he saw around him.
"Excellent, Kenji!" Iruka praised, pausing beside him. "Perfect form, flawless stability. Textbook example."
Kenji offered a small nod, quickly but gently releasing the sphere back into the basin before the praise drew too much lingering attention.
Next, the Wind exercise. This felt even more natural. He held his hands apart, palms facing each other. He didn't wrestle with the air; he simply visualized the interlocking 'rotation' and 'containment' runes, structuring the flow of his Wind chakra like building with invisible blocks.
Instantly, a tight, controlled vortex spun into existence between his hands. Dust motes caught within its precise boundary revealed its silent, rapid spin. It didn't waver, didn't spread, didn't make a sound. Pure, contained motion.
He held it for a few measured seconds, then let it dissipate as smoothly as it had formed. The contrast between his quiet success and the surrounding struggle was stark. Maybe too stark.
He didn't immediately notice the intense stare fixed on him from across the room until a prickle of unease ran down his spine. Sasuke Uchiha had paused his own quiet fire-control practice. His usual mask of cool indifference was gone, replaced by sharp, narrowed concentration. Sasuke wasn't looking impressed; he looked analytical. His gaze flicked from Kenji's hands (which had remained perfectly still during the vortex creation, no trembling muscles, no overt signs of strain) back to Kenji's face. It wasn't just the perfect result; Kenji realized with a jolt, it was the lack of visible effort. Sasuke, a prodigy himself, likely recognized the subtle tells of extreme chakra exertion, and Kenji hadn't displayed them. An anomaly. A discrepancy.
A cold knot formed in Kenji's stomach as Sasuke finally looked away, but not before Kenji saw a flicker of something calculating in his dark eyes. Iruka's praise was one thing; Sasuke's analytical suspicion felt infinitely more dangerous.
Later, Iruka introduced a purely theoretical topic: the synergy between elemental chakras. "While true Kekkei Genkai fusions like Wood or Ice are genetic," he lectured, "advanced shinobi can strategically combine jutsu. Wind fuels Fire, Water conducts Lightning. Understanding these interactions is vital."
For Kenji, this wasn't just theory. Water and Wind coexisted within him. During the lunch break, finding a secluded corner of the training grounds hidden behind overgrown bushes, he dared a small experiment. He focused, drawing on both Water and Wind chakra simultaneously. He tried to form the water sphere again, but this time, attempted to weave the 'rotation' rune from his Wind affinity into the sphere's 'containment' structure.
It was incredibly difficult, like trying to braid smoke and water. His control faltered, the elements resisting each other, demanding far more chakra and concentration than the single-element exercises. After several attempts, sweat beading on his forehead, he achieved a brief, unstable result. A sphere of water hovered, but the liquid inside churned rapidly, visibly swirling, driven by the infused wind energy. It vibrated intensely, threatening to tear itself apart. He quickly dispersed it, gasping slightly from the exertion.
So, that's the limit… for now, he thought, wiping his brow. Direct fusion seemed impossible, likely requiring specific, innate runic structures he simply didn't possess. But influencing one element with the properties of another? That felt possible, though wildly inefficient and complex at his current level. It was like trying to run two different operating systems on the same machine simultaneously.
The piercing sound of the final bell shattered his concentration. Students poured out of the Academy building, their voices buzzing with talk of the looming exams. Freedom, or the next stage of the shinobi path, felt tantalizingly close.
Kenji walked slowly towards the orphanage, the setting sun casting long shadows. His sight gave him understanding. His practice gave him skill. His affinities gave him versatility. But every step forward made hiding harder. Exercises like shape transformation stretched the definition of 'talent' dangerously thin. Sasuke's watchful eyes were a potent warning.
Graduation was coming. He had to pass, had to become a Genin to learn more, to truly understand the power he held. But joining a team, working closely with others, under the scrutiny of a Jonin sensei… how could he possibly maintain his secret then? The real test, he suspected, wasn't the Academy exam. It was everything that came after.
--- End of Chapter 10 ---