Public Training Ground No. 118
Weather: Clear
June's heat hung dry in the air.
A sun-heavy summer day where any sane person would rather hide inside with a breeze than stand in the open field waiting for a test.
Kaito lifted three pieces of chakra paper.
"Before we begin, I bought some chakra nature test slips.
Just pour chakra into them—you'll see your elemental affinities."
As one of the Uchiha, Mikoto merely rolled her eyes.
Backpack casually slung behind her, black leather shoes kicking the grass, she huffed:
"I tested mine ages ago. Fire and Lightning."
"Great. Saves me money. Thank you."
Kaito nodded approvingly.
"You're welcome, cheapskate."
She stuck out her tongue, but Kaito didn't bother arguing.
He turned to the others.
Nonō accepted a paper.
Immediately, half of it soaked in water—
The other half crumbled to dust.
"Water and Earth," Kaito said.
"You're suited for support roles. Your chakra control is fine-tuned—ideal for medical ninjutsu."
"Yes!"
Nonō jumped happily. Becoming a medical ninja had always been her wish.
But Kaito's next sentence smacked her back to reality.
"Unfortunately, I'm not a medical ninja.
I can't teach medical techniques, and my medical knowledge is only partial.
Training you in that field… is beyond me."
"Expected. Can't count on a bottom-tier genin like you~" Mikoto sniffed.
Kaito raised an eyebrow.
"Don't forget—you're genin too."
He turned to Duy.
"Your turn."
"M-me? Do I even deserve—?"
Duy stared at the slip, memories of past humiliation flashing.
"Obviously."
Kaito's tone was firm—almost impatient.
Duy poured chakra into the paper—
Or tried to.
Everyone stared.
Nothing happened.
After nearly a full minute, Kaito sighed inwardly.
Yep. His chakra output is too weak. The test can't even measure it.
"Alright, that's enough."
Duy swallowed nervously.
"S-So… what's my chakra nature?"
Silence.
Mikoto and Nonō exchanged a look—unsure how to comfort him.
Kaito walked forward, placed a hand on the slip—
And the paper suddenly reacted in five ways at once.
A corner burst into flame.
Another ripped sharply.
One section wrinkled.
Another dampened.
The last crumbled.
Kaito said flatly:
"All five natures. Full affinity. That's enough testing."
"EHHH?!?!?!"
Duy's eyes nearly popped out.
Mikoto and Nonō stared at him—and then at Kaito.
How is THIS guy a lifelong genin!?
Kaito pocketed the scraps.
"Enough gawking. We're taijutsu types—don't get obsessed with things that don't matter."
He took out several props.
Then three small bells.
"Your test begins now.
For the next hour—defeat me and take a bell."
He smirked inwardly.
If my ninjutsu keeps failing and only taijutsu works, nobody will push me to chūnin.
Today's goal:
Learn how to look incompetent.
Mikoto's eyes narrowed.
"Five natures is 'useless'? Hah!
I'll show you why ninjutsu is the foundation of a real shinobi!"
She dropped her bag, crossed her arms, chin high.
"Let this Uchiha genius show you how it's done."
"Fine."
Kaito slung his backpack aside, resting a simple two-year-old, barely used blade at his hip.
He remained in his fitted training shirt and shorts.
"What about you two?" he asked.
"No objections," Nonō answered quickly.
Duy tugged her sleeve, whispering miserably,
"Shouldn't we stop this? Mikoto's gonna beat the youth out of him…"
Kaito ignored them and scanned the surroundings.
He activated his heightened perception—
Not yet true Observation Haki, but a sharp sixth sense.
No one was nearby.
No ANBU.
No hidden watchers.
Good.
"Begin," he said.
Traditionally, shinobi start with taijutsu exchanges—
But Mikoto went straight for hand seals.
Serpent → Ram → Monkey → Boar → Horse → Tiger
"I won't let a scrub-teacher insult the value of ninjutsu."
She inhaled deeply.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing inferno exploded from her mouth—
A huge orange-red sphere roaring across the field toward Kaito.
The blazing heat painted his face in warm light.
It's been a long time since I've had a proper fight.
"But…"
Kaito's eyes sharpened.
"Too slow."
In Nonō's view—
The fireball swallowed him whole.
But in Duy's eyes—
He caught just a flicker of movement.
A faint afterimage.
A blur like the wind itself.
"This speed…" Duy whispered.
"It's the Body Flicker.
But did he even USE chakra?!"
A terrifying thought crept into his mind—
Did Kaito just perform a high-level shinobi technique… purely with physical ability?
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