Not all flames illuminate—some only burn.
The next morning, warm sunlight streamed through the window, spilling across Kai's face.
"Time to get up."
He sat up, stretched lazily, then opened his status panel.
Chakra: 500.
At his current state—
his chakra would fully recover within a single day.
Much faster than ordinary shinobi.
This was the power of the Asura's Chakra.
"Convert 450 chakra into Asura's Chakra energy."
"Energy +450. Asura's Chakra Lv.1 (459/100,000)."
Under normal circumstances, once a ninja's chakra was completely depleted, they could collapse or even die in extreme cases.
Kakashi had once fallen in battle against the Deva Path of Pain precisely because he exhausted his chakra.
But after repeated testing, Kai discovered something crucial—
As long as he retained one-tenth of his chakra, his body would remain stable.
Which meant:
He could safely use 450 chakra every day to upgrade his bloodlines, leaving 50 to sustain himself.
On top of that, he had a reserve pool of 1500 chakra.
In emergencies, he could tap into it instantly.
And if the reserve ever ran low, he could gradually replenish it by setting aside part of his daily chakra.
For now, his upgrade priority remained unchanged.
First: Asura's Chakra.
Second: Sharingan.
Third: Wood Release.
Wood Release also had a unique trait—it could absorb chakra and convert it into its own energy.
But at his current level, Kai chose stability over risk.
Step by step.
Once he reached Jonin-level strength…
Enemy ninja from other villages, rogue shinobi—
their chakra could all become fuel for his growth.
As for Jinchūriki…
Better not, for now.
Their chakra reserves were immense, but none of them were easy targets.
After getting up, Kai prepared breakfast and a lunchbox.
His savings were limited.
Although Fugaku and Mikoto occasionally helped him, he still had to be frugal.
By all rights, as the child of parents who died for the village, he should have received a stipend.
At first, he did.
But after the Nine-Tails incident last year, everything changed.
The payments were repeatedly reduced.
Now, they were barely half of what they used to be.
Not even enough to cover a month's food expenses.
As a veteran Naruto fan, Kai didn't need to guess why.
It was because of the Nine-Tails.
Which, in turn, meant—
his "rebellious spirit" was practically at 99.99%.
Today was the entrance ceremony.
After tidying up, packing his lunch, and putting on the new clothes and backpack Mikoto had bought him, Kai stepped outside.
The sunlight was dazzling.
He narrowed his eyes—
and immediately spotted Itachi leaning against the wall, as if he had been waiting for a while.
"What are you doing here?" Kai asked.
"Father said you're unfamiliar with the academy. He told me to go with you," Itachi replied calmly.
"Oh."
The two set off together.
The Uchiha compound was located on the outskirts of the village, while the Ninja Academy stood near the center.
The walk would take over half an hour.
After a moment of silence, Itachi spoke.
"Do you think… if the conflict between Konoha and the Uchiha keeps worsening… it could lead to war?"
He was sharp.
He could already see the growing tension—
but at his age, he had no power to change it.
That helplessness weighed on him.
"Who knows?" Kai said lightly, hands resting behind his head as he looked up at the sky.
"Let fate decide."
What was he supposed to say?
Hey, Itachi—
In seven years, you're going to slaughter your entire clan?
The rest of the journey passed in silence.
The streets were lively, filled with people coming and going.
Kai didn't resist the idea of attending the Ninja Academy.
On the contrary—
He believed that systematic learning was essential to surviving in this brutal world.
But once he graduated and became a genin, he would be assigned missions by the village.
Dangerous missions.
And in times of war—
the battlefield.
Naruto's very first escort mission had involved Zabuza Momochi, one of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen, and Haku, a wielder of a kekkei genkai.
If Naruto hadn't unleashed the Nine-Tails' power in anger—
Sasuke might have died right there.
The shinobi world was dangerous.
Fortunately—
Kai had the system.
After more than half an hour of walking, they finally arrived at the Ninja Academy.
Itachi cast a brief, surprised glance at Kai.
Under Fugaku's guidance, Itachi had trained for over two years. His stamina was excellent—walking this distance didn't faze him at all.
But Kai's circumstances were different.
And yet, he showed no signs of fatigue.
His physical condition exceeded expectations.
What Itachi didn't know—
was that after reaching Level 1 of the Asura's Chakra, Kai's physique had improved drastically.
His endurance far surpassed Itachi's.
He could easily run dozens—if not hundreds—of laps around the Uchiha training grounds.
Following the crowd, the two made their way to the academy field.
It was already packed.
Three minutes later—
An elderly man in Hokage robes stepped onto the red-carpeted stage, surrounded by senior officials.
The Third Hokage—
Hiruzen Sarutobi.
Behind him stood three other elders:
Danzo Shimura.
Homura Mitokado.
Koharu Utatane.
The upper echelon of Konoha.
As Hiruzen appeared, thunderous cheers erupted across the field.
A warm smile spread across his aged face.
"Parents, students—welcome. I am Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Hokage of Konoha."
"I welcome you all."
Applause exploded once more.
Deafening.
Hiruzen raised a hand gently—
and the crowd fell silent.
"Where the leaves dance, the fire burns eternal. The light of that fire will continue to illuminate the village… and allow new leaves to sprout…"
His voice carried emotion as he spoke of the Will of Fire.
Many of the new students were visibly moved.
Their fists clenched.
Their eyes burned with determination.
They wanted to become strong ninja.
To protect Konoha.
To carry on that will.
Kai, meanwhile—
yawned.
The fire illuminates new leaves?
Are you sure about that?
After more than a year in this world, he understood clearly—
the so-called Will of Fire was nothing more than empty rhetoric.
Hiruzen Sarutobi was the Hokage—the village's supreme leader.
Every decision he made was from the perspective of the village.
His beloved student, Orochimaru, had abducted hundreds of people for human experimentation.
Among them—
children.
And yet, Hiruzen let him go.
Because in his eyes, Orochimaru was his most talented, most cherished disciple.
Perhaps—
he might change.
Hiruzen gave him a chance.
But who gave those victims a chance?
And when it came to the Uchiha—
one of Konoha's founding clans—
his ruthlessness showed in a different way.
For the sake of so-called peace—
he had Itachi massacre his own clan.
The higher-ups of Konoha had long since judged the Uchiha through a lens of prejudice.
If not for their constant pressure—
their relentless suppression—
would the Uchiha ever have been pushed toward rebellion?
This—
was the Will of Fire?
Kai scoffed inwardly.
The atmosphere grew increasingly heated.
Students began shouting in unison:
"Long live the Third Hokage!"
Kai joined them, shouting at the top of his lungs—
"Long live the Third Hokage!"
When in Rome…
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