Naruto - Azure Awakening

"I think I can add one more," Kaoru muttered as another tentacle of water rose from the cup in front of him, creating a sixth droplet.

It had taken him an entire week of steady effort, but he was finally making noticeable progress with his Suijingan. Each small improvement felt like a triumph, and this was no exception.

Kaoru also added a new exercise to his daily routine. Every day, he brought a plant home — sometimes a flower, sometimes just a bundle of leaves — and practiced extracting water from it. His goal was to find a way to extract water efficiently without draining too much chakra.

[If I can perfect this, it'll be like fighting near a big source of water most of the time,] he thought.

While he did manage to improve, the exercise remained incredibly chakra-intensive. Extracting water from parts of a plant was challenging enough, but targeting a plant still rooted in soil caused the chakra cost to skyrocket. Kaoru eventually concluded that living things, even plants, could actively resist his ability.

[It's like they hold on that water as hard as they can,] he mused.

Realizing that the ability to extract water was a dangerous one, Kaoru set a firm rule for himself: he would never extract water from living beings outside of plants.

Kaoru had spent the entire week with Akane. Most of their time was dedicated to training, but there were moments when they simply explored the area together. Their bond deepened as they tried to learn the Shifting Flow Sword Style together.

When the time came for Kaoru to return to the Takime clan's outpost, Akane went straight to Mei with a proposal.

"Kaoru and I are studying this scroll together," Akane explained. "It's really difficult to understand, and I think we'll make much better progress if we continue training together."

After some thought, Mei agreed. Akane was thrilled and rushed home to pack the things she wanted to bring with her.

As Kaoru prepared to leave, he reflected on the past week.

[This week was probably the best I've had since that day,] he thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.

He'd made strides in controlling his Suijingan and had begun learning wind release. His progress with the Shifting Flow Sword Style felt like the start of something amazing— almost like a weaker form of senjutsu that was constantly active.

But above all, he'd made a friend.

[Coming to the Terumi clan was the right decision,] Kaoru mused. [It's convinced me even more that I should go outside the outpost whenever I get the chance.] He chuckled as he realized how happy maki would be to learn about his "discovery".

<<<>>>

The man was walking in the deep forest covered in dense mist, his expression was tense. The man was Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage. As he walked his eyes scanned the surroundings. There was unnatural silence, only the soft rustle of leaves could be heard from time to time.

"You've been following me for hours," said Yagura with a calm voice. "Step into the open or crawl back to wherever you came from."

A slow, measured clap echoed through the mist. A man stepped forward from the shadows, his masked face tilting slightly. But what caught Yagura's attention was the Sharingan. No sane person would ever underestimate Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai.

"You're sharper than I expected, Mizukage," said the man, his voice was unnaturally neutral for the situation. "I thought you might try to ignore me."

Yagura flared up. "You have five seconds to explain yourself before I break you."

Obito chuckled softly. "So confident. But tell me, Yagura, how does it feel to lead a village that barely respects you? A useless attempt to lead the blind. How fitting."

The words struck a nerve, however, Yagura tried his best to hide it. His posture shifted slightly, getting ready to strike. "If you came here to die, keep talking."

Obito shrugged. "I came here to take control. You'll see it's much easier for everyone when someone competent is pulling the strings."

Yagura didn't bother with a reply. He surged forward, his staff carving an arc through the air, aimed directly at the man's midsection. The weapon passed harmlessly through his intangible body, the force of the swing splitting a nearby tree in two.

Yagura leapt back, his green eyes narrowing. The Sharingan spun lazily in Obito's visible eye as he stepped closer, unhurried. "You're quick to attack, I'll give you that. But it's a wasted effort."

"Tch. Phasing," Yagura muttered under his breath, his mind already calculating. The staff spun in his hands as he feinted a second strike, only to pivot and thrust a high-pressure blast of water from the seal at its tip. The jet of water tore through trees and carved into the earth, but Obito had already vanished, his form dissolving into the mist.

Yagura stood still, his sharp senses honed on the faintest disturbances around him. He barely caught the flicker of motion in his peripheral vision. Spinning on his heel, he brought the staff up just in time to block a kunai aimed for his throat. Sparks flew as the blade clashed against the metal shaft.

"You're clever," Obito said, his tone laced with condescension, "but cleverness won't save you."

Yagura countered with a swing of his staff, forcing Obito to leap back. The Mizukage followed up with a series of precise strikes, each blow calculated to force Obito into a defensive pattern. Despite this, his attacks continued to pass harmlessly through Obito's form.

Inside Yagura's mind, the Three-Tails roared. "This is no ordinary shinobi," it clearly felt a threat. "Release my power."

"Not yet," Yagura remained stubborn. "He's trying to bait me into something. Let's see what he's hiding."

"You'll regret holding back," the Three-Tails hissed.

Obito flicked a kunai from his sleeve, the movement casual as he tossed it toward Yagura. The Mizukage deflected it with ease, but his eyes widened as space around him distorted. A vortex began to pull at him, debris and leaves spiraling into the void.

"Mangekyo Sharingan," Yagura hissed, his feet digging into the soil as he fought the pull. Slamming his staff into the ground, he anchored himself, channeling chakra through the weapon to harden the earth beneath him. The vortex dissipated with a faint pop, leaving the forest eerily still once more.

"You're quick to adapt," Obito mused, stepping closer. "But you're wasting your energy. This will end the same way, no matter how much you resist."

Yagura's lips curled into a humorless smile. "I've seen plenty of smug bastards like you. They all bleed the same."

With a sharp motion, Yagura slammed his staff into the ground. The earth trembled as water surged upward, forming a spiraling dome around him. The surface shimmered like polished glass, distorting the forest's reflection.

Inside the dome, Yagura steadied his breathing. "Let's see how far you'll go," he muttered to himself.

Obito approached the dome, his Sharingan analyzing the intricate patterns of chakra reinforcing it. With a faint gesture, he reached forward, his hand phasing through the surface. Yagura struck in that instant, the water inside the dome exploding outward in a torrent of sharpened shards.

Obito vanished in a blur, reappearing behind Yagura in an instant. "Predictable," he muttered, his kunai slicing toward the Mizukage's back.

Yagura twisted just in time, his staff meeting the blade with a loud clang. The impact sent shockwaves shaking the misty battlefield.

"You're starting to irritate me," Yagura growled. He leapt back, his hands moving in a blur of seals. The ground beneath them rumbled, splitting apart as a massive geyser erupted, drenching the area in steam and water.

The terrible heat stung his skin as well but Yagura did not care, he moved with determination, disappearing into the thick mist. The vapor became his shield, protecting him from Sharingan's gaze.

Obito stood motionless amidst the chaos, his Sharingan scanning for movement.

[He's trying to turn the environment against me. Clever, but futile,] he thought, his expression calm.

A flicker of movement at the edge of his vision caught his attention. Yagura jumped out from the mist, his staff glowing with chakra as he swung it in a wide arc. The strike connected, the impact forcing Obito to stumble backward.

"Not so intangible against sneak attacks, huh?!," Yagura sneered, his voice cold and mocking.

He pressed the attack relentlessly, each swing of his staff crackling with concentrated chakra. The air vibrated with the force of his blows.

Obito, momentarily caught off guard, tried to activate his Sharingan to phase away, but the unrelenting assault left him no room to focus.

"You don't seem so condescending now," Yagura snarled, his strikes growing fiercer, each one heavier than the last. His chakra pulsed with raw power, illuminating the mist with every swing.

"Something feels off," murmured the Three-Tails from within Yagura's subconscious. Even as Yagura's attacks overwhelmed Obito, the Bijū couldn't shake the sense that their opponent's fall had come too easily.

But Yagura dismissed the thought. "His arrogance doomed him," he scoffed, delivering a final, devastating blow.

The impact split Obito's head, the Sharingan in his eye shattered. Obito's lifeless body collapsed to the ground.

As the vapor began to settle, Yagura noticed a folded letter lying nearby, apparently dropped from Obito's cloak during the battle. Picking it up, he scanned its contents, his eyes narrowing.

"So… the clans in Kirigakure are plotting against me, huh?" Yagura sneered, his voice dripping with venom. He crushed the letter in his fist, chakra flaring around him.

"I wonder how this man got hold of this letter," Yagura muttered, his tone laced with suspicion. But then his expression hardened. "It doesn't matter. Kirigakure needs a purge—and a purge it will get."

With that, Yagura turned and walked away, leaving the misty forest behind.

For a moment, the battlefield seemed empty, but in reality it was not. Right where the battle had just unfolded stood another figure, unmoving.

Obito stood exactly where Yagura had struck him down, completely uninjured. His single Sharingan glowed faintly in the dim light as he gazed in the direction Yagura had gone.

"Kirigakure will soon be in total chaos," Obito whispered, his voice devoid of emotion.

There was no trace of satisfaction or triumph on his face — only cold, unfeeling indifference.

"Kirigakure will now do as I wish," Obito murmured, his voice barely audible, almost lost in the mist.

He stood still for a moment longer, the faint glow of his Sharingan faded slowly. Then, without another word, he turned and began to walk away.

His steps were slow and deliberate, yet directionless. Not even Obito himself knew where he was going — and in that moment, it didn't matter.

<<<>>>

Kaoru, Akane, Mei, and the rest of the group entered Takime Valley, their steps echoing faintly against the towering cliffs.

[It feels like I've been gone forever,] Kaoru thought, a small smile tugging at his lips.

"Ane, you're going to love it here," he said, turning to Akane with a grin. "Let's explore the outpost today. Actually, they've probably added a ton of new buildings while I've been away, so it'll be like seeing it for the first time for me too." He chuckled as he watched Akane's wide-eyed excitement. "And tomorrow, I'll take you to the waterfall. It's the best spot in the whole valley."

The journey home had taken more than a month. With so many families and young children in the group, their pace was slow, and frequent breaks were necessary. Despite the delays, the trip had been enjoyable.

Kaoru had introduced Sugeru to Akane during their travels, and the two often sparred together. While Kaoru proved stronger in actual combat, he was aware that in pure taijutsu, both Akane and Sugeru outclassed him.

[At least I can still beat them when ninjutsu is involved,] Kaoru thought, though the realization didn't bother him too much.

Their Shifting Flow Sword Style training had also seen progress. After weeks of effort, they finally managed to create a new chakra path, it was tiny but still, it was a great start. Once again, it was Akane who had made the breakthrough, her sharp mind grasping the concept faster than Kaoru had expected.

Kaoru couldn't help but notice how talented Akane was when it came to theory. She could dissect and understand complex ideas almost instantly. Her biggest challenge was her lack of refined chakra control.

[But that's fixable,] Kaoru had thought. Taking inspiration from how Maki had pushed him, he began to do the same with Akane.

It worked wonders. Under Kaoru's encouragement, Akane's progress skyrocketed. Watching her rapid improvement, Kaoru found himself wondering why Mei hadn't trained her sister. But he quickly dismissed the thought—it wasn't his place to ask.

Akane, meanwhile, felt immensely grateful to Kaoru. His guidance and camaraderie helped ease the pain of leaving her clan's settlement and her parents' graves behind. Determined to embrace her new life, she focused on finding her place in this unfamiliar environment.

Her curiosity was also piqued by the stories Kaoru told about Maki. From his descriptions, Akane felt a growing eagerness to meet her. Kaoru often compared Akane to Maki, teasing that they were both impulsive yet kindhearted.

Akane didn't mind. She saw it as a compliment as she knew how much Kaoru adored his sister.

As they crested the final hill, the settlement came into view, framed by the massive, cascading waterfall that dominated the valley's backdrop. The sunlight glinted off the water, casting rainbows over the settlement below.

"Here we go," Akane marveled, her voice filled with awe.

Kaoru watched her reaction, smiling to himself. Seeing his home through Akane's fresh eyes made it feel all the more special. For the first time in a long while, he felt at home.

**

A/N -

This chapter marks the end of the first arc and the beginning of the next arc - chaos in Kirigakure. The situation in the Land of Water will spiral further into turmoil, becoming a massive battlefield — not just for Kiri shinobi but for external forces as well. The first arc should be enough to decide if the novel's worth sticking with — and if you're enjoying it, please leave a review! Reviews are essential for attracting more readers, which in turn motivates me to keep going.

From my "newbie author" perspective, I think the novel is progressing nicely, and I hope you're enjoying it too!

As promised, I'll continue posting two chapters daily until Chapter 50, after which updates will shift to one chapter a day, at least for a short while for me to catch a breather and not burn out. 

Thank you for your support! ❤

Character Notes:

Kaoru – Hopeful Workhorse - "Two chapters a day? That's nothing. Try training until your legs give out!"

Yagura – Tyrant on the Brink - "The purge begins now. And no, I don't need your approval."

Obito – Chaos Conductor - "I don't need to lift a finger. Just whisper, and the world burns."

Akane – Spirited Genius - "I may not have a Kekkei Genkai, but I'll outthink all of you—just give me a minute."

**