Chapter Twenty: Unbreakable Roots

Year of Foundation: The Fourth Year of Konoha's Establishment

Month: April (Start of the New Academic Year)

Age of Kenichi Sato: Exactly 8 Years Old

As the April sun rose, cherry blossoms bloomed in the alleys of Konoha. The scent of flowers and morning dew slipped through the dusty roads, marking the return of school life.

But something was different this year.

Kenichi wasn't just physically more mature—his eyes carried a deep gaze, as if a year of training in the shadows had left an indelible mark on him. Upon his return to the academy, his classmates noticed something strange: his steps were quieter than ever, yet the sound of his feet hitting the ground felt like the beat of war drums.

On the other side of the training yard stood a new student wearing simple green clothes, visibly nervous. This was Might Duy—a boy who had failed to enter the academy previously. This year, however, Tobirama had decided to give him a special chance, despite his lack of natural talent in ninjutsu.

—

In the first class, the teachers decided to conduct a test in the three basic techniques: Transformation, Clone, and Substitution.

When Duy's turn came, he attempted the Transformation Technique—but his chakra dispersed with no result. Then he tried the Clone Technique; a pale, unstable image appeared briefly before vanishing. Finally, in the Substitution Technique, he stumbled through the hand seals, and nothing happened.

Some laughed. One of the students scoffed, "Is he a ninja or a clown?"

Duy felt the laughter drown out the sound of his heartbeat, and the air around him grew too heavy to breathe. Still, he said nothing. He simply stepped back, eyes glinting with a mix of shame and determination.

Kenichi clenched his fist as he watched. He didn't see weakness in Duy—he saw strength building slowly, like a fire being kindled in silence.

> "His techniques failed, but I saw what the others couldn't… I saw the root pushing its way toward the light."

—

After the test, the students moved to the training grounds for sparring.

There, Duy was matched against a student from a well-known clan. He stood nervously, expecting defeat as always.

"Please don't laugh at me…" he thought, taking a simple defensive stance.

But something unexpected happened.

As his opponent charged, Duy suddenly dropped low, as if his body moved on muscle memory, and landed a strike to his opponent's side. The only sound was the thud of impact—then silence.

Everyone froze.

Duy stood still, staring at his hand, then at the others, as if unsure whether it had really happened.

The stunned opponent got up and asked, "W-what was that move?!"

The instructor, finally smiling, replied, "That… is what we call true effort."

—

During the break, Duy sat next to Kenichi, his face still frozen in disbelief.

Kenichi handed him a piece of bread and said, "I told you the day would come. I just didn't tell you it would come like this."

Duy finally laughed, and a new flame flickered in his eyes.

—

At the end of the day, Tobirama sat reviewing the performance reports. Two papers lay before him: "Kenichi Sato" and "Might Duy."

He placed the papers together and said, "The flower blooms in the light… but the root grows in the dark. And now, the root has begun to surface."

Then he added to himself, "If given the chance… he might gift the village a different kind of legacy."

End of Chapter Twenty.