Chapter Twenty-Two: A Pulse in the Shadows

Year of Foundation: Fourth Year of Konoha's Founding

Month: April (Third Week of the Academic Year)

Kenichi Sato's Age: 8 Years Old

As the third week of the school term began, the instructors started organizing simple group training missions to evaluate teamwork and decision-making abilities. One such task was to retrieve a training scroll hidden on the outskirts of the forest, just beyond the academy walls.

The students were divided into groups of three. Kenichi was placed in a team with Hiruzen Sarutobi and Koharu Utatane, while another group included Dai with two students from a regular clan.

At first, the mission felt like a mere exploration game, but things quickly took a turn when one of Dai's teammates stumbled and fell into a muddy pit, his leg sinking in dangerously deep.

Dai reacted immediately, attempting to pull his teammate out, but the ground gave way beneath them both. Kenichi, watching from a distance, sprang into action without thinking. Using a burst of Paper Step, a derivative of the Six Powers, he reached them in an instant and pulled them out with near-superhuman precision.

Hiruzen stared at him in stunned silence while the supervising instructor jotted down a note without saying a word. Kenichi quickly regained his composure, but inside, his heart pounded sharply.

"Was that too much? Did they notice?"

---

The next day, during the break period, Kenichi didn't head to the academy courtyard like everyone else. Instead, he slipped quietly out of the side gate and made his way to an abandoned training ground behind the equipment building.

This spot, which he had discovered with Dai some time ago, had become his private space for advanced training. No supervision, no eyes watching—just him and his shadow.

But Dai, having finished his drills early that day, decided to revisit the place, thinking Kenichi might be there.

Hiding behind a tree, he began to observe.

Kenichi moved lightly, his feet barely touching the ground. Then suddenly—an explosive step, a spin, an open-handed strike, a long exhale accompanying each technique.

What widened Dai's eyes wasn't the elegance of the movement alone… but the air around Kenichi—it wasn't normal. Transparent threads, almost like liquid ribbons, swirled behind his hands with every motion. It was as if his body left behind a watery echo.

"Am I… imagining things?" Dai whispered to himself, shaking his head, but the image wouldn't leave his mind.

It was as if water danced with his body.

---

In the main training field, Dai reappeared—but this time, he wasn't imitating anyone. His steps were still hesitant, but his breathing had become more controlled.

He attempted a new move, inspired by what he saw from Kenichi: merging breath with motion, reducing excess strikes in favor of precision.

While everyone else was caught up in their drills, Kenichi returned to the main field and began his own training—only this time, he didn't hide it.

He combined three elements: the precise physical control of the Six Powers, the refined breathing of the Water Breathing Style, and the disciplined flow of chakra.

His movements were stunningly beautiful, every part of his body in perfect harmony with his breath and energy. His foot struck the ground with balance, his arm sliced through the air like a sword, and the atmosphere around him shifted lightly with each motion.

The instructors stopped their conversations, and some students paused their training, silently watching him. It was as if they weren't looking at a peer—but at the shadow of a real warrior.

Hiruzen murmured under his breath:

"That's not just training… he's composing a battle."

Kagami, on the other hand, smiled quietly and said:

"He's not showing his strength… he's hiding it within beauty."

And Dai, still watching in awe, whispered:

"I'll find my way… even if I have to chase a star."

Kenichi smiled faintly without turning. He heard him.

---

By week's end, clouds gathered over Konoha, signaling the coming spring rains. Kenichi returned home, his body covered in mud from the forest's edge. His little sister waited for him at the door, holding her toy in hand.

"Onii-chan! I drew something today!" she said excitedly, showing him a crumpled drawing of him waving a sword.

He laughed, wiping sweat from his brow, then sat with her and began telling simple stories about the "ninja big brother" who protected his village and his little sister.

As she gently dozed off on his lap, Kenichi sank into a rare moment of stillness. The evening breeze drifted in through the window, carrying the scent of the first rain. Everything felt calm… until something pulsed sharply through his awareness.

A golden light flickered in his mind—like an internal voice, unlike anything he had known before.

> "It's been a year since your last draw… Are you ready?"

Kenichi slowly opened his eyes, gazed at the ceiling, and gave a slight smile.

"So… it's time. Let's see what this year's draw will bring, Golden Lottery System."

End of Chapter Twenty-Two.