Elemental Affinity. (EDITED)

Tsunade reached into her kimono and pulled out a chakra nature paper, handing it to me with a calm but serious expression.

"Ren, let's find out your chakra affinity. Channel your chakra into the paper."

I took the thin sheet and focused. A surge of chakra flowed through my hand and into the paper.

Within seconds, it split cleanly down the middle but didn't cut into two parts—one side soaked with water, the other hardened into earth.

Tsunade's eyes widened slightly.

She didn't say anything right away, but I saw the shock flash across her face.

"This… this is exactly what Grandpa Hashirama had," she whispered.

"Water and earth affinity—together, they form the basis for Wood Release. Though that… is something extremely rare."

I blinked. That explained a lot.

Tsunade continued, now smiling a little.

"You have strong affinities for both elements. And since you've already mastered chakra control, it's time to begin training in elemental manipulation. We'll start with water."

We walked to the lake inside the Senju compound—a tranquil spot surrounded by trees, the same one I used for water walking.

Tsunade knelt beside the edge, extended her hand, and gently pulled a thin stream of water from the surface. It floated midair, coiling like a snake. Then she reshaped it—a ball, a blade, a spiral.

She made it look effortless.

"This is stream control," she said.

"The foundation of water release. Once you learn this, you can move to actual water jutsu. Try it."

She left shortly after, saying she had work at Konoha Hospital.

That left me by the lake, alone… but not discouraged.

At first, nothing worked.

I could barely pull the water upward, let alone control its shape. But with my [Perfect Chakra Control] talent, I started to feel the flow—the rhythm, the push and pull.

Within a few days, the water began to respond.

Every day followed the same routine.

Train, eat, absorb a small bit of nature energy, push a thread into Tsunade to help her recover, train again.

And slowly, my skill grew.

Shizune would return from the Academy and chat about her day—lessons, instructors, the constant preaching of the Will of Fire—and Tsunade would occasionally stop by with tips or encouragement before heading back to her duties.

I didn't rest.

Not because I had to, but because I wanted to.

I had plans for this world. Goals. I knew what was coming. And I wasn't going to waste this chance.

One day, as I practiced near the water, Shizune approached with a solemn expression.

"Ren… did you hear? Sakumo Hatake—the White Fang—he's… he's dead."

I stopped.

Though I expected it… it still hit hard.

She explained how he had been blamed for saving his comrades over completing the mission. The shame forced him to take his own life.

After that, she quietly walked off in search of Tsunade, leaving me alone again.

I sat by the lake, staring at the rippling water.

I knew what this moment meant.

It was one of the most defining moments in Kakashi's life—when the world turned cold for him, and rules overtook heart.

I felt the weight of it all. We lost a gem… because of rotten politics.

I wondered if Kakashi was already attending the Academy.

We were close in age—he'd be around four, same as me.

Perhaps we'd meet soon.

And if so, I'd also get to see the person even Madara Uchiha acknowledged—Might Guy.

I stood up and renewed my focus.

Enough brooding. There was still training to be done.

Time Skip – 3 Months Later

I stood at the edge of the lake, palms steady, breath controlled.

The water moved.

Stream control? Mastered.

I could now lift water from the lake and shape it however I wanted—spheres, whips, blades. But it wasn't enough.

I wanted to control the entire lake, to bend it to my will like a true water-style master.

So I kept training, pushing the limits of what I could do.

But while I trained in solitude… Konoha was in chaos.

The post-war atmosphere wasn't peaceful—it was volatile.

Though Konoha technically came out ahead in the Second Great Ninja War, it had taken immense losses—shinobi, resources, even political trust.

Iwagakure and Sunagakure were struggling worse, having lost land and finances. Still, internal unrest plagued us the most.

Civil factions stirred trouble in Konoha.

The Third Hokage, Hiruzen, fought to maintain fragile stability.

As for the Sannin…

Tsunade returned to the hospital, burying herself in medical work.

Orochimaru had begun experimenting on humans, pursuing immortality.

Jiraiya was training Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan in the Rain Village—and would soon return to become a spy and teacher to Minato.

The Second Great Ninja War had officially ended after 14 years of brutal conflict.

But peace? It was temporary.

I knew that in just under a decade, the Third War would erupt.

And when it did, I needed to be more than ready.

Right now, I was four years old.

That gave me eight years.

Eight years to train, grow, and ascend beyond anything the world had seen.

I wasn't going to waste it.

I took a deep breath… and bent the water around me once more.

(Author's Note: Earth nature training up next. Let's go deeper into Ren's growth! Comment your feedback — it really helps. Thank you! - Dreaming_Dragon97)