Kaoru remained unconscious for nearly six hours. When he finally woke up, he was in the infirmary. The moment he tried to open his eyes, a sharp, piercing pain shot through them like thousands of needles stabbing at once. His body ached all over, every nerve still reeling from the shock of his overexertion.
Yet despite the pain, he was still strong enough to feel absolute fear when he noticed the woman sitting inside his room. A curvy blonde woman was exuding an aura of quiet authority. She sat in a chair near his bed, casually flipping through the pages of a book. A book, he quickly realized, that was written by Jiraiya.
She was Tsunade. Kaoru stiffened and kept staring at her, she was more beautiful than he remembered, but she was also more domineering.
"Oh, you're awake," she said, snapping the book shut and glancing at him.
"You slept for a long time. Looks like that Kekkei Genkai of yours has quite the harsh backlash if overused."
At first, Kaoru's heart nearly stopped. Tsunade being here got him anxious. Did something horrible happen? Was he in serious trouble? But despite his spiraling thoughts, her tone remained casual, nonchalant.
And just like that, his panic eased.
"Thank you, Lady Tsunade," Kaoru blurted out, he looked confused and dizzy.
"For a second, I thought I was in trouble. I… didn't expect someone of your status to be the one looking after me."
Tsunade smirked.
"Oh, I wasn't taking care of you." She leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms. "All you needed was rest. I did check your body, though."
Her voice was too casual.
Kaoru froze.
Every single hair on his body stood on end.
"…What do you mean, Lady Tsunade?"
Tsunade waved a hand dismissively. "Relax, kid. I'm not here to interrogate you about your bloodline."
Then, her expression shifted.
Her golden-brown eyes locked onto him, her gaze was truly as sharp as a blade.
"I heard you diagnosed Uchiha Itachi," she said, there was a hint of excitement in her voice. "How did you do that?"
She leaned forward slightly.
"And don't worry, I won't tell even Lord Hokage about your secrets."
Kaoru swallowed. For a moment, it felt like his mind was being dissected.
'Oh sure, I'll just believe that. That's totally reassuring.'
His thoughts raced.
'What do I do? If I say I made it up, Tsunade will think I am lying, who would believe that I dared to trick Fugaku... On the plus side no matter what happens Uchiha won't care, but Tsunade will definitely think I'm lying unless I give her a satisfactory explanation.'
He needed an answer that wouldn't make her doubt him, but also wouldn't make her too interested. A lie to justify his previous lie.
Kaoru exhaled and lowered his gaze slightly, shifting uncomfortably in his bed.
"To be completely honest, Lady Tsunade… I have no idea myself."
His voice was steady, but uncertain just enough to sound believable.
"This was the first time I ever saw something like that. I'd never seen it before. The imbalance in Itachi's body was brief, like it was there for a split second, and then gone when I blinked."
He hesitated, as if reluctant.
"But… I trust my dojutsu. Completely."
Kaoru met her gaze, he said those last words with a pride.
"I figured it was better to tell his family and be wrong than to say nothing and be right." His lips quirked slightly. "I like Itachi. I wanted to help him."
Kaoru let his words settle before adding one last piece, "But even then, I told Lord Fugaku I wasn't completely sure."
As he finished speaking, he felt heat creeping onto his face.
A faint blush. It caught him off guard.
'Wait… am I actually embarrassed? Or am I just getting better at faking it?'
Ironically, he wasn't sure.
Tsunade took a moment to think. She hadn't expected that answer.
It left a small hope that this boy might help her advance her research, but realistically… it sounded like he just got lucky.
"I'll be traveling to Takimura when you return," she finally said. "I'll act as Konoha's representative. Let's continue our discussion then."
With that, she stood up and left the room.
Kaoru stared after Tsunades back as she exited the room.
'God, I thought I'd be returning to a peaceful Takimura, but she's coming… I don't know what she wants from me, but she won't leave me alone. I know that much.'
Still, if he had to pick someone to pester him, Tsunade was the best option.
'I'd rather deal with her than Jiraiya… or, even worse, Orochimaru. Besides, having her with us means the journey will be as safe as it gets.'
He was still processing the news when…
BANG!
The door flew open.
Sugeru charged in, holding a bouquet of flowers in one hand and a basket of sweets in the other.
"This one took centuries to pick this basket!" he teased, jabbing a thumb at Mizuki, who entered just behind him along with the rest of the Takimura kids.
Mizuki's face flushed red, darkening in a mix of embarrassment and frustration. For a moment, Kaoru thought she might scorch Sugeru alive.
But before she could react, Yuji intervened.
"It's not that Mizuki took a long time," he said flatly. "It's that you kept picking the worst-looking sweets."
"I did that intentionally," Sugeru said with a smirk. "Kaoru would enjoy them more."
Kaoru looked at his friends and smiled brightly.
Even if he wasn't particularly close with everyone, he had grown to like all of them.
"How are you feeling?" Akito asked, stepping forward and tossing Kaoru a small pouch.
Kaoru caught it, already knowing what it was - his winnings.
He had asked Akito to place a bet on him before the match.
Inside the pouch was 1.8 million Ryo.
"I'm feeling much better now," Kaoru laughed as he grabbed the pouch.
Then, the room got even more crowded.
Maki, Shin, and Guy entered next.
"Your fight was a perfect example of the youthful spirit!" Guy declared, giving Kaoru a huge thumbs-up.
Shin, on the other hand, simply muttered, "You did great," before letting out a lazy yawn.
'It's like opposite sides of the same coin,' Kaoru laughed internally.
Then, he turned to Maki, expecting a scolding but she was beaming.
"Great job, Ru," she said proudly. "Everyone's talking about Takimura. People even started calling you [To Be Decided]."
The Takimura crew and Guy stayed a little longer, but eventually, they all left. Kaoru sat back, enjoying the warmth of his friends' visit. The praise, the laughter, the energy. Even the sweets Mizuki had brought - they were perfect.
'This is really good. I need to thank her later. She picked all the stuff I love.'
Then, he heard soft footsteps approaching the door.
"How do you feel?"
Itachi, who was slightly limping, entered the room.
Kaoru sat up. "More like how are you? Unlike me, you actually suffered some injuries."
His concern was genuine, but a hint of pride snuck into his voice.
'I injured Itachi Uchiha. Hehe. I like the guy, but I can't help but enjoy the achievement.'
Kaoru thought he was perfectly masking his emotions, but Itachi laughed.
"At least you sounded genuine," he said, shaking his head.
Kaoru blinked, then shrugged. "I was. I mean, I am."
They held eye contact for a second before both started laughing.
As their laughter faded, Itachi told Kaoru that practically everyone in Konoha knew his name now. He had quickly become a minor celebrity - the boy who had nearly defeated Uchiha Itachi.
"I didn't win, though," Kaoru chuckled.
But this time, Itachi didn't laugh.
"Yes, you did," he said, his expression carrying a hint of disappointment. "I'm not upset that I lost. I'm upset that I'm not as strong as I thought I was."
Kaoru interrupted him. "You won. I know you think that since I pierced your shoulders, I could've killed you in a real fight," Kaoru continued. "But you weren't trying to kill me either. Plus, the rain… You won fair and square."
Itachi didn't reply immediately.
"Don't be too hard on yourself," Kaoru added. "And more importantly, can I buy any good scrolls or books with 1.8 million ryo?"
His excitement was impossible to hide. For a moment, Itachi blinked in surprise, then he chuckled, shaking his head.
"Not the scrolls you'd want," he said. "The ones you could buy wouldn't be useful at your level."
They spent some more time talking, exchanging thoughts about the battle, their experiences, and the future.
Eventually, the conversation wound down. Kaoru would be departing the next morning. They hadn't known each other for long, but in that short time, they had forged a connection.
A mutual respect.
Would that relationship last?
Or was it just a fleeting bond between two young shinobi?
Only time would tell.
<<<>>>
The Takimura delegation was finally returning home, but they weren't alone.
At the front of the group, Tsunade walked at a leisurely pace. She was flanked by two girls.
One of them, a young woman around sixteen or seventeen, walked beside her with a calm and composed expression. She had dark hair and a pretty face, but otherwise, she was unremarkable in any way that stood out.
Kaoru's gaze shifted to the unremarkable girl. Even though she was quite different compared to what he remembered, he still managed to recognize her.
'I didn't expect Shizune to come along… actually, I can understand Shizune being here, but her?'
Beside Tsunade, looking noticeably uncomfortable, Nora walked in silence.
Kaoru didn't blame her. After everything that had happened during the exam, her companions had done little to make friends with Takimura's kids. Well, neither had she. She knew it, too. The others from Takimura weren't fond of her presence.
Except for Mizuki, who, as always, remained indifferent.
But Kaoru's mind was already elsewhere. He had made a firm decision. For the next year, his main focus would be on developing the Chakra Rotation Method.
He had seen firsthand how powerful it was. Akane, who hadn't even fully mastered it, had still overpowered Toji Senju in taijutsu. That alone was proof of its potential.
But there was something that intrigued Kaoru even more.
'If the Chakra Rotation Method boosts cells and increases their function - enhancing strength, speed, healing, and even perception… then what will happen when I develop pathways specifically for the brain?'
His two biggest weaknesses right now were: his chakra reserves and the Suijingan's backlash. Even though Kaoru's chakra reserves were no longer pitiful, actually it was even slightly bigger than an average chunin, it was nowhere close enough to use Suijingan the way Kaoru wanted to. And Suijingan itself had a huge flaw - backlash. What happened with Itachi had been a clear warning. If the same happened in the middle of a real fight, he would die.
If the Chakra Rotation Method could help stabilize his Suijingan, even slightly, it would be a huge advantage. But even if it didn't, he still needed to improve his taijutsu.
And he had already decided - as soon as he got back, he would commission a new weapon. Kaoru felt a surge of excitement. With Shadow Clone Jutsu, he could split his efforts - one clone dedicated to studying theory and practicing weapons, while his real body focused on creating new chakra pathways. Kaoru did not know it for sure, but he speculated that his limit would be two or three clones.
Well, he hadn't even learned Shadow Clone Jutsu yet. But the thought didn't discourage him. If anything, it thrilled him. Because he had already tasted the results of hard work.
'It's a fact - I nearly defeated Itachi. Even though the rain gave me a huge advantage, the reality is that very few people could push him that far. I'm not a genius, but let's be real - Suijingan is strong. If I put in even more effort, I can be far stronger than I ever planned.'
His eyes flickered to Tsunade, Shin, and Maki.
'And there are people who can help me get there faster.'
What those three didn't know yet was that, soon enough, they would be hiding from him. Because once Kaoru activated hardcore training mode there would be no escape.
**
A/N -
A little bit chill chapter after the intense Chunin Exam arc.
Not much to say this time, but here's one thing - let's come up with Kaoru's first moniker/nickname!
Drop your suggestions in the comments, and I'll either pick the one that stands out the most or select a few and let you vote on them.
The next few chapters will focus on training, but there will be some exciting new developments: Kaoru's weapon, his evolving role in the clan, and Takimura's growth.
And to keep things interesting, I might even throw a few missions Kaoru's way during the training arc ^_^
Character Notes:
Nora - Surprised - 'I thought I would be a side character that would be forgotten…'
Kaoru - Inspired - 'I need to create my own technique, like Mizuki's Butterfly Inferno'
**