In a secluded part of the Forest of Death, an intense battle raged. ANBU operatives swarmed a young, handsome shinobi with short hair, a tall and well-defined physique—muscular but not exaggerated.
ANBU: Rat launched an overhead assault, cutting off all escape routes and forcing Kaji into close combat. Instantly, 20 shadow tendrils, each 5 meters long, lashed out from his back.
A brutal Taijutsu exchange erupted—yet the ANBU found himself overwhelmed. At the last moment, a shadowy hand erupted from the ground, yanking him down and binding his limbs and mouth.
With the surrender seal, Kaji released him, and the ANBU retreated to the starting point.
Then came the group assault—kunai and shuriken rained toward Kaji. Instead of dodging, he wrapped them in shadows and hurled them back at supersonic speed.
Just as the ANBU moved to evade—
Kaji emerged from the kunai's shadow, delivering crushing blows and binding them in mid-air.
Finally, the last ANBU—who had hidden in the trees—ambushed him with a Wind-Fire Ninjutsu combo.
Yet Kaji merely swiped his hand, and a void of shadow swallowed the flames whole.
The ANBU, baffled, fell into a pit that trapped his legs and arms.
This was one of Kaji's signature techniques—Spatial Shadow (空間影, Kūkan Kage).
"As long as there's shadow—and I know the location—I can move freely."
He could also place shadow markers for easier travel.
For this move, he had opened a rift in the ground's shadow, swallowing the shinobi whole.
Kaji, the Elite Jonin
At 13 years old, Kaji was already one of Konoha's elite Jonin.
Not long ago, he had utterly defeated his former classmate, Minato Namikaze, sending him back to intensive training. Jiraiya, embarrassed, had been chastised by Hiruzen for slacking off.
Yet, Minato had already begun studying the Flying Thunder God Technique.
Due to Kaji's rapid growth and strength, Konoha's council held an emergency meeting about Hiruzen's intentions.
The Third Hokage made it clear:
"The next Hokage will be one of my older disciples—or someone from Kaji's generation."
He smirked. "Kaji has no interest in being Hokage. I'm raising him to be more—a protector of the village. As long as he stands, Konoha will never fall."
Some sighed in relief—even Danzo found the decision strange at first.
"We'll have a Hokage… and something stronger—a force uninterested in power."
Over the years, Danzo had come to respect Kaji—both as a shinobi and a person. Unlike a certain blond and his self-proclaimed 'Uchiha' troublemakers.
Post-Training Debrief
After the brutal session, Kaji descended to the training grounds, smiling at the unmasked ANBU (a privilege of these secret drills).
"You've improved. Though, Rabbit, you still fell for my shadow trap and got buried alive."
Laughter erupted—Rabbit turned red.
"Jokes aside, you've all reached Jonin-level strength. There aren't many in this world who can match my abilities."
"Though I'm younger, age no longer measures skill. I respect your tactics—forged in real battles."
He turned to ANBU: Dog.
"Your tree ambush almost got me. But one thing stuck with me—your chakra matched the tree's resonance. Can that be detected in real combat?"
Dog nodded. "It's a breathing technique that syncs chakra with nature. Unless you can sense vital signs, no sensor has ever pierced it. Even if they know it exists, they can't predict the ambush."
Kaji muttered, "Vital signs… huh?"
"If I can't detect it, I'll create a countermeasure—something that protects me even if I know an enemy's hiding."
Dog added, "Most shinobi preemptively trigger a Substitution Jutsu when moving between trees—like drinking water."
"They don't aim for the tree—they track your reappearance and strike there. That's the standard after years of analysis."
Kaji fell into deep thought.
"Alright, training's over. Go rest and eat. I'll head out first."
With that, he vanished into a shadow.
A Father and Son's Lunch
Kaji slid open the Hokage's office door, beaming at his master—no, his father.
"Otou-san, the team's officially Jonin-level now."
Hiruzen smiled proudly. This squad—once young Chunin brutalized by Kaji—had grown into elite warriors.
The two enjoyed a nutrient-packed lunch:
Seared lean steak with onion glaze
Spinach and broccoli (vinegar and salt)
Whey-banana dessert
Lemon-mint honey drink
Kaji varied meals daily, but always within optimal nutrition.
After eating, Kaji reviewed strategic documents Hiruzen had assigned—leadership training, not just for Hokage candidacy, but large-scale operations.
Hours later, he sighed.
Hiruzen noticed. "Something bothering you, Kaji-kun?"
"The Land of Grass' resources are a joke. Suna is clearly funding their war against the Land of Waves."
"And the Land of Hot Springs fighting Takigakure? Even with that cult meddling, Kumo must be backing them. If we're not funding the Hot Springs, then Iwa is."
He circled supply routes on a map.
"If Kumo or Iwa declares war, these paths will be too far for us to cut off. They'll have free rein to fuel any front."
Hiruzen nodded. He knew of the shadow wars between minor nations—but Kaji's new routes revealed a chilling truth:
They were preparing to invade the Land of Fire.
"The Land of Waves hasn't fallen yet. Sending Danzo to secure it—and secretly conquer Grass—might be our move."
He summoned Danzo.
Minutes later, the shadowy advisor studied the map—and frowned.
"We didn't see this coming, Hiruzen."
Kaji smirked. "They have a 1-year head start, but it's not over. Kiri is hiding—we need intel. Their Seven Swordsmen are deadly; few can face them."
"As for Suna, we either take the Land of Waves and use it to strike Grass—cutting their supply line—or fortify Waves, draining Suna's treasury."
He tossed another report.
"Waves has 100,000 samurai. With calculated funding, we can make Suna bleed. I suggest Aunt Koharu analyze the cost—we'll spend 30% less than Suna to keep Waves standing."
Regarding the Land of Hot Springs and Takigakure, the situation is complex. Regardless of who wins, the victor will gain a buffer zone and key supply routes.
"Our best move is to burn their fields and food supplies."
"This will force Kumo and Iwa to spend more on logistics—that's where we strike. Elite sabotage teams will infiltrate their territories to cut off their supply lines. We can station squads offshore—if we deploy summoning clan shinobi, they can reverse-summon supplies directly to secure locations, then have Konoha operatives retrieve them."
"But remember—we must always spend 30-40% less than them. If costs escalate, we adapt mid-operation. As for our borders… I don't need to explain. You know better than I what must be done."
"If the food blockade succeeds, the moment these nations turn to the Land of Fire for trade, instruct the Daimyō to classify it as a military operation—and 20% of all transactions will be diverted to Konoha."
Kaji spoke relentlessly. Hiruzen and Danzo were stunned by the boy's cunning.
Though silent, both were already calculating—this operation could secure Konoha's future if war came.
They debated late into the night before Hiruzen finally brought Kaji home.
Biwako didn't hesitate. "Go clean up—both of you—then come eat."
Then, smiling brightly, she dropped a bombshell:
"I'm pregnant."
The two men froze.
Hiruzen turned pale. Kaji just stared, dumbfounded.
"I… I'm going to have a little brother?" His voice wavered with sudden, boyish excitement.
Hiruzen immediately bombarded Biwako with questions—"Are you well? Is everything alright?"
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The next day, a high-level Jonin meeting was held to finalize the plan and assess the geopolitical landscape.
The debate raged for hours—personnel assignments, funding allocations, and contingency strategies.
By the end, all terms were agreed upon.
Konoha had shifted gears—transforming into a well-oiled war machine.