It was likely due to his own eyes evolving—Kenjiro's Tenseigan, awakened during his first "fetal movement" stage, was very different from Otsutsuki Toneri's. Its power was not only more stable, but also deeply rooted.
Even if his body were seriously injured, the Tenseigan's power wouldn't vanish.
Only when his chakra and ocular power were completely depleted would his Tenseigan regress back into the Byakugan.
After evolving into the Tenseigan, his eyes continued absorbing the chakra secreted by the brain—like charging a battery.
Once that energy filled up, the second fetal movement would begin.
Just like how the Byakugan needed two years of charging to evolve into the Tenseigan, Kenjiro had a hunch—it might take some time before his second awakening arrived.
But for now, just having awakened the Tenseigan was already more than enough for him.
At twelve years old, he was still technically in childhood. His youth had only just started winding down.
Fifteen was the start of his growth period.
At that age, girls could no longer keep up with boys in terms of physical development.
Even if Kenjiro didn't do anything else, once he hit that fifteen-year mark, his body would begin unleashing its potential, just like Toneri on the moon.
By the age of nineteen, even without combat experience, as long as he received a transplant of a pair of pure Byakugan, he could master interdimensional powers.
If Toneri, who only had one red talent, could do all that, then Kenjiro—with several red talents—didn't even need to worry.
Awakening the Tenseigan at twelve? That was the ultimate cheat code.
-----🍥-----
"Kenjiro, is this your real body?"
Now that he had safely passed the first fetal movement, Kenjiro rejoined his team.
The moment he returned, Shino Aburame immediately noticed changes in his insects. His gaze at Kenjiro was full of shock.
The insects… were afraid.
Only half a month had passed—how did Kenjiro become so much stronger?
What kind of jutsu had he developed?
"Yeah, my jutsu is complete now, so I came back," Kenjiro smiled and nodded.
"What kind of jutsu were you working on?"
Since Shino wore sunglasses and kept his collar pulled high, Kurenai Yuhi couldn't see his expression, so she just curiously asked Kenjiro what jutsu he had been training in.
"Secrets make a man more attractive."
Kenjiro raised his index finger to his lips and winked playfully. "You'll see it eventually, Sensei. I guarantee it'll blow your minds."
"Kenjiro, has anyone ever told you you're begging for a punch?" Kurenai's forehead was pulsing with a giant stress mark.
Kenjiro turned to Hinata. "Hinata, do I seem like I'm begging for a punch?"
"No, not at all." Hinata shook her head honestly.
"You two seriously aren't dating?" Kurenai let out a dry remark that sounded exactly like something their classmates at the academy would say.
Kenjiro just smiled silently, while Hinata blushed bright red.
After that little detour, Team 8 continued doing D-rank missions.
Sometimes one a day, sometimes two or three, and sometimes they'd even get a few days off before the next one.
Whether it was cleaning trash, helping villagers take care of kids, or assisting with farm work—Team 8 handled everything flawlessly and earned praise from every client.
During this time, Kurenai had wanted to teach her genjutsu techniques to the team as well.
But both Hinata and Shino refused—they only wanted to focus on their clan's secret techniques.
Kenjiro declined too.
Had he not completed the first fetal movement, he might have accepted her offer out of courtesy.
While his skill panel looked flashy—with all those red talents—the reality was, before awakening the Tenseigan, most of his training had gone into perception and healing abilities. The red talents hadn't translated into much combat power yet.
Without his Super Hurricane Sphere which was still in development, his offensive toolkit consisted of basic Wind Release passed down by his father and a few Fire Release jutsu from the Uchiha clan.
With Shadow Clone Jutsu and these ninjutsu, Kenjiro wasn't afraid of any jonin.
Once he completed that Ultimate Move, he'd be at the level of someone like Kakashi—an elite jonin who could pose a real threat to a Kage.
Before awakening the Tenseigan, Kenjiro was comparable to a jonin.
But now—with gravity and repulsion under his belt—he was like Tendou Pain without Chibaku Tensei. He was already at Kage level.
He had offense, defense, and support. He lacked nothing.
No need to owe Kurenai a favor.
So, just like in the original story, Kurenai ended up taking the role of a guide—teaching Team 8 how to become proper shinobi.
-----🍥-----
Time passed, and before they knew it, it was May 1st.
That morning, Team 8 gathered at their usual meeting spot.
"Your performance last month was excellent—every mission got glowing reviews."
Kurenai arrived with good news. "As a reward, I'm taking you to accept a higher-ranking mission today."
Hearing that, Hinata lit up with joy.
And even though you couldn't see Shino's eyes through his glasses, if you did, you'd notice a flicker of interest—his covered mouth even lifted slightly in a smile.
"A C-rank mission?" Kenjiro asked, pretending not to know.
"Mm-hmm." Kurenai nodded.
"Normally, genin can only take D-rank missions. Only veteran genin or genin under a jonin's direct guidance can take on C-rank tasks."
"Unlike D-rank missions, which are basically chores, C-rank missions often involve leaving the village and may involve unknown enemies—and real danger."
"Technically, you've only been genin for about a month and shouldn't be eligible. But given your strong performance, consider this a reward."
"Let's go. We're heading to the Hokage's office."
With that, Kurenai led her eager students to the Hokage's office.
"A C-rank mission, huh?"
Hiruzen Sarutobi puffed on his pipe as he looked over the unusually tall Kenjiro and Hinata, his eyes a little distant.
The two chubby-faced kids from back then had grown this much?
He recalled the scene of Kenjiro facing Uchiha Sasuke. Even after Sasuke activated his Sharingan, he was completely overwhelmed.
Hiruzen nodded. "Alright. Team 8 has only been active for a little over a month, but every mission has received great feedback. If your jonin leader thinks you're ready, then I'll approve it."
He reached under his desk and pulled out a large scroll.
Unrolling it, his fingers glided across the surface before stopping.
"Your sensing abilities are excellent—this mission should suit you."
Hiruzen exhaled a puff of smoke. "A mining crew recently came to Konoha for business. They're afraid of being ambushed by bandits or rogue ninja on their way back, so they've asked us to escort them back to the Land of Rivers."
"This mission is yours. Any objections?" Hiruzen glanced at Kurenai.
"None, Hokage-sama," she responded respectfully.
The three genin remained silent.
Hiruzen channeled chakra into his fingertip, pressing it against the scroll with a small puff—a small cloud of smoke appeared, and a palm-sized scroll popped into his hand.
He tossed it to Kurenai. "This contains the client's information. Go and negotiate with them."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." Kurenai replied with another bow.
Then she led Team 8 out of the office.
Hiruzen never directly addressed them, and none of them acted out like Naruto would have.
Outside the Hokage building, Kurenai opened the scroll and then led them to a nearby inn.
"You three wait here. I'll go talk to the client."
She left that short instruction, then walked up to a wagon parked outside the inn and began speaking to the person guarding it.
Soon, that person guided her into the inn.
If you looked closely, you'd see a flag hanging from the wagon with the character for "Iron" on it.
Though their destination was the Land of Rivers, that "Iron" character had no connection to the Land of Iron.
Most likely, it referred to an iron ore convoy.
If memory served, the geography of the Land of Rivers was quite complex—filled with forests and mountains. Most people there lived on or at the base of mountains, and their settlements were known as "mountain villages."
Kenjiro and the others quietly ran the details through their minds.
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