Founding Year: The Second Year of Konoha's Establishment
Month: October
Kenichi Sato's Age: 6 and a Half Years Old
By the middle of the first academic year, each student at the Konoha Ninja Academy had begun to show their individual traits. Some leaned toward physical prowess, others excelled in theory or chakra control. As for Kenichi, he maintained a quiet, humble, neutral image... but that was merely a façade.
He woke up every day before dawn, training for two uninterrupted hours. During this time, he combined the Rokushiki techniques with his growing chakra control and mastery of the three basic ninjutsu: Transformation, Clone, and Substitution.
He learned the Clone Technique the fastest. Thanks to his training in Shigan, he had precise control over the amount of chakra he used, allowing him to create stable, clear clones from the start. For Transformation, he incorporated the principles of Soru, enabling him to shift between forms with fluid movements, making the technique more convincing. As for Substitution, he relied on Geppo to relocate at the critical moment, making his replacements seem magical to his instructors.
Despite all this, he revealed none of it in the Academy's training grounds. He deliberately used weak clones, slow transformations, and obvious substitutions. Everyone saw him as an average student.
On normal days, he chose to sit in the back rows, quietly observing his classmates. He noted how they reacted when they failed, how they celebrated success, who fidgeted in their seat, who stared challengingly at the teachers, and who avoided eye contact with the world. He was building a mental map of personalities... without anyone noticing.
—
Then, during one of the group training sessions, students were asked to form five-member teams for a joint exercise.
To Kenichi's surprise, his team included:
Hiruzen Sarutobi, Danzo Shimura, Kagami Uchiha, Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane... and Kenichi Sato.
It was rare to gather so many standout students in one group. It was as if the instructors wanted to test their interaction.
At first, tension filled the air. Each of them had a distinct personality:
Hiruzen Sarutobi – Intelligent, quick-witted, naturally inclined to lead without asserting dominance. His eyes constantly searched for understanding rather than glory, and he often listened more than he spoke. In deep thought, he would place his hand on his chin and gaze at the ground as if answers lay buried there.
Danzo Shimura – Quiet, observant, a man of few but sharp words. He had a clear preference for solitude and didn't bother hiding his mistrust of others.
Kagami Uchiha – Confident, outspoken, physically strong for his age. His eyes burned with a visible spark. He often led the charge without hesitation and was the first to suggest plans.
Homura Mitokado – Organized, loved planning and distributing roles, hated disorder. He carried a small notebook where he wrote observations after each session.
Koharu Utatane – Sharp-eyed and brave, though often rebellious. Her voice was loud, and she enjoyed giving orders—even when not in charge.
And among them... was Kenichi.
They saw him as the extra piece. Even Homura whispered, "Who is this? I've never seen him stand out in any training."
Hiruzen smiled and replied, "He doesn't talk much… but I've seen how he moves. He has a different rhythm."
The mission was to infiltrate a mock location, retrieve a document guarded by a simulated enemy, and return without being detected.
As they planned, a quiet debate emerged:
Koharu offered, "Let me be the decoy. I'm the fastest."
Danzo replied coldly, "But speed without strategy ruins missions."
Kagami smiled, "Danzo and I will approach from the west. Koharu and Homura will distract them. You, Sato… stay back and watch the route."
Kenichi responded calmly, "Understood."
As they prepared, Kenichi noticed Danzo's deep breathing, Homura's intense focus on the map, and Koharu whispering to steady herself. Each of them revealed something… and concealed something else. Kenichi began to understand.
Midway through the mission, when the team was caught off guard by an unexpected trap, Kenichi moved from the rear. He used Soru to save Koharu from a rigged rope, then activated Tekkai to shield Hiruzen from a smoke explosion—without anyone noticing exactly what had happened.
He moved through the trees like a breeze… unseen by all.
When they returned, he said nothing. But he noticed their eyes had changed.
Kagami whispered, "He moved before even seeing the trap. How?"
Danzo muttered, "Maybe he saw it… with an eye we don't know about."
The next day, Hiruzen approached him in the training yard.
"Have you been practicing techniques we're not familiar with?"
Kenichi smiled enigmatically. "I just… learn from everyone."
Hiruzen laughed, "Alright then, let's see how much more you'll hide."
But inside, Kenichi was thinking something entirely different:
"These… will be the pillars of the future. I must understand them, read their hearts, and plant my seeds within them now."
As he walked beside them in silence, he felt like he had entered a new chapter in his long game.
End of Chapter Four.