Chapter 1 Kazuki Aoyama

Chapter 1: Kazuki Aoyama

In Konoha, the mightiest of the five great villages, the streets were alive with activity despite the ongoing Second Ninja War. The tide of the conflict had recently turned in favor of Konoha.

The emergence of the White Fang of the Leaf compelled Kirigakure to withdraw early from the war.

Kumogakure, still reeling from the losses inflicted by the Kinkaku and Ginkaku squad during the First Ninja War, chose to abstain from this conflict. Iwagakure, under the shrewd leadership of Onoki, bided its time, waiting for the opportune moment to enter the fray, with its gaze fixed on the battlegrounds of Sunagakure and Amegakure.

The initial spark that ignited the flames of war arose from Amegakure. Hanzo, revered as a demigod, with ambitions of elevating Amegakure to the status of the sixth great ninja village, declared war on Konoha a year prior.

Seizing the ensuing turmoil, Sunagakure and Kirigakure joined the fray, besieging Konoha on three fronts.

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Despite the clear blue skies and the bustling thoroughfares, traces of worry and sorrow were evident on the faces of the populace, those left behind grappling with their own battles of concern for their loved ones.

Ninja School.

At the ninja school's entrance, a sizable crowd had assembled. Periodically, individuals emerged from the building, expressions of joy or disappointment evident, their futures symbolized by the leaf headbands and graduation certificates in their grasp.

At that moment, another figure exited the school, drawing fleeting glances due to his distinctive silver hair and brown eyes, which set him apart in the dense crowd. He was about 11 years old, standing tall for his age at approximately 163 cm, with wheat-colored skin, slanted brown eyes, and short silver hair.

The figure also possessed a Konoha headband, yet his demeanor was composed, betraying little emotion. The silver-haired youth paused outside the school, scanning the surroundings briefly with his brown eyes before proceeding towards the exit, his expression unchanged, having anticipated the absence of well-wishers on this significant day, unlike his fellow new genin who were accompanied by their families.

Departing from the school, he began walking down the road leading to his home. However, after a short distance, he stopped and looked ahead, where two figures stood before him.

Both appeared to be around his age, one with blonde hair and the other with red, both sporting the Konoha headband on their foreheads.

"Minato! Kushina!" The silver-haired boy called out softly, his surprise at their sudden appearance clearly visible.

The blonde boy, Minato, and the red-haired girl, Kushina, upon seeing his astonishment, exchanged glances and smiled, approaching him.

"Congratulations on graduating, Kazuki-kun!" Minato greeted with a gentle smile, extending his right fist towards the silver-haired boy named Kazuki. His words seemed to jolt Kazuki back to reality, who, shaking his head, returned a wry smile and extended his hand as well.

"Seriously! You guys always pop out of nowhere!" Kazuki exclaimed as he bumped fists with Minato, an amused look in his eyes as he regarded the pair before him. "No, we just couldn't act indifferent, knowing a loner might spend a day like today alone again!" Kazuki "…." Kushina interjected mercilessly, leaving Kazuki at a loss for words.

Yakiniku BBQ.

"Kushina was suddenly transferred to the Sand battlefield for some reason, and now, for some reason, they allowed her to return!"

"I was allowed to return as well. In fact, we just arrived today, and when we found out that today was graduation day, we couldn't wait a minute to meet you!"

At the renowned barbecue restaurant operated by the Akimichi Clan, Kazuki, Minato, and Kushina savored the succulent meat while engaging in conversation, with Minato explaining their abrupt return.

Unlike Kazuki, Minato and Kushina had graduated a year earlier, at the age of ten, and Minato had been on the battlefield for the past six months.

A month prior, Kushina had also been unexpectedly transferred to the Sand Battlefield, leading to a reunion of the classmates amidst the conflict.

"And we kind of guessed that your family, as usual, might still be busy with missions, Kazuki, all the more reason to be here with you today!"

Kushina added to the conversation, her eyes lighting up with each bite she took. "Well~ you guessed right about the family part; I haven't seen any of them for months either!"

Kazuki confirmed their assumption, as his family rarely managed to gather in its entirety more than twice a year. His father, mother, and older sister were all members of the Anbu, and in this year of war, they had even less time than before to come together.

A silence fell over the table at his words. Minato and Kushina, both orphans, were uncertain how to console him.

"Hehe, by the way, you must be feeling pretty frustrated, Kazuki, being forced to graduate a year early!" Kushina suddenly recalled something, her mischievous smile bringing up a sensitive subject.

Her words elicited a look of resignation from Kazuki, which only intensified his appetite as he began to eat with even greater fervor.

"It's still too late, I think; I really don't understand why you didn't graduate with us a year ago, Kazuki-kun!"

"You were more than capable of passing the graduation exam!" Minato shared his genuine bewilderment, unable to fathom why Kazuki had chosen to remain at the academy where his growth would be limited.

"I think he's just being lazy!" Kushina offered her interpretation, believing she had fully grasped Kazuki's approach to life after all their years together at school.

"Not lazy, I just know what the endpoint is… so there's no need to rush!" Kazuki responded with a profound look in his brown eyes, leaving both Minato and Kushina utterly perplexed by his statement, unable to decipher its meaning.

Panel

Ignoring the puzzled expressions of his friends, Kazuki closed his eyes and silently summoned a blue panel in his mind.

Name: Kazuki Aoyama Age: 11

Template: Senju Tobirama {Progress 30%}

Props: Kusanagi {Sasuke's sword}

Ninjutsu: - Advanced Water Release

Mid Lightning Release

Beginner Wind Release

Beginner Earth Release

Beginner Fire Release

Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu

Daily Task: - {Ninjutsu training till chakra exhaustion five times a day (0.03% Template Progress}

Main Task: - {Defeat an Anbu squad before graduation in system space/Completed/10% Template Progress Awarded}