Naruto - Azure Awakening

"This place is truly beautiful, Mei," Kaoru said as they approached the Terumi clan settlement.

The entrance was hidden behind a curtain of thick, overgrown vines, blending seamlessly into the surrounding terrain. Beyond the vines, a massive cave stretched out before them, its open roof allowing sunlight to pour in and illuminate the space. Water trickled down moss-covered walls, glistening like tiny crystals in the light. Unless you knew exactly where to look, stumbling upon this place by accident would have been nearly impossible. And even then, guards stationed near the entrance ensured no unwelcome visitors ever got close.

Mei glanced at him with a proud smile. "It's something, isn't it?"

Kaoru smirked. "Well, it's not as beautiful as Takime Alley," he teased, earning a playful glare from Mei. "But… I wouldn't mind living here."

Over the past week, Kaoru had fully recovered and thrown himself into intense training. His bruises were gone. One of his first priorities had been consulting Mei about a weapon. Her suggestion had been straightforward: a short blade, something between a katana and a dagger, suited for his size and speed.

He'd caught sight of the Kiba Blades during their conversation, but Mei shut him down before he could even ask.

"You won't be able to use them," she explained. "You're too young, and right now, we desperately need strong shinobi who can wield them."

Kaoru had grudgingly accepted her reasoning, though the sight of the legendary weapons still filled him with jealousy.

The Terumi clan's settlement was far larger than the "pre-remodeling Takime outpost", as the Terumi had retained more members over the years. The Takime clan, by contrast, had always been the smallest among Kirigakure's renowned clans. Even during their stay in Kirigakure, they struggled to match the numbers of other powerful families. Their exile had only worsened their situation. Countless shinobi had been lost during the escape, and even now, eight years later, the clan remained a shadow of its former self.

As they walked through the settlement, Kaoru's attention was drawn to a massive wooden building with a "Library" sign carved above its entrance. His eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Mei told me I can take any scroll I want," he said, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. "And she didn't specify how many."

The possibilities danced in his mind. He knew it was unlikely he'd find something like the Shadow Clone Technique in an open-access library, but he couldn't help hoping. What he really wanted, though, were wind element techniques. The Takime clan had always lacked proficiency in wind-based jutsu, and Kaoru saw an opportunity to fill that gap.

[If I can find the entry and basic level wind element scrolls...]

As Kaoru stepped toward the library, his grin widened.

[And soon enough, this library will be moved to Takime Alley. So who cares how many of these scrolls I take, hehe.]

Kaoru stepped into the library with bright smile. He couldn't wait to browse the scrolls.

But as his eyes adjusted to the dim interior, his excitement faltered. Other than a few neatly arranged shelves, most of the space was covered in dust. Some areas were so neglected that moss had started creeping along the walls. The air was damp, carrying the faint, musty smell of decayed paper.

Kaoru's face twisted in displeasure.

[What a waste. If these conditions have ruined good scrolls…]

He gritted his teeth. The thought of potentially valuable knowledge being lost due to neglect made his stomach churn.

[This is the difference between living in a Hidden Village and a small, struggling clan. They have countless scrolls and resources to study — no wonder more so-called "geniuses" come from those places.]

He let out a sigh, shaking his head as he pushed deeper into the library.

Eventually, he managed to find a book explaining wind chakra nature in detail. He flipped through its pages quickly, confirming it was worth his time, and tucked it into his backpack without hesitation. As he continued searching, he came across a collection of scrolls outlining exercises designed to strengthen wind affinity. Techniques like the leaf cutting exercise, paper cutting exercise, and even dust control training caught his eye.

[This is exactly what I need.]

Kaoru paused for a moment, his fingers brushing over the edges of the scrolls as he thought about his elemental path. His water affinity was already exceptional — better than most. The only thing holding him back was his limited chakra capacity, but that would grow naturally over time.

Earth, on the other hand… He frowned, recalling the frustrating month he'd spent trying to master it. No matter how hard he concentrated, the stone in his hand had refused to obey his will. He'd made almost no progress, and it was clear that earth wasn't his element. While he could eventually improve his control with sheer effort, the time and energy it would take weren't worth the minimal payoff. [I'll learn only a few defensive earth jutsu and move on.]

That left him with three options: fire, lightning, or wind.

Fire was a no-go. His connection to water was too strong, and the two elements were naturally opposed. The effort required to learn fire techniques would be immense, and it wasn't worth the struggle.

Lightning, however, was tempting. Its versatility and destructive power made it a solid choice, and it worked well with water, plus Kaoru's speed would greatly benefit from lightning. But…

Kaoru's lips curved into a small smile as the decision crystallized in his mind.

[If I master wind, I'll have the perfect counter to lightning — water's greatest weakness. Even without a secondary element, I'll be a menace against opponents who can't counter water. So my focus should be clear: counter my weakness — lightning.]

Wind was the key to balancing his vulnerabilities and enhancing his overall skillset.

With a sense of satisfaction, Kaoru took one last glance around the dusty shelves and turned toward the exit. But something caught his eye — a scroll sitting on a lower shelf, unusually thick compared to the others.

Curiosity sparked, Kaoru carefully reached for it, brushing away the layer of dust that had settled on its surface. The scroll felt old in his hands, and he handled it cautiously, afraid his carelessness might cause irreversible damage.

As he unrolled it, the faded ink revealed its title: Shifting Flow Sword Style.

There was no author's name, just the elegant characters etched into the scroll. The paper looked worn, and Kaoru guessed whoever had written it was likely long dead.

What immediately caught his attention was the word "flow."

[Flow… That could mean water, or even wind. Either way, it's worth a look.]

He hesitated for a moment, weighing his options. [Well, even if it turns out to be useless for me, no one's going to miss it. I'll return it when the library gets moved to the new outpost. No harm done.]

With that, Kaoru began skimming through the scroll.

Line by line, his eyes widened.

The text described not only the sword style itself but also its adaptability to various weapons. And then there was something even more valuable — a body training method tailored to complement the technique.

Kaoru's heart raced as he read further. 

[This… this is exactly what I need.]

Kaoru had been searching for ways to strengthen his body alongside his ninjutsu, and this find was better than anything he could have hoped for. 

For the first time that day, he felt genuinely exhilarated.

[Forget the wind scrolls. This is the real treasure.]

With the Shifting Flow Sword Style tucked safely into his pack, Kaoru straightened up, his mind already buzzing with plans. He couldn't wait to start unraveling its secrets.

<<<>>>

Kaoru sat at the dining table, sharing a meal with Mei and her ten-year-old sister, Akane. The two sisters were nearly identical, save for a few distinct features. Unlike Mei's warm, mischievous gaze, Akane's fiery crimson eyes gave her a sharp, piercing look — though the freckles dusting her cheeks softened her expression, making her appear cute and endearing rather than intimidating.

As Akane studied him intently, Kaoru felt a bead of sweat roll down his temple.

"So you're the one who sparred with my sister and even used lethal techniques, huh?" Akane finally said, her voice blunt and direct.

Kaoru, mid-swallow of his soup, nearly choked. He coughed and sputtered, desperately gulping water to recover.

"I-I mean, I knew she was way stronger than me and could easily dodge or block…" Kaoru stammered, his voice trailing off. He looked to Mei for help, his eyes silently begging her to intervene.

But Mei, clearly enjoying the moment, just smiled and said nothing.

Akane wasn't about to let him off the hook. She leaned forward, her intense gaze locking onto Kaoru. "So what you're saying is… if I know you're stronger than me, it's fine for me to go all out and try to kill you?"

Kaoru's face paled. "I-if the gap is as big as between Mei and me, then I think it's—" He choked on his words, guilt creeping into his chest.

[She's right.]

The thought hit him like a slap. He hadn't even considered the possibility that Mei could have failed to block his attacks. If that had happened… if she'd been seriously hurt or worse…

Kaoru's heart sank.

Akane opened her mouth to press further, but before she could speak, Kaoru straightened up.

"I'm sorry, Mei," he said earnestly, bowing his head slightly. "I honestly never considered that. I promise I'll never go all out in a spar again, even if my opponent is stronger than me."

Then, turning to Akane, he added, "I think I owe you an apology too, Akane-san. I have a sister as well, and if she were in danger, I'd probably react the same way — maybe even worse."

His voice was genuine, his words sincere.

Akane blinked, surprised by the sudden shift. She met his gaze for a moment, clearly caught off guard. Then, without a word, she smiled faintly and returned to her meal, signaling that she was willing to let the matter go.

Kaoru let out a quiet sigh of relief.

But just as he thought he'd escaped, Mei leaned back in her chair with an exaggerated groan. "Yeah, yeah, I don't care about all that," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "You're actually one of the few sparring partners who might push me to my limits — once you grow up, of course. So don't you dare hold back on me."

Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she added, "But more importantly, why do you call this brat 'Akane-san' and call me just 'Mei'? I'm her older sister, you know."

Kaoru glanced at her, unbothered by her sudden seriousness. If anything, he almost hoped she'd get genuinely annoyed — it'd be a small payback for all the teasing she'd subjected him to over the past month.

Akane chuckled at her sister's feigned annoyance, her mood already lightened. She turned to Kaoru, her crimson eyes glinting with a new challenge.

"So," she said casually, "wanna spar with me? I'm not as strong as my sister, but I'm no pushover either."

Before Kaoru could respond, Mei burst out laughing. "Pfft! You can't even last a second against me, and this kid managed to exchange a few blows with me. This kid has no self-control. He can not hold his punches you'll die if you spar with him."

Kaoru frowned, feeling the need to defend himself. "I'm not that bad anymore! I've been sparring with Sugeru the whole month and I can control my strength now. Plus, she can't be weaker than him."

The words were out before he realized his mistake.

Akane froze, her chopsticks hovering mid-air. "Can't be weaker than him? Excuse me?" Her fiery eyes narrowed as she flared up again. "Are you saying I'm weak?"

Kaoru's shoulders slumped. He opened his mouth to explain, but nothing he could say would save him now. Akane glared at him, and Mei leaned back, enjoying the spectacle with an amused smirk.

[I should have eaten alone,] Kaoru thought miserably, realizing this dinner might be harder to survive than those two Kiri shinobi.

<<<>>>

After watching Kaoru struggle through the entire dinner, Mei was thoroughly satisfied with her teasing. She even felt a little sorry for him by the end. With a playful smile, she waved him off, allowing him to explore the forest outside of the cave as a reprieve — but not without making him promise to stay close to the settlement.

Now, Kaoru trudged through the dense forest, his mood foul. He kicked small rocks along the path, each one a target for his frustration. 

"I couldn't even eat properly," he muttered, glaring at the next chunk of stone before giving it an angry kick.

The rock flew forward, ricocheting off a tree with a dull thud.

Kaoru froze mid-step, his eyes locking onto a figure partially obscured by the shadows of the forest.

A man with long hair, dressed in gray robes, walked slowly through the trees. His movements were deliberate, almost absentminded, as though lost in thought.

Kaoru's heart skipped a beat.

He recognized him.

"Utakata… the Six-Tails Jinchuriki," Kaoru whispered, his voice barely audible.

**

A/N -

If you are enjoying the novel please give it a review, it will help me a lot.

I've decided that Kaoru will focus on learning the wind element next. While it doesn't necessarily mean it's his strongest affinity after water, it felt like the right choice for his growth and strategy.

I also loved SomewhatSleepy's idea of Kaoru mastering multiple weapons, and that will play a part in his development. After a few chapters centered around intense fights, the upcoming chapters will shift focus to story and character development.

Thank you for reading and supporting the story! ❤️

Character Notes:

Kaoru - Shocked - "Why do I attract trouble? I should have stayed in the outpost"

Mei - Still Busy - "The dinner was fun, but now i need to prepare the next batch of people to resettle."

Akane - Annoyed - "I'll show him whos weak!"

**