The sun filtered through the small classroom windows, casting long shadows across the training mats. The room was quiet, save for the steady breathing of three students standing before the Third Hokage. Hiruzen Sarutobi, dressed in his traditional robes, studied each of them with calm, thoughtful eyes.
"Now then," Hiruzen began, his voice clear and commanding. "You've had the night to reflect. Tell me—what do you want from this training? We begin today not with action, but with intent. Tokasu, you first."
Tokasu Nara stepped forward, his hands clasped behind his back. He stood tall, more composed than ever. "Lord Hokage," he said, bowing slightly. "I've thought long about this. I don't want to be just another Nara. My clan's techniques are strong, but they come with limits. My father was a skilled shinobi, one of the Nara's strongest—he passed down to me a unique way of using our shadows. But he was still killed easily by two Akatsuki members. That path alone won't be enough."
Hiruzen's expression didn't change, but a glint of understanding flickered in his eyes.
Tokasu continued. "I want to learn how to be strong in other ways—anything that can give me an edge. I want to forge a path of my own, one that doesn't end the same way as my father's."
The room was still for a moment. Then Hiruzen nodded. "A wise request. You honor your clan by acknowledging its limits. We will begin by discovering your chakra nature—knowing that will help shape the path forward."
Tokasu, while a bit confused, bowed deeply. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."
"Sayaka," Hiruzen said next. "Your turn."
Sayaka Senju stepped forward, one hand resting on her hip, the other brushing her bangs back out of her face. She looked slightly uncertain but composed.
"Honestly," she said, eyes locking with Hiruzen's, "I don't really know what I want. There's a lot I could ask for. But I guess right now... I just want to learn the strongest lightning jutsu you know."
Hiruzen blinked, then chuckled warmly. "Simple and to the point. I like that. Your chakra control has improved significantly, and you've put in the effort."
He straightened. "Very well. I'll begin teaching you a powerful lightning jutsu I've held onto since my time in the war. It's not the absolute strongest—those take years to master—but it will push you forward."
Sayaka grinned. "That works for me."
Finally, Hiruzen's eyes turned to Yuki Kazanari, who stepped forward with the calm confidence that had become his trademark. His voice was even and sure.
"Lord Hokage, I'd like to learn Water Style."
Hiruzen raised an eyebrow. "Water Style? You already have your kekkei genkai—why water?"
Yuki didn't hesitate. "Because I believe understanding water will help me master my frost manifestation. Right now, my jutsu are all body-bound—ice forms around me, through me. But if I can control water from a distance, I could extend my range. Think of it like this: if I can manipulate water externally, I can then freeze and shape it in mid-air, at will."
He glanced at the floor and thought. 'I remember Zabuza and Haku—how they used the Hidden Mist technique to turn the battlefield into their weapon. I want to do something similar.'
Hiruzen was silent for a long moment. Then he smiled, genuinely impressed. "That's excellent deduction. Using elemental foundation to expand your bloodline technique... very clever. We'll begin with the basics of Water Style. "
Yuki nodded. "Thank you."
Hiruzen stepped back and looked at all three students, his gaze calm yet commanding."Very well," he said, his tone low and resolute. "Your training begins in earnest now."
With those words, the classroom seemed to shift—no longer a quiet study hall, but the battleground of their growth.
Yuki closed his eyes and sat cross-legged near the window, hands resting on his knees. He focused inward, trying to sense something he hadn't yet mastered: water. Not ice, not frost—pure, fluid water.
He could've relied on the system. With a few mental commands, it would have shown him the elemental chakra running through his network. But something about that felt wrong—too easy. His instincts told him that to truly master his Kekkei Genkai, he needed to understand its roots with his own senses.
"If I can control water," he murmured, "I can extend my frost further... I can create from a distance, not just through contact."
Nearby, Sayaka unrolled a long scroll handed to her by Hiruzen. Her eyes scanned the symbols like a hawk on a hunt.
"It's a powerful technique," Hiruzen said, watching her carefully. "It demands precision—too much chakra, and you'll burn yourself."
Sayaka barely looked up. "Got it."
Her fingers moved along the edges of the diagram, tracing the chakra flow pattern. It wasn't just brute force anymore—this required control. Delicate molding, careful pacing, and razor-sharp timing. She tightened her fist, already feeling a spark jump across her knuckles.
The scroll detailed a series of hand signs and the need for total focus. She took a deep breath. It wouldn't be easy, but she wasn't aiming for easy. She wanted power—controlled and refined.
At the back of the room, Tokasu stood in front of a bowl of water with a strip of chakra paper in hand, eyeing it with skepticism.
"I always thought... my nature was shadow," he muttered.
"Shadow jutsu fall under Yin Release," Hiruzen explained, walking over. "That's a conceptual transformation. But your body still carries an elemental affinity. Let's find out what it is."
Tokasu nodded and pushed his chakra through the water and into the paper. A second later, the paper hissed, curled, and burst into flames, disintegrating into ash in the blink of an eye.
His eyes widened. "Fire?"
"Indeed," Hiruzen said, a small smile tugging at his lips.
The three students continued their work in near silence, the only sounds being the faint crackle of chakra, the flipping of scroll pages, and the rustle of shifting clothes as they adjusted their postures or focus.
Hiruzen sat back and watched them for a moment—three very different souls tied together by talent, drive, and now, purpose. Already, in just the first hour, they were beginning to shape something special. He could see it in the way Yuki frowned in thought, in Sayaka's narrowed eyes, and in the fire flickering quietly behind Tokasu's usually calm demeanor.
'They're ready', he thought.