The Third Hokage was still reeling from what he'd just learned.
"To think he possesses all five chakra natures… that kind of talent is almost unreal," Hiruzen murmured, his voice trembling faintly with awe. "And to master a jutsu like Chidori after hearing it once… His comprehension is off the charts. His chakra reserves are vast too. Perhaps he truly might one day reach the First Hokage's level."
Kakashi didn't fully grasp how powerful the First Hokage had been, but judging from the reverence in the old man's tone, it was clear: Hashirama Senju's power had been far beyond anything Kakashi could imagine.
Even Hiruzen — the man once hailed as "The Professor" — had never seen anyone approach that level.
If the First Hokage's techniques could reshape the land itself, then that was strength only tailed beasts were known to possess.
And now, someone in this generation might be walking that same path.
The Third Hokage's excitement was tempered only by his caution. His faith had long been in Naruto and Sasuke — the twin hopes of Konoha's future. That was why he'd assigned Kakashi to guide them.
But now…
Another name had appeared.
Another light.
A boy who could perhaps rival even the legends.
For the first time in years, Hiruzen wondered if Konoha's true revival had already begun.
Kakashi broke the silence. "Lord Hokage," he said seriously, "before Arata develops the ability to protect himself, we mustn't let anyone know about his power. Not even the other jonin."
He spoke from hard-won experience.
The world may have been at peace, but Kakashi had lived through the Third Shinobi World War — he knew better than anyone that such peace was fragile.
If the other villages learned of a boy with the potential to surpass the Fourth Hokage… they wouldn't hesitate to strike.
They would move quietly, ruthlessly — and without mercy.
Even within Konoha, there were those who wouldn't allow such a child to exist.
Especially Danzo Shimura.
That man would never tolerate anyone who might one day threaten his claim to power — even if it meant eliminating a twelve-year-old.
Hiruzen nodded gravely. "I understand your concern, Kakashi. I'll leave Arata in your care. Help him grow strong enough to protect himself… and find out what that power truly is."
His tone softened slightly. "Teach him to control it."
The Hokage had no intention of training the boy personally. Doing so would only draw attention — and paint a target on Arata's back.
Kakashi exhaled quietly, relieved. That was what he'd been hoping to hear.
If Hiruzen had summoned Arata to the Hokage's side, Danzo's spies would've been on him within hours.
Even if the Hokage himself meant no harm, others surely would.
"Understood," Kakashi said, bowing slightly.
"Good. Go check on him," Hiruzen said, turning toward the window. "I'll handle the rest — the clean-up, the questions, and the cover story."
Kakashi vanished in a flicker.
When he was gone, the Third Hokage stood alone by the window, watching the quiet glow of Konoha under the night sky.
His reflection in the glass looked tired — older than he cared to admit.
"Let's hope," he whispered to himself, "that boy doesn't become another Madara."
He still remembered the war of gods that had once shaken the shinobi world.
If Arata's power continued to grow unchecked, and if his heart turned away from Konoha's light…
No one alive could stop him.
"No Hashirama exists in this era," Hiruzen muttered grimly. "If he walks Madara's path, who will stand in his way?"
It was a dangerous gamble — but one the Hokage knew he had no choice but to take.
He drew a deep breath, exhaling smoke from his pipe. "Kakashi… your judgment had better be right."
His gaze drifted toward the mountains in the distance.
"Naruto… Sasuke… when the time comes, will you two be strong enough to stand against him?"
For all his worry, a faint smile tugged at his lips.
"If Naruto can master the Nine-Tails and Sasuke awakens the Mangekyō Sharingan… then perhaps balance will be restored. Perhaps they'll keep each other — and Arata — in check."
The idea comforted him, if only a little.
Meanwhile, Kakashi reached Arata's home.
The boy still lay unconscious in bed, his breathing steady and calm.
Kakashi sat down beside him, the lamplight soft against his silver hair.
"I told the Hokage about you," he said quietly. "Don't be angry when you wake up. He already suspected something. If I hadn't told him, he would've only grown more suspicious."
He looked at the boy's sleeping face and sighed.
"I don't know how someone your age could possess such monstrous chakra," he murmured. "Even the Fourth Hokage couldn't generate lightning like that."
He thought back to the explosion — the golden thunder, the roar that split the mountains.
"That wasn't Chidori," Kakashi said softly. "Not anymore. It was something beyond it… something born from nature itself."
He fell silent, watching Arata sleep.
It had to be Sage Chakra. It was the only explanation.
Sage Chakra was far more potent than ordinary chakra — and far more volatile.
If Arata truly carried the blood of a born Sage, then his power was both a gift and a curse.
Inside his mind, Arata's consciousness drifted in a boundless sea of energy.
He heard only a faint, mechanical whisper echoing through the void:
"Your chakra capacity has doubled. Your speed has doubled."
No explanation. No warning.
Arata frowned. "So my chakra and speed increased… but what caused the explosion?"
He thought for a moment, then muttered, "Could it be… my chakra itself? My chakra isn't normal—it's pure natural energy. Inside my body, it's stable. But once it leaves me…"
He paused, eyes widening as realization struck.
"It goes berserk."
That was it.
His "chakra" was nothing more than condensed nature energy — calm while contained within him, but volatile the moment it overflowed.
The explosion hadn't been a jutsu gone wrong — it was nature itself rebelling.
Unknowingly, Arata had drawn in too much natural energy at once. The environment responded in kind, flooding him with power, until the balance shattered.
And when the natural world sensed his life in danger… it moved.
That's why he survived.
The energy within him had instinctively absorbed even more from the surroundings, forming a barrier — a protective cocoon that shielded him from the storm.
And the lightning… the golden thunder he'd unleashed…
It wasn't just a jutsu.
It had consciousness.
The thunder had recognized its creator — it refused to harm him.
Instead, it had turned outward, lashing against the earth in all directions.
The mountains suffered. The land broke.
But Arata remained untouched, sleeping amid the ruin — as the storm bowed to him like a living beast.
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