The lingering aroma of grilled skewers and simmered dumplings hung in the forest clearing as Kaizen's team lay sprawled across the grass, full and content. Lunch was over, but its warmth still lingered—both in their bellies and their hearts.
Choji patted his stomach with a satisfied sigh. "Kaizen… your cooking is legendary. I'm serious—I could live off your food."
Naruto grinned with his cheeks still puffed out, chewing the last of his dumplings. "Right?! I told you Kaizen's cooking is next level! It's almost as good as Ichiraku's!"
"Almost?" Choji looked scandalized. "No way! This is better. Sorry, Naruto."
"B-better than Ichiraku?" Naruto gasped, as if someone had just kicked him in the soul. "You traitor!"
Ino laughed. "It's true, though. Kaizen, you're incredible at everything. Cooking, training, leading—what can't you do?"
Kaizen gave a modest shrug. "Being useful to others is just a matter of discipline. Cooking well is part of taking care of a team."
Shikamaru rolled onto his side, groaning. "What a drag… but not gonna lie, that was the best meal I've had outside of my mom's."
"I don't know," Choji said, pointing at Kaizen with solemn reverence. "He might actually cook better than your mom."
"You better not let her hear you say that," Shikamaru muttered.
"Alright!" Naruto shot to his feet, fists pumped. "Let's go again! Football—round two! I'm warmed up now!"
Ino groaned. "Already?"
"You're just scared I'll win again," Naruto teased.
"You wish, knucklehead," Ino fired back.
Laughter erupted as they scrambled into teams once more, rushing back to the makeshift field. The sounds of shouts, cheers, and footsteps echoed through the clearing.
Kaizen didn't hog the spotlight. He encouraged Naruto to take the lead more, subtly gave Hinata space to shine, and let Shikamaru orchestrate plays from the back. Ino stuck close to Kaizen, her competitive spirit kicking in, especially whenever Hinata edged near him.
By the time the sun dipped below the trees, their game ended in a chaotic tie, but no one really cared. They were too busy laughing, panting, and bumping fists.
"We're doing this again tomorrow, right?" Naruto asked as they regrouped.
Kaizen nodded. "Same time, same place."
Choji raised a rice ball in salute. "I'll be there. Especially if there's lunch."
"You just want Kaizen's cooking again," Shikamaru said flatly.
"No shame," Choji replied without blinking.
Ino gave Kaizen a dazzling smile, stepping closer. "If you cook for me again, I'll fall even harder for you, Kaizen~"
Hinata flinched beside her, eyes widening. Her gaze flicked to Kaizen, then to Ino, then quickly away. Kaizen remained composed, offering Ino a faint smile, but his eyes briefly met Hinata's—reading her hesitation like words on a page.
The group eventually broke off in pairs and trios, heading home. Kaizen lingered to clean up the leftovers, his gaze drifting to the orange-streaked sky.
"It's starting," he thought. "The bonds are forming… and so are the complications."
---
One Week Later
In just seven days, the clearing had become their sanctuary.
What started as a shared lunch and pickup game evolved into a daily tradition. Kaizen's team now trained together, sparred together, and laughed together. In that short time, something unshakable had taken root—trust.
Kaizen wasted no time turning their hangouts into rigorous training sessions. Just like he had done with Naruto and Hinata, he brought Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji into the fold and subjected them to the same "hellish" basic training.
The trio quickly learned that beneath Kaizen's calm demeanor lay the iron will of a true taskmaster.
"Training with Kaizen is like being hit by a storm… over and over again," Choji muttered once, face-down in the grass.
Their first challenge? The Tree Walking exercise.
Kaizen began by demonstrating it himself—walking vertically up a thick tree trunk without using his hands, chakra control flawless, steps silent. His Six-Eyes glowed faintly as he effortlessly maintained his balance. Then, it was their turn.
Ino, determined to impress Kaizen, threw herself into the exercise with almost reckless enthusiasm. Shikamaru, though irritated by the effort required, followed through when Kaizen explained the tactical applications. Choji... well, he needed a little extra encouragement—specifically, the promise of one of Kaizen's home-cooked meals as a reward.
Once they got the hang of the basic method, Kaizen escalated it.
Without warning, he started throwing small rocks at them mid-climb.
"Don't fall," Kaizen said simply. "Your chakra control has to hold even under pressure."
They quickly realized the rocks weren't heavy, but Kaizen had thrown them with just enough strength and precision to test their balance. Ino shrieked the first time she got hit and slipped down the bark. Shikamaru nearly cursed. Choji faceplanted into the roots more than once. But they got better—fast.
Naruto and Hinata, already seasoned in Tree Walking, were subjected to more advanced training: Water Walking. The technique was far more demanding—chakra had to be constantly adjusted to match the movement and density of water.
As before, Kaizen demonstrated first—walking calmly across the surface of a pond, his reflection barely rippling beneath him. Then he raised the bar even further.
"Nature won't always be still," he said.
He began creating ripples and currents, disturbing the water's surface using Rasengan. Once Naruto and Hinata adjusted to walking on uneven, shifting water, he added the final layer: throwing rocks at them while they struggled to maintain chakra control.
The combo of unpredictable water and airborne distractions was brutal. Naruto fell in countless times, grumbling with each splash. Hinata, though more composed, wobbled often under the pressure.
Kaizen stood at the edge, eyes glowing with calm focus as he observed their every misstep.
"Again."
"Adjust your output, Naruto."
"Hinata, stay centered. Don't freeze up."
But progress was undeniable. By the end of the week, both had mastered Water Walking, far beyond what most Genin accomplished in their first year. They could walk, fight, and even dodge while balancing on rippling water.
Meanwhile, Ino, Shikamaru, and Choji reached a solid level of proficiency with Tree Walking, and were beginning to learn basic Water Walking with Kaizen's strict oversight.
Choji nearly cried the first time he successfully walked five steps up a tree without falling.
Shikamaru, despite his grumbling, admitted to himself that Kaizen's method was annoyingly effective.
And Ino—though bruised, muddy, and often breathless—kept trying harder. Especially when Kaizen watched her. Every time she succeeded, she'd toss him a bright, proud grin.
Kaizen knew why. He wasn't blind to her feelings.
Ino had fallen for him, hard—and she didn't hide it. She clung to his arm during breaks, praised him openly during training, and often declared things like:
"Kaizen, if I ever become a great kunoichi, it'll be all thanks to you~!"
Hinata noticed. And unlike before, she didn't just retreat inward. She started acting.
She'd train early, sometimes before the others arrived, hoping to impress Kaizen. She'd offer him water when Ino wasn't around, ask questions about chakra control, or quietly sit beside him during breaks.
Her feelings had bloomed—gentle but resolute. And now, with Ino openly pursuing Kaizen, Hinata felt a rivalry awakening inside her. It wasn't malicious—it was motivation.
Kaizen saw it all.
"A healthy rivalry can help them grow… but if it turns ugly, I'll step in."
He had no intention of getting involved romantically while they were still young. To Kaizen, they were children discovering who they were.
"If they still feel the same years from now… when they're women and not girls… then maybe I'll answer."
He had long since let go of concerns about the butterfly effect. His presence had already derailed the original flow of events.
"I'm not here to preserve someone else's story. I'm here to live my own."
For now, his focus was on his team.
Their potential was enormous.
---