Arata didn't stop in the middle of the lake.
He kept walking — step by step — toward the roaring waterfall.
He wanted to know.
Just how far could he go?
"Arata, that's enough! Stop right there — it's too dangerous!"
Kimoto Tōichi's shout cut through the rumble of falling water.
But Arata didn't stop.
The sound of the crashing torrent grew louder, the spray stinging his face.
Every instinct told him to retreat, yet his feet kept moving forward.
Tōichi's breath caught. For a second, he nearly dashed in after him —
but then he saw the look in Arata's eyes.
That calm, steady focus.
The eyes of someone who needed to find his own limit.
Tōichi froze where he stood.
He clenched his fists but said nothing more.
He would trust the boy's will.
The roar of the waterfall filled Arata's ears.
The water hammered the lake below like rolling thunder, each strike sending a fine mist across the air.
His clothes were soaked through in seconds, yet his footing never wavered.
He advanced until he was only five meters from the base of the waterfall —
close enough that every drop felt like a thrown kunai.
There, he stopped.
Not because he lost balance —
but because the impact alone could crush him flat.
He smiled slightly.
"Heh… if I step inside that curtain, I won't sink — but I will get flattened."
He'd found his limit.
For now.
Turning back, he saw Tōichi watching tensely from the shore, poised to leap in at any second.
For the first time, Arata felt something shift in his heart.
His teacher wasn't cold — just cautious, protective.
He smiled faintly. "Sensei, looks like I've got the hang of it."
Tōichi exhaled, visibly relieved.
He stepped forward, patting Arata's soaked shoulder.
"You really are reckless," he muttered. "Even if you want to test your limits, you shouldn't risk your life doing it. The waterfall's force could crush you. You're still a rookie."
Arata said nothing, just smiled again.
He understood the concern.
Back on the shore, Itsuki and Tanako were still frozen in disbelief.
That image — Arata calmly standing beneath the crashing waves —
had burned itself into their minds.
He looked like something beyond human.
Tanako clasped her hands tightly, her heart pounding.
Mom was wrong. Arata isn't dangerous… he's trustworthy.
Itsuki, meanwhile, was wide-eyed with admiration.
"Same age as me… but he looks like a hero out of legend."
When Arata rejoined them, Itsuki blurted out,
"Damn, Arata, that scared me half to death! You actually stood there like it was nothing!"
Arata only smiled in response, saying nothing.
With his mastery of the water-walking technique, the rest of their task became trivial.
Even the debris under the waterfall was easy — Arata tied wire to his kunai and retrieved it effortlessly.
Back in the Academy, he'd only ever mastered the Three Basic Techniques.
But his talent with throwing weapons had always been above average —
and now, with his chakra control enhanced and his learning ability multiplied, even his aim felt superhuman.
Tōichi, watching him, had a faint suspicion that his student's skill with ninja tools might already surpass his own.
By the time they finished cleaning the lake, the sun was setting.
The three genin sat beneath a tall tree to rest.
Itsuki and Tanako were sweating and exhausted.
Arata wasn't even breathing hard — just damp from the spray.
Tōichi stood nearby, hands in his pockets.
"Tired, huh? This kind of mission's simple — no danger, just patience. But once you start taking real combat missions…"
He gave them a small, knowing smile.
"…that's when you'll understand what being a shinobi really means."
He glanced at the reddening sky.
"Alright. Let's hand in the report, then dinner's on me — barbecue tonight."
"Barbecue?!" Itsuki shot up instantly. "Sensei, you're the best!"
Even Tōichi chuckled faintly.
Barbecue was no small expense, even for ninja. But tonight, it felt deserved.
Arata stood, smiling. "Sensei being generous? That's a first."
Tanako laughed softly. "I used to think you were scary, Sensei. Guess I was wrong."
Tōichi said nothing. He'd been strict, yes — but this team was different.
And Arata… Arata reminded him of something long lost.
Maybe even hope.
After handing in their mission and enjoying a well-earned meal, the team went their separate ways.
When Arata finally collapsed onto his bed, exhaustion melted into focus.
He sank into his Consciousness Space once again.
[System Notification]
Chakra Control: Doubled.
Congratulations! You have obtained all Five Nature Transformations.
Arata shot upright, eyes wide.
"W–what?! All five chakra natures?!"
His heart raced.
"That's… insane!"
Fire. Wind. Lightning. Earth. Water.
Every elemental chakra nature known to shinobi pulsed within him.
"That means I'm compatible with every elemental jutsu except Yin and Yang release…"
He sat there, stunned.
Even among the greatest ninja, that kind of affinity was unheard of.
People killed for that.
Even Kakuzu — the immortal bounty hunter — had murdered countless shinobi just to steal their elemental hearts.
Arata couldn't help but grin.
"Five natures… just like the main characters from the Fourth Great Ninja War."
Even Naruto and Sasuke had gained full-element mastery only near the end —
and now he had it, as a genin.
"If this system keeps evolving… maybe even Yin and Yang chakra aren't out of reach someday."
He chuckled softly, staring at the ceiling.
"This AFK System… it's way scarier than I thought. 'Idle training,' huh? More like rewriting reality."
He closed his eyes, the corners of his lips curving upward.
Tomorrow would be another ordinary day in Konoha —
but for Arata, "ordinary" was already far behind.
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