The towering wall of water lingered before Arata for several seconds before he released his chakra.
"Splash..."
Without his control, the massive wall collapsed, flooding the surrounding area and turning the ground into a shallow lake.
Such an enormous volume of water required an equally immense amount of chakra to sustain.
Only a jōnin-level ninja could maintain something that large for even a few moments.
Kakashi approached, eyes glinting beneath his mask.
"Impressive — even stronger than I expected. And… did you weave Wind Release into that technique just now?"
Arata glanced down at the rippling water around his feet and nodded.
"Yeah. But I don't think it's that useful in real combat."
Kakashi chuckled.
"Don't underestimate it. As a defensive jutsu, it's extremely effective against Fire Release. You'd be surprised how many powerful shinobi rely on fire-based ninjutsu — even the Third Hokage himself."
His tone grew serious.
"The Third may be a master of all five elemental releases, but his greatest strength lies in Fire and Earth. His fire techniques can melt through ordinary Water Release. The temperature alone is terrifying — even the Uchiha can't compare."
Arata's brows rose slightly.
Kakashi nodded.
"I've seen his Fire Release burn through B-rank water walls like they were paper. But your version — with that added wind flow — might actually stop it."
The Third's Fire Release truly was legendary.
Even against elemental disadvantage, his flames could match the Second Hokage's Water Release in direct confrontation — a feat almost no one else could claim.
And the Second Hokage was the Water Release master.
Arata recalled that battle clearly — when Hiruzen faced the reanimated First and Second Hokage. The two sides had clashed evenly, even though Fire was supposed to be suppressed by Water.
The fact that Hiruzen could balance that exchange spoke volumes about his raw power.
"Kakashi-sensei," Arata asked casually, "is the Uchiha clan really that good with Fire Release?"
Kakashi, unaware that Arata already knew quite a bit about them, began to explain.
"The Uchiha were the strongest Fire Release users in the entire village. They developed and refined countless original jutsu — far beyond the standard forms taught in the academy."
"For example, take the Great Fireball Technique — it's a basic C-rank Fire Release. But the Uchiha improved it into the Grand Fireball Technique, massively increasing its power and scope."
"I once saw Uchiha Itachi perform it myself."
Arata froze.
"Uchiha… Itachi?"
Kakashi's voice lowered, his expression darkening with old memories.
"Yes. Uchiha Itachi — a former comrade of mine in the ANBU."
"He was one of the most gifted shinobi I've ever met. But…"
He exhaled slowly.
"In the end, he betrayed both his clan and the village."
Kakashi's tone carried no hatred — only a quiet, weary sadness.
He didn't know the truth — that Itachi's massacre had been sanctioned by the village's upper echelon, orchestrated by Danzo and Hiruzen's silent consent.
He only knew that a prodigy had become a murderer.
And that the story never felt right.
"I don't know what really happened," Kakashi admitted. "But it's… a tragedy. He was an incredible ninja. I really thought he'd change the world one day."
If Kakashi ever learned that the one who helped Itachi wipe out the clan was none other than Obito…
He'd regret ever calling it "a pity."
Arata looked down thoughtfully.
"I wonder why he spared Sasuke. He didn't have the strength to resist back then, did he?"
Kakashi's gaze softened.
"Because Sasuke is his younger brother. That's the only reason he's still alive. But that's also why Sasuke's heart burns with hatred."
He paused, remembering a past conversation.
"When I first asked Sasuke what his dream was, he told me — 'To kill Uchiha Itachi with my own hands.'"
Arata fell silent.
He didn't know what to say.
If anyone in their class had the right to be angry at the world, it was Sasuke.
Before the massacre, Sasuke had been open, confident — proud, but cheerful.
The "cold" Uchiha everyone knew at the Academy wasn't who he used to be.
That arrogance back then was the pride of a genius, not the emptiness of trauma.
But after that night… everything changed.
The massacre had hollowed him out — his pride, his warmth, his entire heart.
He shut himself away, hiding his emotions behind a mask of silence and obsession.
Every bit of his focus went into strength.
Every drop of his rage went into revenge.
To Arata, it was a miracle Sasuke was still sane at all.
He'd noticed small things others didn't — the way Sasuke instinctively shielded Sakura during their first real battle.
It wasn't calculation; it was instinct.
Even if he rarely showed it, Sasuke still cared. Deep down, he was still human — still kind.
But his pain ran deeper than any of them could truly understand.
Arata thought about it more than he expected to.
Back when he first arrived in this world, he'd been excited — thrilled to grow up alongside Naruto, the so-called "hero" he once admired.
But after six years of knowing him in person, the illusion had faded.
Naruto wasn't as special as Arata once imagined.
At first, Arata had respected him — how he stayed optimistic despite being shunned.
But after living beside him day after day… things didn't add up.
Naruto wasn't struggling in the dark.
He was protected.
He had friends — Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba — kids who accepted him without fear.
He never went hungry, never truly suffered beyond loneliness.
Even his pranks were tolerated.
No one else could vandalize the Hokage Rock and walk away smiling.
Arata sighed inwardly.
I used to think it was impressive that he didn't break…
But maybe he never had to.
In his previous life, Arata had met plenty of kids with harder lives than Naruto's — orphans who had nothing, who were broken by war, poverty, or loss.
Compared to them, Naruto's life wasn't a tragedy — it was privilege in disguise.
So what if he didn't have parents? Half the village lost family in the Nine-Tails' attack. Some of those people died by that same beast's claws.
Arata glanced toward the horizon.
Maybe that was the real reason he couldn't admire Naruto anymore.
It wasn't envy.
It was understanding.
Once you saw the world for what it was, the myths didn't shine so bright anymore.
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