The rain was still falling over Amegakure.
But that night, it felt heavier.
Slower.
As if even the sky was holding its breath.
At the top of the tallest tower in the village, a man stood motionless. His posture was straight, imposing, draped in a dark cloak marked with the symbol of the Salamander. A gas mask hung against his chest, unused for now.
Hanzō of the Salamander.
The leader of Amegakure.
The ninja who had survived countless wars.
The man who had stood against the greatest names in the ninja world.
The one even the Kage never faced lightly.
He watched the city below.
— …Interesting.
His voice was deep, hoarse, as if corroded by the poisons he had breathed his entire life.
Behind him, a ninja knelt.
— The reports are confirmed, Hanzō-sama. The child… Kaido.
Hanzō did not turn around.
— Continue.
— Seven years old. No detectable chakra. Yet several chūnin report an abnormal pressure in his presence. Cracked walls. Hesitant soldiers. No direct acts of rebellion.
A silence.
— He protects another child without chakra.
Hanzō closed his eyes for a moment.
Without chakra…
In this world, it meant one thing: failure.
And yet…
— Are you afraid? he asked calmly.
The ninja hesitated.
— …I am cautious.
Hanzō drew an unseen smile.
— So am I.
⸻
Kaido, Seven Years OldKaido walked beneath the rain.
Ren followed a few steps behind him, silent. Since the incident, no one had dared touch the boy openly. Not out of respect.
Out of fear of what Kaido would do next.
— Why do you help me? Ren asked softly.
Kaido did not slow down.
— I'm not helping you.
Ren frowned.
— Then why?
Kaido stopped.
He turned slowly.
Even as a child, his gaze crushed.
— Because this world threw you away.
Ren swallowed.
— And me too.
He placed a hand on the boy's head.
— Things that are rejected… sometimes become the most dangerous.
Ren didn't truly understand.
But he nodded.
⸻
Hanzō's GazeIn the days that followed, Kaido felt something change.
Not in his body.
In the air.
More insistent stares.
More frequent patrols.
Silences that lasted too long when he passed.
He's noticed me, he thought.
And it didn't worry him.
On the contrary.
One night, as he trained beneath the rain as always, a figure appeared a few meters away.
Kaido did not stop immediately.
He struck the wall.
The wall gave way.
— Impressive, said a deep voice.
Kaido slowly straightened.
The man was tall. Broad. His aura was unlike anything Kaido had felt so far. Not crushing like his own would one day become…
But sharp.
Lethal.
Hanzō.
Kaido recognized him without needing an introduction.
— You're the leader, he said simply.
Hanzō raised an eyebrow.
— Few children speak that way.
— Few children are like me.
A heavy silence settled between them.
The rain kept falling.
— You have no chakra, Hanzō said.
— And yet… you are more dangerous than many of my ninjas.
Kaido didn't deny it.
— Aren't you afraid?
Hanzō smiled.
— Yes. A little.
Kaido smiled as well.
— Good.
⸻
A Test Without ChakraHanzō raised his hand.
A ninja emerged from the shadows. Then another.
— A test, Hanzō said.
— Not to kill you. To understand you.
Kaido positioned himself naturally.
No ninja stance.
No guard.
Just… grounded.
The first attacked.
Fast. Precise.
Kaido sidestepped.
The ground cracked.
He struck.
Not the face.
The chest.
The ninja was sent flying backward, smashing into a wall.
The second hesitated.
A mistake.
Kaido grabbed him by the arm and slammed him into the ground.
No technique.
No chakra.
Just raw strength, impossible for a child.
Hanzō watched without intervening.
— Enough.
The ninjas retreated.
Hanzō stared at Kaido for a long moment.
— You're not trying to become a ninja.
— No.
— Then what are you seeking?
Kaido lifted his eyes toward the sky.
— To build.
⸻
The System RespondsThat night, after Hanzō left, Kaido felt something unlock.
Not a reward.
A response.
Interaction with dominant entity detected
Faction leader recognized
Progression validated
Partial unlock: Internal interface
Kaido closed his eyes.
This time… he saw.
Not a glowing screen.
But concepts carved into his mind.
— Body
— Will
— Subordinates
— Mutation (locked)
— Devil Fruits (incomplete)
He inhaled slowly.
— Very well.
⸻
Hanzō's PromiseThe next day, a message was delivered to Kaido.
An invitation.
He went to the central tower.
Hanzō was waiting.
— You are a potential weapon, he said bluntly.
— And Amegakure is a village that survives through weapons.
Kaido crossed his arms.
— I won't be anyone's weapon.
A silence.
Then Hanzō burst into laughter.
— Good.
— Then become something even more dangerous.
He stepped closer.
— As long as you don't directly threaten my village…
— I'll close my eyes.
Kaido held his gaze.
— And when I surpass it?
Hanzō smiled.
— Then the world will tremble.
⸻
The Invisible FoundationThat night, Kaido watched the rain fall.
Ren slept nearby.
Kaido placed a hand on the ground.
Foundation detected
Initial zone of influence established
Conceptual name registered
→ Village of the Hundred Beasts (latent)
Kaido smiled.
— Start crying.
— I… am growing.
⸻
End of Chapter 4
⸻