Naruto - Azure Awakening

'What have I done?' Kaoru cried internally, watching Daki wolf down the fruit Anya had brought for him. The young Leviathan was now living under the same roof, eating his food, and showing zero signs of guilt.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Daki grumbled, words muffled by a mouthful of fruit.

Kaoru didn't answer. He just stared at him, deadpan, irritated, and vaguely betrayed.

"Wait, don't tell me you didn't know?" Daki laughed after swallowing. He smirked, completely unbothered. "That's enough sulking. You promised our tribe you'd attempt a contract with me, so quit whining."

"That's because you lied to me!" Kaoru snapped, not truly angry, just irritated beyond belief. "You said you'd sneak out at night if I said yes! You made it sound like some harmless workaround!"

Daki only shrugged, clearly enjoying himself. "Come on, stop being dramatic. I already told you that even if we try forming the contract, there's no guarantee it'll work. Just like there are fated pairs, there are also those who can never form a contract. And their number are much bigger."

Kaoru shot him a sideways glare and snorted. "There's no way I'm believing anything you say at this point. And besides, how would you know? No one outside the Takime clan can make contracts with Leviathans, and you haven't seen a Takime in centuries."

Daki tilted his head, blinking like he'd just been hit with a biggest bullshit possible. "Who told you there were no Takime left but your cl…"

"Careful," Kaoru cut him off with a glare. "The more you lie, the less I'll believe anything you say going forward."

He stood and pulled out his training clothes, the conversation now clearly over.

Daki watched him closely as the irritation faded from Kaoru's face, replaced by a completely neutral expression - the kind that made it clear he was done engaging.

"Hey, don't be like that. I was just messing around," Daki tried again, leaping onto Kaoru's bed and perching at the edge like a smug cat trying to goad its owner into playing.

'You wait,' Kaoru thought, coldly fastening the last tie on his uniform. 'I'll introduce you to a natural disaster. And I'll enjoy every second she spends making your life a living hell.'

If Kaoru had been a cartoon villain, he might've crossed his fingers and cackled, or bit down on his pinky finger while plotting. But instead, he went with the deadliest option - completely ignoring Daki, walking out in silence, and leaving him behind without a single glance.

…

"If you knew, why didn't you stop me?!" Kaoru practically shouted, rounding on Ogashi, who looked like he was about to burst into laughter. "Isn't this bad for your tribe, too? What if we actually form a contract?!"

Ogashi couldn't hold it anymore, he started laughing, his entire body shaking, wheezing between breaths.

"Kid, how can you be so gullible?!" he said, wiping a tear from his eye. "Where exactly did you think he was going to escape? And a Leviathan living with humans? If that were possible, don't you think we would've done it centuries ago?"

But then, his laughter stopped. 

"Besides, it's not bad for our tribe, unless you plan to form a contract with him," Ogashi said seriously, his gaze sharpening - not because of the topic, but because of who had just arrived.

"Iseki," Ogashi said, narrowing his eyes. "What are you doing here?"

The old Leviathan strolled casually into the training grounds, looking like a retired noble on vacation. But at Ogashi's greeting, the cheerfulness vanished from his expression.

"You seem to have forgotten your manners, little brother," Iseki sneered.

Tension spiked immediately, but Kaoru burst out laughing before it could escalate.

"Little brother?!" All the irritation from earlier dissolved like it had never existed.

Both Iseki and Ogashi turned to him, blinking. Then, one after the other, they joined in, the three of them laughing loud enough to make it echo through the training grounds.

After a minute, they finally quieted down. Kaoru caught his breath first.

"Elder Isek…"

"Grandpa Iseki," the old Leviathan interrupted with a proud grin. "You call him Grandpa Ogashi, don't you? Why not me?"

Kaoru sighed, resigned. 'Arguing with a stubborn old Leviathan is like scolding the ocean for having waves.'

"Grandpa Iseki," he relented, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Why did you even agree to this setup? You knew I was just trying to help Daki sneak away."

"Because," Iseki said, eyes twinkling, "that was the best deal I could get. Honestly, I'm glad you're that gullible. I knew there was no way you'd agree to either of our candidates if you had time to think about it." He grinned wide, sharp teeth flashing like polished marbles. "So when that brat came to me with the idea, I said yes immediately."

Kaoru scoffed. "And now what? He lied to me. I'd never form a contract with someone I can't trust."

"I get it," Iseki said, more serious now. "But Kaoru, spar with him. Just once. You'll understand."

Before Kaoru could respond, the old Leviathan pulled a small gourd from his sleeve, eyes gleaming as he glanced sideways at Ogashi.

"Come on. One more round while the kid trains."

Ogashi hesitated. His mouth said no, but his eyes lit up the moment Iseki popped the seal.

"…I should train him," Ogashi muttered, already reaching for his own cup.

Kaoru sighed, casting a final glance toward the two old Leviathans who were now fully absorbed in their drinks, laughing like drunken schoolboys. He adjusted his seated posture, legs crossed, back straight.

'I need to forget about Daki and focus.' He shut his eyes, letting darkness consume the world around him. Sight faded. Only sound and scent remained, filtered remnants of reality still anchoring him to the moment.

He concentrated, tuning himself to the rhythm of chakra moving through his body. The anxiety, irritation, and scattered thoughts slowly fell away, replaced by the stillness. The improved chakra rotation pathways Ogashi helped him create had made a significant difference. The flow was smoother now. Sharper. His body was running at a baseline twenty-five percent more efficient than before.

That was just a side effect.

The real gains were in his healing speed and, more importantly, his ability to sense.

'So this is how Naruto dodged attacks with his eyes closed.' 

Kaoru could feel the change. His skin now worked like a hyper-sensitive radar. The range was limited, yes, but within it, every twitch in the air, every breath of moisture, became a signal.

'Grandpa Ogashi said that once my Suijingan awakens, my chakra naturally connects to nearby water particles.' Even if only a microscopic amount of chakra clung to each drop, that was all he needed to locate them. Sense them. Read them.

Kaoru activated his Suijingan without opening his eyes, tracing the signatures of water in the air and earth around him. He was already able to catch some, faint ones, but that wasn't enough.

'I have to sense every single particle. Not some. Not most. All of them.'

He sank deeper, tracing each ripple of his chakra across the environment, trying to expand the net further and further. But distraction clawed at the edges of his mind. The laughter of the elders. The scent of alcohol. The sheer pressure of their presence pressing against his senses like boulders crushing reeds.

His brow twitched.

'If they laugh one more time, I swear…'

"You're doing it wrong."

Kaoru's eyes snapped open, brows twitching further as he turned toward the speaker, only to see Daki standing beside him like an overly familiar cat.

Kaoru seriously considered throttling him on the spot. 

'He's not even the one causing the problem, but I could break a stick over his back anyway.'

But Daki didn't wait.

"You're trying to sense water particles, right?" he said casually, crouching beside Kaoru. "I don't have Suijingan, so I can't do it your way. But maybe my method will help."

Kaoru didn't answer. He just watched in silence as Daki lifted his palm toward him.

His skin turned translucent, like glass filled with clear water.

"In time, you'll be able to do this too. But that's not the important part," Daki added, noticing the curious way Kaoru was eyeing his translucent hand. "When I shift, I have to maintain awareness of every particle in my body at all times. So, I think I can help you."

He gave his hand a shake, scattering the water in a spray, and in an instant, his palm vanished.

Kaoru's eyes nearly relocated to his forehead.

'Did he just… what… did he lose his hand?!' The confusion lasted only a moment before he noticed the scattered droplets moving back toward Daki's wrist.

"See?" Daki grinned, watching Kaoru's reaction with satisfaction. "I don't even need to focus anymore. My body just does it automatically. That's what you're aiming for, right?"

"Yes, but I still don't get how that helps me," Kaoru muttered, scratching the back of his head. "What you're doing feels… totally different."

"Let me explain." Daki's tone shifted as he calmly drew the floating droplets back into place, reshaping his hand like molding clay. "You're trying to sense every particle one by one, right? You're forcing your brain to process all of them. But how is that even possible? No matter how talented you are, there's a limit to how much information your mind can handle at once."

"But I can sense almost half," Kaoru cut in, giving a casual shrug, but the hint of pride and smugness was written all over his face.

"Seriously?" Daki blinked. "That's impressive."

He meant it. There was no sarcasm in his voice, only honest surprise. For a moment, even Kaoru's pride softened in the face of a genuine compliment.

"But," Daki continued, tilting his head, "can you still sense all of them if you stop focusing?"

Kaoru's smugness faltered.

"…No," he admitted, eyes narrowing as he glanced off to the side.

"Then what's the point?" Daki laughed, but it wasn't mocking. "Are you planning to pause in the middle of battle and meditate while someone's trying to punch your face in?" He chuckled again, then quickly composed himself, letting the point sink in.

"What you need," Daki said, brushing dust from his pants as he stood, "is to teach your body to sense the water particles instead of you doing it consciously, just like I can still track the droplets even after they've left my body."

He rolled his shoulder with a grunt. Crouching that long had clearly taken its toll.

"My connection is stronger because it's part of my body, so it's easier for me… but I don't have the Suijingan. Those eyes are a massive cheat." He laughed at his own words, pointing at Kaoru's eyes.

"In theory, that makes perfect sense," Kaoru replied, brushing his fingertips together. "And I was already trying to do that even before I came here. So, thanks… I guess."

"You were doing it wrong." Daki grinned and extended his hand toward Kaoru. "There's no way someone with your bloodline can't master water. It just takes the right method and practice."

Kaoru accepted the hand and stood, still not convinced but willing to listen.

"When you use chakra," Daki continued, "do you have to focus on it every time? Like you're doing now, trying to sense water?"

"No, of course not." Kaoru frowned slightly. "I can feel my chakra anytime, even without concentrating."

The realization hit a second later. His eyes widened. "But when I first started, I did have to focus. So… if that worked for chakra, then it should be possible with water too…"

"Yes and no." Daki's grin returned, but this time it was sharper, more pleased. "You're right that you can get there the same way. But where you're wrong is thinking chakra and water are two different things. For me, they are. For you?" He paused, tapping Kaoru's forehead lightly. "Your eyes change that."

Kaoru stayed silent, thinking about what that meant.

"Your dojutsu makes your body interact with water differently. Don't treat it like a foreign element, but something part of you."

Daki gave him a moment to process it all, then clapped his hands once.

"Alright then. That's what we're gonna do."

**

A/N -

This might be the first chapter I've ever ended without a cliffhanger xD

Reminder - Next Chapter on Saturday

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