Naruto: Unlocking Kaido Template

Zixu woke up early today and headed straight to a ramen shop near the academy for breakfast. The place was already packed with people, a clear sign that the food here was top-notch.

"Boss, another bowl, please!" Zixu licked his lips, gulping down the last of his broth.

The squinty-eyed old man behind the counter shot him a concerned look. "Kid, are you sure you should be eating that much...?"

After all, the red-haired boy in front of him had already devoured twenty-one bowls. The man was genuinely worried that Zixu's stomach might explode.

"Sorry, I got carried away..." Zixu chuckled awkwardly, realizing he'd gone overboard. But he had been starving, and it seemed that after integrating with Kaido's physique, his energy consumption had skyrocketed.

He patted his bloated stomach and glanced at his empty wallet. If this kept up, he'd be broke in no time. He needed to figure out a way to make money—fast.

By the time he reached the classroom and sat down, his mind was already racing with ideas about the organization he needed to form and how to recruit members.

"Dad always said, 'Use magic to fight magic, and MLM to fight MLM...'"

Then, an idea struck him.

"That old bastard Danzo even cuts funds meant for orphans like me. There must be others in Konoha who hate him too. Maybe I can use the 'Anti-Three Restoration Original Tenet' to spread the true Will of Fire and attract followers..."

This was his initial plan. Now, he just needed to find the right people to join him.

"Good morning, Uzumaki-san. You're here early," a soft voice greeted him.

Aburame Hatsuizumi placed her small backpack on the table and smiled at Zixu.

"Morning, Aburame-san. That bag looks heavy—do you have books in there?"

"Nope, just my bugs~" She patted the pink backpack carefully, a fond look in her eyes.

"Uh..." Zixu hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him. "By the way, has your family always raised insects?"

"Yep! The Aburame clan has been raising insects ever since the First Hokage founded the village. Our clan's secret techniques rely on them," Hatsuizumi said proudly.

The insects of the Aburame clan were incredibly versatile, used for reconnaissance, decoys, intel gathering, and even medical treatment. Their techniques were some of the most well-rounded in the village.

"Huh? Hyuga-san is here too? Morning!" Hatsuizumi greeted Hyuga Chinano, who had just entered the classroom. She then turned to Zixu. "Speaking of ninjutsu, you can't ignore the Byakugan and Gentle Fist of the Hyuga clan. After all, they're—"

"Enough! Don't mention the Hyuga clan!"

Hyuga Chinano's sudden outburst startled them both. The veins around her white eyes bulged slightly as she clenched her fists.

"There's an opening..."

Zixu immediately took note of this. If Hyuga Chinano had issues with the Hyuga clan, that meant she likely had problems with Konoha's system as well. She could be a potential recruit.

"Alright, let's drop that topic," Zixu said smoothly. Then, he leaned forward slightly and asked, "What do you think about the Will of Fire from yesterday's book?"

It was both a casual inquiry and a test.

Hatsuizumi tilted her head thoughtfully. "The Will of Fire? Our Aburame clan was one of the founding families of Konoha. Since the early days of the Fire Nation, we've been its promoters, practitioners, and inheritors. But... the elders say the Will of Fire has changed over time."

She paused for a moment before nodding to herself. "Personally, I believe the Will of Fire means protecting the people you care about. Oh, and my bugs too, of course." She glanced down at her backpack, where a few tiny insects poked their heads out, as if responding to her words.

Meanwhile, Chinano scoffed.

"The so-called 'Will of Fire' is nothing more than self-deception," she said, her voice laced with sarcasm. "Equality? Friendship? Those are just pretty words covering up the reality of power and control. How can anyone talk about freedom and equality when our fates are determined at birth?"

Zixu smirked inwardly.

Now that's someone worth recruiting.

When Zixu heard this, he almost burst out laughing. This girl was practically an ally already. It would be unfair if she didn't join him in the rebellion. No—scratch that—it would be unfair if she didn't join him in the uprising.

Before Hatsuizumi, who looked a little shocked, could say something to ruin the moment, Zixu spoke quickly.

"In reality, we should look at the Will of Fire from a broader perspective. Everyone has their own interpretation of it, right? The first generation's Will of Fire is something we need to inherit and develop. Although I don't know what happened to Hyuga-san, we can have our own version of the Will of Fire..."

He spoke slowly, shifting the narrative ever so slightly.

"If the Will of Fire only brings pain to Hyuga-san, then can it really be called the Will of Fire? No, the only true Will of Fire is the one that makes Hyuga-san happy. That is the Will of Fire that belongs to her..."

Zixu's words were calm and persuasive, subtly leading the conversation toward his ideology—carefully planting the seeds of his own movement.

Hyuga Chinano was surprised. She had expected the red-haired boy to argue against her like everyone else, yet instead, he was comforting her. And when she thought about it carefully... his words actually made sense.

A Will of Fire that couldn't bring her happiness—could that really be the Will of Fire?

Meanwhile, Hatsuizumi, sitting beside them, felt like something was off. But no matter how she tried to pinpoint what was wrong, she couldn't find anything concrete to refute. After all, the first generation's Will of Fire was meant to create a village of equality, friendship, and protection for the young.

After this conversation, Hyuga Chinano's impression of Zixu improved significantly. Her tone softened, no longer carrying the coldness from before.

"...That does make some sense," she admitted, pushing back her indigo bangs and revealing the dark red headband underneath.

"Aburame-san thinks so too, right?" Zixu turned to Hatsuizumi with a grin.

She hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. If possible, Zixu still wanted to pull her into his organization. After all, the Aburame clan's insect-based reconnaissance abilities were simply too powerful to ignore.

Zixu knew that pushing too hard could backfire, so he decided to stop for now. Slowly but surely, he would reel them in.

Just as he wrapped up his subtle persuasion, Gouda Takeshi entered the classroom. Everyone quickly pulled out their textbooks, preparing for class.

---

And just like that, two months of dull cultural studies passed.

During this time, Zixu continued his personal training at home, trying to improve his fusion with Kaido's physique. At school, he steadily maintained his connection with Aburame Hatsuizumi and Hyuga Chinano.

Hyuga Chinano was straightforward, but what surprised Zixu was Hatsuizumi's sheer willpower. Despite accepting some of his ideas, she never fully rejected the beliefs instilled in her by Sarutobi Hiruzen.

In the past two months, Zixu had also gotten to know many of his classmates. Most of them saw him as friendly, easy-going, and generous—an all-around good guy. His theoretical class scores were impressive, making him a model student influenced by the so-called Will of Fire.

As for his practical grades, they were... average. And that was exactly how he wanted it. He had no desire to stand out too much, but he also couldn't be at the bottom. Staying in the middle was the safest route.

Hyuga Chinano, with her naturally cold and aloof demeanor, ranked second in the class. The top spot belonged to a girl from the Uchiha clan, who had firmly secured first place ahead of Chinano.

Aburame Hatsuizumi, though not at the very top, still ranked among the best, consistently placing in the top five.

Through his observations, Zixu had learned about the various bloodline limits and signature techniques of Konoha's major clans.

The Uchiha clan's Sharingan was incredibly powerful, granting users enhanced perception, the ability to copy techniques, and even hypnotic abilities. Those who awakened it could see chakra flow, detect illusions, and mimic both taijutsu and ninjutsu with frightening precision.

The Byakugan of the Hyuga clan allowed its users to see the chakra pathways in the human body, identify acupoints, and observe chakra flow. It also granted enhanced vision, the ability to see through objects, and a telescopic range far greater than normal eyesight.

Even Hatsuizumi, with her more understated abilities, possessed the Kikaichu—a unique clan technique that allowed her to control a variety of insects, from reconnaissance bugs to ones that could drain chakra.

The gap between clan-born shinobi and commoners was painfully clear.

Zixu, for example, hadn't even figured out how to extract chakra yet. Meanwhile, his classmates from noble families had already mastered their respective clan techniques. It was an undeniable advantage—they were winning the race before the commoners had even reached the starting line.

In this system, only those with extreme talent could hope to compete against those born into power.

---

"Alright, settle down, class."

Gouda Takeshi's voice cut through the murmurs, immediately grabbing everyone's attention.

"After two months of studying cultural subjects, today we will officially begin learning ninjutsu."

The moment those words left his mouth, the entire classroom erupted with excitement. The students had been waiting for this day for what felt like an eternity. For the past two months, they had been stuck in lectures and theoretical lessons. Now, at last, they were going to learn how to fight.

While the class was filled with students from powerful clans, the majority of students were still commoners. For them, the Academy was their only gateway to learning ninjutsu. Now that the wait was finally over, they couldn't contain their enthusiasm.

Zixu, too, was excited.

In the past two months, his fusion with Kaido's physique had only increased from 5% to 5.5%. At this rate, it would take forever to reach full integration. Maybe learning proper ninjutsu would speed up the process. If he could combine ninjutsu with physical conditioning, he might see better results.

"Our ninjutsu studies will be paired with practical training. Be prepared—soon, we'll be practicing with kunai and shuriken. Make sure you have your equipment ready."

"First, open your textbooks. Today, we begin with Chakra Refinement..."

Gouda Takeshi wasted no time, diving straight into the lesson. His explanation was clear and precise—far better than anything Hyuga Chinano or Hatsuizumi had tried to explain before.

Zixu followed the instructions carefully, going through the refining process step by step.

Then, finally—he felt it.

A strange, warm energy stirred inside his body, gathering in his chest before solidifying. It wasn't much, but it was there.

"So this is chakra..."

"The amount of chakra a person has is limited," Gouda Takeshi continued. "Using ninjutsu depletes chakra, so in battle, you must always monitor your reserves. However, there are exceptions..."

He suddenly gestured toward Zixu.

"The Uzumaki clan is naturally gifted with enormous chakra reserves and immense vitality. They are one of the most well-suited clans for becoming shinobi. In my opinion, their potential is not even inferior to that of the Uchiha or Hyuga. Combined with their sealing jutsu, their combat capabilities are truly impressive..."

Zixu, who had been quietly minding his own business, nearly choked on air.

What the hell?!

He had spent months keeping a low profile, yet now Gouda Takeshi had just put him under the spotlight.

As if that wasn't bad enough, both Hyuga Chinano and Uchiha Gen turned their gazes toward him, their curiosity piqued.

Zixu suddenly had the sinking feeling that this was karma—payback for trying to run a pyramid scheme in Konoha.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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