Naruto - Azure Awakening

Kaoru woke to the soft light of dawn, the sun's rays slipping through the slightly open entrance of the tent. His eyes fluttered open, but the moment he tried to sit up, a jolt of pain shot through his body. He clenched his teeth, barely holding back a scream. His muscles ached, his body bruised and battered from head to toe.

But the worst pain throbbed in his skull — a lingering consequence of forcing his Kekkei Genkai to its limit. The headache was unbearable the day before, but sleep had dulled it to a manageable ache.

[Could've been worse… at least I'm still alive.]

Taking a slow, steady breath, Kaoru pushed himself upright. Every fiber of his body begged him to stay down, but he ignored the protests and shuffled to the tent's entrance. With a wince, he pulled the cover aside and crawled out.

The camp was filled with tension.

Kaoru's gaze immediately landed on Mei, standing at the center of the camp. She was giving orders to a group of shinobi. He couldn't make out her words, but her expression was grim — a far cry from the usual brightness she radiated.

Kaoru's stomach twisted at the sight of the bodies. Several Terumi shinobi lay sprawled across a makeshift carriage, their blood-soaked clothes clinging to lifeless forms. The smell of iron and death hung in the air, sharp and suffocating.

The scene hit him harder than he expected. His vision blurred, and his chest tightened as a wave of nausea rose.

He turned to the side and retched, though there was nothing in his stomach to bring up. His body convulsed once, twice, before he managed to steady himself, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand.

[This wasn't just a fight.]

His gaze lingered on the corpses, the lifeless eyes staring blankly into the sky.

[It was a massacre.]

His thoughts snapped to Sugeru and Gumi.

[Are they okay?]

His heart pounded as he scanned the camp, eyes darting from face to face. He spotted Gumi sitting near one of the tents, exhaustion etched into his features. Relief flooded Kaoru's chest as he hurried over.

"Gumi! How are you?" Kaoru asked, his voice trembling slightly.

Gumi lifted his head, offering a tired but reassuring smile.

"I'm fine, Kaoru. The kids are fine too — they're still asleep."

Kaoru let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding. Gumi's gaze softened, but there was something different in his eyes. Respect, maybe?

Or was it concern?

"Kaoru," Gumi said, his voice quieter now, "go see Mei first. Then come back. I'd like to talk to you."

Kaoru nodded. He was relieved to know the children were safe, but Gumi's serious tone made him tense.

[What does he want to talk about?]

Pushing the thought aside, Kaoru turned toward Mei. She stood near the campfire, hands on her hips, lost in thought. When she noticed him approaching, her lips curled into a smile — but it wasn't her usual radiant grin. This one was tired, the edges weighed down by exhaustion and sorrow.

Still, the warmth in her eyes was undeniable.

"Ru," she greeted softly.

Kaoru's brow twitched at the nickname, but he said nothing. It wasn't the time to complain.

"When I saw you passed out, I nearly lost it," Mei admitted.

Kaoru blinked, surprised.

During these past four months, Mei grew to like Kaoru, and in a way, she saw him as her little brother. But beneath her concern was something else: fear.

Not fear for herself — fear of what Maki would do when she learned Kaoru had died.

Mei sighed, shaking her head. "Luckily, you are fine. But those two shinobi you killed…" Her gaze sharpened, curiosity mixing with disbelief. "One of them was a Chunin, Ru. How did you manage to kill an experienced Chunin?"

Kaoru tensed. He'd been expecting this question.

The moment he killed that shinobi, he knew it would draw attention. The truth was simple: he got lucky. His Suijingan caught the man off guard, and the element of surprise had been his biggest advantage.

"Honestly?" Kaoru began, scratching the back of his head. "He wasn't expecting my trump cards. If I didn't catch him off guard, I would've lost — no doubt about that."

He hesitated for a moment before adding, "Mei, can you… not tell Maki? She'll never let me go outside again."

Mei chuckled, though her laughter lacked its usual brightness. She reached out, ruffling Kaoru's hair affectionately.

"Ru, I think you know very well that I can't keep this a secret," she said, shaking her head. "Besides, I'm the one who should be trembling with fear right now. Your sister will kill me when she finds out you were in danger under my watch."

Kaoru groaned, running a hand through his messy hair.

[Great. I'm doomed.]

Mei glanced over her shoulder at a shinobi waiting nearby. With a quick nod, she signaled that her conversation with Kaoru was over.

"We're staying here for the day," she said, her tone more serious. "Come see me in a few hours. I've got something important to discuss with you."

Kaoru nodded, watching her walk off to resume her duties.

For a moment, he stood there, unsure of what to do. He'd promised Gumi he'd return, but his mind was too restless to sit down for a conversation.

[No… I need some time alone.]

Instead of heading back to Gumi, Kaoru wandered toward the edge of the camp. The morning mist hung low over the ground, mingling with the faint scent of blood and burnt wood. His footsteps were slow, and a little bit messy.

The battle replayed in Kaoru's mind, each mistake and near-fatal moment playing out like a nightmare on repeat.

[The element of surprise won't always be on my side. Luck won't save me next time.]

His legs felt weak, and he dropped onto a nearby log with a groan, his hands gripping his knees. The ache in his body was nothing compared to the storm raging in his head.

[I was dumb.]

He clenched his fists. [I know how this world works. I thought I understood. But knowing and living it are two different things.]

Images flashed in his mind — the crack of bone, the blood splattering across his face. The twisted bodies of the shinobi he killed.

Kaoru shivered.

[Seeing someone else fight from a distance… that's one thing. But being the one to take a life? To hear someone's skull crack and watch their blood spill? That's different.]

His chest tightened.

"Even if I was protecting myself…" His voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. "I still killed actual human beings."

His breathing grew shaky, his pulse pounding in his ears. He hunched forward, elbows on his knees, head in his hands.

"I think… up until now, I saw this as some kind of once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience the amazing world of Naruto. I thought it would be exciting. Fun."

He shook his head.

"But things look different now. I nearly died today."

The thought hit him like a punch to the gut. His palms suddenly got sweaty.

[What happens if I die? Will I go back to wherever I came from? Will I get another chance? Or… will it just be over?]

The question lingered in his mind, dark and suffocating. His breathing quickened, and he clenched his fists tighter.

[This world isn't a game. It's real. And if I die here, it will probably be the end.]

The panic started to creep in. He squeezed his eyes shut, his thoughts spiraling out of control.

"Can I just… run away? Find some remote place to live peacefully? Could Maki and Grandma come with me? What about my clan? What about Mei?"

His thoughts stalled on Mei, and he opened his eyes. The memory of her smile — tired but genuine — flashed through his mind. She'd been relieved to see him alive. She'd cared.

That thought grounded him.

Kaoru exhaled slowly, his breathing starting to steady. The haze of panic cleared, replaced by a flicker of clarity.

He chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

"I'm pathetic," he muttered to himself.

His lips twisted into a wry smile, and he wiped a hand down his face.

"I have a Kekkei Genkai. A family and a clan that loves me. Even Mei genuinely cares about me. Honestly… life couldn't be better."

His gaze sharpened, determination flickering to life in his eyes.

"What I lack," he murmured, "is the strength to defend what's mine."

He stood, squaring his shoulders despite the ache in his muscles.

"I am Kaoru Takime, and I'll do whatever it takes to protect everyone and everything that's mine."

The resolution in his voice startled even him. It felt… real. Solid. Like the words themselves held power.

Kaoru sat back down on the log, but this time, his mind was clear. He wasn't dwelling on fear or what could've gone wrong. He was already picking apart his mistakes, analyzing every moment of the battle with cold, critical focus.

"First of all," he muttered to himself, "I should never practice techniques when I'm outside of the outpost. Not until I have enough chakra to spare some. That was my first mistake."

He tapped his chin thoughtfully.

"Second… I realized that only Water Bullet is reliable enough to use in real battles. The rest of my techniques take too much chakra. I'm burning through it way too fast."

His brow furrowed as another thought struck him.

"And most importantly… I suck at close combat."

Kaoru winced as he replayed both fights in his mind.

"I'm still just an eight-year-old kid. There's no way I can hold my own in hand-to-hand combat against fully grown adults."

His gaze dropped to his hands. They trembled slightly, still recovering from the strain of battle.

"I didn't even use a kunai," he muttered, shaking his head. "Because deep down, I knew… if I got close enough to use one, I'd die."

The realization made his chest tighten again, but this time it wasn't panic. It was resolve.

"I need a weapon," he said firmly. "Something that is lethal and does not require much strength. At least until my ninjutsu improves and my chakra core grows big enough to maintain the distance."

Kaoru stood, stretching his sore muscles. His mind felt clearer now. The lingering fear had faded, replaced by a steady, burning determination.

"Starting today, I won't miss a single day of training," he said quietly. His gaze hardened as he clenched his fists. "I… I don't just want to be strong. I want to be overwhelmingly strong."

His lips curled into a grin, bright and genuine.

"And to achieve that, I need to dedicate everything to training. Well… except family time." He chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Maki would kill me if I skipped out on that."

The thought of his sister warmed his heart. Kaoru loved his family deeply — especially Maki. No matter how hard life became, that was his happy place.

His grin softened into a quiet smile as he crouched down.

"I'll protect what's mine," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Then, without wasting another moment, he started doing squats, ignoring the ache in his bruised legs. One squat. Two. Three.

Determination burned in his chest, stronger than the pain.

That day Kaoru Takime's goal changed, but even he did not know that yet.

<<<>>>

"Mission failed. Other than Raiga and his group, everyone returned. We believe he's dead."

The kneeling shinobi's voice was steady, though his posture betrayed unease. His black cloak draped heavily over his frame, hiding his expression as he delivered the report.

A figure sitting in the shadows remained still. His voice, low and measured, cut through the silence like a blade.

"Or he betrayed us."

The man leaned forward, just enough for the faint glow of a nearby lantern to illuminate his mouth — curled in a displeased frown.

"Send a group to investigate," he continued. "If Raiga truly betrayed us…" His voice dropped lower, laced with simmering anger. "Then the entire squad will mobilize. I'll go myself to hunt him down."

The kneeling shinobi nodded silently, waiting for more.

"And one more thing," the man added, his tone sharpening. "Under no circumstances is anyone to engage the Terumi clan. If any of them are encountered, they are to be left alone."

He leaned back into the shadows, the faint light disappearing from his face.

"Until I say otherwise, no one is to touch them."

There was a pause. A long, tense silence filled the room, broken only by the faint creak of wood beneath the man's shifting weight.

The anger he'd tried to suppress seeped into his voice, his control slipping. "Raiga… that idiot. He messed up. I should never have trusted him with this mission."

His jaw clenched, and he exhaled slowly, trying to steady his nerves.

[Now I have to report to the Mizukage myself…]

Even the thought made his blood run cold. He could already imagine the Mizukage's expression — the weight of those eyes, the crushing pressure of his presence. Failure wasn't tolerated in Kirigakure. And delivering bad news to the Mizukage was similar to signing your own death sentence.

The cloaked shinobi vanished in a swirl of mist, leaving the room shrouded in oppressive silence once again.

The man sat alone, the weight of the situation pressing down on him.

[This will be a problem.]

The flickering lantern dimmed, casting the room into complete darkness.

**

A/N - 

If you are enjoying the novel please give it a review, it will help me a lot.

What kind of weapon do you think Kaoru should get? Any ideas?

Character Notes:

Kaoru - Determined - "Your throne will be mine, Madara! hehe"

Mei - Still Busy - "I did not even console Ru. This was his first kill, he must be terrified."

Gumi - Curious - "Where is Kaoru? I thought he'd come"

**