Three Years
In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.
At just ten years old, Minato Namikaze had already graduated early from the Ninja Academy. Under the guidance of Jiraiya, he honed his formidable speed and combat prowess.
During his time at the academy, Minato often sparred with Chi Yu in the school's training grounds. Time and again, he challenged Chi Yu with his high-speed taijutsu—but no matter how fast he grew, he couldn't surpass Chi Yu.
Yet, each bout left Chi Yu a little more impressed.
Minato's rate of improvement was alarming. Every time they fought, his speed had increased. But Chi Yu was no stagnant mountain. While he had already mastered the full form of Thunder Breathing, he was pushing himself further, refining his speed and control through relentless special training.
After graduating and being assigned as a Genin, Minato left Konoha with Jiraiya to undergo intense field training. Since then, Chi Yu hadn't seen him for two years.
Chi Yu could have graduated early too—he certainly had the skill. But he chose not to.
For one, there was no point. Unlike Minato, he had no legendary teacher waiting for him outside the Academy. In this era of peace, early graduation only meant being relegated to boring D-rank missions—finding cats, collecting trash, getting paid peanuts. And let's face it, the villagers didn't exactly welcome him with open arms. They didn't dare speak against him outright, but the disdain was there, festering beneath the surface.
Why waste time playing errand boy when he could be training?
When Tsunade had briefly returned to the village, she stayed for just two days—long enough to visit Mito Uzumaki—before departing again with Shizune. Kushina had seen her at Mito's estate but had chosen not to speak to her. She still harbored resentment over the incident where Chi Yu defended her—an embarrassment she hadn't forgotten.
With Jiraiya and Tsunade gone from the village, only Orochimaru remained of the Legendary Sannin.
Chi Yu had also met Mito Uzumaki. As the First Hokage's widow and the previous Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, Mito was a figure of great importance. Chi Yu expected her to be an ally of the Hokage—and thus, a potential threat. Yet her attitude toward him was strangely warm. Suspiciously warm, even.
Kushina had begun learning the sealing techniques of the Uzumaki clan under Mito's guidance. Her days were now filled with fuinjutsu study and training.
Chi Yu's own secrets ran deep. His Sharingan had awakened, but the fact was tightly guarded. Hiruzen Sarutobi had ordered both Jiraiya and Tsunade to keep it under wraps.
If the Uchiha clan discovered the truth, they would come for him. They might attempt to reclaim him as one of their own—or worse, challenge him.
Hiruzen had no intention of letting that happen.
He planned to cultivate Chi Yu's talents for the village's benefit, not hand him over to the Uchiha. And now was not the time for an open conflict. He couldn't protect Chi Yu if it came to that.
So, for now, secrecy was the safest play.
Chi Yu didn't mind. He had no desire to deal with the Uchiha's arrogance. Let them stew in ignorance.
Over these three years, the next generation had begun to take shape: Obito Uchiha, Kakashi Hatake, Rin Nohara, and Might Guy were all born during this time.
According to canon timelines, Kakashi would be on the battlefield by age five. That meant the current period of peace had, at most, two years left before the war drums started beating again.
Even sooner, perhaps.
The kidnapping of Kushina by Kumo-nin wasn't far off—an incident that would mark the beginning of escalating tensions. It was unclear exactly when it happened, only that it occurred after she became a Genin.
Kushina was now twelve. In six years, she would become the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki, inheriting the burden from Mito, who would pass away soon after.
Time was running out.
Chi Yu had six years before that monumental change—and at most two years before war broke out. The only real way to grow quickly in the shinobi world was through combat experience.
So he trained. Hard.
Night after night, he pushed his body to the edge.
The results were undeniable.
As someone with half Senju blood, his chakra reserves were growing steadily—already far beyond the average Genin. The Uzumaki, distant cousins of the Senju, were known for their immense chakra. Chi Yu was no different.
He had also earned 50 Witness Points over these three years.
The largest windfall came when he witnessed the birth of Might Guy.
At the time, Chi Yu had pulled a muscle during intense training and gone to the hospital to buy wound ointment. While waiting, he overheard someone call out to Might Duy.
Intrigued—this was the man who would one day take down four members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist—Chi Yu discreetly followed.
That's how he ended up witnessing Might Guy's birth, earning a rare 50-point haul.
Unfortunately, getting access to the births of other important figures was near impossible. Most were clan children—protected, monitored, untouchable.
---
The sky was a blanket of twilight gray.
At a secluded Konoha training ground, Chi Yu was still hard at work.
He had spent 10 Witness Points to exchange for a new katana. Now, without channeling chakra, he practiced purely physical sword swings against a wooden post, tempering both body and blade.
Sweat dripped from his brow, forming dark stains on the dirt below.
Then—
A voice, hoarse and serpentine, slithered into his ears.
"You really are working hard."
Chi Yu's spine snapped straight. He hadn't sensed anyone behind him. Whoever it was, they'd snuck up on him—flawlessly.
He spun around, instincts sharp.
Pale skin. Comma earrings. Vertical pupils like a serpent's. Purple markings beneath cold eyes.
Orochimaru.
One of the Legendary Sannin—and someone Chi Yu had never encountered in person until now.
Quickly steadying his breathing, Chi Yu offered a respectful bow. "Lord Orochimaru."
Orochimaru crossed his arms, expression unreadable as he approached. "I've been observing you for days now. So young, and yet you wield such refined ninjutsu and taijutsu. And… you've awakened the Sharingan."
Chi Yu's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been watching me?"
Orochimaru's smile was sharp and unsettling, more snake than man. "The old man—Hiruzen—seems quite fond of you. He wants me to take you under my wing. I've never had much interest in teaching others. It distracts from my research. But you… you're different."
He leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a near whisper.
"I think we're the same kind of person."
Chi Yu kept his expression neutral, but his guard was up.
Orochimaru's eyes glimmered with amusement.
"We both wear masks. We let others see what we want them to see. But underneath that calm... there's something darker. Something more honest. That look in your eyes—calculated, cold, ready to strike like a viper. I like that."
Chi Yu felt a shiver crawl down his spine.
He hadn't expected Orochimaru to come to him—not like this. Not with an offer disguised as a threat, or maybe the other way around.