The sky above Ancient Masters Village was bright and cloudless as the second phase of the ninja exam officially began. All around the academy training grounds, students lined up to register with their assigned S-rank trainers—the elite warriors chosen to mold the next generation.
Kaelen and Allan stood side by side.
"Allan Silvar," an examiner called.
Allan stepped forward.
"Your S-rank trainer: Master Neros, the Water Blade of the West."
Allan looked surprised. "I've heard of him... they say he can slice through steel using just water."
The examiner nodded, then looked at the next name. "Kaelen Arclight."
Kaelen stepped forward with calm resolve.
The examiner flipped through the scroll. Then again. And again.
"No S-rank trainer is listed for you," he said.
Kaelen spoke clearly, "My trainer is Razen."
The examiner froze. Murmurs spread among nearby ninjas.
"Razen?" he asked. "You mean the Razen who disappeared twenty years ago? One of the disiple of the of the ancient masters
Kaelen nodded.
The examiner stared at him for a long moment—then stamped the scroll.
"If Razen has returned... then history is waking up."
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Day One – The Forest Hut
The forest greeted Kaelen with a chorus of birds and wind rustling through trees. He returned to the small hut deep in the woods—Razen's home.
The old ninja was already waiting, seated cross-legged on a stone slab.
"You're back," he said without looking up.
"I said I would be," Kaelen answered.
"No one lasts long in this place," Razen muttered. "Let's see if you're different."
From that moment, the training began—and it was brutal.
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The Breaking Phase – Week by Week
Kaelen's first month under Razen was a war on his body and mind.
Every morning began before sunrise. His first task: run five laps around the outer forest while carrying weighted scrolls and water jars. No chakra was allowed—only raw strength and endurance.
Razen's first lesson: "Power without discipline is chaos. We're not building a weapon. We're building a warrior."
Kaelen collapsed on the second day. On the third, he vomited from exhaustion. On the fourth, he didn't fall. On the fifth, he finished first lap without stopping.
Progress.
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Chakra Control and Meditation
Evenings were no easier. Kaelen was told to balance on narrow bamboo poles and hold a coin on each palm—while channeling chakra into his feet.
If either coin dropped, he'd have to start again.
"Your ancestors could walk silently through thunder," Razen said. "You struggle to stand in stillness."
Kaelen hated the silence at first—but soon, he began to feel things: the twitch of his muscles, the rhythm of his heart, the way chakra hummed like a quiet breeze.
He began to understand what Razen meant.
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Meanwhile: Allan's Training
Allan trained near a wide river under Master Neros. Unlike Razen's harsh tone, Neros was silent and focused. He would stand on the surface of the water without moving for hours, then suddenly whip up a spinning blade of water with a flick of his finger.
"You must become the water," he told Allan.
Allan's training focused on control, patience, and flow. But his thoughts often drifted to Kaelen.
What's he going through in that forest?
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Kaelen's First Trial
On the twentieth day, Razen gave Kaelen a small, hand-drawn map.
"There's a trail in this forest. It leads through cliffs, mist, and chakra traps I built long ago. Reach the mark and return before sunset."
Kaelen asked, "What happens if I don't?"
"You won't."
With that, Kaelen sprinted into the woods.
The path was a nightmare—camouflaged pits, tripwire-triggered shuriken, sharp chakra threads that stung his skin. His arms bled. His legs trembled.
But Kaelen kept moving. Not just to prove something to Razen—but to prove something to himself.
As he crossed the final marker, a trap triggered behind him. Kaelen instinctively raised his hand—and a small spark crackled across his fingers.
A thin flicker of lightning.
He gasped. Was that my chakra? Thunder-style?
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Kaelen returned to Razen's hut long after dark—bruised, limping, and smiling.
"I saw lightning," he said. "I felt it."
Razen nodded. "Good. You're starting to remember who you are."
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End of Month One
By the end of the first month, Kaelen's body had transformed. His reflexes had sharpened. His chakra control had improved. He could meditate for hours, move silently, and sense traps without opening his eyes.
But more than that—he had begun to awaken the ancient energy that slept within his bloodline.
And this was only the beginning.
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