Both sides were occupied with their own duties—there was no time to rest.
Meanwhile, at the Konoha outpost near the border of the Land of Earth…
"Haha, excellent work."
The Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju, read through the report sent from the Land of Lightning.
It detailed Nara Hikari's recent actions on the battlefield.
He had killed two elite jonin from the Hidden Cloud Village with ease and forced their army to retreat back across the border into the Land of Lightning.
Just then, Hiruzen and Danzō stepped into the tent, puzzled by their teacher's apparent excitement.
"Teacher."
"Ah, you're back."
"You seem very pleased," Hiruzen noted curiously.
"Haha… Nara Hikari managed to lead a squad and push back the Hidden Cloud forces."
"What?!"
Both Hiruzen and Danzō were visibly shocked.
"Hikari's only sixteen—and he was able to kill two jonin from Kumogakure without breaking a sweat. Remarkable."
Hiruzen and Danzō listened in silence as their teacher sang Hikari's praises.
They couldn't help but feel a sting of frustration.
They were already in their twenties, yet even defeating a jonin from the Land of Earth was difficult—killing one was nearly impossible.
And now Hikari, still a teenager, had accomplished it so easily?
That gap in strength left them feeling bitter.
Tobirama, sensing their mood, quickly added,
"Hiruzen, Danzō, don't let this discourage you. Both of you possess exceptional talent. It's only a matter of time before you reach Kage-level strength."
"Yes, sensei. We'll continue training hard."
"Good. Now, tell me what intel you've gathered."
Elsewhere, Nara Hikari returned to camp after successfully repelling the Kumogakure troops.
The bodies of fallen comrades and the critically wounded were being escorted back to the village. Those with minor injuries were recovering at the camp.
Hikari sat on the ground, listening as Nishito and Silbi reported the latest developments.
"Captain, the Hidden Cloud forces have pulled back to the Land of Lightning's border. They've set up camp there and left behind a few to keep watch."
"Good. Keep monitoring their movements closely."
"Yes, sir."
Nara Hikari looked up at them, sensing they had more to say.
"Something else?"
"Captain, haven't you heard? News of your battle is spreading fast."
"My battle?"
"Yes! Word is you killed two veteran jonin from the Hidden Cloud and forced their army to retreat—practically single-handedly."
"…I see."
"The returning squads are in awe of you."
Hikari didn't know how to respond.
Could he really tell them that just a couple of weeks ago he'd been nothing but a weakling?
Of course not.
"Alright, you two go get some rest."
"Yes, sir."
Nishito and Silbi bowed and left.
Hikari shook his head, uneasy with their worshipful looks.
He walked over to his bedding and lay down, reflecting on everything that had happened.
He'd only been in this world for half a month, and he was already fighting in the First Great Ninja War.
Now that my reputation has spread, I should make good use of it.
The reason Hikari hadn't hidden his strength was precisely to intimidate potential threats.
Especially that old schemer, Danzō.
Only by proving he was powerful would that man think twice before making a move against him.
[Ding! Congratulations to host Nara Tenso for the birth of a child. You have received the Explosive Fruit!]
Just as Hikari was considering whether to remain at the front or support Tobirama directly, the system finally triggered after more than ten days of silence.
Extract.
A strange fruit appeared in his hand—its surface purple and covered with swirling patterns like a bomb.
"I heard these things taste like crap… Guess I'll find out for myself."
He took a bite.
"Urgh—damn! It really is disgusting."
A sharp pain shot through his cheek.
He didn't actually know what crap tasted like—but this had to be close.
It was bitter, spicy, and had the texture of hardened wax.
He chewed for a while, but it refused to soften. Eventually, he had to force it down his throat.
It burned going down.
But the moment he swallowed, something began to change inside him.
A foreign energy surged through his body and gathered in his heart.
Suddenly, the scene before him shifted—he could see his own heart.
It transformed into the shape of a Devil Fruit.
"What the hell…? That was wild."
The transformation only lasted a moment before his heart returned to normal, and his vision snapped back.
Not a hallucination—he was certain of it.
To test the new power, he picked up a kunai, infused it with energy, and threw it to the ground.
Boom!
An explosion rocked the camp.
Nishito, Silbi, and all the nearby ninja stopped in their tracks, alarmed.
Smoke billowed from the direction of Hikari's tent.
"Captain's in danger!"
Nishito and Silbi vanished in a blur.
When they arrived, nearly every ninja in the camp was already gathered.
Hikari stood calmly beside his now-burning tent.
"Captain! What happened? Why is your tent on fire?!"
"I was testing out a new ability... and accidentally blew it up."
"…Blew it up?"
The two looked at him, stunned.
"Yeah."
"We thought it was an enemy attack."
They were speechless.
Hikari let out a sigh.
"Can you help me replace the tent?"
"Right away."
Hikari raised his hand. Shadows from the area surged forward and smothered the fire. Within seconds, it was extinguished.
What remained was a deep crater.
Nishito and Silbi peered into the pit—stunned.
"…What kind of jutsu creates a hole like that?"
They couldn't make sense of it but suppressed their questions for now.
They quickly began preparations for a new tent.
"Earth Style: Quicksand!"
A few chunin with earth-release chakra filled in the crater, and a new tent was erected.
"Alright, get some rest."
"Yes, Captain."
The Konoha ninjas dispersed.
Nara Hikari vanished.
He'd gone off to a secluded area to test his new ability in peace.
Standing on a tree branch, he looked out over a field filled with craters—results of his explosive fruit experiments.
He was thoroughly impressed.
Next came analyzing the fruit's potential.
The Explosion Fruit not only allowed him to imbue objects with explosive energy—it could also make his own body explode.
And afterward, he could regenerate, similar to the elementalization seen in natural-type Devil Fruits.
He considered the tactical applications.
What if someone touched him—and he self-destructed on impact, then reformed unharmed?
There were many uses for this power.
From what he could tell, explosions generated three key effects:
Fire
Shockwaves
Kinetic force (propulsion)
Each had its own potential for techniques and combos.
There are so many possibilities...
As Hikari was mentally celebrating his new strength, something else stirred within him.
The elite jonin-level chakra flowing through his meridians began to surge.
First, his meridians widened, increasing their capacity.
Then, natural chakra from the environment flooded into his body.
After an hour, his chakra network was filled to the brim.
He could feel it—his body was now significantly stronger.
From the sheer amount of chakra he now held, there was no doubt—
He had broken through to Kage-level.
"Haha! I didn't expect to reach Kage-level so soon."
He couldn't help but laugh aloud—his power had taken a major leap forward.