The massive water dragon Arata had unleashed plunged back into the lake, sending shockwaves rippling across the surface.
For several heartbeats, its hundred-meter-long body writhed and coiled like a living creature.
The thunderous roar that followed shook the entire forest.
It sounded less like ninjutsu… and more like a summoned dragon's cry.
The lake, once calm, was now a maelstrom of crashing waves.
Sheets of water surged onto the shore, flooding the surrounding land and even trembling the ground beneath their feet.
Even Kakashi and Zabuza — both seasoned jōnin — were left momentarily speechless.
What kind of monster of a jutsu was that?
When the roaring finally died down, Arata slowly lowered his hands.
He exhaled and muttered under his breath,
"As expected of a B-rank jutsu… it really does drain a lot of chakra."
He rubbed his temples slightly, feeling the mild fatigue creeping in.
That took… maybe a tenth of my chakra?
He blinked.
"Hmm. Not too bad."
Neither Kakashi nor Zabuza heard him.
If they had… both men would've spat blood on the spot.
Because the truth was simple —
The amount of chakra required to conjure that much water, purely from nothing,
would've drained an average jōnin completely dry.
Even the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju — the man who created the Water Dragon Bullet — couldn't form it on dry land without preparation.
Yet Arata had just done it, effortlessly, in his first attempt… and called it "a bit draining."
It wasn't even the lake's water — it was his own chakra transformed into matter.
The sheer volume and density of that chakra would have annihilated most shinobi.
Sakura, who had seen the entire thing up close, was still frozen.
She swallowed hard. "Arata… your jutsu—it was way stronger than Zabuza's."
She'd watched it from behind the protective water wall that formed during his casting.
That dragon hadn't just been powerful — it had felt alive.
Even an elite jōnin's technique couldn't compare.
It wasn't just strength. It was control, precision, and sheer presence.
How could someone their age… produce something like that?
And yet, this was the same boy who'd been practically invisible during the Academy days.
Quiet. Unnoticed. Forgettable.
She had never even realized there was a "Jingwen Arata" in her class until graduation day.
"He was there the whole time," she thought. "But… what kind of person hides that much power?"
Arata shook his head modestly.
"It's nothing. I just didn't get the control quite right — first time using that jutsu."
Sakura froze. "First… time?"
She stared at him, wide-eyed.
"That was your first time using it?!"
Arata nodded casually.
Her mind went blank.
"But… you moved so fast. Your hand seals—so perfect. It looked like you'd practiced it for years!"
He didn't respond.
There was nothing to explain.
Some things couldn't be understood — not yet.
Sakura fell silent, a strange mix of fear and awe rising in her chest.
First time. And that strong?
Then what happens when he masters it completely…?
Could he cast a jutsu without hand signs?
Just the thought made her shiver.
They were the same age, yet she couldn't even see his shadow anymore.
Kakashi finally approached, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Your control's improving," he said quietly. "That one didn't explode like before."
He smirked faintly. "Looks like you're getting the hang of it."
Arata nodded. "Probably because it's not that complex of a jutsu. Control wasn't too difficult."
Kakashi's eyebrow twitched.
Not that complex?
He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.
This boy had just replicated a B-rank ninjutsu that most mid-level ninja struggle with for years,
and he was calling it "simple."
Even he, the Copy Ninja himself, couldn't perform a Water Dragon of that scale without immense preparation.
Still, Kakashi smiled under his mask.
"You're something else, Arata. That jutsu was powerful — but at least it didn't level half the forest this time."
He remembered that night.
The night Arata had tried to channel Chidori for the first time — and nearly annihilated everything within a hundred meters.
If Kakashi hadn't reacted instantly, that would've been the last night for both of them.
Compared to that, this dragon was merciful. Controlled. Refined.
He's learning restraint.
Arata stretched his arms slightly. "Still, it eats up a lot of chakra. Nearly a tenth of my total."
Kakashi froze.
"…A tenth?"
Arata tilted his head, confused. "Isn't that a lot?"
For a few seconds, Kakashi just stood there — silent — before sighing in defeat.
"…I honestly thought it'd take at least a third of your chakra."
He rubbed his temples. "If that was only a tenth, Arata… then I don't even want to imagine what happens when you go all out."
Arata blinked innocently.
"A tenth is already a lot, isn't it?"
Kakashi gave him a deadpan stare.
"...For you, maybe. For everyone else? That's suicide."
If Zabuza or any jōnin had heard that, they'd have dropped their sword and gone home.
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