Kaen turned six quietly.
No celebration.
No ceremony.
Just another morning training before sunrise.
But something inside him had been building for months.
Pressure. Density. Awareness stretching further every day.
And that morning…
It finally shifted.
During his usual Armament Haki conditioning, Kaen struck a large training boulder near the forest edge.
Normally, it resisted.
This time…
The impact felt different.
Not stronger through muscle — stronger through will.
A dense invisible layer wrapped his fist instinctively.
The stone fractured deeply.
Not shattered completely, but far beyond anything he'd achieved before.
Kaen exhaled slowly.
Armament Haki — advanced stage stability.
Still far from legendary levels, but exceptional for someone his age.
More importantly:
Control felt natural now.
Less strain.
Less recovery time.
Greater precision.
Exactly what he needed.
Because visible destruction attracted attention.
Controlled strength preserved anonymity.
Observation Haki evolved even more dramatically.
It happened later that evening while he sat on the rooftop.
Instead of pushing his senses outward forcefully…
He relaxed.
Awareness expanded on its own.
District first.
Then entire village.
Movement patterns, emotional signatures, chakra disturbances — all mapped faintly in his perception.
Not perfect vision.
But clear enough.
Even beyond Konoha's borders, distant activity flickered at the edge of awareness — probably only partial perception of the Land of Fire's outskirts.
Kaen immediately pulled it back.
Too much sensing risked mental fatigue.
And possibly detection from highly perceptive shinobi.
Secrecy remained priority.
Always.
That night, he reviewed the implications carefully.
Strength increasing faster than expected.
System lottery occasionally assisting recovery and minor enhancements.
Academy environment still politically delicate.
Conclusion:
Maintain low profile even more strictly.
Because power without positioning invited control from others — clan, village, or both.
Kaen had no intention of becoming anyone's political asset.
Hitomi noticed subtle changes again.
"You move differently lately," she said during evening training.
"More balanced."
Kaen shrugged lightly.
"Just practice."
Not entirely false.
Never entirely complete either.
She accepted it — but her gaze held quiet trust rather than suspicion.
That trust grounded him more than any power boost.
Academy life continued normally.
Jiraiya still loud.
Tsunade steadily impressive.
Orochimaru observant as ever.
Kaen blended into the middle tier effortlessly.
Teachers saw diligence, not brilliance.
Students saw calm reliability, not threat.
Exactly the outcome he wanted.
Politically, nothing improved.
Clan distance remained.
Village caution persisted.
Kaen no longer resented it actively.
He analyzed it.
Because emotional reaction clouded strategic thinking.
And strategy would matter later.
Especially if he ever chose to question his place in the village formally.
Before sleep, Kaen sat quietly beneath falling leaves again — an old training habit.
Observation Haki stable.
Armament control refined.
Stamina excellent.
Conqueror's Haki still dormant.
System shop still locked.
Patience remained his strongest weapon.
As wind rustled branches above him, one thought surfaced calmly:
Power wasn't meant to impress people.
It was meant to ensure freedom.
And Kaen intended to remain free — from neglect, from political manipulation, from expectations he never chose.
Quietly.
Steadily.
Unnoticed.
Until the right moment.