Kanna was a little conflicted by his father's question. It was true that he was the only survivor, but that didn't necessarily mean he knew much about what had happened. Of the hundred or so people present, dozens had seen Zabuza slaughtering everyone and promptly fled to safety. Kanna had only witnessed some of them die. He had no idea what happened afterward.
Actually, if Zabuza hadn't been so skilled with a blade, always striking vital points and killing with a single blow, the scene would have been much bloodier. Kanna wasn't sure he could have handled that. Just imagining what it would've looked like if Zabuza had used a wide-area attack like Fire Release or Earth Release made Kanna shudder.
How old was Zabuza then? It was the fourth year of Konoha, and Zabuza was only nine. A nine-year-old child had slaughtered more than a hundred people. Even if it was an extreme exception, Kanna couldn't understand what the hell was going through that guy's head.
Were there people in Kirigakure at the time who could match Zabuza? Yes! Some of the people who would later become famous included Kisame Hoshigaki and Mei Terumi. The former was eleven, the latter was eleven. (According to the records, Kisame died in the sixth year of Konoha at the age of thirty-two. Mei Terumi appeared in the sixth year of Konoha, when she was twenty-six.) In terms of ability, they were even stronger than Zabuza, and when it came to experience, there was no comparison. Those two were miles ahead of Zabuza. But neither of them was completely inhuman like him, a living beast.
Kanna briefly recounted what had happened on the day of the exam.
"I see." Kanna Tokiomi fell silent for a moment, then sighed. "He may be a little cruel, but I have to admit, he's an impressive young man."
Impressive? Kanna had no words for his father's assessment. Zabuza had stabbed him, sure, but if Kanna had to hate him for anything, it was that he was too strong. Kanna had no grounds to complain when he'd been outmatched. On the other hand, he did admire Zabuza's courage. At least Zabuza had dared to rebel against the Fourth Mizukage's tyranny and boldly attempt to assassinate him. And when he failed, he still escaped! He even took the Kubikiribōchō, one of the Seven Swords of the Mist, and survived for a long time while being hunted by Kirigakure's Anbu, until he finally fell to Kakashi.
Zabuza was naturally fierce and cruel, with a unique air of pride. To him, ordinary ninja weren't even worth remembering. In a way, he was a man of considerable bearing.
But now, Kanna felt a little annoyed. It wasn't for any other reason than the fact that after Kanna Tokiomi had learned all about Zabuza, he had looked at him as if to say, "One should have a son like Sun Quan." The disappointment in his eyes was practically spilling over.
Kanna felt like he'd been caught in the crossfire. What did this have to do with him? He'd only been here a few days. How was he supposed to stand up to Zabuza?
At the thought, he instinctively rubbed his chest. There lay the "Highland," which could make him infinitely powerful.
Lost in thought, Kanna Tokiomi spoke. "You're a ninja now, too. What do you want to do with your future?"
Kanna froze. What did he mean? Was he trying to pull strings for him? He definitely didn't want that. As Kanna saw it, he should take his time now, build a solid foundation, and start learning from scratch, slowly increasing his chakra and analyzing ninjutsu.
With the Highland and that system, he could obtain a steady stream of ninjutsu. He could learn whatever he understood and analyze whatever he could. If all else failed, he could transplant it onto the Highland and use it there. The bottlenecks in his growth were his own comprehension, his chakra reserves, and his combat experience. Starting with D-rank missions like an ordinary ninja had its benefits, but Kanna felt it wasn't worth the cost.
With a broad road lying ahead of him, how could Kanna put the cart before the horse? Was it really impossible to achieve anything by training at home? Give him a break. How long had it taken Obito to go from a Genin to someone capable of fighting the Fourth Hokage? All he'd done each day was train with White Zetsu. Madara had taught him, too, of course, but Kanna didn't think he was inferior.
"I want to stay at home," Kanna replied.
At those words, Kanna Tokiomi's first reaction was disbelief. Then a surge of anger rose in his heart.
Stay at home? What did he mean by that? Was he avoiding battle? Refusing to fulfill his responsibilities and obligations? Afraid to face his enemies?
Whoosh! Kanna Tokiomi suddenly raised his hand, as if to strike him.
Seeing trouble, Kanna knew he couldn't dodge with his current skills. Besides, he couldn't dodge. In this world, when a superior or elder wanted to teach you a lesson or hit you, you weren't allowed to dodge!
"Father!" Kanna steeled himself, shut his eyes, and shouted, "I'm not a child anymore! I'm a ninja of Kirigakure! I know what I want! And I have the courage to take responsibility for everything and face anything! I want to stay at home until you, Father, Mother, and everyone else recognize my strength!"
Whoosh! The slap stopped right in front of Kanna's face. He opened his eyes and saw uncertainty on his father's face. Then his expression slowly settled, returning to calm. His hand lowered and came to rest on his knee again, his back ramrod straight.
A long silence followed. During it, Morishita Mai even opened the door and peeked in twice, then quietly withdrew without daring to say anything.
After a long while, Kanna suddenly heard his father say, "A god stands at the center, his body rooted in the earth. His sword cuts down demons and gods; no magic can harm him. You really have changed."
Tokiomi's words struck Kanna like a thunderbolt, jolting him awake. He finally understood what the samurai painting by the entrance meant.
The sword swung downward, cutting through the human heart! Cutting through illusion! Cutting down every demon and monster, every specter and fiend!
What ninja had never had their heart cut by a "sword"? Without cutting through the heart, how could one attain true freedom? How could one reach enlightenment?
What was the Sage of Six Paths' greatest weapon? It wasn't the Sage's staff or the Sage's blade. It was the Sword of Nunoboko, known as the Sword of Heart's Desire!
And how had Naruto Uzumaki defeated Uchiha Obito, who had achieved the power of the Six Paths and wielded the Sword of Heart's Desire? It wasn't anything else. It was the heart!
What had allowed Kaguya Otsutsuki to become immortal and create a dream world? The power of the heart, too.
In this world, the greatest power wasn't anything else. It was the heart.
Kanna quietly closed his eyes. Having begun to understand these things, he felt his state of mind rise to new heights. It was like someone who hadn't slept in days finally getting a good night's rest. His spirit and heart began to feel whole.
With this realization, reaching the chakra level of a Genin was only a matter of time.
Before you continue