That night, Kaen finally reviewed everything.
Not casually.
Systematically.
Years of training, hidden abilities, and newly unlocked Mangekyō powers demanded honest assessment.
The system interface appeared quietly within his awareness.
No fanfare.
Just facts.
Current Ability Assessment:
Observation Haki: Top level — stable village-wide sensing, extended range beyond borders when focused.
Armament Haki: Top level — strong defensive reinforcement, high-impact striking capability.
Conqueror's Haki: Mid level — controlled presence projection, not yet fully refined.
→ One more breakthrough required for Supreme Level.
→ Supreme Level unlocks:
Armament Entanglement
Conqueror's Entanglement
Then came the ocular abilities:
Mangekyō Sharingan Powers
Left Eye: Amaterasu — controlled black flame ignition.
Right Eye: Speed Amplification — perception and movement acceleration up to ~30× when activated.
Kaen rarely used either.
Visibility risk remained high.
But their presence expanded his combat ceiling dramatically.
Chakra reserves remained enormous — system-stabilized, roughly comparable to tailed-beast-scale capacity, though without a bijuu consciousness.
Useful.
Dangerous if exposed.
Ninjutsu knowledge stayed intentionally limited:
Rasengan mastered.
Wind-Style Rasenshuriken prototype stabilized.
Basic Susanoo manifestation possible with Mangekyō activation.
He avoided learning too many flashy jutsu.
Haki already provided:
Defense.
Speed.
Awareness.
Willpower projection.
Efficiency mattered more than variety.
A year earlier, he'd quietly taught Hitomi Rasengan fundamentals and chakra shaping.
Not full mastery yet.
But she progressed steadily.
Her control impressed him.
More importantly:
Training together strengthened their trust.
That mattered more than techniques.
After reviewing everything, Kaen reached an unavoidable conclusion:
By current shinobi standards… he likely stood near Kage-level potential.
Not experience.
Not reputation.
But raw capability.
And that realization didn't comfort him.
It sharpened his caution.
Because strength attracted:
Expectations.
Political interest.
Control attempts.
Especially in wartime.
So Kaen made a deliberate decision:
Continue training.
Not for survival anymore.
For autonomy.
Future shinobi conflicts wouldn't end with this war.
History suggested escalation cycles.
If he wanted true freedom…
He needed power beyond conventional limits.
Training focus shifted accordingly:
Conqueror's Haki refinement — emotional control, will projection.
Speed synchronization with Mangekyō ability.
Armament durability under sustained stress.
Observation range precision instead of just expansion.
Quality over quantity.
Hitomi joined him that evening.
"You're pushing harder again," she observed.
"Yes."
"War?"
"Partly."
He hesitated slightly before adding:
"Future… beyond this war."
She didn't ask more.
Just nodded.
That quiet understanding was why Kaen trusted her most.
Meanwhile, the village atmosphere tightened.
Genin teams forming quickly.
Mission assignments increasing.
Medical preparation intensifying.
Sarutobi Hiruzen's disciples trained intensely under Tobirama's supervision.
And somewhere in the background…
Orochimaru still watched occasionally.
Curiosity not fading.
Kaen didn't mind anymore.
Observation went both ways.
And now, with Mangekyō perception layered over Observation Haki, very little escaped his awareness.
Still, he never flaunted it.
True strength didn't need advertisement.
That night, standing under a clear sky instead of rain for once, Kaen exhaled slowly.
He wasn't afraid of war.
Wasn't eager either.
Just prepared.
Because ultimately, his goal hadn't changed since childhood:
Not glory.
Not recognition.
Freedom.
For himself.
For Hitomi.
And maybe someday…
For others caught between politics and survival like he once was.