Dawn in the Land of Wind came harsh.
No gentle sunrise.
Just heat rising quickly from endless sand.
Their camp barely had time to settle after the previous skirmish when Kaen felt it.
Movement.
Far away.
Very far.
Observation Haki expanded effortlessly — something he'd refined over years.
Shapes. Chakra signatures. Intent.
Enemy forces approaching.
Fast.
Kaen walked directly to Hatake Sakumo.
"Enemy unit approaching," he said calmly.
"Roughly ten minutes out. Multiple squads."
Sakumo studied him carefully.
Not disbelief.
Evaluation.
"You're certain?"
"Yes."
No hesitation.
That was enough.
Sakumo immediately issued preparation orders.
Defensive formation. Scouts repositioned. Traps adjusted.
Exactly ten minutes later…
Sunagakure shinobi appeared over the dunes.
Right on time.
Several allied shinobi glanced at Kaen afterward with new respect.
Advanced sensing ability was rare.
Especially at his age.
The battle started without ceremony.
Sand-style jutsu erupted. Projectiles flew. Close combat engaged quickly.
Kaen moved forward before anyone could stop him.
Not recklessly.
Just decisively.
He relied purely on taijutsu first.
No Armament Haki.
No Mangekyō.
Just physical mastery.
Observation Haki guided every step.
One opponent lunged — Kaen sidestepped effortlessly, countering with a single punch.
Opponent collapsed instantly.
Alive.
But completely out.
Another attacked from behind.
Kaen turned before impact even formed, striking once.
Same result.
Clean.
Efficient.
Precise.
Sunagakure shinobi quickly realized:
This wasn't normal academy graduate level.
Not even close.
Then the battlefield escalated.
Enemy captain launched a wide-area sand compression technique — dangerous even for experienced shinobi.
Kaen exhaled slowly.
Decision made.
This time…
Armament Haki.
Top level.
Controlled release.
His fist struck the ground.
Not dramatically.
Not theatrically.
Just a focused impact.
But the effect spread outward instantly:
Sand fractured.
Ground destabilized.
Enemy jutsu collapsed mid-formation.
Shockwaves rippled across the battlefield.
Both sides froze briefly.
Because what they'd just seen…
Didn't align with expectations for a genin.
Hatake Sakumo watched carefully.
Professional instinct analyzing everything:
No wasted motion.
No emotional fluctuation.
Power delivered with surgical precision.
His internal conclusion remained unspoken:
If that boy turned hostile… even I'd struggle.
Not fear.
Respect.
And caution.
Kaen didn't pursue fleeing enemies aggressively.
Mission objective remained containment, not massacre.
Points mattered.
But unnecessary killing didn't.
Control remained his guiding principle.
Always.
Within minutes, the enemy retreated fully.
Battlefield quiet again.
Wind sweeping disturbed sand back into place.
Reactions varied:
Allied shinobi — stunned, impressed, slightly cautious.
Enemy shinobi — wary, reassessing future engagement risk.
Reputation established.
Not loud.
But undeniable.
Hitomi approached first afterward.
"You showed more today."
"Yes."
"Still holding back."
"Always."
She smiled faintly.
She understood better than anyone.
Toma looked openly amazed.
"I thought rumors exaggerated you."
Kaen simply shrugged.
"Rumors are safer than reality."
Sakumo eventually spoke privately with him.
"Your control saved lives today."
Pause.
"And created questions."
Kaen nodded.
"I expected that."
Sakumo didn't press further.
Experienced leaders knew when not to interrogate valuable assets unnecessarily.
That night, camp atmosphere shifted subtly.
Respect increased.
Curiosity too.
But no hostility.
Yet.
Kaen extended Observation Haki one more time before sleep.
Desert quiet.
Enemy regrouping far away.
Mangekyō Sharingan still unused publicly.
And he intended to keep it that way.
Because some trump cards were worth saving.
Under the vast desert sky, one thought settled calmly:
War would test him repeatedly now.
Not just strength.
Judgment.
Restraint.
Identity.
And Kaen intended to pass all three.