The next few days passed quickly.
Karma spent most of his time training with Hashirama-sensei.
His Lightning Release was improving rapidly. The nature transformation itself had been easy for him to grasp. The difficult part was learning how to use it efficiently with a body that was still only five years old.
Hashirama made sure he understood that distinction.
"Don't force more chakra through your body just because you can."
Karma nodded.
"I know."
"Your chakra reserves are enormous, but your body is still developing."
"I know that too."
Hashirama smiled.
"Good. Then maybe you'll listen to me."
"No promises."
Hashirama laughed.
One morning, after finishing their usual training, Hashirama said, "Remember the B-rank technique I promised you?"
Karma's eyes immediately brightened.
"Yes."
"Then today you're learning it."
Hashirama formed a few hand seals.
"Lightning Clone."
A figure appeared beside him, surrounded by crackling lightning.
Karma's eyes immediately focused on it.
Hashirama explained the technique.
The Lightning Clone was an advanced clone technique of the Senju, using Lightning Release to create a physical clone capable of fighting independently. When destroyed, the clone could release its stored lightning chakra into the opponent.
Karma listened carefully.
This wasn't a technique Hashirama had invented.
It was simply one of the techniques available to the Senju, and one Hashirama had mastered.
"Watch carefully."
Hashirama performed the technique again.
Karma watched the chakra flow.
The distribution.
The transformation.
The structure of the clone.
The way the lightning was maintained throughout its body.
Once.
That was all he needed.
Karma formed the hand seals.
Lightning chakra gathered around him.
A clone appeared.
It flickered.
Karma immediately recognized the problem.
"Too much chakra in the lower half."
Hashirama raised an eyebrow.
Karma adjusted the flow.
The clone stabilized.
Hashirama stared at it.
Karma looked at his creation.
"That was easier than I expected."
Hashirama laughed.
"You really are ridiculous."
Karma grinned.
"Thank you, sensei."
"That wasn't a compliment."
"I'll take it anyway."
Karma spent the rest of the session practicing with the clone.
It wasn't perfect yet.
The technique itself was stable, but Karma still had to learn how to control the clone efficiently while fighting alongside it.
That was the part that mattered.
Understanding a technique was one thing.
Using it naturally in battle was another.
Hashirama watched him carefully.
'He doesn't need someone to teach him how to learn.'
'He needs someone to give him things worth learning.'
That thought stayed with Hashirama.
Over the next few days, Karma continued training.
But Hashirama began noticing something else.
Karma's eyes.
The first time he noticed it, Karma was practicing Lightning Release.
His golden eyes suddenly changed.
The strange pattern appeared around his pupils.
Hashirama immediately stopped.
"Karma."
Karma looked over.
"What?"
"Your eyes."
Karma's expression changed.
He deactivated them.
"Oh."
Hashirama stared at him.
"You've done that before."
"Yes."
"When?"
Karma hesitated.
"My birthday."
Hashirama's expression became serious.
"You didn't tell me."
"I wasn't sure what they were."
Hashirama sat down.
"Then tell me everything."
Karma explained what had happened.
The change in his eyes.
The strange sensation.
The difference in perception.
Everything he had noticed so far.
Hashirama listened carefully.
"Can you activate them now?"
Karma nodded.
His eyes changed again.
Hashirama studied them.
"Can you see my chakra differently?"
"Yes."
"How?"
Karma stared at him.
"It's hard to explain."
Hashirama moved around him.
Karma's eyes followed.
"There are things I can notice now that I couldn't before."
"Like?"
"Small changes."
Karma pointed toward Hashirama's hand.
"Your chakra changes slightly when you prepare a technique."
Hashirama looked at his hand.
Karma was right.
He had noticed a change that would have been almost impossible for an ordinary shinobi to detect.
Hashirama continued testing.
They tried different distances.
Different chakra levels.
Different forms of eye contact.
They tested Karma's perception against objects, animals and eventually Hashirama himself.
They still didn't know exactly what the dojutsu could do.
But one thing became obvious.
It wasn't a normal dojutsu.
And its potential was enormous.
Hashirama finally looked at Karma.
"We need Madara."
Karma nodded.
"I thought you'd say that."
They found Madara later that day.
He immediately noticed the seriousness in Hashirama's expression.
"What happened?"
Hashirama looked at Karma.
"Show him."
Karma activated his eyes.
Madara's expression changed.
He stepped closer.
"Those aren't normal eyes."
"No."
"What are they?"
"Kanzen Saimin."
Madara repeated the name silently.
"Where did you get them?"
Karma didn't answer.
Hashirama spoke instead.
"He was born with them. They awakened on his fifth birthday."
Madara stared at Karma.
Then at his eyes.
"Can you use them?"
"Not properly yet."
Madara's expression became thoughtful.
"Then we need to find out exactly what they can do."
The three spent the next several hours experimenting.
Madara approached the problem differently from Hashirama.
He understood dojutsu.
More importantly, he understood genjutsu.
He tested Karma's perception, his ability to notice subtle movements, his reaction to visual deception and his ability to maintain concentration while the dojutsu was active.
Slowly, Madara's expression became more serious.
"This is dangerous."
Hashirama nodded.
"I know."
"No."
Madara looked at him.
"You don't understand."
He looked toward Karma.
"If this ability develops the way I think it might, it won't simply be another powerful dojutsu."
Karma listened carefully.
"It could become a weapon capable of deciding battles before they even begin."
Hashirama frowned.
Madara continued.
"Genjutsu is already dangerous because it attacks the mind. If his eyes can influence perception on this level…"
He didn't finish.
He didn't need to.
Karma understood.
Madara looked directly at him.
"Who knows?"
"Only Hashirama-sensei."
Madara looked at Hashirama.
"Then it stays that way."
Hashirama nodded.
Karma frowned.
"Even Tobirama-sensei?"
"Especially Tobirama."
Karma understood the reasoning.
Tobirama would immediately begin studying the ability.
Not because he wanted to hurt Karma.
Because that was simply who Tobirama was.
He would analyze every detail.
Every weakness.
Every possible application.
And once the information existed on paper, there was always a chance it could eventually leave the village.
Mito was different.
She was family.
But Hashirama still shook his head.
"Not yet."
Karma looked at him.
"Why not Mito nee-san?"
"Because we don't understand it yet."
Hashirama placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Until we know exactly what we're dealing with, the fewer people who know, the safer you are."
Madara nodded.
"From now on, don't activate those eyes around anyone unless you absolutely need to."
Karma nodded.
"Understood."
Madara looked at Hashirama.
"I'll handle his dojutsu training."
Hashirama smiled.
"I was thinking the same thing."
Karma looked at Madara.
"So you're officially my dojutsu sensei now?"
Madara crossed his arms.
"And your genjutsu sensei."
Karma grinned.
"Nice."
Hashirama pointed at himself.
"And I'll handle everything else."
"Lightning?"
"Lightning."
"Taijutsu?"
"Yes."
"Chakra control?"
"Yes."
"Shurikenjutsu?"
"Yes."
Karma thought for a moment.
"Can I still annoy Tobirama-sensei?"
Hashirama laughed.
Madara smirked.
"That's your own responsibility."
Karma nodded seriously.
"Understood."
Madara looked at him.
"One more thing."
"What?"
"Don't let this power make you careless."
Karma's smile faded slightly.
"I won't."
Madara nodded.
"Good."
The training arrangement had changed.
Hashirama would continue developing Karma's overall shinobi foundation.
Madara would take responsibility for his dojutsu and genjutsu.
And the existence of Kanzen Saimin would remain a secret known only to the three of them.
For now.
Karma looked down at his hands.
He had spent his entire life thinking about how strong he could become.
Now, for the first time, he possessed an ability that even Hashirama and Madara couldn't fully understand.
There was excitement in that.
But there was also responsibility.
Karma smiled.
'I'll master it.'
'Just like everything else.'
And somewhere deep inside Konoha, a secret had begun to grow.
A secret that, if discovered too early, could change the balance of the entire shinobi world.