Several days of travel passed in the blink of an eye.
After spending those days together—and with Shimizu constantly explaining things—Satomi had gained a clear understanding of the current state of the war.
"Senpai… do you think the Sand will break through Kikyō Castle?"
With an army of over ten thousand, anyone would be worried.
"Impossible. Konoha is far stronger than the Sand…"
"Then why would they go all in like this?"
For months now, the balance of the war had been slowly tipping in Sunagakure's favor…
And this time, the Sand had come prepared—bold enough to mobilize over ten thousand troops and march straight on Kikyō Castle. They had to be relying on something.
For a moment, countless thoughts crossed Shimizu's mind—
Tobi, the one who had ignited this war…
Madara, once a figure who stood above all, now lurking in the shadows…
And the other three great villages, watching like predators from the sidelines…
The battle of Kikyō Castle…
…would likely not be as simple as he'd hoped.
"They probably have a backup plan… but Konoha does too." As the strongest of the Five Great Nations, Konoha couldn't possibly be relying on just what was visible.
"Then, Senpai… are we heading straight back to Konoha first?"
"If possible, I'd rather find Kosuke-sensei first… though that means more detours." Shimizu knew full well that carrying someone made everything harder.
But until he confirmed his teacher's safety…
…he wouldn't be at ease.
Even with a burden slowing him down, as long as they made it back into the Land of Fire, he would continue searching for him.
"Senpai… why has your hair turned completely white?"
"…Feels like everyone's asked me that already. After I barely survived last time, I woke up like this."
Shimizu knew the sudden change in hair color was strange—suspicious, even.
But the truth was, he didn't know the reason himself.
Better to change the subject.
"By the way… I've noticed that aside from the Gentle Fist and the Byakugan, your Hyuga clan doesn't seem to train in other elemental techniques?"
Both clans possessed dojutsu, yet the Uchiha were also known for their powerful Fire Release.
And from what he remembered, Sasuke's Lightning Release was especially impressive.
Compared to that, the Hyuga seemed… more one-dimensional.
Was it that they couldn't? Or that they simply didn't bother?
"That's because the Hyuga have strict clan rules. Members aren't allowed to study other ninjutsu… it's to preserve the purity of the clan."
"…Is the Gentle Fist really that strong?" The moment the words left his mouth, Shimizu realized how foolish it sounded.
Who questions someone's signature technique right to their face?
But from what he remembered in his previous life…
…it hadn't seemed all that extraordinary. The Hyuga hadn't produced many truly top-tier fighters.
As for the Byakugan—based on his own experience—it seemed far more valuable for reconnaissance on the battlefield.
"It's very strong!" Satomi nodded firmly. "There's no enemy the Gentle Fist can't defeat!"
"If someone loses, it just means their mastery isn't good enough!"
The Gentle Fist was the Hyuga clan's hereditary taijutsu—a style that injected chakra into the opponent's body, damaging their chakra pathways and internal organs. Only with the Byakugan could its true power be fully realized.
"…That sounds a bit exaggerated," Shimizu said.
If it were really that powerful, he wouldn't think of the Byakugan as merely "decent."
"Internal organs can't be trained," Satomi said seriously. "So no matter how strong a ninja is, once they're struck by the Gentle Fist… it can be fatal."
"…When you put it that way, it does make sense."
Shimizu thought back to the Hyuga's battles.
It was true—any opponent who made physical contact with them would quickly become sluggish.
Their chakra flow would be disrupted.
And on the battlefield, for any shinobi…
…completely avoiding physical contact with an enemy was nearly impossible.
Even for him.
Thinking about it like that, the Hyuga clan's role in war was far more significant than he'd initially considered.
"What about that 'absolute defense' of yours?" Shimizu suddenly recalled. "The one where you release chakra from all your tenketsu while spinning—forming a spherical barrier that deflects attacks?"
This was a technique that could deflect all physical attacks—a true 360-degree, absolute defense with no blind spots.
Back when they faced that poison-using puppeteer, Satomi had handled the fight with remarkable ease…
Shimizu remembered it clearly—because he himself couldn't do the same.
"That's the Eight Trigrams: Rotation," Satomi explained. "It's originally a secret technique passed down within the Hyuga main family…"
"But you're not—?"
"I have a younger brother. He's a genius. Back when he was still a genin, he figured out Rotation on his own… and then taught it to me."
A genius.
Another one.
In Konoha, that word had practically lost its meaning.
Shimizu was starting to feel numb to it.
And then there was the second keyword—genin.
The most dangerous, highest-risk category in Konoha.
Still, what really intrigued Shimizu was whether an ordinary person could learn such an absolute defense. If it were possible—and could be widely taught—Konoha's strength would skyrocket.
So he asked directly,
"Is it possible for a normal person to learn Eight Trigrams: Rotation?"
"…No. Without the Byakugan, you wouldn't even know where the chakra points are," Satomi explained patiently. "The human body has a total of 361 chakra points. The entire chakra pathway system is incredibly complex—and extremely fragile. If chakra flows through it incorrectly, it could cause permanent, irreversible damage."
Then what about the Sharingan?
Could it see those chakra points?
It did have enhanced perception, after all…
…Probably not.
If it could, something like that would've shown up before.
But Shimizu had no memory of it.
"Got it. Thanks," he said thoughtfully.
"You're welcome, Senpai."
As the two grew more familiar with each other, their conversations gradually drifted beyond just shinobi matters…
…and into the small, ordinary details of life.
It wasn't that Shimizu deliberately steered things that way—
but endlessly traveling in silence was just too stifling.
Training at least brought a sense of progress.
But this kind of mechanical journey?
What kind of satisfaction did that offer?
So having a beautiful companion to talk to—even just to pass the time—was better than nothing.
He swore he wasn't thinking anything improper.
Kosuke-sensei's teachings still echoed clearly in his mind.
The Hyuga were one of Konoha's true noble clans.
For someone like him—a commoner—to get involved…
Just dealing with one Uchiha was already enough trouble.
If he added a Hyuga into the mix…
…it was hard to imagine how that would turn out.
By noon, they arrived at the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Earth.
"If we follow this road, it leads straight to the Land of Fire."
But along the way, Shimizu noticed something—
numerous wheel tracks.
The kind left behind by hundreds… even thousands of supply carts.
And these carts had likely only passed through the Land of Grass.
Their true destination…
…was probably the Land of Fire.
At a time like this, who would need to transport such massive quantities of supplies?
Only war.
And in the original course of the Third Great Ninja War, there had been conflicts between the Land of Earth and the Land of Fire.
"Is the Land of Earth preparing to invade the Land of Grass?"Satomi guessed. After all, the Land of Grass had long been a subordinate of Konoha—and rich in resources. The Earth had always coveted it.
"I suspect it's the Land of Fire."
"Are they... insane?"
"Konoha's a piece of fat meat. Everyone's waiting for the right moment to take a bite."
At that moment, dozens of chakra signatures appeared within Shimizu's sensory range—rapidly closing in on their position.
Passing by?
Or had they been discovered?
With someone on his back, deep in another nation's territory, and facing an unknown enemy force—
Shimizu made a decisive call.
He turned and began retreating toward the Land of Fire.
"Senpai?"
"Hold tight." His speed surged again. "We may have been exposed."
"Is it Iwa ninja?"
"Most likely."
After all, the Sand hadn't appeared for days—it was unlikely they'd chase this far into the Land of Earth.
"…Are there many of them?"
"Over thirty. About a full unit."
Satomi bit her lip. "Then maybe I—"
"I told you—no more chakra," Shimizu cut her off immediately.
"They won't catch us."
...
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