Shisui's helplessness—and his decision to seek help—was easy enough to understand.
Uchiha Fugaku was not only his senior, but also the head of the clan, and in many ways, half a teacher to him. How could a nine-year-old like Shisui possibly stop someone like that from acting on his own will?
Even so, for Shimizu—an outsider to the Uchiha—to directly interfere in such a matter didn't feel entirely appropriate.
After all, Itachi was Fugaku's own son.
After turning it over in his mind, Shimizu came to a conclusion: this was something only the Third Hokage could handle. And since he already had business with him, he might as well bring it up together.
"I understand," Shimizu said at last, giving Shisui a reassuring look. "I'll think of a way."
"Thank you, sensei!" Shisui bowed deeply, his voice filled with sincerity.
"It's nothing," Shimizu waved it off casually.
That calm confidence steadied Shisui's heart. As expected—his teacher could handle it.
"How's your training been lately?" Shimizu asked. "Any problems?"
"I've been working on everything you taught me, focusing on targeted practice, and I've made a lot of progress," Shisui replied. Then his expression dimmed slightly. "But the idea I mentioned last time—combining genjutsu with the Body Flicker Technique… I still can't find the key."
Shimizu could see the frustration in him and smiled faintly. "Don't rush it. You've only just started and you're already expecting to break through?"
He paused, then added, more seriously, "Creating a new technique is far more difficult than it sounds. Those who've tried it know that better than anyone."
"This kind of setback is nothing. Have a little more confidence in yourself."
"Yes, sensei!"
Shimizu wasn't worried. Someone like Shisui—one of those rare, true geniuses—wasn't lacking talent, only time.
After all, Shimizu himself had already successfully refined his earlier ideas into an improved version of Dance of the Crescent Moon.
Not only that, but through his recent focus on Wind Release, he had also begun to grasp several techniques he had once acquired from fallen Sand ninjas—Vacuum Sphere, Vacuum Waves, and Wind Blade.
...
Upon arriving at the Hokage's office, Shimizu found the Third Hokage exactly as expected, buried beneath a mountain of documents and reports.
No matter how trivial the matter, the old man insisted on reviewing everything personally. Shimizu had seen it with his own eyes—night after night of tireless work.
"Ah, Shimizu," the Third Hokage said kindly, setting down the file in his hands.
"Hokage-sama," Shimizu replied, getting straight to the point. "I have a question—about improving chakra control."
"Oh? Are you planning to study genjutsu?" the Hokage asked.
"…No," Shimizu answered instinctively, then hesitated.
Genjutsu was something he would inevitably have to face sooner or later.
"…Yes."
He then explained the problem he and Kakashi had been working on, laying out their thoughts in detail and asking for the Hokage's perspective.
"The Third Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode…" the Hokage murmured, recalling what he knew. "It's a powerful form of taijutsu, capable of greatly enhancing one's strength. But in all these years, no one else has truly succeeded in replicating it."
"Are there strict requirements?" Shimizu asked.
"There are," the Hokage replied. "I once studied it myself, but I was stopped at the very beginning—by the extremely demanding physical requirements."
Shimizu's eyes sharpened. "You mean… you managed to understand the underlying principles of the technique?"
The Hokage gave a faint, self-deprecating smile. "I wouldn't go that far. I simply realized that anyone attempting to learn it must possess an exceptionally high level of physical conditioning."
He paused, then continued more seriously, "Without a sufficiently strong body, forcing Lightning Release chakra through your system would place immense strain on your cells—causing severe and irreversible damage."
Shimizu felt a chill run through him.
"…And what level of conditioning is required?"
The Hokage looked at him steadily before answering.
"By my estimation… at the very least, you'd need a body capable of enduring the Sixth Gate of the Eight Gates—or perhaps even higher."
To even begin using the Eight Gates, one had to undergo training that was beyond ordinary limits—prolonged, extreme, and relentlessly pushing the body past its breaking point. Only through such brutal conditioning could every part of the body gradually adapt to the immense strain unleashed when the gates were opened, minimizing the destructive toll that overwhelming surge of energy would otherwise inflict.
And in all of Konoha, there was only one person who had truly mastered it: Might Duy, the father of the young genin Might Guy. It had taken him twenty full years of grueling effort to reach that level.
But in Shimizu's eyes, Duy was a natural-born genius when it came to taijutsu. No matter who you replaced him with—even himself—there was simply no competing with that kind of innate talent.
"So until your physical condition reaches that standard," the Third Hokage said firmly, "do not attempt to coat your entire body in Lightning Release chakra."
His expression turned grave as he added, "Otherwise… your body will collapse."
Shimizu hesitated, then voiced another concern. "But if that's the case… wouldn't applying Lightning chakra to the eyes also be dangerous?"
"In theory, yes…" the Hokage said after a moment of thought. "As for why Kakashi has succeeded without any apparent side effects, there must be other factors at play."
"Of course, it's also possible that the damage has already begun, and he simply hasn't realized it yet."
"I'll speak with Kakashi about this later."
Those words felt like a door slamming shut.
So this path… was completely cut off for him?
The crushing drop—from the heights of possibility straight down into cold reality—left Shimizu momentarily hollow.
Sensing his disappointment, the Third Hokage let out a quiet sigh. "Shimizu, strength is important, yes. But the eyes are extremely fragile. You must be cautious."
Shimizu lowered his head, remaining silent.
"I once considered trading the Eight Gates technique for the Third Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode," the Hokage continued with a wry smile. "But in the end, it was meaningless. Duy is the only one in Konoha who can use the Eight Gates, and he lacks talent in ninjutsu. Even if we obtained that technique, it would be little more than decoration."
"Over the years, how many people have truly inherited the Third Raikage's legacy? Think about how many Lightning Release specialists exist in Kumogakure…"
He paused, then spoke more gently.
"Even if this path is closed to you, there's no need to be discouraged."
"…Understood." Shimizu nodded.
If he had learned all this after gaining sufficient chakra control, he might have already experimented on himself.
As for whether the outcome would have been good or disastrous… that was now something he could only imagine.
The Hokage had made the consequences sound far too severe for him to take the risk lightly.
If he ruined his eyes, what then?
Go and replace them with a pair of Sharingan?
The thought alone made him grimace.
"So…" the Hokage said with a faint chuckle, "are you still interested in improving your chakra control?"
"Yes," Shimizu replied without hesitation. "I want to learn genjutsu."
He thought of Amane.
Amane's genjutsu was quite refined, yet he only used it at the most critical moments.
In Shimizu's view, genjutsu didn't need to be flashy—so long as it was used at the right time, it could produce unexpected and decisive results.
And then, unbidden, another memory surfaced—
Back at the academy, his genjutsu scores had been near the bottom of the class.
That…
That had truly been a disgrace.
...
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