After the jōnin promotion ceremony ended, Shimizu returned straight to Training Ground 43 and threw himself back into practice.
This long period of recovery had given him something precious—time. Time to refine, to experiment, to push his limits further than before.
Take Dance of the Crescent Moon, for example. By now, he had almost completely finished modifying the technique.
Whenever he executed it, three afterimages would split off and strike from different directions, each unleashing a volley of wind blades from a distance before closing in.
The concept of these wind blades came from combining two sources: the signature technique of his senior, Hayama Shirakumo—Vacuum Blade—and the Wind Release blade technique he had obtained earlier from the remains of a fallen Sand ninja.
By fusing the two, Shimizu had created his own version of a "wind blade"—one with a range of just over a dozen meters, modest compared to its inspirations, but still packing respectable power.
There was, however, a limitation. Each swing of his sword could only produce a single blade.
In terms of sheer visual impact and pressure on the opponent, it still fell short of Hayama's Vacuum Blade.
But to Shimizu, this was already a breakthrough.
Creating a technique of one's own was far harder than it sounded—something only those who had tried could truly understand.
More importantly, the essence of Dance of the Crescent Moon lay in deception—using afterimages to confuse the enemy and create an opening for a decisive, lethal strike from the original body.
Now, even his afterimages possessed killing power.
That wasn't just improvement.
It was a qualitative leap.
"Senpai!"
Shimizu turned at the call. "Yo, Kakashi. What brings you here?"
"I wanted to ask you something," Kakashi said, his tone respectful. "I happened to see your sword technique just now… it was incredible."
Shimizu gave a small shrug, though his gaze lingered briefly on the short blade at Kakashi's waist—the keepsake left behind by the White Fang.
Strangely, Kakashi didn't seem particularly attached to it.
Instead, his focus remained firmly on Lightning Release.
"It's about what you mentioned last time," Kakashi continued. "The idea of coating the entire body with Lightning Release chakra…"
Shimizu nodded.
Not long after returning from Takigakure, he had shared everything he knew about the Third Raikage's Lightning Chakra Mode with Kakashi—along with his own thoughts and speculation—without holding anything back.
Shimizu himself didn't have the time, nor the innate talent, to develop such a technique.
But Kakashi did.
"I think trying to spread Lightning Release chakra across the whole body at once is too difficult," Kakashi said thoughtfully. "Maybe we should start with just one part of the body first."
The Lightning Chakra Mode only achieved its true power when it covered the entire body.
But applying it to just one part… could that even work?
"Have you tried it?" Shimizu asked.
"I have," Kakashi replied, nodding with certainty. "And it works."
As he spoke, he immediately channeled Lightning Release chakra into his eyes.
A faint blue glow flickered within them.
Shimizu's heartbeat quickened instantly, pounding so hard it almost echoed in his ears. Even his voice came out unsteady.
"…What kind of effect does it have?"
"I can see things more clearly now," Kakashi explained. "For example, when I use Chidori, I usually have to rely on prediction to land a hit."
"Because the speed is too fast—I can't clearly see the opponent's movements."
"But now, it's different. I can keep up."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone calm but carrying a quiet certainty.
"I think I may have broken past the limits of my neural response. No matter how fast I move, my eyes can keep up with that speed."
Shimizu froze.
This…
Isn't this basically a form of enhanced perception, like the Sharingan or the Byakugan?
One of Chidori's greatest weaknesses was exactly this—the user's speed outpacing their own vision, leaving them vulnerable.
But what Kakashi had just achieved…
It wasn't just a solution to Chidori's flaw.
It was another doorway entirely.
In that moment, Shimizu felt as though he had glimpsed a path leading to an even higher level.
If he could maintain clarity of vision at extreme speeds, his offense and defense would become far more fluid, far more precise.
Until now, few enemies could keep up with his movements—let alone predict them.
But the Sharingan could.
The Byakugan could.
And if one day he was forced to face an opponent like that…
By that point, his speed—once his greatest advantage—might instead become a fatal weakness.
"Kakashi… you really are a genius."
"Not really…" Kakashi scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.
Before long, he explained in full how he had managed to channel Lightning Release chakra into his eyes, along with the insights he had gained during the process.
To Shimizu, it didn't sound impossibly difficult. If Kakashi could figure it out in just a few months, then with his own understanding of Lightning Release, there was no reason it should take him any longer.
Still, a concern surfaced almost immediately.
"Kakashi, when you were developing this technique… weren't you worried about backlash from the Lightning chakra?"
That fear had been precisely what stopped Shimizu from taking concrete steps toward developing a full Lightning Chakra Mode.
Kakashi blinked. "As long as you can control the threshold, it should be fine, right?"
"…What do you mean by that?"
Kakashi patiently broke it down for him.
Only then did Shimizu fully understand.
It all came down to extremely precise chakra control.
In simpler terms—
Kakashi just had better talent.
If that was the case, then for someone like Shimizu, whose aptitude in that area was… average at best, wouldn't this technique be incredibly difficult just to get started?
Still, it wasn't hopeless.
Chakra control could be trained, and if there was anyone who could guide him, it would be the Third Hokage. Asking for advice on improving in that area was the obvious next step.
"Kakashi, keep at it. I've got something to take care of," Shimizu said quickly, already turning to leave.
He headed straight for the Hokage Building, a sense of urgency rising in his chest.
He needed to know—how could he improve his chakra control as quickly as possible?
He had studied it before, of course, but the results had always been underwhelming. And this kind of thing relied heavily on talent. In the past, whenever something leaned too much on innate ability, Shimizu would simply give up.
But this time…
He couldn't.
Not anymore.
Even his genjutsu was being held back by his mediocre chakra control.
"Sensei!"
A figure flashed past in his peripheral vision.
…Shisui?
Shimizu immediately turned back, a faint smile appearing on his face. "Shisui."
"You seem to be in a hurry, sensei. Is something wrong?"
"Yeah, I've got something urgent. What is it?"
Shisui lowered his head politely. "Ah—then I'll wait until you're—"
"Just say it," Shimizu interrupted gently.
For this student—his only one, blessed with both talent and a kekkei genkai, and more importantly, a good heart—Shimizu was always willing to spare the time.
Who knew? Maybe he could raise another eleven-year-old jōnin.
Besides, Shisui had clearly come all the way to Training Ground 43 to find him. It had to be something important.
Shisui spoke without hesitation. "Sensei… Fugaku-sana wants to take Itachi to the battlefield."
Shimizu's expression shifted slightly.
"I don't think that's appropriate," Shisui continued. "Itachi is still too young. A ninja's life doesn't have to begin at such an early age."
The Uchiha clan had always had a tradition—awakening the Sharingan early, often through intense emotional stimulation.
Was Fugaku planning to use the cruelty of war to force Itachi's awakening?
What a responsible clan head… Shimizu thought dryly.
"Itachi is really adorable," Shisui added, his voice softening. "I like him a lot. I think of him as my own little brother, so I want him to have a happy childhood… but I can't stop Fugaku-sama."
Good.
When faced with a problem, come to your teacher.
That was something Shimizu had always drilled into him—and clearly, Shisui had taken it to heart.
At the very least, it meant he wouldn't quietly get pulled away by Root without anyone noticing.
The results of his guidance were starting to show.
Not bad at all.