Before long, the Third Hokage passed on all of his insights to Shimizu and even explained the training methods in detail.
As expected of the Hokage.
Shimizu had actually asked his old instructor, Kosuke-sensei, about similar issues years ago, but the depth of his understanding had been limited. Perhaps it was because the Second Hokage had never personally taught him in that area.
Before leaving, Shimizu also brought up Shisui's concern. In truth, he was curious—what exactly was the Third Hokage's stance toward the Uchiha clan?
After all, in another life, the Uchiha massacre had taken place. It was hard to believe the Third Hokage had been completely unaware of it. By any reasonable deduction, such an event could not have happened without at least his tacit approval.
"…So this is about that Uchiha prodigy, Shisui," the Third Hokage said, his brows knitting slightly.
He seemed… troubled.
"Yes," Shimizu replied quickly. "Setting aside his strength and talent, he's a genuinely good child. His temperament is rare among ninja—kind and gentle."
He made sure to speak well of Shisui.
"…That may be so. Recently, Fugaku submitted a request to be transferred to the frontlines against Iwagakure. I've reviewed his personnel list, and Uchiha Itachi's name wasn't on it."
"That's because Itachi isn't a ninja yet?" Shimizu asked.
It made sense. The list only included registered ninja, and Itachi hadn't even begun refining chakra. Technically, he didn't qualify.
So… was this a loophole?
"I'll verify the list again," the Hokage said, offering reassurance. "If what you're saying is true, I'll handle it through proper channels."
After all, if civilians were dragged into a ninja war and suffered casualties, the responsibility would fall squarely on the Hokage's shoulders.
Naturally, he would take this seriously.
"Thank you, Hokage-sama."
With that assurance, Shimizu finally let go of his concerns. There was no way the Hokage would go back on his word over something like this.
And in the grand scheme of things, it was a small matter.
—
By mid-November, Shimizu and his 17th Regiment were once again dispatched to the frontlines. Among those traveling with him were members of the Uchiha clan led by Fugaku, as well as Minato's Third ANBU Corps.
It was only then that Shimizu confirmed Itachi had not been brought along. It seemed the Third Hokage had indeed intervened.
However, their assignments diverged.
Shimizu and the Uchiha forces were sent to the southern region of the Land of Grass, bordering the Land of Rain. Meanwhile, Minato was deployed to the north, near the border between the Land of Grass and the Land of Waterfalls.
Previously, Konoha had focused its defenses along the central front. But according to the latest ANBU intelligence, Iwagakure forces had begun appearing along both the northern and southern routes leading into the Land of Fire—and in significant numbers.
In response, Konoha mobilized reinforcements from all directions, sending them to the frontlines to prepare for the coming invasion.
After three days of marching, Shimizu arrived and reported in, receiving his mission:
To scout a valley located at the junction of the Land of Grass, the Land of Fire, and the Land of Rain, and to establish a forward outpost there to guard against Iwagakure forces advancing along the border.
The 17th Regiment had suffered considerable losses during the Battle of Kikyo Castle, but fresh reinforcements had been assigned. Among them were capable ninja such as Hyuga Satomi and Inohara Amane.
Thinking back to when he first saw their names on the roster, Shimizu had indeed been slightly surprised.
…Though what lingered more vividly in his mind was a certain overwhelming impression—one that was, frankly, difficult to ignore.
That said, it wasn't a bad thing—who wouldn't want more reliable teammates?
Shimizu held his position at that valley, and before he knew it, winter had arrived.
This was the nature of ninja warfare: long stretches of probing, reconnaissance, and quiet tension. Most of the time was spent gathering intelligence and testing the enemy. But once a full-scale war broke out, it rarely dragged on for long.
Near their valley lay a sizable lake, one that bordered all three neighboring nations. Nestled within the mountains and sheltered from strong winds year-round, its surface remained eerily still, earning it the name Lake of Tranquility.
Shimizu had stationed only about a third of his forces around the valley itself, while placing a greater concentration around the lake. This decision had drawn skepticism from some of the more experienced ninja.
But as months passed without incident, the doubts gradually faded.
Because they were in wartime, Shimizu had to maintain a certain level of chakra at all times. His training, therefore, was kept measured—never pushing himself to exhaustion.
One thing he never neglected, however, was his chakra control training.
Now that the first snow had fallen, it was the perfect opportunity to test his progress.
The Third Hokage had once told him that if he could sprint across snow while leaving only the faintest traces of footprints, it would mean his chakra control had reached a new level.
But after months of effort…
His footprints didn't seem any shallower than before.
This…
He knew he wasn't particularly gifted in this area, but this level of mediocrity was almost insulting.
"Senpai, are you training your chakra control?"
A voice suddenly came from the side—it was Satomi.
Shimizu didn't bother hiding it. There was nothing embarrassing about it anyway. "Yeah. It's one of my weak points."
As he spoke, he casually glanced in the direction she had come from—
—and froze.
Across the vast stretch of untouched snow, there wasn't a single footprint.
None at all.
…Did she fly here?!
"How are there no footprints?" he blurted out.
Satomi seemed to understand his confusion and explained calmly, "Because of the Byakugan, our Hyuga clan can distribute and control chakra with extremely high precision."
Right. A kekkei genkai.
Of course.
"I've been training for months, but I haven't improved much," Shimizu said, stepping forward and deliberately leaving a few fresh prints in the snow. "Can you tell what I'm doing wrong?"
Satomi activated her Byakugan.
After observing carefully, she said, "Senpai, your chakra flow isn't smooth."
"What do you mean?"
"It's as if there's another force interfering with the flow of your chakra, causing a kind of delay or resistance. I think that's why you haven't seen much improvement."
"Another force?" Shimizu frowned.
"Yes…" Satomi's gaze sharpened as she focused. "It's very faint, but it's definitely there. Whenever you try to precisely extract or distribute chakra, it disrupts the natural flow within your body."
Shimizu fell silent.
What now…?
Why is my body acting up again?
Could it be something the Sage of Six Paths had done?
"Can't you feel it?" Satomi asked.
"Do I look like I know?" Shimizu shot back dryly.
Then, as if recalling something, he quickly asked, "The last time you helped me with my chakra points—did you notice anything like this?"
Satomi tilted her head, thinking carefully. "…No."
So it had nothing to do with the Sage?
"Then… is that force some kind of chakra?" he pressed.
She hesitated. "…I think so?"
That only made things more confusing.
His body had always been fine. There was no way something like this could have changed without him noticing.
If he ruled everything else out…
Then it could only be related to that time—after he came into contact with Shukaku's Tailed Beast Bomb.
Did something happen while he was unconscious?
What could have caused it?
Shimizu racked his brain, trying to recall everything from the moment his Chidori collided with Shukaku's jaw.
But all he remembered was an overwhelming flash of light and heat—
—and then nothing.
"Satomi," he said finally, his tone turning serious, "I need your help. I have to figure out what that force is."
He paused, then added firmly:
"And don't tell anyone about this."
"Anyone."