Under normal circumstances, given Satomi's usual personality, she would have refused such an unreasonable request outright.
But this matter was simply too important to Shimizu. He had to understand what exactly had changed within his body. And at present, only the Byakugan's unparalleled perception could help him uncover the truth. On top of that, the matter had to remain absolutely confidential.
Perhaps because of that urgency, his tone had unconsciously turned firm—serious, even domineering, leaving little room for refusal.
For a moment, an awkward silence settled between them.
"Ahem… what I meant was…" Shimizu quickly realized he had overstepped. Satomi was, after all, merely his subordinate; making such a forceful demand was indeed inappropriate.
After all, who would casually ask someone with a kekkei genkai like the Byakugan to act as their personal training assistant?
"This is really important to me," he continued, his voice softening as he tried to explain himself. "And there's no one else I can trust with this… you just happen to have the ability to help."
When she still didn't respond, he clenched his teeth and added, "I can pay you."
Then, as if to emphasize his sincerity, he added, "I won't be stingy."
In truth, he had just sent all his savings to the Land of Artisans to commission a new set of Lightning Release chakra-infused kunai. At the moment, he was practically broke.
"It's alright… I understand what you mean, senpai." Satomi finally spoke, her voice gentle. "After all, you've saved my life twice. And this is something within my ability to help with."
And so, in the days that followed, Shimizu and Satomi met by the lakeside every day. Their prolonged contact and repeated experiments were all in pursuit of one goal—to uncover the nature of the anomaly within his body as quickly as possible.
What began as complete uncertainty gradually took shape through continuous testing and careful deduction. Eventually, Shimizu arrived at a theory that, while shocking, seemed increasingly plausible.
The fragment of Samehada that had once parasitized his body had, in order to survive, been assimilated by him and transformed into a kind of "organ" for storing chakra. Later, it had been shattered by heavenly lightning, breaking down and dissolving into his body, granting him a "devouring" attribute. Then, after his battle with the One-Tail…
It had been reborn within him.
There was now a living Samehada inside his body.
The moment this absurd conclusion took root, Shimizu felt completely unsettled.
Every morning when he woke up, he would subconsciously touch his face—
After all, Kisame's appearance was far too unforgettable.
As for how this "revival" had occurred, Shimizu could more or less piece together a rough explanation. Although he didn't fully understand the intricacies of Yin–Yang chakra, he grasped the basics: unlike the five fundamental natures—wind, fire, water, earth, and lightning—Yin and Yang represented more specialized transformations of chakra.
Yet in one respect, they were the same. Only those who possessed a particular nature could use techniques associated with it. A ninja with Yang Release could wield Yang techniques; one with Yin Release could wield Yin techniques.
Yin Release represented spiritual energy—the power to give form to the intangible. Yang Release, on the other hand, embodied physical vitality—the ability to breathe life into form.
And the chakra of a Tailed Beast Bomb was a carefully balanced fusion of both Yin and Yang.
Coincidentally, the Samehada that had dissolved into his body retained its devouring property…
Which meant that the formless, lifeless remnants of Samehada had absorbed the Yin–Yang chakra from the One-Tail—regaining not only a physical form, but life itself.
Ever since he had recovered, his appetite had been growing at an alarming rate—like that of a pregnant woman.
Except… it wasn't metaphorical at all.
He really was "pregnant."
The thought made Shimizu want to laugh and cry at the same time.
And this "Samehada" inside him… if it truly possessed such extraordinary abilities, then perhaps it was precisely because of it that he had managed to survive a direct hit from the One-Tail's Tailed Beast Bomb.
For a moment, a surge of anticipation rose within him.
If that was true, then this reborn Samehada might become an unimaginable asset.
But there was a problem.
This secret was no longer his alone.
No matter how much he tried to hide the events leading up to this point, the existence of Samehada inside his body was something he simply couldn't conceal from Satomi. As time passed, her Byakugan could already perceive it more clearly—the shape of it becoming more defined with each passing day.
Not only could he not hide it… he had no choice but to tell her a considerable portion of the truth. Only then could she help him learn how to draw on and control its power.
"Senpai, even now… it still doesn't work?" Satomi asked, her Byakugan fully activated. She could clearly see Shimizu's chakra wrapping around Samehada, yet for some reason, it couldn't be pulled out of his body.
If he couldn't draw it out, then he couldn't see its true form—and without that, he couldn't truly use its power.
Shimizu let out a helpless sigh. "Not at all…"
He had tried guiding it through his chakra points—no effect. He had even gone so far as to attempt releasing it through blood… which only earned him a few extra wounds.
Was the timing not right?
Or was his method wrong?
"By the way… what does it look like?" he asked.
"Like a small fish," Satomi said, gesturing with her hand. "About half the size of a palm."
Then, covering her mouth, she let out a soft laugh. "Senpai carrying a fish inside his body… that's quite a story. The ninja world has never seen anything like it."
Come to think of it… this was only the second time he had seen her smile like that.
"…Yeah, well, I still can't use it," Shimizu muttered, rubbing his forehead. "And now that your Byakugan can see it, I'm worried it's only a matter of time before someone else notices too."
"Maybe it simply hasn't grown enough to leave your body yet," Satomi suggested.
"…Maybe."
It was difficult to describe.
Samehada was definitely inside him—but not in the way he had originally imagined. It wasn't a simple parasite.
From Satomi's observations, it was now more like a fixed form of energy.
Unless that energy grew to a certain threshold, there was no way he could have even detected its presence in the first place.
Since every method he had tried had failed, there was only one option left—
Eat more.
Grow it.
Maybe once it matured, things would finally take a turn.
—
As the two of them wrapped up their session and prepared to head back, Satomi suddenly frowned.
Shimizu's expression sharpened instantly. "Something wrong?"
"Four ninja are approaching from our direction… about 1,500 meters away, southeast—five o'clock."
Enemies?
Wait…
Wasn't that the direction of Konoha's camp?
If they were enemies, that would mean the camp had already been wiped out.
The odds of that were… extremely low.
"Konoha ninja?" he asked.
Satomi shook her head. "I'm not sure…"
"Split up and hide. Confirm their identities first," Shimizu ordered immediately. "If anything happens, retreat at once and notify Tenyu. I'll hold them off."
"Yes!"
Moments later, the four figures entered their field of vision.
They weren't even trying to conceal themselves.
And at the front—
Shimizu's eyes narrowed.
Uchiha Fugaku.
What was he doing here?
This was the southernmost edge of the Lake of Tranquility—the safest area under their watch. Remote, quiet, and strategically insignificant.
Yet here he was, leading three other Uchiha ninja.
For a fleeting moment, a thought surfaced in Shimizu's mind—
Something isn't right.
Could it be… something that wasn't meant to be seen?
A secret.
A very big one.
Without a word, he signaled to Satomi within his line of sight, warning her not to act rashly.
Then, in perfect synchronization, the two of them suppressed their presence completely—melding into the stillness of the winter landscape.
...
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