"Sahada!"
Yakumo looked at the sharp-spiked Sahada, but instead of disliking it, she felt unusually close and joyful. She reached out and grabbed the handle of Sahada. With Sougen watching nearby, Sahada didn't dare act out. It extended its handle willingly, like a small snake coiling around Yakumo's right arm.
"Amazing!"
Yakumo's eyes sparkled as she watched Sahada wrap around her arm.
Even though this wasn't her first ti seeing it, the excitent in her heart had never faded.
This was sothing from the world of ninjas that she had always dread of!
"Sahada, you may begin."
Sougen gently patted the blade of Sahada. The obedient Sahada had already retracted its sharp spikes. Upon hearing Sougen's command, it slightly twisted its body, and the handle tightened around Yakumo's arm. A special kind of energy slowly flowed out, being channeled bit by bit into Yakumo's body.
This was the most purified physical energy, refined by Sahada.
In other words, it was the power of Yang Release.
Of course, this could only be considered a basic form of Yang Release, far from the level of imbuing life into matter. However, even in its early stage, this energy was like a miraculous elixir for Yakumo. As Sahada continued to send in this refined energy, the pale and bloodless complexion that made Yakumo look like a figure from a painting gradually regained a touch of rosy color.
"Yang Release…"
Sougen activated his Sharingan, watching intently as Sahada transmitted the energy.
In the past, like Yakumo, he had always been on the receiving end of this process. Now, observing it from an outsider's perspective brought new insights. While Yin and Yang Release were grouped with the elental natures of Fire, Water, Wind, Lightning, and Earth, they were indeed of a higher order.
Before long, Sahada stopped the energy transfer. It wasn't that Sahada had run out of energy, but Yakumo's body could only handle so much. Too much of anything can be harmful, and even the best dicine can beco poison if overused. Given Yakumo's naturally weak and frail body, extra caution was needed in her case.
"How do you feel, Yakumo?"
Sougen asked with concern.
"Master, I feel like I could punch a bull to death!" The skinny little girl swung her slender arm with confidence, boasting loudly.
"Looks like it won't be long before you can attend the ninja academy with Fujika and the others!"
Sougen snapped his fingers, and Sahada imdiately retracted itself, obediently lying back on the table.
"Really, Master?"
Yakumo looked over expectantly.
"What good would it do to lie to a little girl?" Sougen smiled. "If my sealing technique were a bit better, you could've gone to the ninja academy even sooner."
"It's fine, Master! Being able to go to the academy at all makes happy. It doesn't matter if it's a little later."
Yakumo responded obediently.
"Are you really happy?"
Sougen didn't say much more. He had soone escort his disciple to rest. Just as people need ti to digest food, Yakumo's body needed ti to integrate this external energy. Fortunately, Sahada had already purified the energy, so the process would just take ti, without any complications.
He had so trouble of his own to take care of!
Outside the window, a crow raised by Shisui stood on the windowsill, looking in.
---
"Fujika! Fujika! Don't run too far; we've already left the police force's compound. Sougen will have a hard ti finding us!" Naruto chased after her, yelling, but it was clear he couldn't stop their leader from doing as she pleased.
Sasuke followed closely, not falling behind.
In reality, he didn't have much choice. Although he didn't get along well with Fujika, the problem was that after leaving the ninja academy, he had no friends besides Fujika and Naruto.
Currently, in their clan, only he and Fujika attended the academy; the other kids their age were receiving family education. To be honest, when they t, they'd just say hello and go their separate ways.
After accidentally blowing a hole in the academy's main building with a Fireball Jutsu and skipping class, Sasuke didn't want to go ho, so he ended up tagging along with Fujika and Naruto.
They left the police compound, moving through a sparsely populated alley toward a nearby park.
"Naruto, you're too noisy!"
Annoyed by the racket, Fujika turned to scold her little brother, but she didn't notice the figure suddenly appearing ahead and bumped straight into the person. Unlike the first day of school when she knocked Naruto down, this ti, she ended up flat on her back.
"Fujika!"
Naruto and Sasuke rushed to help her up.
They stared warily at the man in front of them, noticing he was wearing a forehead protector that wasn't from Konoha.
"Hey, Konoha brats! Why don't you watch where you're going? What do you think those eyes of yours are for?"
The stranger glared at Naruto and his friends with a fierce expression.
He wore a deep gray ninja vest, different from Konoha's style, and his forehead protector… Sasuke recalled what he'd learned in class—this was a ninja from the Mist Village.
"Sorry, it was my fault for bumping into you!" Fujika pushed Naruto and Sasuke aside, apologizing loudly.
When you make a mistake, you should admit it. The pride of the Uchiha wasn't about never making mistakes; it was about being brave enough to own up to them. This was what her brother had taught her. Mistakes are a natural part of life, but what's shaful is refusing to admit them.
She didn't fully understand those words yet, but she rembered that when you make a mistake, you should apologize. It was the right thing to do.
"Hey, little girl, do you think a simple apology is enough? I'm pretty sure you've broken one of my ribs!" The Mist ninja sneered, clearly not intending to let them off the hook so easily. His bad attitude made it obvious he was looking for trouble—and he was doing it with several Konoha ninjas watching from a distance.
Behind him, three Chunin in green vests hesitated, unsure of what to do.
They were embassy staff, responsible for hosting visitors from other countries and villages.
Logically, this was Konoha, and an outsider shouldn't be throwing their weight around here. But ever since the incident two years ago, when a Cloud Village envoy died and the Hyuga clan had to sacrifice one of their branch mbers to resolve the crisis, the embassy staff had been more cautious.
If even the powerful Hyuga clan had paid such a high price, these civilians-turned-ninjas were in no position to bear the consequences of angering the Mist Village envoy. If things went wrong, they'd likely be sacrificed to appease the Mist ninja's anger.
"So, what do you want, then?"
Fujika stood her ground, staring down the Mist ninja.
"Haha! As expected of an Uchiha kid. Did you know that my father and two brothers were killed by your clan? To teach you a lesson for bumping into , hand over your eyes!" As he spoke, the Mist ninja reached out to grab Fujika.
(End of Chapter)
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