Kakashi stepped in front of Shigure and asked, "Did you do this on purpose?"
Shigure, who had been watching the clearly thrilled Sasuke, turned at the question. He smiled faintly but didn't respond.
Kakashi frowned. The silence only deepened his uncertainty—had Shigure really planned all of this?
He then turned his gaze toward Naruto, who was still panting heavily. "The Rasengan… did you teach it to him?"
"Ah, yeah," Shigure replied casually.
"How could you…"
Did Kakashi even need to ask?
"When I was practicing chakra control," Shigure explained, "I happened to discover this technique. It's simple, but incredibly powerful. I thought it suited Naruto, so I taught it to him."
A coincidence?
Kakashi narrowed his eyes. Was Shigure claiming he created the Rasengan?
That was impossible. Kakashi knew full well—the Rasengan was developed by the Fourth Hokage after years of painstaking research. How could Shigure possibly—
Just then, Kakashi's thoughts were interrupted as Shigure raised his hand. Threads of chakra began extending from his fingers—each one sharp, thin, and visibly dense.
Without moving, Shigure swung his hand, and the chakra threads shot across the training field, latching onto the ninja sword Zangetsu, which had been resting in the distance.
In a single smooth motion, he pulled the blade back to him, catching it and strapping it behind his waist.
"Training's done for today. Let's head back."
Kakashi stared, stunned.
Earlier, the idea that Shigure had created the Rasengan seemed absurd. But now... he wasn't so sure.
Chakra threads—a technique so advanced that only skilled puppeteers from Sunagakure could typically use it. Yet Shigure, who hadn't studied any form of puppetry, had just performed it effortlessly. Not only that, but his threads had enough strength and control to retrieve a weapon in mid-combat.
Was this kid... a monster?
Kakashi clenched his jaw. "Maybe… he really did develop the Rasengan himself…"
Shigure didn't bother explaining further. There was no need. The best way to reveal his uniqueness was little by little—give others time to adapt.
The Rasengan was merely his first step. In time, with the help of the Great Sage's calculations, he would develop far more powerful techniques. He couldn't stop to explain them all.
Better to let others label him a genius. It would make everything simpler.
Still, one thing had disappointed him.
He hadn't been able to acquire the Sharingan bloodline, even after analyzing Sasuke with the Great Sage.
[Great Sage: Analysis complete. Target meets the condition for eye awakening. Only minimal stimulation is required to trigger the Sharingan.]
That was the result the Great Sage had given him—not access to the bloodline itself, but a message indicating Sasuke was already on the verge of unlocking his ocular powers.
Still, that result wasn't worthless. In fact, it revealed a new application for the Great Sage—it could analyze not only Ninjutsu, but people.
By examining others, Shigure could potentially uncover their weaknesses, strengths, and growth potential.
In combat, this was invaluable.
So even if he didn't gain the Uchiha's Kekkei Genkai, he'd still walked away with something useful.
When the group returned to their lodgings, they found a villager waiting for them.
The man held a sword in his arms, and the sight of it instantly made Kakashi wary.
"This is…"
Upon seeing them, the villager quickly stood and asked, "Excuse me, which one of you is Lord Shigure?"
Shigure blinked. "That would be me."
"This was entrusted to us to deliver to you."
The villager stepped forward, revealing the sword—the Executioner's Blade.
Shigure's eyes narrowed. What was the meaning of this?
"Who gave this to you?" he asked.
"A very beautiful girl! Definitely a girl!" the villager said with certainty.
Haku, Shigure realized immediately.
"Did she say anything?"
"She said, 'Thank you,' and that she'll do whatever you ask."
Shigure looked down at the massive blade in his hands.
So… Zabuza had made his choice.
This sword wasn't just a weapon. It was a message.
The Demon of the Hidden Mist no longer existed. Zabuza had stepped away from that path.
Good.
Shigure nodded in satisfaction. The chance he had given Zabuza had not been wasted.
"All right, I understand. Thank you."
The villager smiled and took his leave.
Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke stood nearby, their eyes on the sword.
"That blade… it came from the one who left with Zabuza, right?" Kakashi asked.
Naruto frowned. "Why would he give you Zabuza's sword?"
Sasuke was confused too. "Yeah… there's no reason to do that."
Shigure chuckled. "Maybe he's let go of his hatred. Maybe it means he no longer wants revenge."
Kakashi considered that for a moment. "Or… maybe he believes only your swordsmanship is worthy of Zabuza's blade."
Naruto and Sasuke didn't fully understand, but Kakashi did.
Among warriors, respect between opponents is normal.
"Either way," Shigure said, slinging the Executioner's Blade over his shoulder, "whatever the reason, it's fine by me."
Shigure sealed the Executioner's Blade into a storage scroll.
He already had Zangetsu, so he didn't need Zabuza's weapon—but it was still worth keeping. A blade like that might come in handy someday.
Over the next few days, Shigure remained in his room, completely focused on his physical training.
His goal was clear: to enhance his body as quickly as possible.
And with the support of his passive skill bar, the improvements were tangible. In just three days, his body had grown noticeably stronger—more powerful, faster, and with significantly greater stamina.
But that wasn't all.
Something was changing inside him.
His skin had toughened to the point where even a shallow slice with a kunai barely left a mark. While a more forceful blow could still break the surface, the shift was undeniable—his body was becoming resilient, hardened beyond the norm.
Shigure couldn't hide his excitement.
If he kept progressing at this pace, he might eventually reach a state where ordinary attacks couldn't even scratch him—a nearly indestructible body.
With time, he could become a human fortress.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
And just as he had planned, Shigure's body finally met the requirements for the fusion of two Kekkei Genkai.
It was time to return to Konoha.
Time to begin the next phase—integrating Boiling Release and Ice Release.
What would happen when two opposing elemental bloodlines merged?
Shigure didn't know. But he was eager to find out.
With anticipation rising, he increased his pace on the journey home.
Beside him, Sasuke was pestering Kakashi for ninjutsu training. Kakashi, with his usual laid-back tone, promised to teach him once they were back in the village.
That lit a fire under Sasuke.
Motivated by the prospect of growing stronger, he too began moving faster. Both he and Shigure were eager to return.
And thanks to their urgency, the group made excellent time.
It took only half a day for them to travel from the Land of Waves back to Konoha.
...
TN:
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