Konan clasped her hands together, forming a seal, and ended on the Ram hand sign.
"Paper Shuriken Jutsu!"
Several white paper shuriken formed in the air around her, then shot toward Uchiha Hikaru.
Hikaru raised an eyebrow, murmuring softly to himself.
"You've already learned Paper Style?"
"That's a real surprise."
Without hesitation, he dove forward. Just as the shuriken were half a meter from his face, he twisted midair, bent his knees back, and flipped over them. The paper projectiles whizzed past, barely missing him.
He landed lightly and immediately launched himself toward Konan, his right hand forming a palm strike aimed at her chest.
But after two and a half months of training, Konan's reaction was immediate. She slapped his right wrist with her left palm, using the deflection to spin left and evade the blow with a clean somersault.
As she came out of the roll, she pivoted and punched Hikaru straight in the chest.
He took the hit without flinching and immediately caught her right forearm.
"Remember, if your opponent has a clear advantage in physical strength, never rely on taijutsu."
"Unless you're prepared to die, use a kunai, not your fists."
He twisted his body and flung her across the clearing.
Konan flipped twice midair, landing on the balls of her feet and rolling through the mud to absorb the momentum. Her clothes and body were soon caked in muck.
Rising quickly, she wiped the dirt from her face and looked straight at him.
"Got it, Brother Mask!"
"Again!"
She moved through hand signs rapidly.
"Paper Style: Paper Clone Jutsu!"
Paper fluttered around her and quickly formed a perfect copy at her side.
In unison, both Konan and the clone pulled paper kunai from their sleeves and rushed Hikaru, flanking him from both sides.
Hikaru's eyes narrowed slightly in genuine surprise.
"You've already learned how to form paper clones?"
"But… it seems you don't yet know their weakness."
He raised one arm to block a kick from Konan, while his other hand chopped downward like a blade toward the clone. Though the clone tried to block with crossed arms, it couldn't withstand the force. Its limbs folded in, and with a sharp strike, Hikaru's hand sliced through both arms, shredding the clone to wet, pulpy scraps that dropped to the mud below.
"Paper Style is especially vulnerable to Fire and Water techniques."
"If you ever face Fire Style, your best option is to evade it—or integrate explosive tags into your paper to fight fire with fire."
"As for Water Style... until you master chakra nature transformation, try reinforcing your paper with oil to make it water-resistant."
Konan, undeterred, twisted her hips and launched a spinning kick with her opposite leg.
"Understood, Brother Mask!"
The rapid flurry of kicks forced Hikaru back a couple of steps.
He allowed it. After all, he was only pushing her to the limit of a Genin. If he pushed too hard and crushed her spirit, it would be harder to rebuild her.
And so, the live combat training continued.
By the end of the spar, if Uchiha Hikaru had been an average Genin, Konan would have landed three fatal blows.
Now she lay collapsed in the rain, drenched and panting heavily.
"Brother Mask... haha"
"Did I pass the test?"
She looked up, eyes full of hope, searching beneath the shadows of his mask.
Hikaru crouched down slowly, lifted her into his arms, and began walking toward the cave.
"Yes. You passed."
"Konan's strength is already enough to defeat most Genin from the Five Great Nations."
"Even when I was your age... I wasn't as good as you."
Held against Hikaru's chest, Konan felt a wave of disbelief and wonder wash over her. She gently pressed her cheek and hands against his warm chest, inhaling his familiar scent.
"Brother Mask…"
"You smell really nice…"
Hikaru raised his hand, intending to flick her forehead playfully—but when he looked down, he realized she had already fallen asleep in his arms, utterly exhausted.
He let out a quiet chuckle.
"Why are all the girls in the ninja world so precocious…"
Back inside the cave, Hikaru used a gentle flow of chakra to remove the grime from Konan's skin and clothes. He laid her carefully on the bedding, covering her up with a dry blanket.
"It's time to leave," came Saya's voice quietly from behind.
"If we wait until she wakes up, it'll only be harder for her."
Hikaru stared at Konan in silence for a long moment before finally turning.
"Let's go. It's time to return."
"You're right. We can't stay here forever."
"But we'll meet her again. Sooner or later."
Together, he and Saya stepped out of the cave and disappeared into the rain, their silhouettes quickly fading into the storm.
But in that moment, Konan stirred.
A sudden pain surged through her chest, and she shot upright.
She ran barefoot to the mouth of the cave. Rain soaked her instantly as she stared into the distance. Two figures were already growing smaller.
With all the strength in her lungs, she screamed into the downpour:
"Brother Mask! Sister Mask!"
"You better come back for me!"
"I'll be fine! I can protect myself now!"
Hikaru, already over a hundred meters away, came to a sudden stop.
A strange tightness crept into his chest.
He turned slowly, looking back at the small silhouette in the cave's entrance. Then, wordlessly, he removed his mask and raised his right hand into the air.
The sky seemed to respond.
Thunder flashed—once, then twice—until a series of coordinated lightning bolts struck together across the heavens, momentarily forming the kanji for "good" against the stormy night.
Beside him, Saya also took off her mask.
Back at the cave, Konan squinted hard through the rain. She couldn't make out their faces—only saw their hands rise, their masks removed, their backs straight and unwavering.
And then she shouted again:
"Brother Mask, you're so handsome!"
"Sister Mask, you're beautiful too!"
"When I grow up—Brother Mask, marry me!"
Both Hikaru and Saya stumbled at the same time.
Saya's face went completely red, the blush reaching her ears. But her voice was soft and warm as she answered:
"Okay."
As for Hikaru… his face twitched.
(Tch… this is awkward…)
Though... when I return, maybe it won't be impossible…
But the thought of those words coming from such a young girl made his skin crawl a little.
(...Wait. Did she find out what happened those nights?)
No… I cast a genjutsu on her—Three Tomoe Sharingan. There's no way she could've broken through at her age… right?
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Bonus Chapter at 150 Power Stone
Second Bonus Chapter - 300 Power Stones
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