"No wonder you don't like practicing taijutsu or ninjutsu. Turns out you're more into medical techniques!" Daisuke said after noticing Shigeo's eyes had returned to normal and catching a glimpse of the notes in his hand.
Shigeo shook his head slightly. "Not really. These are notes left behind by Tsunade-sama. I just wanted to take a look…"
"For a man, ninjutsu is more important. Even if it's late at night, you should be training your ninjutsu whenever possible!" Daisuke reminded him again before picking up his cup and heading back to his room.
The next day's training continued as usual, though in a different way—today was shuriken throwing practice.
"I'll give you all a demonstration first. You should know that your teacher Naoki is one of the best when it comes to shurikenjutsu. Watch my stance and the way I grip the shuriken…"
With a quick spin, Naoki let his clothes flutter, his fingers flicked, and the shuriken in his hand flew with a whoosh, embedding itself dead center in the target on the wooden post.
The children clapped and cheered, then began practicing themselves. But no matter how hard they tried, none could hit the target. Naoki didn't get angry—instead, he smiled happily.
"This isn't something you can master in a single day. You'll need lots of practice and effort! Oh, and by the way, did you all know? Hyūga Shigeo's eyes can see even at night. So, to make sure no student is left behind, why don't we hold lessons at night as well?" he suggested kindly.
Shigeo, sitting under the eaves, was about to refuse, but several students spoke up first.
"Sensei, I have to help my family make rice cakes at night—we sell them in the morning."
"Sensei, I need to take care of my younger siblings. My parents weave mats at night…"
The children declined immediately. But Naoki wouldn't hear it. His face hardened. "What's more important, your friendship as classmates, or making money for your family? If I say we train at night, then we'll—"
Before he could finish, a figure jumped into the yard. With a flick of his hand, over a dozen shuriken appeared between his fingers, and in one swift leap, he hurled them all.
Naoki, Daisuke, and the students widened their eyes in shock—the one who had thrown them was the blind Hyūga Shigeo.
At first, Naoki and Daisuke shook their heads. The shuriken weren't even on course to hit the target. As expected, not being able to see was still a huge disadvantage…
But in the very next second, something unbelievable happened. The first shuriken that had been thrown was struck midair by the ones that followed, redirecting its path. With a spin and a ricochet, the initial shuriken landed perfectly in the target's bullseye. At the same time, the remaining shuriken embedded themselves cleanly into the surrounding wooden posts.
"This way, even a target hidden behind a tree or rock can still be hit. Naoki-sensei, classmates… Even though I can't see, my kanshijutsu (sensory technique) is highly developed. So whatever you do, write, or even look at—I can sense it. Don't treat me differently. I'm just a normal person!"
He didn't want his condition to drag down others' normal lives.
Everyone was left speechless, mouths wide open in disbelief. Daisuke's eyes shone with admiration. He looked at Naoki, gave him a huge thumbs up, his excitement as if he had discovered a priceless treasure.
Naoki cleared his throat, suppressing his joy. "Very good, very good! Then we won't need to hold lessons at night. Everyone, keep working hard!"
He headed inside, Daisuke following with an equally thrilled expression.
"Tonight, we'll train him in ninjutsu. Finally, after all these years, we've found a student capable of it. I thought it was a shame before, but now… it's clear his eyes aren't an obstacle at all!"
"Agreed. But before that, we have to make sure he respects us—let him know that his teachers aren't just for show."
"Mm!" The two quickly reached an agreement.
That afternoon, after classes ended and lunch was over, Naoki couldn't wait any longer. He led Shigeo outside.
"Hyūga Shigeo, your taijutsu and shuriken throwing are impressive, but you can't get complacent. You must always train harder. Let's go—your teachers will show you what real ability looks like today!"
He gestured to Daisuke, and the three of them set off toward the back mountain.
They stopped at a grassy clearing halfway up the slope.
"My taijutsu may not be the strongest in the ninja world, but my partner Daisuke-sensei's strength is nothing to scoff at. If you can inherit even a fraction of his power, then your path in ninjutsu will have a solid foundation…" Naoki said proudly, narrowing his eyes at the small Shigeo before him.
Daisuke nodded. "Today, you'll learn to control power. I'll be the one instructing you."
"In all of Crescent Moon Town, my strength is second to none!" Daisuke boasted, though he held back from saying "ninja world" like Naoki—opting for something more grounded.
He raised his fist and slammed it down onto a nearby boulder. With a loud crack, the rock shattered into rubble.
His strength was indeed formidable—easily thousands of pounds behind that punch.
Naoki grinned. "You're still young, Shigeo, no need to rush. Start with that smaller stone over there. If it's too hard, try a tree instead. Just remember—not to waste your chakra. Focus it all into your hand, then strike!"
But Shigeo didn't head for the smaller rock or a tree. Instead, he walked straight to an even bigger boulder than the one Daisuke had just demolished. Without hesitation, he drove his fist into it.
At first, the stone didn't budge.
The two teachers burst out laughing.
"Don't worry, don't worry. Take your time," Daisuke reassured. "I don't expect you to be stronger than me. If you can just punch a dent into it, that'll be enough. You're only five years old, after all."
But before he could finish, the massive boulder suddenly split apart with a thunderous crack, crumbling to dust.
Worse still—the connected mountainside behind it groaned and split with a jagged fissure that raced outward, reaching all the way to a distant tree. The tree shook violently, then tilted, sliding into the crevice before collapsing sideways with a crash.
"Uh…" Daisuke's jaw dropped, his face frozen in disbelief.
Naoki's expression turned pale, as if he had just been struck on the back of the head. "Th-this…"
He stammered, unable to form a sentence. Both teachers stared wide-eyed at Shigeo.
It seemed they had seriously underestimated this child.
(End of Chapter)
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