The deep forest trembled under the sounds of training.
Kusuo Hatake panted heavily, sweat dripping from his brow as he stared at the battered training tree in front of him, its bark scarred by countless shuriken marks. Above, balanced easily on the very top, stood Shigure—arms crossed, calmly refining hand seals.
"How… how is it possible?" Kusuo grit his teeth, glaring upward. "That bastard Shigure actually climbed all the way so easily?"
His jaw clenched. Pride burned within him. "No… I won't lose to him!"
With a determined shout, he sprinted up the trunk again, chakra at his feet sparking. But his control wavered in impatience, chakra exploding unevenly. The next second, his body slipped, and he crashed painfully to the ground.
Meanwhile, Hinata Hongdie stared quietly at her own hands, her eyes shimmering with determination. Come on, Hongdie. You can't fall behind. You can't be a burden. Only by growing stronger can you stand beside the one you admire…
She took a deep breath, and with renewed resolve, began perfecting her chakra control.
Above them, Shigure stood effortlessly atop the tallest tree, hands moving with frightening speed as he practiced advanced ninjutsu. His gaze was far away, his thoughts darker.
"Kakashi was praised as 'The Copy Ninja' for knowing a thousand jutsu… but chakra reserves were always his weakness. For me, nothing is a problem. The purest Otsutsuki bloodline grants endless chakra."
He blurred out of sight in the next moment, reappearing instantly behind Kusuo.
"The Body Flicker Technique… D-rank for others, but in my hands? Fatal."
Shigure tested the new technique repeatedly, his movements nearly vanishing from view. To ordinary shinobi, such speed was undetectable—a death sentence.
He trained deep into the afternoon, sharpening every copied ninjutsu—fire, wind, water, earth, lightning, even the subtle Mist and Body Flicker arts.
By nightfall, he sat cross-legged beneath the trees, hands weaving endless cycles of seals. His clones mimicked his movements, multiplying his training through sheer numbers. He smirked, drenched in sweat.
When the clones dispelled—
Snap!
A flood of memories surged into him. His body staggered from the fatigue, but his mastery soared. One day's training, multiplied by five clones. A genius… sharpened into perfection.
Shigure stretched slowly, body aching yet stronger, and returned to camp.
"Enough for today," Hizashi called to them. "You've all worked hard—but conserve your strength."
"Yes, sensei," the three young Genin answered in unison.
Noguchi looked awkwardly at Shigure, guilt softening his features. "I… I was wrong to doubt you before. You're more reliable than I imagined."
Shigure only glanced at him coolly. "So long as the mission is done, it doesn't matter."
Tension in the Craftsmen Village
Days passed quickly. On the road, Hizashi guided the team in chakra control drills. Kusuo and Hongdie struggled, yet steadily improved. Shigure, however, stunned them all—reaching hand seal speeds of three per second, surpassing even most Chunin and approaching Jonin.
Hizashi secretly thought to himself, At this pace, can even Uchiha Madara's youth compare to what this boy is becoming?
Finally, their long journey ended. Sparse vegetation and rising structures marked their arrival. The Village of Craftsmen.
Noguchi stepped ahead, face glowing with joy. "Thank you, everyone! At last, we're here!"
But Lucien's instincts screamed. His Byakuragan pulsed, eyes narrowing at the strange atmosphere.
Something's wrong… too quiet. Too fearful.
Every villager carried weapons. Every face twisted with panic or vigilance. No joy of welcome, no sense of peace.
Kusuo noticed it too, eyes sharp. "They're all armed. Something isn't right."
Even Hongdie's voice wavered. "Mr. Noguchi, is there danger?"
Before an answer came, Noguchi reappeared, smiling strangely.
"Wonderful! The meteorite iron's composition has been solved! Your task is complete—congratulations!"
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
Before anyone could respond, "Noguchi" suddenly drew shuriken and flung them straight at Kusuo and Hongdie.
"Be careful!"
Lucien's body flickered, appearing behind them like lightning, shoving them both out of the projectile's path. The enemy hissed in irritation.
Body Flicker!?
The false Noguchi's form shimmered, then shattered in smoke. In his place stood not a kindly craftsman, but a hardened rebel ninja—his headband marked Kumogakure, slashed through.
"You—!" Hizashi's Byakugan flared, stance shifting into battle readiness.
"Hmph," the rebel sneered. "I am but an old acquaintance of yours, Hyuga Hizashi. Last time, you slipped away. This time… you won't."
From every side, chakra signatures swarmed. Hizashi's vision revealed them instantly—countless shinobi closing in.
Lucien's Sharingan spun violently, tracing them all.
Kusuo spat, sword flashing out. "Damn bastards… what's your aim!?"
The rogue's bloodthirsty smile deepened. "Your mission and our plan clash. Our answer is simple—we erase you."
His gaze locked cruelly on Shigure.
"And this time… I won't let you escape."
P.S. This chapter sharpens Lucien's growth—his mastery of chakra control, instant mastery of Body Flicker, and rapid seal speed showing terrifying progress. At the Craftsmen Village, betrayal springs again—Noguchi's guise hides a rebel ninja, and Team 7 is surrounded.
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