"Mr. Kakashi, about what I asked earlier… I apologize if I was rude."
Lady Sakuraba Jōrō's voice drifted from inside the carriage.
Kakashi smiled.
"Think nothing of it. They did just graduate, yes—but Souma's strength is already beyond what most chunin can match.
What he lacks is experience, which is why I'm guiding him personally."
"I see… that puts me at ease."
"There's no need to worry at all. The other two girls are also exceptional. They'll become remarkable kunoichi in the future. They're more than qualified to serve as guards."
As a noble of Kyoto, the Sakuraba clan wasn't ignorant about shinobi.
At first, Lady Jōrō had been displeased—the village sending what looked like a newbie team felt disrespectful.
If Kakashi hadn't been the captain, she wouldn't have accepted the escort.
But now…
It seemed she had worried for nothing.
A short while later, Souma returned from cleaning up.
No blood stained his clothes—only a bit of dust.
As if he hadn't just killed several armed men.
It was the first time his chakra needles had been used in real combat.
"Impressive technique," Kakashi said, pushing up his hitai-ate to cover the Sharingan again.
"Far more practical than a chakra blade."
Souma nodded.
"The chakra consumption is still too high.
If I refine the density, shift the balance between solid and intangible states, they'll be more efficient.
Also, thicker needles might be better for battle."
"True," Kakashi agreed.
"But that level of control is already S-rank difficulty. You might be the only one capable of pulling it off."
Souma smiled faintly.
"In fact, I'm thinking about integrating chakra absorption. If it works, I could steal their natural transformation chakra to strengthen my own attacks."
Kakashi paused mid-step.
He genuinely didn't know what to say.
Condensing chakra into tangible blades was already elite-level mastery.
Adding chakra absorption on top of it?
Only someone with Souma's absurd control could even attempt it.
Some people really could do whatever they wanted with talent alone.
Souma resumed reading.
This time, the Sakuraba samurai didn't dare underestimate the three children.
Who would've thought the quiet boy, always holding a book, was the deadliest among them?
Even trained samurai rarely claimed they could confidently defeat other samurai.
Yet Souma had walked into a crowd of armed warriors—
and walked back out without a single drop of blood on him.
To them, the sight bordered on the supernatural.
At noon, Tenten hesitated before speaking.
"Souma… that technique of yours…
Could I exchange something for it?
Tools? Explosive tags? Or… name your price."
"No need," Souma answered.
"That jutsu doesn't suit you. If you want something similar, work on enhancing your chakra threads.
Make them sharp enough to cut."
Tenten blinked.
She remembered that during the bell test, Kakashi's bell string had been sliced cleanly.
She hadn't realized the thread itself was the culprit.
"How do you even do that…?"
"It's basically a byproduct of creating chakra needles."
Souma flicked a strand of chakra thread.
A branch several meters away dropped cleanly to the ground.
Tenten's eyes widened.
"Can it… get stronger than that?"
"That would be harder," Souma replied.
"But if you wrap the thread around your steel wire—
your chakra cost goes down, and the cutting power goes up."
Tenten froze.
Then inspiration exploded in her eyes.
"Waaait—so if I attach something heavier to the wire tip… the momentum increases, and that boosts cutting power too!? Souma, you genius!"
"Please stop slapping my shoulder.
If you want my gratitude, try doing it gently."
"Hehehe—right, right!"
Tenten immediately opened her notebook, flipping to a page where she had drawn a mechanism—
a spiked metal sphere concealing shuriken and kunai inside.
Souma glanced over.
"Not bad. You're onto something."
Tenten rushed off, muttering excitedly about modifying her weapons.
Lady Sakuraba never left her carriage.
Souma still hadn't seen her actual face, though curiosity wasn't his motivation for choosing this mission.
He wanted to go to the Fire Temple.
Specifically—
Chiriku.
One of the Twelve Guardian Ninja. Worth thirty million ryō on the bounty books.
A man rumored to possess the monks' unique "Talent of the Sage Clan."
Souma approached Kakashi.
"Sensei."
"Hm?"
"I heard Fire Temple has a monk—one of the former Twelve Guardian Ninja. Do you know him?"
Kakashi paused, then shrugged.
"Chiriku? I've heard of him. Not close, but we know of each other."
"What a pity."
Souma sighed.
He suspected their "Sage Clan Talent" was related to natural energy manipulation—akin to the three great sacred places.
He wanted to learn it.
But without connections, there was little chance.
"You want their jutsu?" Kakashi asked.
"I've heard their chakra is unique—something like a special lineage.
If I can study it, maybe I can open an entirely new category of techniques."
Kakashi considered this.
Then shook his head.
"Difficult. Sage Clan Talent is their monastery's treasure.
Even monks can't access it freely—let alone outsiders."
Souma waved the concern aside.
"No rush. I heard Asuma-senpai was a Guardian Ninja too. Maybe he can help introduce me."
Kakashi stared at him.
"Souma… even if Asuma were willing, learning their secret arts—"
"Sensei," Souma interrupted calmly,
"your thoughts have taken a dangerous turn."
"…?"
"I said Asuma-senpai could help introduce us.
You know—so Chiriku might see my research talent and exchange techniques.
What exactly did you think I meant?"
Kakashi coughed into his hand.
"…Never mind."
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