"This is the tent."
Tetsu Hyuga had asked for directions from everyone he met along the way until he finally found the place. He stared at the tent, hesitating whether or not to burst in. After all, he had no proof Natsu was inside. Barging in without reason might offend Kiyoshi, and he wouldn't have a leg to stand on.
Keeping his wits about him, Tetsu stood outside and shouted, "Kiyoshi, are you in there?"
Tetsu called out several times but received no response. He only heard vague, muffled sounds.
"Go tell him you're busy," Kiyoshi said tonelessly.
Natsu's brow was tightly knit. Hearing his command, she spoke toward the outside, "Tetsu, Kiyoshi is... teaching me ninjutsu... I'm busy."
Outside, Tetsu felt a wave of relief upon hearing Natsu's voice. His trip hadn't been in vain; Natsu was indeed here. But a moment later, he felt something was off.
"Natsu, are you tired?" Tetsu didn't dare enter directly, so he could only ask from a distance.
Before arriving at the battlefield, the Clan Head had told the Hyuga to be mindful of their relationship with the Uchiha. If he picked a fight with Kiyoshi, who was currently famous as a genius, there was no telling what trouble might follow.
"No... I'm... not."
Even though separated by the tent fabric, Natsu seemed to force a smile to hide her guilt. Unfortunately, Tetsu couldn't see it; he could only hear her voice.
"Tetsu, you go back... first. I have things to do here."
Natsu was panting heavily, finding it difficult to form a complete sentence. 'Water' Style ninjutsu was ultimately not a specialty of the Hyuga clan.
When a ninja's chakra is heavily consumed, their physical strength is drained as well. Therefore, ninjas must always monitor their physical stamina during training to avoid death from overexertion.
"Natsu, are you really alright?" An ill omen rose in Tetsu's heart. Veins began to bulge slightly at his temples. The space inside a tent was small—what kind of ninjutsu could be taught in there? This left him confused and uneasy.
Inside the tent, Kiyoshi sensed the fluctuations of chakra from outside. Whenever a ninja uses chakra, there is a ripple. Powerful sensory ninjas can even perceive chakra fluctuations from thousands or even tens of thousands of miles away.
For instance, when Tobirama Senju was resurrected via Reanimation in the Hidden Leaf Village, he could sense the chakra fluctuations from the battlefield of the Fourth Great Ninja War!
"Byakugan?" Kiyoshi shook his head. Using the Byakugan naturally consumes chakra, and it is easy for others to feel they are being watched. This was why the Hyuga clan didn't activate their Byakugan recklessly within the village. Otherwise, if they saw the secrets of someone's hidden technique and were caught, it would lead to an irreconcilable conflict.
"Release!" Tetsu thought for a moment and decided to activate his Byakugan to see for himself what was happening inside.
"I can't see?" Tetsu's eyes widened. He could see nothing at all. He only perceived a hazy gray mist blocking his vision.
"A sealing barrier..." Tetsu realized what was happening. Kiyoshi must have set up a sealing barrier around the tent beforehand. This immediately quelled his other thought: bursting in. A sealing barrier was not something one could easily trespass.
"Natsu, how much longer will you be?" Tetsu asked through the tent. He could see the silhouettes of two palms pressed against the fabric. He suspected these were nodes of the sealing barrier.
"Almost done," Natsu replied.
Seeing this, Tetsu had no choice but to wait in place. As long as Natsu was okay, it was fine. As for the two of them being alone—this was a base, there were people everywhere. Could Kiyoshi really do anything untoward? One scream from Natsu would ruin Kiyoshi's reputation. Tetsu suppressed his frustration and crossed his arms.
...
The sun gradually set, staining the horizon with a layer of rosy clouds. Kiyoshi sat to the side, covering his eyes. His eyes felt like they were pulsing, throbbing one beat at a time. His ocular power was rising rapidly, moving from the three-quarters mark to the very top. Because he had touched the "membrane," his ocular power was now pushing against that limit.
"Three-Tomoe Sharingan..."
Suddenly, while Kiyoshi was still covering his eyes, a black tomoe squeezed out from between the existing two. His left eye had evolved into a Three-Tomoe Sharingan!
"The ocular power has strengthened once again."
Kiyoshi could feel his body continuously strengthening as the ocular power fed back into his physical form. The life force in every cell of his muscles became more vigorous, and his mental energy received a significant boost.
Kiyoshi silently experienced the changes in his body. Natsu, whose eyes had been dazed and out of focus, gradually regained her sight. High-lights returned to her hollow eyes.
Seeing Natsu stand up, Kiyoshi's scarlet eyes faded back to black. The feedback from the ocular power was a gradual process; it would still take some time to complete the full integration.
"That childhood friend of yours treats you quite well."
Before Kiyoshi, Natsu slowly removed the black ribbon wrapped around her eyes.
"Kiyoshi-kun, are you... willing to forgive Lady Ginka now?"
"Of course, I'm not the petty type." Kiyoshi smiled faintly, watching as Natsu carefully placed the black ribbon on the table. "Regarding the [Caged Bird Curse Seal] on your forehead... keep working for me, and I will help you remove it."
After hitting Natsu with a stick, Kiyoshi didn't forget to offer a sweet date. This was the way to manage people. Sure enough, Natsu, whose eyes were filled with fatigue, instantly looked much more energetic.
"However, I want your Hyuga clan's [Gentle Fist]."
Kiyoshi spoke. [Gentle Fist] was essentially a simplified version of [Eighty Gods Vacuum Attack]. After studying it, Kiyoshi would have a better idea of how chakra moves through the meridian system.
Natsu frowned upon hearing this. Privately teaching the [Gentle Fist] was a grave crime. If Kiyoshi exposed the cultivation method outside, the Hyuga clan would surely hunt for the traitor.
"I am not negotiating with you." Kiyoshi's tone grew colder.
"Kiyoshi... kun, could you give me some time?" Natsu pleaded. Right now, not only did her body ache, but her heart was also in pain and chaos.
"I'll wait for your answer." Kiyoshi's response was as unhurried as ever. He wasn't in a rush to get the [Gentle Fist]. With his ocular power having surged, his control over Moryo's power would surely be further strengthened.
How much longer could Natsu maintain her psychological defenses? Kiyoshi had already broken through the toughest layer.
Natsu bit her lip and dragged her exhausted body outside. Tetsu, who could wait no longer, immediately bounded forward excitedly.
"Natsu!"
Tetsu hurried over. In the brief moment Natsu lifted the flap, he caught a glimpse of the simple furnishings inside. Only on the ground were there what appeared to be water stains from tea. This made Tetsu wonder if Natsu and Kiyoshi had had a disagreement.
"Tetsu." Natsu managed a smile.
"Kiyoshi didn't do anything to you, did he?" Tetsu asked.
At this moment, Natsu's short green hair was plastered against her face, and her clean features looked particularly beautiful.
***
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