Chapter 534: Two Sage Mode Instructors
"There is no 'however'! Shira, you heard him, didn't you? Even Hatake Kakashi said so! Gaara has already abandoned you! He looks down on you because you're just a taijutsu specialist!"
"Have you forgotten? When you were a child, you couldn't use ninjutsu or genjutsu, so everyone rejected you."
"Just like me. As the disciple of a Jinchūriki, I was rejected too… We're the same!"
"Come on! Join us! It's time to overthrow Gaara! He only just got through the Chūnin Exams not long ago. What gives him the right to become Kazekage?"
Hōichi cut Kakashi off and continued trying to provoke and manipulate Shira.
However...
True to someone who had devoted himself to taijutsu, Shira simply shook his head and calmly said,
"Let Kakashi finish first."
Standing nearby, Kakashi had thought he was going to end up standing there helplessly like a scarecrow while Hōichi kept talking.
He hadn't expected Shira to say something like that.
It genuinely reminded him of Guy and Lee.
Meanwhile, Hōichi looked just like Kisame whenever he ran into Guy—completely speechless.
Kakashi immediately took the opportunity to explain.
Fortunately, it wasn't difficult.
Since Shira was so much like Guy, he could simply give the same explanation he would have given Guy.
"Konoha is promoting Sage Mode to fight the Ōtsutsuki Clan, whose abilities can nullify ninjutsu. Only senjutsu and taijutsu can effectively harm them."
"If you're like Konoha's Jōnin Might Guy and already specialize in taijutsu, then there's actually no need for you to force yourself to learn Sage Mode."
"As far as I know, taijutsu relies on a person's drive—the determination to focus everything into a single point and push it to the absolute limit. Learning senjutsu could very well disperse that momentum instead, making it detrimental for a pure taijutsu shinobi."
"And..."
At this point, Kakashi revealed an awkward expression.
"To be honest, this shortcut for entering Sage Mode does put some strain on the body. If it's used too often, it may have negative effects on taijutsu specialists."
"So that's how it is."
After hearing Kakashi's explanation, Shira nodded.
"I knew it. I've watched Gaara change with my own eyes. There's no way he'd suddenly treat me like that."
He then turned his gaze toward Hōichi.
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! My master told me the legends about Sage Mode. There's no such thing as it harming the body!"
"Hatake Kakashi, I misjudged you! I thought a Konoha shinobi would remain neutral, but you've become Gaara's lapdog! Just to clear his name, you're actually ignoring the facts!"
Hōichi pointed accusingly at Kakashi, furious.
"Shut up, Hōichi!"
Shira suddenly vanished with a taijutsu Body Flicker.
In the next instant, he appeared behind Hōichi and struck him across the neck with a knife-hand chop.
Hōichi collapsed unconscious without the slightest ability to resist.
It couldn't be helped.
Just as the intelligence report had stated, Hōichi only had a chance if he was facing a Jinchūriki directly—or if he managed to ambush one.
Against virtually any other kind of shinobi...
He was completely outclassed.
"Kakashi of Konoha, why would Gaara choose him to train in Sage Mode? Gaara knows about Hōichi's problem. I was the one who told him about it."
Carrying the unconscious Hōichi over one shoulder, Shira walked over to Kakashi, thoroughly confused.
"I thought about it on the way here too," Kakashi replied. "My guess is that it's because Hōichi's unique ability naturally counters Jinchūriki and Tailed Beasts. Perhaps after developing it further through Sage Mode, it could also become effective against the Ōtsutsuki."
"So that's the reason?"
Shira frowned.
"But isn't that dangerous? Hōichi has always wanted to overthrow Gaara. If he grows stronger, wouldn't that become a huge threat?"
"As long as he successfully defeats a Jinchūriki even once, he won't remain the helpless anti-Jinchūriki specialist he is now."
"By then, he could plunge the entire shinobi world into another great war."
Shira clenched his fists, his face filled with worry.
He was right.
Hōichi was weak now because although he possessed the chains, he had never sealed a Tailed Beast before.
It was like possessing the Flame Mantra without ever absorbing a single Heavenly Flame.
But once Hōichi absorbed the power of a Tailed Beast, he would be able to wield that beast's chakra.
Tailed Beasts could overwhelm ordinary shinobi.
And Hōichi himself specialized in countering Tailed Beasts.
He would become practically invincible.
Of course...
That was only true under the old version of the story.
In the current era...
It simply wasn't enough.
So after hearing Shira's concerns, Kakashi merely waved his hand dismissively.
"You're right that letting him grow stronger could become troublesome. But starting another shinobi world war? That won't happen."
"Why not?"
Shira asked, puzzled.
As for why it "wouldn't happen"...
Kakashi found it surprisingly difficult to explain.
"Because there are simply too many people capable of defeating the version of Hōichi you're imagining."
That was Kakashi's answer.
"Too many? Are there really that many people in the shinobi world now who are stronger than a Tailed Beast?"
"Maybe not if you're talking about the current shinobi world alone."
"But if you count both the present and the past."
"Then yes.There are plenty."
"..."
Shira seemed to understand.
Although he had secluded himself here to train, he hadn't completely ignored what was happening in the outside world.
Otherwise, he never would have known how much Gaara had changed.
"Impure World Reincarnation?"
"I understand now. Let's take him back. I want to speak with Gaara personally."
Shira had already made up his mind.
He intended to persuade Gaara to abandon the idea of letting Hōichi learn Sage Mode.
Even if that might intensify the conflict, it couldn't be helped.
With that, Shira carried the unconscious Hōichi, and together with Kakashi, they returned to Sunagakure.
At this moment, Gaara and the others weren't inside the village.
They were at their usual training ground outside the village.
There was only one reason everyone had gathered there—the Sage Mode instructors had appeared.
In fact, there were two of them at once.
Both Gaara and Kankurō had successfully mastered Sage Mode.
That meant there was no longer any rush for everyone else.
Temari stood with Sayo, Yome, and Ameno, resting her chin on one hand as she stared at Kankurō and Gaara with a speechless expression.
She already knew why Gaara had mastered it so quickly.
Tokiwa had already explained everything.
He had relied on intense mental and emotional stimulation to dramatically increase his efficiency.
But what about Kankurō?
What exactly had he done that could rival whatever had happened between Gaara and Naruto?
Surely...
He hadn't done something to Konohamaru...
The moment that thought crossed her mind, Temari's pupils shrank.
She instinctively looked toward Konohamaru.
The doubts and horror in her heart immediately disappeared.
Konohamaru was walking perfectly normally.
His lips weren't swollen either.
So what exactly had happened?
She couldn't bring herself to ask.
And Kankurō certainly wasn't going to tell her.
"Gaara... Kazekage-sama, why are you here?"
Shira came running over from the distance, with Kakashi following close behind.
"Kakashi, why did you bring Shira-sensei back?"
Gaara looked at Kakashi in confusion.
"Ah, I ran into the two of them together. They got into a conflict."
Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he answered casually.
Then he blew his nose into a tissue and casually tossed the crumpled paper away.
The instant the paper ball left his hand, Kakashi's eyes shifted ever so slightly.
Noticing the subtle signal, Gaara silently controlled his sand to catch the paper ball.
Without attracting anyone's attention, the sand carried it over to him.
Gaara unfolded it and read the words written inside.
(End of this chapter)