Clang!
The sound of metal colliding erupted instantly between the golden ninja blade and the white short sword.
The White Fang dagger in Hatake Sakumo's hand surged forward like a violent storm, slashing relentlessly toward the tall red-haired youth.
Kyusei continuously raised his blade to block the dense rain of attacks, but Sakumo's swordsmanship stood at the pinnacle of the shinobi world. Even though Kyusei had apprenticed under him, four short years were nowhere near enough to bridge that gap.
This was a pure close-quarters battle.
Physical attributes certainly mattered—Kyusei's Uzumaki constitution could outlast Sakumo ten times over.
But technical disparity was something brute vitality simply couldn't compensate for.
Kyusei had grasped the essence of Sakumo's taijutsu, yes—but when it came to swordsmanship, he could only look up from far behind.
Naturally, Kyusei had once expressed interest in formally learning sword techniques from Sakumo.
But Sakumo had advised him otherwise.
If Kyusei were to specialize in swordsmanship, then the Habiijin—derived from Adamantine Sealing—would lose nearly half its value.
The strength of Habiijin lay in its ability to form all kinds of weapons, prioritizing flexibility and battlefield adaptability.
Swordsmanship demanded immense focus and time.
Even if mastered, it would render the other weapon forms of Habiijin awkward—
too valuable to discard, yet ineffective enough to regret.
"I'm done. I'm done."
Kyusei panted lightly as he sat down on the ground, casually tossing aside the Habiijin blade in his hand.
Without entering Nine-Tails Mode, he simply wasn't Sakumo's match.
Most of his talent points were invested in sealing techniques.
In close combat like this, he could only rely on his Uzumaki body to tank hits.
Looking at Kyusei plopping down, Sakumo smiled.
"You've done very well. Reaching this level in four years is impressive."
"If a student trained for four years could already beat me, then I'd be a pretty terrible teacher."
Kyusei lay flat on his back, arms spread out, staring at the drifting clouds above, completely ignoring Sakumo's words.
Seeing this, Sakumo simply sat down beside him, rummaging around in his pockets.
"Good. Hasn't melted yet."
From somewhere, Sakumo produced a popsicle, tore open the wrapper, snapped the twin popsicle in half, and handed one to Kyusei.
Kyusei glanced at him in surprise, then accepted it without ceremony and popped it into his mouth.
A cool, refreshing orange flavor instantly spread across his tongue.
"I like strawberry flavor," Kyusei said while biting into it.
"Then don't eat it."
Sakumo smacked Kyusei on the head without mercy.
"Other teachers treat their students to feasts. You treat me to a popsicle…"
Kyusei complained casually.
"Heh. I'm poor."
Sakumo snorted coldly, utterly unapologetic.
Because Sakumo was around, kaoru hadn't followed Kyusei today. Instead, she had gone to train with Jiraiya—practicing her Toad Shortblade: Rending Sky Flash Moonlight Spiral Dance Roar · Zero Style.
…Which essentially meant using Jiraiya as a target dummy.
Let us observe three seconds of silence for Jiraiya.
Kyusei lay there, watching clouds drift overhead. The breeze stirred his hair and rustled the leaves, producing a soft shasha sound.
For a moment, everything felt peaceful.
Drowsiness crept in, and Kyusei slowly closed his eyes.
Then—
Someone pinched his nose.
Unable to breathe properly, Kyusei frowned and opened his eyes.
"I say, teacher, you're already an adult—
Na—Nao?!"
Seeing the black-haired girl pinching his nose, Kyusei laughed awkwardly.
"Where the hell have you been these past two days, you little brat?"
Nao sat down beside him, her tone sharp.
"Huh?"
"No idea. I've been at home the whole time."
Kyusei replied seriously.
—At home with kaoru.
"So you'd rather stay home than come see me?"
Meeting Nao's clear, sharp eyes, Kyusei swallowed instinctively.
He glanced around and realized Sakumo had vanished without a trace.
Seeing Kyusei acting all sneaky, Nao immediately understood what this bastard was thinking.
Furious, she shot to her feet and planted both fists against Kyusei's temples, grinding down hard.
"Ow—ow—ow!"
Seeing Kyusei's exaggerated reaction, Nao quickly lost interest.
She knew he was just trying to amuse her.
"Stop acting."
"It's not funny."
She let go and looked toward the empty training field.
Kyusei rubbed his temples, baring his teeth slightly, completely confused as to why she was angry.
"Kyusei… do you know?"
Nao spoke softly.
"Know what?"
Kyusei followed her gaze. There was nothing there.
"I grew up without siblings."
"Me neither," Kyusei replied reflexively.
"Shut up."
Hearing that again, Kyusei felt helpless.
"My father had me very late in life."
"So I carried everyone's expectations."
"There has never been a female clan head in the Hyūga."
"So I kept trying. Again and again."
Nao spread her palm, staring at it as though the entire world rested within her grasp.
"I kept proving myself."
"Proving that even as a woman, I wouldn't lose to any man."
Kyusei stared at her, stunned—as if seeing her for the first time.
"Then…"
"I failed."
"Failed completely."
"All my effort… became a joke."
Nao tried to clench her hand, as if to seize the world before her.
But her trembling fingers never fully closed.
She lowered her hand, defeated.
"Do you know what it meant to me when you appeared before me with my eyes?"
She looked at the silent red-haired boy beside her.
But the response she hoped for never came.
Seeing his silence, disappointment flickered in her eyes.
"…Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Because you told me not to."
Kyusei pouted.
Nao froze—then laughed.
She was genuinely amused. Furious, but amused.
"Are you an idiot?!"
"You listen to everything I say?!"
Kyusei asked quietly,
"Am I not allowed to disobey?"
"Of course not! I'm basically your mom—you listen to me!"
Nao snapped.
"Then I won't listen anymore."
Kyusei replied.
"Suit yourself. You act like you've ever listened to anyone."
Nao felt like she was about to explode.
She was five years older than Kyusei.
It had already taken immense resolve for her to step between him and kaoru.
And this idiot still didn't understand her feelings.
She must've been blind to fall for someone like this.
Kyusei suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled.
Nao lost her balance and fell straight into his arms.
"What are you doing?!"
Nao panicked, staring at him from inches away.
"You've always been rough with me."
"I'm just collecting a little interest."
Before she could react, Kyusei sealed her lips with his own.
This bastard—
He finally acted like a man, just this once.
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