So this was what the Samehada within him could truly do…
Shimizu lay sprawled on the damp ground of the Forest of Death, utterly drained. Two days and one night of relentless training—without a moment of rest—had finally pushed him through a complete transformation.
From the moment he obtained the life force of the Uzumaki clan, to being bonded with that fragment of Samehada, then struck by senjutsu-infused lightning, and finally exposed to the yin–yang chakra of a Tailed Beast Bomb…
Each step had been shaped by coincidence, by chance, by forces beyond his control. Countless twists and turns had led to this singular result—Samehada taking root within him in this unique form.
…This must be fate.
He was no longer the same person he once was. He didn't need to blindly follow in the footsteps of those who came before him anymore—because now, he had found a path that belonged solely to him.
How far that path would take him, he still didn't know.
But for someone with no background, no bloodline limit, and nothing that could be called extraordinary talent, he had already created more than enough miracles.
Now, Samehada rested quietly within his body, normally lying dormant as it supplied him with water-nature chakra. Combined with the other chakra natures he had mastered, it allowed him to replicate effects akin to Kekkei Genkai.
And when his own chakra ran dry, he could summon Samehada into the physical world… letting it replenish him in turn.
As for what other abilities it might possess—
That would have to wait until his chakra recovered. In those short ten minutes he could sustain its presence, he would have to test everything he could and uncover more of its secrets.
What other surprises could Samehada bring him?
There had to be more.
After all, this was the culmination of years of effort, of countless small gains built up over time.
His thoughts began to wander.
Right now, it only carried water-nature chakra…
But what if—just what if—it could gain other attributes as well?
If that were possible…
Wouldn't that mean—
…
The exhaustion finally caught up with him.
As his mind relaxed, his eyelids grew heavier and heavier.
"Sensei?"
That voice—
Shisui?
Shimizu's eyes snapped open.
It was already morning.
Shisui stood nearby, looking at him with a hint of uncertainty. "Sensei… you didn't spend the whole night out here, did you?"
A cold sweat instantly formed on Shimizu's forehead.
He had actually fallen asleep in the Forest of Death?
A wave of delayed fear surged through him.
This was no safe place. For genin, even a moment's carelessness here could mean death. The forest was filled with unknown beasts and hidden poisons—danger lurking at every turn.
"I… pushed my training a bit too far."
"I can tell," Shisui said softly, letting out a small sigh. "From the way you looked yesterday morning, it was obvious you were pushing yourself to the limit."
"How did you even know I was here?" Shimizu asked, still shaken.
The Forest of Death was notoriously difficult to monitor. Even the Third Hokage's crystal ball couldn't easily observe what happened within it.
"Yesterday morning, when you came to see me, I caught a faint scent—something unique to this forest," Shisui explained. "That's how I guessed you were training here."
Shimizu was momentarily surprised.
Shisui had noticed that much… just from a brief encounter?
Still, it helped that Shimizu hadn't ventured too deep—he had stayed near the entrance. Otherwise, even with days of searching, Shisui might never have found him in a forest this vast.
"And… your condition didn't look good at all," Shisui added. "I was worried, so I came to check."
"Haha… you're thoughtful, Shisui," Shimizu said with a smile.
His mood had lifted.
A student who cared this much about his teacher… and real progress from his training—it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was halfway to being a winner in life.
"Have you run into any difficulties lately?"
"For now… no. I still need more accumulation," Shisui replied after a brief pause. Then he added, "But I have a feeling my Sharingan is about to break through…"
"Three tomoe?"
For many in the Uchiha clan, the three-tomoe Sharingan was the peak they could only dream of reaching in a lifetime. Yet Shisui, at just ten years old, was already brushing against that threshold—his reputation as a genius was more than deserved.
"Maybe… I'm not entirely sure," Shisui admitted. "It's just that sometimes my eyes feel strange, like there's a surge of chakra about to burst out at any moment."
"Then you really do need more time and accumulation."
Shimizu's thoughts drifted briefly to Obito, and he asked casually, "What do you think of Obito's strength?"
"Obito-senpai… he's very strong."
"Oh? You've already sparred with him?"
"No, but his ocular power is stronger than mine—much stronger."
"Well, he already has the three-tomoe Sharingan. Naturally, you'd fall short in that regard."
Of course, a shinobi's strength wasn't determined solely by the level of their Sharingan.
"It's not just that," Shisui continued. "I recently heard from Fugaku-sana that Obito-senpai will most likely become a jōnin by next year."
A jōnin at fourteen…
It didn't sound as astonishing when compared to Kakashi, but Shimizu knew the truth well—Obito's leap from dead last to jōnin had taken barely two years.
"His growth rate really is incredible… jumping straight into the ranks of the Uchiha's top talents," Shimizu said, then fixed his gaze on Shisui. "And you? How do you feel about that?"
"Huh?" Shisui blinked, momentarily confused. Then he said honestly, "Obito-senpai is amazing. Of course I can't compare to him."
"Hahaha…"
Shimizu couldn't help but laugh. He understood Shisui's personality all too well.
A little shy, a little naïve, and exceptionally gentle by nature—despite his extraordinary talent, he lacked the darker edge that most shinobi carried deep within them.
That alone made him rare.
"By the way, have you tried what I told you before—forming hand seals with one hand? Any thoughts?"
"…Sensei, that's really difficult," Shisui said with a troubled expression. "Even though you explained the theory behind your no-seal techniques…"
"Using both hands, using no seals at all, and using a single hand—they're completely different casting methods."
"I haven't found anything useful yet…"
As he spoke, Shisui still seemed a bit incredulous. "Sensei… are there really shinobi who can perform one-handed seals?"
"I've seen it with my own eyes. Why would I lie?"
After all, in Shimizu's memory, there were those who could do it.
"I see… then it just means we haven't uncovered the secret yet."
"No need to rush. We've got time."
Shimizu had already decided to leave the problem of one-handed seals to Shisui. Rather than spending his own time fumbling through it, it made far more sense to let a true genius tackle something that was proven to exist.
As for the Third Raikage's chakra mode… that would have to rely on Kakashi.
While Shimizu himself had decent talent in Lightning Release, when it came to deep understanding and theoretical mastery, he knew he couldn't compare to a prodigy like Kakashi.
What he needed to do now was clear.
Refine his chakra control.
Familiarize himself with and strengthen his pseudo–Kekkei Genkai.
And continue exploring the mysteries of Samehada.
Leave specialized problems to those best suited for them—
Only then could efficiency be pushed to its limit.
...
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