"Man, it's so nice going on missions with Mr. Yamato. Even deep in the mountains, we get a cozy place to stay."
"Right? This place is awesome!"
Tenten and Kasumi strolled through the newly-built two-story wooden house, their faces filled with amazement.
Garou Zenin looked pleased as well. It really lived up to its nickname, the Three Rooms, Two Halls no Jutsu. Aside from the lack of interior decor, it resembled a proper mountain cabin.
Yamato stood quietly nearby.
Honestly, he had not wanted to build a house.
He was a ninja with his own ideals and standards. Using Wood Release to construct homes felt like a disgrace to the legacy of the First Hokage.
But… having a proper house in the wilderness was ridiculously comfortable.
He fought back a grin, but then remembered he was wearing a mask. Even if he smiled, no one could see it.
Just don't laugh out loud, and he'd be fine.
"Mr. Yamato, I have a small question."
"Hm? What's your question?"
Yamato turned to Garou, genuinely curious about what the boy would ask.
Zenin Garou.
A rising prodigy in the Leaf, whose name and feats were already known among chunin and jonin alike.
Yamato was no exception.
But that also meant…
'What if this kid asks something really difficult? What if I don't know the answer?!'
His heart began to battle itself.
"Your Wood Release… it's a bit different from the First Hokage's, right?"
"You've got a sharp eye. You're right."
"My Wood Release only produces simple trees and structures. It lacks the toughness and chakra-draining traits that Lord First's had."
When Yamato spoke of the First Hokage, his tone was filled with reverence. Many ninja in the Leaf idolized him. He was a symbol of strength, peace, and dominance during an era of chaos.
Yamato was no exception.
"There are differences in Wood Release," he added quickly.
"…Right."
Lies don't hurt people. But the truth cuts deep.
Yamato felt that sting.
"My apologies," Garou said sincerely. "I didn't mean to insult you. I was just wondering… if you increased chakra output significantly, could it evolve from quantity into quality?"
"…Uh…" Yamato froze after hearing his words.
He hadn't expected such a question from Garou.
'Chakra reserves, huh?'
Well, yes. The First Hokage's chakra was said to be monstrous.
And he supposedly had an extraordinary constitution—able to recover instantly and even approach immortality without seals.
Maybe the difference in Wood Release was tied to chakra after all.
"I've wondered about that myself. But it's probably not that simple."
"It kind of is," Garou replied casually. "I recently dissected a barrier jutsu from the Earth Dome Prison. Reverse-engineered it. If I apply the same principles to chakra flow, and convert absorption into focused output, it should work."
He explained this as though discussing what he had for breakfast. The barrier technique had already been submitted to the Third Hokage and to Kitayama for further refinement. Applying it to Wood Release was even more straightforward.
"…Are you serious?" Yamato's eyes went wide. He had no idea how to respond.
"At the moment, I can draw chakra from four sources simultaneously. If I extend the jutsu's endpoint matrix, I should be able to double that—eight people's worth. Not a lot, but it's a start."
Garou rattled on, half-lost in thought.
Yamato suddenly grabbed Garou's hand, trembling with excitement. "No! Eight is already amazing! Please help me with this!"
Garou clearly didn't understand just how valuable Wood Release was. The Leaf no longer had the Uzumaki Clan's adamantine chains. Yamato was the village's only practical defense against the Nine-Tails, and he was slowly losing hair from stress.
If Garou could create a jutsu that compressed and focused chakra output…
The possibilities sent shivers down his spine.
"So you're willing to help with my research?"
"Of course! Once Kakashi wakes up, we'll get to work!"
Yamato's answer was firm.
Garou clapped his hands together. "Perfect. That's great news."
Thankfully, Kakashi was only unconscious due to chakra exhaustion. He'd eaten a military ration pill before blacking out, so when he awoke, he wasn't in pain, just very drained.
"Kakashi, you must be starving! Here, have a soldier pill to restore your chakra!" Yamato offered the specialized pill with a proud expression.
Kakashi looked up, his visible eye filled with confusion and suspicion.
"Yamato… you?"
"Uh… just eat it first."
"…"
Kakashi reluctantly took it.
He knew it was the real Yamato, not an impostor. But something about this exchange left him baffled.
The man offered him food like a friend… but gave him a military pill that wasn't even for hunger.
After swallowing the pill, Yamato explained Garou's idea in full.
Kakashi fell silent, deep in thought.
"…It's plausible."
"Then we should..."
"We'll talk more after we return to the village. For now, where are the four ninja tools?"
Kakashi's tone turned serious, gesturing toward the lower floor. The four tools were too valuable. The Artisan Village wouldn't just let them go, but if they were brought back to Konoha, the Leaf would have leverage in negotiations.
There was no rush. The research could wait.
"Ah, right. Good point."
"By the way, where's the samurai?"
"Downstairs. He is sparring with Garou."
Kakashi sat up, washed up, got dressed, and stepped out. He even complimented the wooden house before leaving, which left Yamato speechless.
Downstairs, Garou was dueling Yuichi.
"Nope. I'm done."
"Huh? Already?" Garou sounded genuinely disappointed.
Yuichi looked even more frustrated.
After a long pause, he grumbled, "You're too damn smart. If I keep sparring with you, you'll end up copying all my sword techniques."
"That's a bit dramatic," Garou said, glancing innocently to the side.
Tenten chimed in cheerfully. "He's not wrong!"
Yuichi had wanted to stop earlier, but those two cheeky girls egged him on. He'd continued for a few more rounds, and now he regretted it.
He looked at Kakashi and muttered, "No wonder he's your student. Even his ability to steal moves is inherited."
"....." Kakashi blinked, completely lost.
'I use Sharingan and high-level perception to copy jutsu. He just does it through sheer instinct and talent. How are we the same?!'
"Yuichi-san, your control over timing and technique far exceeds mine," Garou said respectfully. "However, there's still room to optimize the coordination between movement, strength, and blade trajectory."
"....." Yuichi stared at Garou like he'd grown a second head.
'Did this kid just steal my sword style, and now he's giving me feedback?!'
"Tenten. Throw something at me."
"On it!" Tenten manipulated several branches using her wire technique and sent them flying toward Garou like a makeshift barrage.
Garou didn't move an inch.
As the branches closed in, he shifted his weight, gripped the handle, and drew.
A single motion. No wasted movement.
Steel flashed. Splinters danced in the air. Dust and leaves swirled around him.
When the storm settled, his blade was sheathed, his robe untouched.
"…Did you use a strength-enhancing jutsu? No, wait, your power felt concentrated. And the draw speed, blade angle, control… was flawless! How… how did you do that?!"
Yuichi was dumbfounded.
He'd never seen Lord Mifune draw his blade personally, but this must be what his iaido looked like.
Kakashi and Yamato were silently stunned as well.
As Anbu, they were trained in swordsmanship. They knew what good looked like.
This was… perfect and flawless.
"There really are geniuses like this in the world…"
Yuichi's smile was bitter.
He'd spent his entire life studying the blade.
Yet this boy had watched him fight for a few hours, and then developed a style possibly better than his own.
"It's not much," Garou replied humbly. "Back in the days of the First and Second Hokage, there were many like this. That was the true age of genius."
Yuichi had no words. He had heard the legends. But even among legends, he was sure Garou would've stood out.
Garou went on to explain the mechanics of his iaido draw technique. Yuichi didn't want to listen, but the content was too good. There was simply no way to refuse.
Eventually, the two began sharing insights openly.
From swordplay to the philosophy of the warrior's path, the group fell into animated discussion.
Even Kasumi asked a few questions, and Yuichi answered them all with patience.
But every meeting must end someday.
As evening fell, Yuichi turned down the Anbu's offer of escort and quietly prepared to leave.
He had come alone from the Land of Iron. And now, sword in hand, he would return the same way.
Alone in, alone out.
A stubborn samurai to the end.
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