On the way back, Tenten and Kasumi were both unusually quiet, their thoughts tangled and unsettled.
"…Garou, do you think he'll be okay?"
During one of their rest breaks, Tenten finally voiced the worry that had been gnawing at her heart.
"…I don't know."
Garou gave a straightforward answer.
Just because he had sharp instincts didn't mean he could predict the future.
He wasn't some divine seer who could calculate fate. Whether the samurai Yuichi lived or died was beyond his reach.
"The Kiyotani Clan's plan is finished. If the Artisan Village really intended to rebel, they wouldn't have waited until now."
"Exactly. Most of the time, it's just a handful of people trying to stir up trouble. But without real support or momentum, it'll fizzle out."
Kakashi nodded approvingly at Garou's words.
The Land of Iron and the Artisan Nation staying neutral was part of the larger balance of power.
After three great ninja wars, the Five Great Nations had settled into a cold peace. Small nations couldn't rise up on ambition and a few fancy weapons alone.
Even if the Land of Iron, the Artisan Village, and the Hidden Waterfall all teamed up, they'd still be crushed by a major power in the end.
"…That's true, but still, I can't help worrying about Mr. Yuichi. He's a good man. A true samurai."
Tenten sighed deeply.
"People like him have their own code. Once they set their path, they'll walk it to the end. We can't stop them… we can only wish them luck," Kasumi added softly.
"Just like we have our own ninja way?" Tenten murmured, half to herself.
Kakashi nodded, then smiled subtly.
"Then, Tenten… Kasumi, what is your ninja way?"
"Um… To become a great kunoichi like Lady Tsunade?"
"Tenten," Garou said with a chuckle as they jogged, "that's a goal. But your ninja way should describe what kind of ninja you want to be, not just who you want to be like."
Tenten fell silent, reflecting.
Kasumi, on the other hand, answered without hesitation. "I want to prove that a female shinobi can become a master of kenjutsu."
She had envied Tenten for having a clear interest, a goal. But after Garou's encouragement the other day, she had finally remembered what she wanted all along.
So she answered with no doubt in her heart.
"I've figured it out too!" Tenten beamed a moment later.
Garou, half-expecting this, just smiled knowingly.
Kakashi glanced over, curious. "Oh? Want to share?"
"Hehe… nope! It's a secret!" Tenten stuck out her tongue playfully.
Kakashi gave her a look through half-lidded eyes and sighed, "You kids are getting harder and harder to manage."
But then his tone softened.
"Still, congrats. The three of you now truly deserve to be called shinobi."
He had complimented them earlier, sure, but that had been in the fog of near-unconsciousness. This time, he meant it, clearly and sincerely.
Garou's performance had far exceeded his expectations.
Honestly, the boy was already qualified to be a Chunin. But it was Tenten and Kasumi's growth that truly caught him off guard. Previously, they had mostly relied on Garou's direction in battle. Their initiative and synergy had been weak.
This time, though… Tenten had deployed sealing tools with surgical precision. Garou had controlled the battlefield with sealing and barrier techniques.
Kasumi had timed her strike perfectly for a lethal blow.
There had been no verbal coordination, but their actions had meshed seamlessly, exactly the kind of teamwork Kakashi had always hoped to see.
This was a real team.
Had they not missed the registration period, he would've nominated all three for the upcoming Chunin Exams.
"Qualified… as real shinobi?" Tenten and Kasumi repeated quietly, as if testing the words.
"Of course. No one's perfect. Even Garou can't use nature transformations or genjutsu. He can't do everything."
"That's why we work as a team." Kakashi nodded, his tone calm.
Garou didn't interrupt. It was rare for Kakashi to speak this seriously about teamwork.
There was no need to mess up the mood.
Especially since being teamed with two girls brought enough pressure already.
So he listened, and thought.
The barrier he used with Yamato had been improvised, but the more he considered it, the more potential he saw.
It wasn't just useful for sealing.
Imagine if someone like Kakashi had access to a chakra supply mid-battle. His only real limit was chakra. If a barrier could act like a well, and Kakashi could draw chakra from it during a fight…
It would be a game changer.
The problem had always been the lack of a storage medium.
But that might have a solution now.
Garou's mind wandered to the idea of creating a tool, like Infinite Armor, not for combat, but for chakra storage. It didn't need to be flashy, just able to hold donated chakra until someone needed it.
It was doable.
While jogging, he pulled out a notepad and began sketching rough designs.
'I wonder if Chiruki made a decision yet…'
Sealing and barrier techniques had vast development potential. Unlike elemental jutsu, they weren't as widely mastered. A technique that fused both, like the Sealed Iron Wall, was rare and valuable.
There was no way he could juggle all of this alone. But Tenten was a natural genius with ninja tools. She was enthusiastic and inquisitive about the field.
Garou looked over at her quietly.
Tenten noticed and tilted her head. "What's with the staring?"
But quickly, she brushed it off. Her thoughts turned to the four tools sealed in her scroll.
Those tools held secrets.
Back when Kakashi and Garou had asked about her ninja way, she had made a personal vow to unlock the mysteries of those legendary ninja tools.
And if she could replicate even one of them…
That would be the dream.
After several more hours of travel, Tenten and Kasumi finally reached their limit. Exhausted, they stopped to rest and recover.
Once everyone had eaten a military ration pill, Garou opened his notebook and shared his idea.
The group exchanged glances.
Using ninja tools as a central hub to store chakra from an absorption seal…
None of them had thought of that.
Kakashi, especially, was taken aback. If he had access to such a tool, it would significantly boost his ability to cast jutsu repeatedly. It wouldn't just be helpful, it would quietly elevate his entire combat level.
'And more importantly… What if the stored chakra isn't ordinary? What if it's a tailed beast's chakra?'
Kakashi's breath caught slightly.
"Garou. Tenten. Kasumi. When we get back, don't mention this to anyone yet. I'll report it directly to the Hokage."
"Even if the Four Celestial Symbols Men chose the wrong fight, the tools themselves are the Artisan Village's prized possessions. Without proper leverage, we might not get to keep them."
"You're saying…"
Kakashi furrowed his brow, picking up on Garou's hidden message.
"Is it possible," Garou said with a grin, "we'll run into a rogue ninja or two on the way home?"
"PFFFT… COUGH COUGH!"
Tenten choked on her water.
That was just… blatant robbery.
"Hard to say," Kakashi said after a beat. "Orochimaru's been quiet for a while. Unlikely we'll bump into his men."
Garou leaned in slightly, voice low. "Then, sensei… what if we worked with Danzo-sama?"
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