Fortunately, Kakashi caught him by the collar just in time. His expression was cold as he said in a low voice,
"Naruto, stop fooling around. He's not someone you can afford to offend."
The ship was preparing to set sail, and everyone was getting ready to depart.
Just as Hyūga Shigeo was about to use Kamui (Divine Authority), Kakashi, who stood beside him, spoke up,
"Hyūga Shigeo, the Hokage requests your presence."
He had received a personal message from the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, instructing him to ensure Shigeo was brought to the northern outpost of the Land of Fire, no matter what. Kakashi had waited until the mission was over to deliver the order.
"Hyūga Shigeo?" Uchiha Sasuke's eyes widened slightly. He leapt forward, standing before the two, gazing up at Shigeo with a mixture of disbelief and tension. His lips parted but no words came.
He—he was Uchiha Itachi's friend? The Hyūga Shigeo?
"What? What's wrong, Sasuke? You know this guy?" Naruto asked, puzzled.
At his age, few even remembered that name anymore.
The Hokage requested him personally—how could Shigeo possibly refuse?
After seven years apart, he was curious to see what Hiruzen was plotting this time.
"Please."
Perhaps afraid that Shigeo would disappear, Kakashi boarded the ship and gestured for him to follow. It was clear he meant for him to travel together to the northern outpost.
Along the way, Naruto wouldn't stop talking.
"Hey hey, Shigeo-nii, teach me that circle thing you used! That Ranton (Storm Release) move—can I learn it?"
"Idiot, Naruto," Sakura frowned, "that's a kekkei genkai—you can't learn it!"
"Then just teach me something else! We've got time anyway, right? Please, Shigeo-nii!
Oh wait—you're from the Hyūga clan, right? Were you a Leaf shinobi before? How come I've never seen you around? Do you know Hinata? Or Neji?"
Naruto's flood of words made Shigeo sigh helplessly.
"Fine, I'll teach you a jutsu."
He raised a hand.
"Fūton: Kazenoha (Wind Release: Wind Blade)!"
A gleaming arc of wind formed in his palm.
"Come at me. I'll give you one arm and two legs' handicap."
Naruto's face lit up with excitement. He charged immediately.
Don't be fooled by his rank—though still a genin, Naruto's potential was monstrous. Once he tapped into the Nine-Tails' chakra, his power easily reached jonin-level.
Sasuke, sitting casually on the ship's railing, saw Shigeo move and leapt down, his eyes narrowing in concentration.
Naruto attacked in a flurry—Tajū Kage Bunshin no Jutsu (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique) and Rasengan erupted together, dozens of clones swarming Shigeo.
But Shigeo stood still, his single arm moving so fast it blurred.
Ten seconds later, every clone was shredded into mist, and Naruto's real body was left covered in shallow cuts.
At the bow, Kakashi observed quietly, eyes thoughtful beneath his mask.
Sasuke could no longer restrain himself. He rushed forward, lightning sparking from his hand.
"Chidori!"
The thunderous crack filled the air as the lightning blade descended.
He had calculated carefully. Against Shigeo's Wind Blade, his Chidori should've overwhelmed it.
But—
BOOM!
The ship shuddered violently from the impact.
The Chidori froze midair, unable to pierce further.
Shigeo's palm glowed with wind chakra, his Wind Blade colliding head-on with Sasuke's lightning. The two elements clashed, twisting violently, until both dissipated in a flash of blinding light.
Shigeo stood unmoved.
As his chakra faded, the Chidori extinguished completely—yet Sasuke's shoulder had been grazed by the razor edge of wind.
When they both tried to attack again, Shigeo flicked his wrist.
Dozens of Wind Blades materialized, circling him like ghostly blades.
Kakashi tensed, preparing to counter.
But the blades stopped—hovering mere inches from Naruto and Sasuke—without harming either of them.
"Naruto," Shigeo said calmly, "I'll only teach you this—Wind Blade.
Before mastering it, you must first learn to condense your wind-nature chakra properly. If you do, combine it with your Rasengan—that'll become Rasenshuriken.
When your chakra control improves further, its power will be limitless."
He tossed a playing card onto the deck before Naruto.
"When you can slice this card cleanly in half from three meters away using wind chakra, then you can bother me again."
Yawning, Shigeo waved them off and walked back toward his cabin.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
Sure enough, Naruto didn't follow—he just crouched down, concentrating on his new training.
In the narrow corridor, Sasuke appeared behind him.
"What is it?" Shigeo asked, glancing over his shoulder.
"You've met Itachi, haven't you?"
"Yes."
"Where is he?"
"You plan to avenge your clan? You're not strong enough."
Sasuke's eyes darkened. He leapt ahead, blocking Shigeo's path.
"If you see him again, tell him—one day, I'll kill him!"
Shigeo brushed his hand against Sasuke's face, pushing him aside as he muttered tiredly,
"Then tell him this too—so long as I'm alive, he'll never die."
With that, he pushed open the door and collapsed onto the bed to sleep.
"Then I'll kill you too!" Sasuke's voice echoed from the hallway.
For the next three days, Naruto trained relentlessly on wind chakra control.
Sasuke trained as well, and even Sakura, inspired by them both, joined in.
Finally, after days of effort, Naruto succeeded—at a distance of three meters, he sliced the card perfectly in half.
"Ten meters," Shigeo said simply when Naruto rushed to show him.
He didn't even look up—just kept eating his edamame, his voice cool and calm.
Naruto wasn't the smartest or most gifted ninja.
But he had that one thing no one else did—an unbreakable will, the heart that never gave up.
That was his ninja way.
By the time the ship finally docked, Naruto had done it again.
And this time, a faint Wind Blade shimmered in his palm.
"Not bad," Shigeo said with a nod. "Keep at it. Cutting a single card isn't mastery. When you can slice ten, twenty, or a hundred at once, then your Thousand-Wind Blades will be complete."
As the ship reached port, Shigeo bid farewell to Naruto and the others.
He and Kakashi would head for the northern outpost, while Team 7 returned to Konoha as ordered.
(End of Chapter)
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