Evolution
"Ugh... I'm so tired. My body feels completely hollow."
The first rays of morning filtered in through the hospital window as Bai Ye finally stirred from unconsciousness. Blinking against the light, he slowly registered his surroundings—a sterile room, the faint beeping of monitors, and a drip stand next to his bed.
So... I'm in the hospital? Figures.
He tried to sit up, but his limbs were heavy, unresponsive. It was as if his body had been filled with lead.
"Why do I feel so heavy... like I've been crushed by a ghost? How's Guy doing?"
Gritting his teeth, Bai Ye forced his arm to move, but his strength failed him again.
Just as he was about to try once more, a familiar voice interrupted.
"You're awake! Sorry—I must've dozed off... Here, let me help you."
Relief washed over him. That voice—Yue'er.
Suddenly, a small face peeked into his vision. Messy black hair clung to her cheeks, tangled with drool-soaked strands. Her eyes were half-lidded, still cloudy with sleep. She looked like a mess—but it was definitely the girl who'd been fighting alongside him last night, the same one who got knocked out almost instantly.
"Thanks," Bai Ye muttered. "By the way, do you know how Guy is?"
Also, did you seriously drool on me the whole night? Who knew someone so small could weigh so much...
He kept his inner complaints to himself, forcing a composed expression.
Yue perked up. "He's in the bed across from you—but the curtain's still drawn. Hold on, I'll open it."
She scurried over on short legs and pulled aside the white hospital curtain with practiced care.
Through the gap, Bai Ye spotted Guy lying unconscious but with a calm expression. The boy's complexion, while pale, wasn't as bad as he had feared.
Yue returned. "The doctor said Guy twisted his body at the last moment—he avoided any fatal wounds. Looks worse than it is, but internally, he's stable."
Bai Ye exhaled deeply.
Thank God. If something had happened to him because of me...
His thoughts turned inward. He had been training with heavy weights—too much, perhaps. In a real battle, those weights could become a death sentence. Guy had paid the price for Bai Ye's recklessness.
I'll need a way to drop the weights quickly in an emergency. Lesson learned.
Yue's voice drew him back.
"They say a team of enemy shinobi infiltrated the village last night. They were targeting the Byakugan—trying to kidnap a Hyuga. One of them escaped, and the others were hunted down."
That caught Bai Ye's attention. A direct assault on Konoha for a dōjutsu... so early? The Hyuga Incident? The implications were heavy. The Leaf's enemies were growing bold.
"I see," he murmured. Then, frowning slightly, he turned to Yue. "Did you stay here all night? Why didn't you go home?"
They weren't exactly close—she barely knew him or Guy. It didn't add up.
"Sorry! And... thank you~"
She bowed awkwardly and smiled, her face flushing. Bai Ye blinked, bewildered.
Okay... what's with this girl? Some kind of apology fetish?
"Could you not keep apologizing and bowing every five seconds? What exactly are you apologizing for?"
"S-sorry! I mean—uh... right. No more sorries!" she stammered.
A vein pulsed on Bai Ye's temple. Is she doing this on purpose?
Yue puffed her cheeks and looked away. "I slowed you and Guy down yesterday... It was because of you both that I wasn't a disgrace to the Uchiha clan. I—I wanted to thank you properly. And since no one was here to watch over you, I just... stayed."
She curled her little finger, lips pursed in thought, and began counting reasons aloud like a child. Bai Ye couldn't help but find it amusing. Her serious effort mixed with clueless innocence gave her an oddly charming air.
He sighed and waved her off. "Alright, alright. I get it. But you should head home and get some rest. Don't you have classes today? You don't wanna end up like me, snoozing through lectures."
He reached out and gently wiped the drool still clinging to her mouth, flicking away the hair stuck to it.
Yue's face flushed bright red. Shyly, she covered her face with both hands before quickly turning around and running out of the room. Whether it was from embarrassment over drooling in her sleep or something else entirely, Bai Ye couldn't say.
"She seemed like a refined young lady before… Why did she suddenly bolt like that?"
Bai Ye was left bewildered, still sitting on the hospital bed in a daze.
"Whatever... Let's see what's going on with my Zanpakutō. After yesterday's battle, my chakra reserves have increased dramatically."
Muttering to himself, Bai Ye reached out and touched the Zanpakutō propped upright beside the bed.
---
Zanpakutō Status Update:
Zanpakutō Unlocked: Shikai - Kamishini no Yari ("Divine Spear") [0/2000 EXP]
Hadō Unlocked: Hadō #4: Byakurai ("White Lightning") [0/2000 EXP]
Bakudō Unlocked: Bakudō #4: Hainawa ("Crawling Rope") [0/2000 EXP]
Hakuda: Stage 2 [0/2000 EXP]
Shunpo: Stage 2 [0/2000 EXP]
---
Abilities:
Kamishini no Yari: The blade extends at high speed over great distances.
Hadō #4: Byakurai: Fires a concentrated lightning bolt from the fingertip.
Bakudō #4: Hainawa: Uses spiritual energy to form a rope of light that restrains the opponent.
---
Examining the blade that had clearly undergone changes, a rare smile crept onto Bai Ye's face.
Not only had he unlocked Shikai, but he also gained access to basic Hadō and Bakudō techniques—real Kidō, albeit at the elementary level.
He understood now: true growth only came through real combat. Training in isolation could only get him so far; without life-threatening pressure, his Zanpakutō wouldn't evolve.
He was already planning to apply for early graduation from the Academy. His overall abilities had surged after the breakthrough, and he felt confident he had met the requirements.
And even if he didn't pass, it didn't matter. He still had room to grow. Though, a part of him wondered—what if he maxed out his experience bar and still couldn't evolve? Would he be stuck there?
---
Guu~~
Thud.
"I'm starving… I should've asked Yue to grab me breakfast earlier. Rookie mistake. I'm so hungry I can't even move."
"Was it the Shikai that drained so much energy? Or was it Kamishini no Yari that consumed too much chakra?"
Bai Ye collapsed dramatically beside the bed, stomach growling like a beast. He genuinely felt he might die from hunger.
Just then, the sound of the door creaking open snapped him back to life.
"Nurse-sister, help me…"
"Sorry. It's me."
It wasn't the gentle, mature voice he expected. Instead, a childish male voice answered from the doorway.
"No way. I'm in a hospital, and you still show up here? How deep is your grudge against me?"
The visitor was none other than Zhiyi—the Aburame clan student who'd constantly harassed Bai Ye back at the Academy.
"Relax. I'm not here to start anything. I came to apologize."
Bai Ye squinted at him suspiciously. "What's wrong with people these days? Everyone's into apologizing now."
As Zhiyi helped him back onto the bed, Bai Ye added weakly, "Well, if that bouquet of flowers you're holding turns into steamed buns, I might forgive you."
Whoosh!
"…What's up with people now? First they apologize, then they vanish. Now they don't even leave flowers behind."
Zhiyi had leapt clean out the window.
Bai Ye sighed. The times truly were changing.
Whoosh!
Before his sigh was complete, Zhiyi leapt back in through the same window, now holding a warm bag of meat buns.
"Here."
"…Tch."
Bai Ye looked at him, stunned—and, truthfully, a little guilty. He hadn't expected the kid to actually do it.
"If it's about the stuff back at school, I don't hold a grudge. But… how did you even know I was in the hospital?"
"Uncle carried you here yesterday. He told me everything that happened."
"Ah. Then tell your uncle I said thank you."
"…I'm really sorry. I've been horrible to you all this time, and I didn't know anything. Please, if it'll make up for it—go ahead and hit me!"
Bai Ye facepalmed, his expression turning dark.
After a moment, he forcibly pulled the bowing Zhiyi to his feet, annoyed.
"I told you already—I don't care about that crap. But I've always been curious. Why me? I heard it was because my entrance ranking was higher than yours."
"That's not it at all!" Zhiyi blurted, suddenly raising his voice. "My father died in battle… because his teammates held him back. When I saw you—someone clearly talented but always pretending to be weak—I got angry. I thought, better to humiliate you now than let someone like you get comrades killed in the future…"
His voice trailed off into silence.
"…It's because you always acted like you didn't care about training. But yesterday, my uncle told me the truth. He said just wearing your weighted gear exhausted him—and yet you still rescued your team."
He looked down, muttering with a strange mix of guilt and admiration.