A Temporary Conclusion
Shirō offered no response to this. To be honest, aside from the general shape of the wind and the control Okita showed during the process, his execution still had obvious flaws.
Because of this, Shirō said nothing. He wasn't one for lecturing needlessly; he believed actions were more convincing than words.
After Okita finished speaking, Shirō stood up in silence and sprang forward. In an instant, he closed the distance and lightly kicked Okita's left shoulder. He didn't put much strength into it—just enough to break his concentration.
Okita's hands faltered, his forming seals disrupted, and the wind chakra swirling behind him dispersed.
Without the airflow to hold him, Okita—still dazed—toppled to the ground.
"Shirō-ge, what's wrong? Is there a problem?"
"Still haven't reacted?" Shirō's tone was cool. "In that state just now, don't even talk about attacking—you couldn't even defend yourself. Tell me, what use is a Ninjutsu like that?"
"This is just the beginning! There's still room for improvement!" Okita protested, eyes full of defiance.
Shirō sighed. A mischievous kid would never yield to words alone—he needed something practical to hit the point home.
With a sharp clap of his hands, air currents gathered around Shirō's body. Wind swirled and lifted him slowly off the ground.
"What—?! Shirō-ge, you can do it too?" Okita's eyes went wide.
"Don't misunderstand." Shirō's voice was calm. "This isn't something I invented. It's in the library archives—an abandoned experiment. I've been able to manage this much for a long time, but breaking past this point? That's where it fails."
"You didn't think you were the first to come up with this, did you? Or that you had enough knowledge to perfect a technique even the Second Hokage-sama failed to complete?"
Okita froze. "The Second… Hokage also failed?"
"Heh. If you'd actually spent time in the library during the Academy years instead of wandering off, you'd know. Tobirama-sama had countless notes on experimental Ninjutsu—many never succeeded. Among them was this: Wind Release flight."
Okita's head lowered in shame. He really had only gone to the library for two days before giving up, deciding there was nothing useful there.
"This technique requires perfect chakra control," Shirō explained, lowering himself back to the ground. "For every meter you rise, the difficulty of control increases exponentially. That's why it's unstable, even dangerous. It's all written there."
"…Sorry, Shirō-ge. I've disappointed you."
Shirō looked at him, sighed again, and offered his hand. "Get up. I should've explained the risks of developing Ninjutsu more clearly. Your idea may be reckless, but your chakra control is actually quite good."
"Really?" Okita's eyes lit up.
"Heh. Have I ever lied to you? Now get up. With your control, you should've nearly mastered Fūton: Reppūshō (Gale Palm), right? Show me."
"Yes, Shirō-ge!"
To deal with kids like Okita, you couldn't just scold or beat them; you had to coax them, guide them, and redirect their energy. Shirō had learned this long ago—even if it cost him sleep before he transmigrated here.
Afterward, Shirō explained the taboos and principles behind developing Ninjutsu, temporarily putting Okita's reckless idea to rest. For now, the boy had plenty of safer Ninjutsu to master.
He even handed Okita a prepared scroll containing several C-rank techniques across all five chakra natures. With these, Okita and Saori had enough material to train for months.
Of course, forbidden techniques were off-limits. That much was non-negotiable.
When Okita, still buzzing with energy, tried to resume practice immediately, Shirō dragged him home instead. That kid hadn't fully recovered yet—leave him alone and he'd probably throw himself into another half-finished experiment.
Last time, he'd only suffered scrapes and bruises. Next time? It could be much worse.
Sure enough, once home, Keiko's furious glare told Shirō everything. Seeing Okita covered in bandages, she didn't need an explanation—her "Ninja equals danger" equation placed all the blame squarely on him.
Shirō had no choice but to assure her over and over that he wouldn't let Okita get hurt again. Secretly, he resolved to prioritize finding a separate place to live, even if it was costly.
For now, though, what he needed most was rest. He collapsed on his bed and didn't stir until morning.
---
When sunlight once again poured through the village, Shirō rose, washed up, and went out to search for housing.
But Konoha was thriving after the war, and property demand was high. By the time he'd combed through the markets for half a day, he hadn't found a single suitable house.
He briefly considered going to Kushina, but knowing her, she wouldn't bother with the Hokage's office. She'd simply grant him a plot from the Uzumaki clan's allocated land. That wasn't what Shirō wanted—he didn't like relying on others, especially women who had already helped him plenty.
So instead, he turned to Katsuki. She and Kushina had been together constantly these past days, but by evening, he managed to find her at home.
Spotting him downstairs, Katsuki jogged over, slightly out of breath. "Shirō? Something wrong?"
"Don't rush," he said with a small smile. "I just wanted to ask if you had any plans for these houses nearby."
"Kushina-ane and I plan to rent them out. We don't need all of them, and it's a good way to bring in more villagers," Katsuki explained.
"Hm. That works well. I've been planning to move out of my family's place, so I'd like to buy one here. Is that possible?"
"Buy? No need. You saved my life. Just move in—no charge."
"One thing at a time," Shirō countered firmly. "The money must be paid. Tomorrow, we'll pick a house, check the market price, and I'll pay you directly. If you refuse, then I won't buy."
Katsuki saw the determination in his eyes and relented. "Alright, alright. I'll accept it. Want to come in for tea?"
"No, I still need to pack. I want to move as soon as possible."
"Is that urgent?"
Shirō shrugged with a wry smile. "It's inconvenient where I am now. There are too many things I can't do."
"Fair enough. I'll come help tomorrow, then. And I expect a free meal!" she said with a playful grin.
"Haha, don't worry. There'll be plenty. See you tomorrow."
"Mm. See you."
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