"Mm! If it's you, I believe you can succeed."
Hearing Haruki's answer, the elder known as Sōrō smiled in satisfaction. Then, in a solemn tone, he cautioned,
"These things can be done slowly. You're still young—what you need to do now is grow well. Until you've matured, don't reveal your true power. Haruki, do you understand?"
"I understand, Sōrō."
Haruki knew very well the meaning of the phrase a man without guilt becomes guilty for what he possesses. Showing one's strength before having the ability to protect it was extremely dangerous. Many people would set their sights on him—some to capture him for human experimentation, some to steal his eyes and body, and others who would try to kill him outright. Until he had sufficient power, his only choice was to keep his head down and train in silence.
"Sōrō, then… could you teach me something powerful?" Haruki asked expectantly. He wanted to become strong as quickly as possible, and Sōrō could certainly help him a great deal.
"Hmm… I'll teach you some methods to train your Byakugan. You'll need to practice them diligently," Sōrō said.
"Then thank you, Sōrō! Haha!" Haruki's heart bloomed with joy.
"Train seriously!" The moment Sōrō spoke of training, his face turned stern, voice strict. Under the dim green glow, that face looked downright eerie and terrifying.
The corner of Haruki's mouth twitched, but he knew perfectly well what was going on.
So… Sōrō probably wanted to teach me seriously from the very start, but he couldn't be too friendly. He made me ask for his help, then pushed me with strict training so I'd improve faster.
Thinking this, Haruki felt deeply grateful for Sōrō's well-intentioned methods, and threw himself into training even more earnestly.
Over the next several days, while Haruki continued to heal, Sōrō began teaching him various Byakugan training techniques.
"Byakugan!"
Haruki activated his Byakugan. The pure, untainted sight of it was indeed extraordinary. Within one kilometer, everything was crystal clear—he could see through objects, magnify details, and his vision was razor-sharp. Beyond one kilometer, the clarity gradually weakened until about three kilometers away, where the Byakugan lost effect entirely. But this was far from its limit—the pure Byakugan was still growing stronger.
What's more, Haruki was free of the cursed Caged Bird seal. The single blind spot behind the Byakugan had vanished; now he could see perfectly in all directions, above and below. The chakra consumption had also dropped to an almost laughable level.
Given Haruki's current chakra reserves—triple that of the average chūnin—and recovery speed twice that of ordinary shinobi, he estimated that if he wanted to, he could keep the Byakugan active indefinitely.
Feeling the power of his pure Byakugan, Haruki's heart raced with excitement.
Sōrō guided him,
"Good. First, to train the Byakugan, you need to observe—sharpen its insight. Start by looking at tiny details within your range. For example, count how many insect legs are within a kilometer. Then try to extend your range farther and farther."
"Eh? If I run into an anthill, I'll be counting until I die…" Haruki muttered helplessly.
"Second, train your ability to track moving targets. Everything within your vision is under your control, yes—but enemies move constantly. Your Byakugan should be able to lock onto extremely fast targets, and even anticipate their every move. You must also learn to focus on key threats among many—such as picking out the strongest opponents from a crowd."
"Lastly, you need to learn to judge and analyze based on chakra. Chakra is like a fingerprint—unique to each person. A Byakugan user can deduce a lot from it: who it belongs to, how much chakra they have, its nature, and even, by watching where and how it flows, what jutsu they might be about to perform. You can predict an enemy's actions from their chakra usage—completely reading their strength and exposing them entirely to your eyes. The more intel the Byakugan gathers, the easier it is to win."
"Oh, and don't neglect training your hearing to locate things by sound. Remember—you won't always have your Byakugan active, and sometimes ears are faster than eyes at catching movement."
Sōrō's patient teaching was matched by Haruki's eager learning. During breaks, they would chat—Sōrō telling old stories, Haruki sharing recent news from the outside. They ate together, laughing like a grandfather and grandson.
A week later, Haruki's injuries were completely healed.
Over a meal, Sōrō said,
"Child, your wounds are just about gone. It's been over a month since you fell into this cave, hasn't it?"
"Yeah… I wonder how my cousin is doing. They probably all think I'm dead by now…" Haruki admitted, feeling a pang of longing.
"It's about time… you went back." Sōrō spoke the words, but his heart was reluctant.
"If I leave, what about you?" Haruki asked with concern. He didn't want to leave Sōrō here alone.
"Hmph, I'm just an old man with one foot in the grave. I'll keep scraping by here," Sōrō said lightly, though there was a hint of loneliness in his tone.
"How about this—I'll return to the Konoha camp but leave a shadow clone here. Whenever I can, I'll come visit you. The war is nearly over—once it ends, I'll go back to Konoha, settle things, and come back for you. Is there anywhere you'd like to go?" Haruki offered.
"Where I'd like to go? …The moon," Sōrō said after a pause.
"Uh… that's a little tricky right now. Maybe when I'm grown. Anything else?" Haruki scratched his head. He didn't exactly have a rocket to the moon.
"Then… the seaside. I want to feel the ocean."
"Alright, after this, we'll go to the Land of Water. I'll find you a quiet place by the shore to live, where you can listen to the waves and the sea breeze every day," Haruki promised.
"That sounds nice." Sōrō smiled and nodded.
"I'll pack my things," Haruki said, standing up.
To hide the truth about his Tenseigan and Sage Body, Haruki painted a fake Caged Bird seal on his forehead with green pigment he had originally saved for camouflage.
Sōrō returned from a hidden chamber carrying several scrolls and items, handing them to Haruki.
"Haruki, these scrolls are about the Byakugan and Tenseigan. Study them well."
"Got it, Sōrō! Shadow Clone Technique!"
After checking the scrolls, Haruki created a clone.
"My clone will stay with you. When I'm back at camp, I'll send him to bring you food now and then."
"Alright! Now go, child—it's not like we'll never meet again."
Haruki wrapped the scrolls in cloth and slung them over his back. With his tattered clothes, he looked almost like a war orphan. He left his forehead protector with Sōrō, then knelt and bowed three times. The gesture warmed the old man's heart.
"I'm going, Sōrō!" Haruki waved reluctantly.
"Go on, child."
Haruki turned quickly, hiding his tears. Sōrō stood at the cave entrance, watching until the sound of footsteps faded before heading back inside.
Activating his Byakugan, Haruki sped through the cave, seeing everything clearly. Sōrō had already explained the route, and with his keen vision, Haruki soon found the exit.
The terrain sloped upward. After twisting through narrow passages for nearly half an hour, Haruki finally saw sunlight filtering through dense vines. It was blinding after so long underground.
Beyond the vines was the exit. After a moment to adjust, he pulled them aside and stepped out.
A gentle breeze brushed his face, warm sunlight poured down, and around him stretched thick bushes and scattered fruit-bearing trees. A small stream wound through the distance.
Haruki carefully concealed the cave entrance, then stripped off his rags and leapt into the stream for a bath. Clean, he jumped up into the tallest nearby tree and activated his Byakugan to get his bearings. Everything within ten kilometers was laid bare.
Minutes later, he realized the cave where he had fallen was on the far side of an entire mountain—dozens of kilometers away.
So the underground river carried me far from the original cave. No wonder I couldn't climb out, and no one could find me. Haruki smiled wryly.
After eating some fruit, he set off toward the general direction of the Konoha camp, moving swiftly through the forest. His body felt brimming with energy—no fatigue at all.
Not bad! My body's in peak form. The pure-blooded Ōtsutsuki lineage really is incredible—and the Senju vitality too! Haruki's excitement spurred him to run faster.
Elsewhere, a four-man Konoha squad was in trouble. What should have been a simple courier mission—half a day at most—had gone wrong. On their return, they were ambushed by a Sunagakure strike team: seven enemies, one of them a jōnin.
After a brief fight, one Konoha shinobi was gravely injured, the rest lightly wounded—and they were surrounded.
"This isn't looking good for us…" one muttered in despair.
"Kill them!" the Suna leader snarled.
"Wait—someone's coming!" The Suna jōnin's sharp senses caught the approach.
Everyone turned to look. A boy of seven or eight bounded toward them through the trees. His clothes were ragged, knees torn open, and he carried a small cloth bundle. Without his nimble leaps, they'd have mistaken him for a war orphan.
"Who's that kid?"
"Is he an ally?"
In seconds, Haruki landed on a branch above them. Having kept his Byakugan active, he already knew the situation.
"Four comrades—need a hand?" he called to the Konoha shinobi below.
"A Hyūga kid?" The Konoha group noticed his Byakugan.
"Run! They have a jōnin!" one shouted, dashing toward Haruki. The Suna shinobi had also realized he was an enemy and moved to strike first.
A Suna chūnin leapt at Haruki, kunai flashing toward his neck.
Haruki stood still, expressionless, almost as if frozen in fear.
"Look out, kid!" a Konoha ninja cried.
In truth, Haruki had already read every movement in detail.
Well… let's see just how strong I am now.
At the last instant, Haruki moved.
Smack! His fingers struck the attacker's arm, sending a numbing jolt through it. The kunai fell, and Haruki's palm was already glowing with chakra.
"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"
At point-blank range, the chakra blast smashed into the man's abdomen. The impact crushed his organs and broke his bones, hurling him backward into another Suna chūnin.
Everyone froze—this small boy had just floored a chūnin with a single strike.
But Haruki wasn't done. Using the flying body as cover, he appeared above the second target in a flicker.
"Soft Fist: Spirit Shatter!"
Ten rapid chakra strikes in a single second ruptured the man's brain—he fell dead instantly.
"Careful! This kid's dangerous!" The Suna squad tightened their formation.
Haruki's Byakugan swept over them. Three chūnin in a line.
"Perfect. Body Flicker!"
In a blur, he appeared to their flank, both palms charged and pressed together.
"Eight Trigrams Twin Vacuum Palm—Combined!"