Even Shigeo's shadow clones, despite being mere extensions of his will, refused to lose too easily.
Though they hadn't used his full power, each one still wielded the strength of hundreds of ordinary jōnin-level shinobi.
In the past, when Hyūga Shigeo used Fūton (Wind Release), his techniques could transform into storms of countless blades, or rise into the sky like divine dragons—majestic and overwhelming.
Now, the clones' wind techniques were simple by comparison—no more than what a standard upper-rank ninja could muster.
Their Doton (Earth Release) was the same—raising walls for defense before vanishing into smoke.
Of course, this was directly tied to Shigeo's own intent.
When he wanted to fight, the chakra allocated to each clone was immense, their combat instincts sharp and unyielding.
But when he merely wanted to observe—as now—each clone received only a fraction of his chakra, and their fighting spirit reflected that.
They were like puppets mimicking war, not soldiers burning for victory.
"Not bad," Shigeo mused from his vantage point atop a tiled rooftop. His eyes tracked a distant skirmish. "Their sword technique's not half bad."
Just then, someone suddenly leapt onto the same rooftop.
A hand reached out to grab him—he instinctively spun around to counter, only to freeze.
The attacker was a young girl, no older than ten.
He immediately stopped his movement, his hand hovering midair.
The girl, oblivious to the danger she'd just escaped, grabbed him by the ear with surprising strength.
"Omoi!" she scolded sharply. "I've been looking all over for you! You're hiding here to watch the fight, huh?"
The girl's skin was dark, her short red hair gleaming under the sun, and her golden eyes glared with fiery impatience.
Karuī—without a doubt.
She tugged his ear, half dragging him down the stairs toward a park below.
There, beneath a tree, stood another young kunoichi—blonde hair, icy expression, emerald-blue eyes, and a cool aura that could freeze air itself.
This was Samui.
Though still young and not yet possessing the mature allure she would later be known for, the composed frost of her demeanor was unmistakable.
The trio—Samui, Karuī, and Omoi—were the disciples of Killer B, the Eight-Tails' jinchūriki, also known across the shinobi world as the "Three Disciples of the Front Row."
Samui spoke calmly:
"Let's go. It's almost time for our monthly training session with Sensei. We need to leave now."
"Yes, ma'am!" Karuī replied cheerfully, tossing a small bundle into Shigeo's hands. "Here—these are the tickets Sensei made us sell for his concert. I didn't sell a single one. You'll explain it to him, okay? You're the smooth talker."
Shigeo blinked. "Concert…?"
Ah, right. Killer B's greatest dream—to hold a massive rap concert for the entire world.
He booked venues, designed flyers, and even printed tickets himself.
His enthusiasm was unmatched.
The problem?
His only consistent audience was… his three disciples in the front row.
And even that audience was often mandatory.
If it wasn't his rhymes getting interrupted by the Fourth Raikage's fists, it was the thunderous reprimand that followed.
The dream of the "Perfect Rap Performance" had yet to come true.
Shigeo sighed in amusement. So these must be the infamous tickets.
"Omoi," Karuī said, frowning at his silence. "You're acting weird today. You haven't said a single word."
Even Samui's icy gaze turned toward him, curious.
Shigeo's mind raced. Though the two girls were much younger, he couldn't afford to expose himself.
Quickly, he coughed into his fist and mimicked Omoi's characteristic anxious tone:
"I was just… thinking. What if that Hyūga Shigeo is super strong? What if he has tons of clones? What if he comes after me? I can't beat him! What if he turns into me? How would I even know? This is such a headache!"
The two girls stared at him blankly.
Shigeo's inner voice sighed. Good. Nailed it.
He'd seen enough of the anime to know Omoi's neurotic personality inside out. If he slipped up, he was ready to use genjutsu to make them forget everything.
The silence stretched.
Then, suddenly, Karuī punched him in the forehead.
"Hyūga Shigeo? Turn into you? Are you stupid? If he's using the Transformation Jutsu, he'd turn into the Raikage-sama, not you, you idiot! Let's go already!"
The tension shattered instantly.
The trio set off toward the village gates.
They traveled southward, boarding a small ship bound for open sea.
Shigeo kept quiet, maintaining Omoi's mannerisms perfectly. He didn't ask about Killer B's whereabouts—because Omoi would've already known.
Speaking out of turn could expose him.
The two girls were sharp, and though he could easily defeat them, there was no glory in that—only trouble. Better to stay in character until he found the Eight-Tails' host himself.
He leaned on the ship's railing, lazily popping edamame beans into his mouth as the waves rocked the deck.
"Samui," Karuī asked suddenly, "what do you think Hyūga Shigeo came to our village for? You think he really wants to start a war? Just him, alone?"
Samui shook her head slowly. "I don't know much about him. Only that he's… abnormal. They say he's something that shouldn't exist in this world. When I was younger, I imagined he had six arms and three heads. But seeing him now…"
A rare, faint smile crossed her lips. "He's not what I expected."
Karuī laughed. "Not bad-looking, right? Those shadow clones were kinda cool! I bet the real guy's the same!"
Nearby, one of the other Cloud shinobi overheard and snapped angrily, "Cool? He's our enemy! Don't forget the Sky Ninja's attack on the Hidden Cloud! The people who died that day were our comrades. If we ever capture Hyūga Shigeo, we'll skin him alive for what he did!"
The laughter died instantly.
Both girls fell silent.
Shigeo didn't turn around. He simply smiled faintly, eyes fixed on the sea.
At this point, right and wrong no longer mattered.
If people showed him respect, he would repay it tenfold.
If they turned blades on him—he would not hesitate to cut them down.
That was all.
The mist thickened as they approached their destination. Cloud-nin used Wind Release to guide the vessel forward through the fog.
By dawn the next morning, the ship reached an island covered in colossal stone pillars that pierced the sky like spears.
Birdsong echoed across the dense green forests below.
And somewhere among those crags… the Eight-Tails awaited.
(End of Chapter)
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