The air in the hot spring inn was thick with warm water vapor.
After settling his subordinates in, Kakashi Hatake left. His thick wallet was considerably thinner, meaning he probably had to go take care of business tonight.
Once the jonin leader of Team 7 was gone, the figure of a sturdy man appeared from behind a large tree outside the inn. "We can begin. Kakashi of the Sharingan has left the inn. There are only three brats inside."
"Captain Bukai!" A young man leaped down from the tree, his expression puzzled. "Do we really need to target this Konoha team? It's rare for us to be in the Land of Hot Water. Isn't it part of our ninja code to avoid unnecessary battles?"
"Hmph, so young..." The sturdy man lowered his head, his face hidden in the darkness. "Do you see the Uchiha fan on the back of that black-haired brat?"
"That brat should be the last remaining Uchiha in Konoha, and also our easiest chance to obtain a bloodline-limit eye—the Sharingan!"
"Huh?" The young Cloud ninja was astonished.
Ever since the end of the Third Great Ninja War, the ninja world had enjoyed a long period of peace. After the Uchiha clan was annihilated, many thought the Sharingan would fade into history. Who would have expected its power to become even more revered?
There was Konoha's Copy Ninja, Hatake Kakashi, and the rumored Itachi of the Massacre.
Because the Sharingan wasn't considered a strategic-level bloodline, the great nations weren't desperate to acquire it. However, many individual ninjas who craved power coveted it privately.
The young Cloud ninja gritted his teeth. "But won't seizing that brat's Sharingan cause a war between Konoha and our village?"
"Hahahahaha..." The sturdy man laughed loudly. He slapped his subordinate's shoulder hard, ignoring the young man's pained expression. "You're too young. You don't need to worry about that. I'll take full responsibility!"
Young people really don't understand history, he thought. Years ago, their own Cloud Village envoy had failed to steal the Hyuga clan's Byakugan and was killed by the clan head instead. And what was the result? The Fourth Raikage simply threatened Konoha, demanding they hand over the Hyuga clan head or he would tear up their new peace treaty.
To preserve the treaty, Konoha agreed. In the end, it was the Hyuga clan that found a clever way around the demand, preventing the Byakugan from falling into the Cloud's hands. The Hyuga were Konoha's largest and most powerful clan, yet faced with pressure from both villages, they could only swallow their anger.
A mere orphan of the Uchiha clan... how could he possibly cause a war between Konoha and the Cloud?
"Alright, go execute the plan," the sturdy man instructed in a low voice as he turned to leave. "Be careful when you lure him out. This is the peaceful Land of Hot Water, after all. I'll go find those two idiots now."
"Yes, Captain!" The young Cloud ninja nodded seriously. He put away his ninja sword and, after scanning the area, slipped into the hot spring inn where Team 7 was staying.
Inside the hot spring bath, only the two boys from Team 7 were present, as the festival in the town square had drawn everyone else away. The two were chatting leisurely. Since leaving Konoha, they hadn't felt this relaxed and wanted to use the opportunity for a frank conversation.
Sasuke Uchiha, a small towel resting on his head, narrowed his eyes slightly at his teammate. "Have you thought about developing any new ninjutsu lately? It feels like you've already pushed the jutsu you have to their absolute limit."
"You're not doing bad either!" Naruto Uzumaki smiled, intending to praise his teammate. "Didn't Kakashi-sensei compliment you yesterday for mastering some... what was it called... that Fire Style jutsu?"
It would have been better if he hadn't said anything. Although he was trying to praise Sasuke, he couldn't even remember the name of the jutsu his teammate was so proud of.
Naruto rubbed his head and pointed to his temple. "Sorry, Sasuke. I don't have my notebook with me right now, so I can't remember a lot of things."
"Phoenix Sage Flower Nail Crimson," Sasuke said, frowning as he explained in a low voice. "It's a B-rank Fire Style ninjutsu developed by my brother Shisui. It's considered a derivative of the Phoenix Sage Fire Technique. In reality, it just increases the speed at which the flames fly toward the enemy..."
"That's still very impressive!" Naruto nodded. "Attaching flames to shuriken... only an Uchiha skilled at shurikenjutsu could bring out its full potential, right?"
"Shisui was indeed very skilled with shuriken. Even my father praised him personally..." Sasuke took the towel off his head and looked up at the stars. His sadness was silent and lasted only a moment before he pulled himself together.
He carried the weight of hatred on his shoulders, and also the responsibility of reviving the Uchiha clan.
Sasuke extended his hand from the water, clenching it a few times. "I can't indulge in these ninja games anymore," he said softly. "When I get back, I'm going to Cat Granny's place to ask for information about Shisui."
"Even if I can't get the training method for his Body Flicker Technique, I have to ask Kakashi-sensei about the 'Dance of the Sun Halo' and 'Sword of the Swift Flame' he mentioned. They're a type of Uchiha-style taijutsu. Cat Granny should have some scrolls with the training methods recorded."
"In a few days, I also need to ask Kakashi-sensei for his expertise in Lightning Style ninjutsu. After all, not many people in our clan had experience with Lightning Style..."
His teammate's strength was visibly increasing, while he, since becoming a ninja, had started to fall behind. Although his pride wouldn't let him say it out loud, the facts were right in front of him. Naruto had already surpassed him in strength.
The memory of the ambush, where Naruto had single-handedly led them out of danger, and the time they encountered the Mist's hunter-nin, where Naruto's attack had pierced right through a jonin—these things constantly replayed in Sasuke's mind.
He didn't want to waste any opportunity to become stronger. Kakashi was once that man's captain, and Shisui was that man's guide. He had to absorb their strengths.
Every moment was precious.
Sasuke stood and walked out of the hot spring, grabbing a bathrobe. "That's enough. The rest time is over."
"Sasuke..." Naruto looked at his retreating figure and chuckled lightly. He also stepped out of the pool and sighed. "Compared to our time at the Ninja Academy, you're really working much harder now."
Sasuke paused for a moment. "Don't talk about me," he said in a low voice. "When you're practicing and researching ninjutsu every day, you're even more desperate than I am."
"I can't help it," Naruto said with a wry smile, shaking his head. For him, it was just restoring his body's muscle memory. Besides, the occasional throbbing in his brain was constantly urging him to become stronger.
When the two finished their bath and returned to the changing room, they found their locker pried open, their clothes piled messily on the floor.
A young man was flipping through Naruto's notebook. Hearing them return, he leaped up and rushed out of the room.