On the border of the Land of Fire, early in the morning, the brilliance of the sun had just fallen upon the earth, and the temperature of the ground was gradually warming up.
"Any movements from the forces of Kumogakure?" Hyuga Xiangyun' rubbed his sleepy eyes and asked with some excitement.
It had been ten days since Chao Yanqian and the others began monitoring Kumogakure's troops on the front lines. But Kumogakure remained quiet. Although known for its aggressive tactics, the village had exercised uncharacteristic restraint and had yet to engage Konoha forces openly.
However, in secret, the two villages had already clashed countless times, and the ninja casualty count had reached into the hundreds.
Chao Yanqian exited Sage Mode, stood up from the ground, rubbed his sore legs, and said, "Maybe they're waiting for something? From the intelligence reports, that moment shouldn't be far off!"
"Tch! How boring!" Xiangyun' complained. Then, making a hand seal, he activated his Byakugan and began to monitor the movements of the Kumogakure forces.
Though Hyuga Xiangyun' was a female ninja, she lacked the reserved demeanor typical of the Hyuga clan. Instead, she carried a battle-hungry spirit and seemed eager to fight Kumogakure immediately.
Chao Yanqian walked over to a large rock, lay down to rest, and looked up at the clear sky. Frowning, he said, "Do you think Kumogakure is waiting for the weather to change?"
"The weather?" At that, Hyuga Hiashi looked up and was startled. "Are they waiting for rain?"
"Very likely," Chao Yanqian nodded. "Lightning can travel through water. In the rain, the lethality of Lightning Release jutsu is significantly enhanced. There's no way Kumogakure wouldn't take that into account. The ambush on their forces was a good plan, but it handed them the initiative we didn't consider that."
"Then what do we do?" asked Hyuga Hiashi.
"Don't worry. With Shikaku-sensei's intelligence, I'm sure he's accounted for it," Chao Yanqian replied. "But just to be safe, I'll go check it out myself."
As soon as the words fell, Chao Yanqian's figure vanished instantly.
"That's space–time ninjutsu? Amazing!" Hyuga Xiangyun's eyes lit up at the sight, her curiosity clearly piqued.
Hiashi frowned as he watched. The techniques Chao Yanqian had mastered based on the current capabilities of the Hyuga clan had no clear counters.
Equal to the Byakugan's reconnaissance abilities, incredible physical prowess using modified Gentle Fist techniques, and the ability to teleport through space...
With powers like that, it didn't seem like the Hyuga clan was needed at all. Their pride Byakugan detection was rivaled, if not surpassed, by natural sensory perception.
That thought troubled Hiashi. Could the Hyuga clan truly remain relevant in an alliance with someone like Chao Yanqian?
Konoha camp.
With a flicker of movement, Chao Yanqian reappeared beside Nara Shikaku.
"Chao Yanqian, what brings you here?" Shikaku asked in surprise.
"Shikaku-sensei, according to our intel, the higher-ups in Kumogakure have issued a war order, yet their frontline forces remain silent. Have you noticed anything odd?" Chao Yanqian asked.
"Hm. They're probably waiting for a thunderstorm," Shikaku replied with a smile. "I've already ordered the deployment of lightning rods at the ambush site. If Kumogakure's relying on weather for an edge, they're asking for trouble."
"That's good to hear," Chao Yanqian nodded. "Then I'll take my leave—"
"Wait a moment," Shikaku interrupted.
"What is it, Shikaku-sensei?" Chao Yanqian asked.
Shikaku waved his hand to dismiss the other shinobi nearby. Once they were alone, he turned to Chao Yanqian and said, "I've heard some talk lately. Something about a falling out between you and the Hokage?"
"…It's true," Chao Yanqian admitted with a nod.
Despite the tension, Chao Yanqian still respected Shikaku a teacher who had guided him for over two years. And with Shikaku's intellect, it was no surprise he'd figured out the situation.
"Why? I thought your goal was to protect Konoha," Shikaku said gravely.
"It is. But as you once said, not only can lives be changed ,environments can too. Konoha is like a great tree. It shelters us from the wind and rain, and we must protect it so it can grow. You said that yourself, sensei," Chao Yanqian replied seriously. "Like tending flowers,withered leaves must be pruned so the bloom can flourish. Rotten branches must be cut. Leaving them only hinders the tree's growth."
"You really believe that?" Shikaku asked.
Chao Yanqian nodded. "Isn't it true? Tending a great tree isn't just about watering or pulling weeds. You must remove the pests and prune the rot. That's my belief. What do you think, sensei?"
"If it were your own tree, that might work. But Konoha belongs to everyone. Others may not see it that way," Shikaku said. "And protecting Konoha isn't as simple as tending a tree. You should understand that."
"I do," Chao Yanqian replied. "Others have their beliefs. I have mine. Until I understand theirs, I can only act according to what I know."
He looked directly at Shikaku. "In the shinobi world, strength defines justice. That's the truth even you can't deny it. I understood that when I was very young, and I've lived by it ever since."
"That kind of thinking is dangerous," Shikaku warned. "You remind me of someone else. He believed power was everything much stronger than you, and still he failed. Do you know why?"
"He failed because someone stronger stopped him. If he'd been stronger still, he wouldn't have failed," Chao Yanqian said flatly.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara had clashed at the Valley of the End due to irreconcilable ideals.
If Hashirama's vision of "understanding and unity" was truly effective, he would've mobilized all of Konoha to face Madara. But instead, he faced him alone.
In the end, it came down to individual strength. Had Madara won, Konoha might have followed a very different path.
And Madara's goal wasn't even to control Konoha,but to seize Hashirama's power.
As Shikaku opened his mouth to speak again, Chao Yanqian cut him off.
"Sensei, I'll show you soon enough."
With that, Chao Yanqian vanished.
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