The growth of one's strength is always a gradual process. For younger shinobi especially, the limits of their still-developing bodies make rapid improvement nearly impossible. Step-by-step training — that's what's appropriate for their age.
But some forms of growth can't be achieved through simple practice. Combat experience, for instance, is one of the most vital.
Why were the shinobi of the Warring States era often stronger than those of the modern age? The answer is simple — children as young as five or six took to the battlefield. Those who survived to adulthood did so through the baptism of endless war. By the time they were grown, their combat instincts were already honed to perfection.
A legend like Uchiha Madara, a product of that brutal age, could crush ordinary ninja with nothing more than taijutsu and basic ninjutsu — because his battle experience was something no modern shinobi could match.
Hyuga Satoru now possessed no small number of jutsu. Through constant training, he had become increasingly proficient at chaining and transitioning between techniques. But he knew that this alone wasn't enough.
A training field and a battlefield were two entirely different worlds. Whether he could wield his techniques with the same precision when faced with life-or-death combat — was still unknown.
He needed experience. Real, bloody experience.
And in his eyes, the Mist-nin named Ao — the "Byakugan Killer" whom the Hyuga Clan was currently hunting — was the perfect test.
There was no doubt that Ao was an elite jonin. A product of Kirigakure's constant warfare, his battle experience was undoubtedly vast. Defeating such an opponent would test every aspect of Satoru's growth: strength, strategy, intelligence, adaptability. Only by surpassing Ao in every way could he win — and such a victory would be a tremendous leap forward.
So when Satoru received a letter from Hyuga Hiashi describing the ongoing pursuit, he began to seriously consider stepping onto the battlefield himself. He understood that he was still young — that even without taking this risk, he had plenty of room to grow. But the current political climate in Konohagakure made this the best opportunity to gain real battle experience.
The Third Shinobi World War was clearly approaching its end. Though the Cloud shinobi continued to posture, it was obvious they no longer had the strength to launch a full-scale war against Konoha. After all, Kumogakure wasn't facing only one enemy — the Stone Village still lurked nearby, ready to strike if the Cloud stretched itself too thin. The Fourth Raikage would not gamble his village's survival for pride alone.
Meanwhile, within Konoha, Shimura Danzo and Root had already been sent to the Cloud front by Namikaze Minato. That alone gave Satoru confidence that the Hokage was keeping his word. With Danzo and his forces away, there was little chance of anyone within the village daring to target him again.
And once the war ended, a long era of peace would begin — an era where opportunities to fight strong opponents would vanish. In peacetime, there would be no true trials, no crucible to temper one's strength.
There was another reason as well. Satoru didn't want to remain a stationary target. If someone still sought his life, it would be far easier to find him while he stayed within the village walls. Better to move — to the front, to the chaos of war — where even his enemies couldn't predict his next step.
Risk and reward were forever bound. To gain experience, one had to walk the edge between life and death. That was the fate of every shinobi.
Compared to him, others his age were already blooded. Uchiha Itachi, for instance, had killed before — had already seen the battlefield firsthand. He'd been taken by his father to the front at only four years old and had witnessed the horrors of war. Among the group, only Satoru had been spared such sights until now.
"You're planning to go to the battlefield?" Itachi frowned slightly, old memories flickering behind his dark eyes.
"Yes," Satoru nodded. "That's my plan. Training can only take you so far. True strength is forged through real combat — and blood."
His tone was resolute. Everything he did had one purpose — to become stronger, so that when a true threat arose, he would have the power to protect what mattered.
"Fighting, huh…" Itachi murmured, his gaze unfocused. "I've never really understood. Why do people fight? Wouldn't it be better if everyone just… lived in peace?"
It was a question far too naïve for a shinobi — and yet, coming from Itachi, it felt natural. A simple question… but one that countless people spent their lives unable to truly answer.
"Peaceful coexistence…" The oldest among them, Hatake Kakashi, looked distant, his silver hair catching the light. The words stirred something deep within him.
He had lost his father as a child. Lost friends. Lost comrades. His life had been nothing but the wreckage left behind by war. Even though the White Fang had taken his own life, Kakashi knew that it was war that had driven him to despair.
Since killing Rin with his own hand, Kakashi had been living in quiet torment, chained by grief that never faded. He had never even asked the question Itachi posed — because from the moment he could remember, war and death had simply been his way of life.
"People fight for all sorts of reasons," said Uchiha Shisui softly. "Honor, wealth, power, territory… survival. Everyone has their own reason."
"And you, Satoru?" Itachi turned toward him. "What's your reason?"
To Itachi, Satoru seemed to already possess everything — status, recognition, talent. He didn't need to risk his life in battle. So why would he choose to fight?
Satoru met his gaze, sensing instinctively that his answer might shape the younger boy's view of the world. After a brief pause, he spoke:
"To become stronger — so that when I face truly powerful enemies, I'll have the strength to protect the things I care about."
"Going to war isn't the goal. The goal is to learn from it — to gain experience that will make me stronger."
"This world is vast, and it's full of people far stronger than we can imagine."
"Only by becoming the strongest can we protect what we cherish."
His vision was simple — to live, and to safeguard what was precious. But his perspective was far broader than theirs, shaped by knowledge of powers they could not yet conceive. Compared to the monsters that existed beyond their sight, he was still far too weak.
His words left Itachi deep in thought.
Satoru smiled faintly, then patted his shoulder. "Tell me, Itachi — what's most precious to you?"
"Family and friends," Itachi answered after a moment. "And… the village."
Even at his young age, the seeds of the Will of Fire had already taken root within him.
"And if you had to choose," Satoru asked quietly, "between protecting your family or protecting the village — which would you choose?"
"I…" Itachi hesitated, then said, almost automatically, "The village, I suppose…"
He didn't sound sure. He'd never truly considered it before.
"The village, huh?" Satoru gave a small laugh, shaking his head. "Isn't that backwards? Isn't the village supposed to exist to protect the people within it?"
Itachi fell silent, staring at the floor.
It was Shisui who finally spoke up, his tone firm. "But if the village falls, how can the people survive? If the nation is destroyed, the family follows — it's the way of the world."
"Of course I understand that," Satoru replied calmly. "But if preserving the village means the annihilation of the Hyuga Clan, then what meaning would that village hold for us?"
Shisui frowned. "Are you denying the sacrifices of those who gave their lives for Konoha?"
It wasn't an accusation — he was genuinely shaken. Satoru's words sounded dangerously close to heresy.
"You misunderstand me."
"The heroes who died didn't sacrifice themselves for the village. They did it to protect their parents, their children, their friends — to protect the people they loved."
"It just so happens that those people also lived in Konoha."
"My great-uncle and my father didn't go to war 'for Konoha.' They went for me — for the Hyuga still living in this village."
"And the same goes for the Uchiha. The Police Force protects the villagers, yes — but above all, they protect their own clan."
He smiled faintly, eyes half-lidded. "The Sarutobi Clan has grown rapidly these past few years — so many new shinobi under their banner." He paused, meaning clear. "It seems the Third Hokage understands quite well the difference between protecting a clan and protecting a village."
"You should learn from him."
With that, Hyuga Satoru rose, turned his back to them, and walked slowly toward the training hall.
His figure disappeared into the sunlight — leaving behind only silence and the quiet echo of his words.
Far away, a hawk cry split the spring sky. By dusk, a sealed dispatch would arrive at the Hyuga compound with a single line inside: "Ao sighted — moving east."
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