"The Fire Temple is up ahead."
Kakashi spoke lightly, changing the subject. He didn't bother trying to argue with Chiba over who was right—
that kind of thing would've been childish.
If Kakashi were the type to get hung up on such trivialities, he'd have lost his sanity long ago after dealing with kid for so many years.
Chiba looked up.
In the distance stood two massive stone statues, seamlessly fused into the grand temple gate—majestic and awe-inspiring.
"So this is the Fire Temple? Amazing!"
Tenten's eyes widened in wonder.
Just the sight of the main gate filled her with an instinctive sense of reverence.
Tsukikage Kaza, stood beside her, clutching her sword and staring blankly at the grand entrance.
Chiba, however, was quite different from the two.
While they gawked like tourists, he silently observed the statues and the gate.
A Iron Wall Seal Formation, he thought.
The barrier's sealing array wasn't fully activated—it didn't prevent entry for now—but traces of the runes etched across the statues and gate made the formation's pattern clear to anyone who knew what to look for.
The style's definitely different from Konoha's sealing arts,
Chiba noted inwardly.
Still, all barriers shared the same underlying principles.
To destroy it, one didn't necessarily have to blow up the statues like Kakuzu did; damaging a few critical seal nodes would be enough.
"What are you staring at?"
Tenten leaned closer. "They've already gone inside."
"Nothing much—those two statues just seem… unusual."
Chiba replied casually.
"Honored guests," a nearby monk said in a calm yet warning tone, "those statues are sacred icons of our temple."
"Please don't misunderstand," Chiba bowed slightly in apology. "I wasn't going to touch them—merely taking a look."
Then he followed the group inside.
The temple's interior wasn't much different from what he remembered from the anime—strictly symmetrical structures exuding solemn dignity. Monks lined both sides of the path, while a woman in ornate dress, Sakuraba Sadatoki, walked gracefully toward the main hall.
Inside the hall, a tall figure could be vaguely seen.
Chiriku, Chiba thought.
It had to be him.
From this distance, he could faintly make out the man's face—close enough to his memory of the anime. He also caught a glimpse of Sakuraba Sadatoki's features.
Her makeup was heavy—thick, even garish.
And yet, despite the flashy cosmetics, her delicate features and refined beauty still shone through.
A true beauty, without a doubt.
Tenten and Kasha stayed by the doorway, waiting outside.
Kakashi, having finally tucked away his book, wandered about idly. Seeing Chiba peering around curiously, he strolled over.
"What's caught your eye?"
"The seal formations," Chiba murmured. "Fire Temple's barrier… hmm, how do I even put it?"
Kakashi glanced around and asked in a low voice,
"What's wrong? It looks fine to me. Judging by your face, you think it's not?"
"The formations are too obvious," Chiba whispered. "And the weak points are actually outside the barrier. The statues themselves don't have any serious protection. If someone wanted to, they could easily destroy the whole thing. It's full of holes."
Kakashi fell silent.
The Fire Temple's barrier was considered first-rate—its quality far superior to what most hidden villages could manage.
He wouldn't even have noticed the runes' traces if he hadn't been told.
Yet here Chiba was, calling it "full of holes."
Could it be…
that it wasn't the Fire Temple's seal that was weak,
but that Chiba's level was simply too high?
Of course, Kakashi wasn't going to say that out loud.
Instead, he merely patted Chiba on the shoulder and made a small "quiet" gesture.
Chiba gave a slight nod.
A while later, a large figure emerged from the main hall.
"I hadn't expected a mere C-rank escort mission to be led by the famed Copy Ninja himself."
The newcomer was a broad-shouldered monk, a fiery-red scarf tied at his waist—
the kanji for "Fire" embroidered upon it.
Chiba recognized him instantly.
One of the Twelve Guardian Ninja—Chiriku.
"Well, I'll take whatever missions come," Kakashi said lightly, the corner of his mask twitching as if in a smile.
"Impressive! How's Asuma doing?" Chiriku asked warmly.
"He's well—just busy. He hasn't had much rest lately."
Kakashi's voice carried its usual casual tone.
They exchanged a few polite words before Chiriku's eyes shifted to Chiba.
He studied the boy carefully, curiosity sparking in his gaze.
"And who might this be? To be personally trained by you, he must be quite the prodigy."
"Chiriku, sir," Chiba said respectfully, bowing slightly, "my name is Yagyū Chiba."
"Yagyū… Chiba?"
Chiriku furrowed his brow in thought.
There was a samurai clan named Yagyū in the Land of Iron, but he didn't recall any connection to Konoha.
So this boy was a commoner?
For a commoner to be chosen as Kakashi's disciple—
that could only mean one thing: a genius among geniuses.
"Please, this way," Chiriku said, bringing his palms together. "Once I've finished my talk with Miss Sakurada, I'll attend to you all properly."
He instructed a monk to lead the four Leaf ninja to a side hall to rest, then returned to the main chamber.
Chiba extended his senses—
Sakuraba Sadatoki was currently offering incense; she wouldn't need attention for a while.
That meant Chiriku had come out earlier purely out of courtesy—after all, Kakashi's reputation as an elite jōnin was known across the shinobi world.
In the side hall, they sat briefly before monks brought out simple vegetarian fare.
Kakashi wasted no time eating.
Chiba and the others followed suit.
It was free, after all—no reason to waste it.
After the meal, Chiriku reappeared, hands folded as he smiled.
"Was the food to your liking?"
"Delicious," Kakashi nodded. "Our thanks, Master."
Chiriku chuckled softly, then turned to Chiba.
"I happened to overhear earlier that this young man believes our barrier has certain flaws. Might I trouble you to elaborate?"
Chiba set down his chopsticks and replied calmly,
"It's not a serious issue. The main weakness is that the core formation lies outside the barrier. If one didn't know, it wouldn't matter—but if an enemy did, destroying the statues would bring down the entire seal."
Chiriku's expression grew thoughtful.
Indeed, Kakuzu and Hidan had done exactly that in the past.
Chiba continued, "If someone who understands sealing arts were to attack, it'd be even simpler. They wouldn't need to destroy the statues—just disrupt the internal runes embedded within. That alone would collapse the barrier."
Chiriku fell silent for a long while.
He had considered this before—but the temple was strong, and he'd always assumed any intruder would be killed before causing serious damage.
Still, the boy's words hit a nerve.
Finally, he asked in surprise,
"Young man… are you well-versed in seals and barrier arts?"
Chiba shrugged modestly.
"I've read for about half a month. I'd say I understand a little."
"..."
Chiriku blinked, speechless.
He glanced over at Kakashi and the two kunoichi.
Neither girl looked surprised in the slightest.
Either the boy really did possess such knowledge—
or they knew he was bluffing.
But why would he lie?
The Hidden Leaf and the Fire Temple weren't enemies. There was no reason to deceive him.
Which left only one explanation—
this youth truly understood sealing and barrier techniques.
And not just "a little."
His mastery very likely surpassed Chiriku's own.
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