Chiriku was silent for a long time, utterly shaken. His faith in life itself wavered as he turned to Kakashi and asked, "Kakashi, how long did it take you to learn sealing techniques back in the day?"
"Uh… I never really learned them before," Kakashi replied vaguely. "Later on, it didn't take too long. You know how it is."
He didn't elaborate.
But come on—why was he called the Copy Ninja?
Because of his Sharingan!
With the Sharingan to aid him in reading and replicating, learning the Evil-Sealing Mark hadn't taken long at all. But that was about as far as his skills went—anything more advanced, he hadn't mastered.
Chiriku drew in a deep breath and looked at the two girls beside him.
Forget it—what was the point of comparing himself to them? His pride couldn't take that kind of hit.
But truth be told, Kakashi was just as astonished.
When Chiba had dismantled and absorbed the barrier formation, it was only for the sake of perfecting his own technique. Combining it with the Binding Formation—well, that had only happened yesterday.
In other words—
From yesterday to today, he had already figured out how to merge the Binding Formation and the Absorption Barrier together, and even refined and improved it on the spot.
Compared to that, Kakashi couldn't even call himself a genius.
Fortunately, he had copied enough jutsu over the years. With just one year, he could probably manage to keep up appearances for the teacher's sake.
Probably…
Silence fell in the side hall.
Chiba was deep in thought, analyzing how to further improve the simplified Binding Formation and how to make it more practical and accessible. The others, however, were all quietly reflecting—
Was it that they were too weak, or that their opponent was simply too strong?
Within seconds, they all reached the same conclusion.
Obviously—
Chiba wasn't normal. There was no point in comparing themselves to him.
Chiriku and the others let out a collective sigh of relief.
Then a smile crept onto Chiriku's face. "Chiba-kun, regarding the barrier techniques of our Fire Temple, we'll be discussing further cooperation with Konoha in the future. When that time comes, I hope you'll lend us your aid."
"No problem," Chiba said with a nod, his heart secretly elated.
Things had gone even smoother than expected. Though it wasn't enough to get him directly in touch with the Sage Chakra, at least he'd made an impression on Chiriku—and the Iron Wall Seal Formation used by the Temple could identify those with Sage potential.
Once that door cracked open, more opportunities would follow.
Kakashi shot him a sidelong glance.
This kid… really pulled it off.
He didn't intervene.
Chiba had handled everything legitimately—proper negotiation, no underhanded tricks. Kakashi had no reason to object. If Chiba actually managed to uncover the true nature of "Sage Chakra," it might end up being the Fire Temple begging him for help.
"Many thanks," Chiriku said, bowing deeply.
Having witnessed Chiba's brilliance firsthand, he realized this young man truly had the power to break through seals. A talent like that, regardless of age, was worthy of respect. And since Chiba's demeanor was anything but arrogant, Chiriku's impression of him was all the better.
"By the way," he added suddenly, "has Konoha's demand for medicinal herbs increased sharply lately?"
Kakashi blinked, then nodded. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"
"It's fine if I tell you. Since you're Leaf ninja, there's nothing secret about it. The lady you're escorting—Miss Sakuraba—she requested that I stay at the Sakuraba estate for a while."
He briefly outlined the situation.
After hearing him out, Chiba had only one thought—
Fate works in mysterious ways.
The Sakuraba Clan, it turned out, had a secondary business in medicinal herbs.
And overseeing that branch was none other than Sakuraba Sadatoki's line.
The recent fluctuations in the herb market stemmed from the Body-Strengthening Herbal Bath—many of its ingredients came from the Sakuraba family. As a result, the entire medicinal trade in the Land of Fire had been stirred into chaos.
Of course, that was only the surface issue. The real problem was that rival clans were taking advantage of the turmoil to strike at them, and internal strife within the Sakuraba Clan made things even worse. That was why Sadataki had turned to outside help.
After explaining everything, Chiriku sighed. "In truth, there's not much this humble monk can do. At most, I can drive off a few attackers. But if she wants to truly turn things around, that's beyond me."
Konoha shinobi didn't take missions involving internal disputes within the Land of Fire's noble families. In that sense, Sadataki was simply clutching at straws.
"Indeed," Kakashi murmured after a pause, nodding slightly.
He didn't know much about business, but family conflicts? That, he understood all too well. Even the Hatake Clan had its share of disputes—how much worse must it be for the noble houses of Kyoto?
He turned his gaze toward Chiba.
The Body-Enhancing Bath had been Chiba's invention, and its operation was currently managed jointly by the Medical Department, the Nara Clan, the Akimichi Clan, and Chiba himself. That gave him considerable say in the matter.
If anyone could intervene, it would be him.
Chiriku caught this detail at once, his eyes flickering with realization. "Wait—could this matter also be connected to young master Chiba?"
"Mm." Chiba nodded sheepishly.
"Chiba-kun developed a medicinal formula," Tenten explained helpfully, "and it's been in huge demand in Konoha ever since…"
"I see," Chiriku said, stunned for a moment before collecting himself. "Would you be willing to get involved personally? If not, I can pass along a message on your behalf."
"I don't handle business," Chiba replied. "Just tell her to reach out to the Nara Clan. If her herbs are good, the Nara Clan will support her."
Chiriku nodded and folded his hands in prayer. "Many thanks, young master."
"It's nothing," Chiba said lightly. "Just a few words, that's all."
If the Sakuraba family ran into trouble, it could disrupt the supply of herbs for the Medicinal Bath—a complication Chiba wanted to avoid.
On the other hand, if they managed to cooperate with the Nara Clan, increasing the production of special-grade herbs, there might even be a chance to mass-produce an advanced version of the bath.
Business was business—mutual benefit for both sides.
Chiriku gave a final bow, though his heart was filled with awe.
When they had first met, he'd thought the boy simply had a calm, extraordinary bearing—a typical Konoha prodigy, perhaps. But now, after everything he'd seen, that impression had been overturned and .
"Genius" no longer seemed adequate to describe him.
After Chiriku departed, word soon came that Sakuraba Sadatoki wished to return home.
Once she knew the path ahead, she was eager to go back.
Chiba and his team, still tasked with escorting her, accompanied her on the journey.
This time, Sadataki didn't remain hidden inside her carriage. Every so often, she would peek out to watch Kakashi, Chiba, Tenten, and Tsukikage Kaza.
Finally—
By noon the next day, as they neared Kyoto and stopped for lunch, she stepped out of the carriage, bowed gracefully to the group, and said, "Thank you, all four of you, for your protection along the way."
"You hired us, and we accepted the mission," Kakashi replied with a shake of his head. "Protecting you is just part of the job. No need for thanks."
Sadataki smiled softly, then turned to Chiba and bowed deeply. "Master Chiba, I'll never forget what you did yesterday. I owe you a debt I can never repay, but one day, I'll find a way to."
"It's nothing," Chiba said. "Konoha also needs a stable source of medicinal herbs. If your family's in trouble, it affects us too. We both stand to kidn—it all depends on your own efforts."
Chiba wasn't surprised.
People from noble families were all sharp-minded—figuring out that he'd used Chiriku to pass along a message wasn't difficult.
Sadataki shook her head. "Even without me, others in my clan could still run the business. But without this, I wouldn't be able to control my own fate. The two aren't the same."
With that, she gave a solemn bow and returned to her carriage.
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