Hiashi left.
His visit seemed to serve no other purpose than to say that one line—to make sure everyone remembered the Hyuga Clan still existed.
But to Chiba, it was obvious—
the Hyuga must be in chaos right now.
A clan that rigid and proud… suddenly faced with someone threatening their monopoly on the Gentle Fist?
The elders were probably arguing so loudly the entire council hall might collapse.
Hiashi was desperate—that much was clear.
Chiba couldn't help but smirk.
He honestly didn't need any more collaborations right now. Between the Temple of Fire and his ninja tool research, his schedule was already overflowing.
At the moment, to avoid wasting time on conversation, he had left a shadow clone inside continuing his work while he spoke with Hiashi.
If only there were more hours in a day, he would use them all.
After returning indoors, Chiba glanced at his shadow clone. After a bit of thought, he picked up another book and started sketching out a different barrier design.
"???"
The shadow clone stared at him, then at itself.
"Our thoughts aren't perfectly synchronized. If we work on the same task, we'll just get in each other's way. Better to split up."
"…Fair point."
The clone nodded.
With both of them focusing on separate projects, their progress improved dramatically.
By the afternoon, the Temple of Fire's barrier design was finished.
Chiba finally had a little free time to sit down and read.
That was when Asuma and Chiriku showed up —this time "just passing by."
The two looked hesitant, as though they didn't want to disturb him.
"Captain Asuma, Chiriku," Chiba greeted them with a smile, "I just wrapped up my work. Would you like to come in and have a look?"
"Oh, we were just—wait, what did you say? Finished already?"
Chiriku froze mid-sentence as the words sank in.
Finished?!
So fast?
His heart leapt with joy.
This visit was mainly about finalizing the barrier design—everything else was secondary. And now the main goal was already achieved.
"Come in, then. It's a bit messy—didn't have time to tidy up the drafts."
Chiba led them inside.
Asuma followed, his thoughts complicated.
If not for the boy's short height and youthful face, he could never have believed this was a twelve-year-old.
He was simply too extraordinary.
Inside, the floor was littered with sketches and notes. A shadow clone sat to one side, still scribbling furiously.
"I thought you said it was finished?" Chiriku asked, puzzled.
"Oh, it is," Chiba replied with a faint smile. "But your insights gave me an idea for optimizing another barrier technique. My clone's working on that."
"…"
Chiriku was speechless.
The Iron Wall Seal Formation had taken generations of monks years of research, and this boy had redesigned it—then immediately started a new version—after just a few days?
Who exactly was the abbot here?!
Chiriku sighed helplessly.
Asuma coughed lightly. "Ahem, Chiriku, why don't you take a look at the current design first?"
Yeah, yeah, he thought to himself. Save the existential crisis for later.
No one who worked with Chiba could remain completely calm—perhaps only kid had managed, simply because he'd admitted defeat from the start.
True wisdom hides in humility, Asuma mused.
Chiriku shook himself out of his thoughts, steadied his mind, and carefully accepted the stack of papers Chiba handed him.
"I'll go have a smoke," Asuma said apologetically before stepping outside.
The designs were thick—a true tome.
Chiriku examined them page by page, occasionally asking questions whenever something confused him, and Chiba patiently explained every detail.
"You truly are…"
He almost said "a genius," but then stopped himself. Surely the boy had heard that word far too many times already.
Instead, Chiriku pressed his palms together and bowed deeply. "My gratitude, young benefactor."
"No need for thanks," Chiba said with a smile. "You gave me the Iron Wall Seal Formation, and I designed you a new barrier. It's an equal exchange—no one's kidning more than the other."
In truth, the Iron Wall Seal Formation fascinated him.
Its ability to precisely recognize specific chakra signatures had endless potential applications. One idea in particular stood out—
Medical Scanning.
By recording a patient's chakra signature, the seal could scan the body and immediately locate abnormalities.
Combine that with the Telescope Technique's ability to record chakra flow, and it was practically a perfect system.
His shadow clone was currently developing exactly that.
"Still…" Chiriku began, then paused. "Right—the meditation tests! Our results were just as you predicted. Different environments yield different effects. Even within the Forest of Death, each area varies."
His excitement was palpable.
Chiba nodded, unsurprised.
Just as he thought—
the energy behind the Sage Chakra's Arts was a hybrid of natural energy and chakra.
The finer details still needed experimentation, but that was the essence of it.
"Chiriku," Chiba said after a moment, "when you return, you might have your monks conduct more experiments. Some of them might have the aptitude to awaken it."
"Of course!" Chiriku nodded firmly.
"Also," Chiba asked, "does the Temple still preserve its old exorcism spells? Their principles should be similar."
"Most have been lost," Chiriku admitted sadly. "The temple declined long ago. It wasn't until the creation of Gift of the Hermit Group that we rose ."
"What a shame."
Chiba sighed.
"Benefactor, though we made a fair trade, your insights are invaluable to our temple. In gratitude, I'm willing to teach you Gift of the Hermit Group!"
"That's not necessary," Chiba shook his head. "I'm more interested in the principles behind your arts. Teaching me the methods of meditation is more than enough."
He hesitated, then added, "But, if it's possible, could you help me apply for permission to pass on what I learn?"
"Pass it on?" Chiriku frowned, thinking carefully.
"I won't teach it freely. But at least, if I've improved upon it, I'd like to be able to share it with my acknowledged comrades or teachers."
"…Very well," Chiriku said at last. "I'll see what I can do when I return."
It was a reasonable request.
And in truth, even if permission were granted, few could actually master the Sage Chakra's Arts—the threshold was simply too high.
After settling that, Chiriku went on to explain the Temple's procedures. The entire process might take half a month.
Chiba didn't mind.
The art itself would take him time to grasp, and improving upon it would take even longer—perhaps half a year before he could safely pass it on.
That was him, though. Others might need far more time.
Besides, his main body wouldn't have much spare time soon. He'd likely have to leave the actual training to a shadow clone devoted to sensing natural energy.
After packing away the designs, Chiriku prepared to leave.
Chiba began gathering his scrap papers to burn—since Asuma was nearby, he didn't even need to light the fire himself.
Flames roared to life, and ashes scattered into the wind.
Chiriku departed in a hurry, leaving Asuma standing in the courtyard, quietly smoking as he watched the blaze.
Finally, he murmured, "kid, do you know what the Will of Fire is?"
"Hm?"
"Wherever the leaves dance, the fire will burn…" Asuma quoted softly. "How do you interpret that?"
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested:
https://www.patreon.com/Mindsmithstudio