The Shadow

That night, Shikaku Nara came to the Hokage Building.

The Third sat behind his desk, the report in front of him unopened. When he saw Shikaku enter, he took the pipe from his mouth and asked directly, "What did you think?"

Shikaku came to a stop, dispensing with pleasantries.

"His swordsmanship was good. He was able to keep a veteran Chunin on the defensive. As for ninjutsu, he has only mastered the Three Basic Techniques so far, but he's quite proficient in them. He kept a clear head and used tactics to defeat the Chunin in a short time."

The Third didn't speak immediately. He picked up his pipe and took a puff, sending wisps of smoke curling upward.

"Oh? He only used taijutsu and the Three Body Technique?"

"Yes."

The Third nodded and put down his pipe.

"I see. Thank you for your work."

Shikaku bowed slightly. "I'll take my leave."

He turned and walked out of the office, the door closing softly behind him. The Third leaned back in his chair and gazed out at the night for a long time in silence.

Perfect marks on the written exam and good practical skills. He was indeed ready to become a Chunin.

The next day, at the Hokage Building.

Baiye stood before the Third, holding the Chunin Vest and Promotion Document he had just received. The green vest was neatly folded. It was more formal and lighter than the medical-nin vest he usually wore—the kind a ninja wore, not a doctor. The Third had just given him an encouraging speech, saying things like "Konoha's future needs young people" and "I hope you keep working hard." Baiye listened and nodded without interrupting.

"That should be about it." The Third finished speaking and picked up his teacup.

Baiye bowed and turned to leave.

"Wait."

Baiye stopped and looked back.

The Third set down his teacup, his gaze passing over Baiye's face. His voice was a little lower than before.

"Can Tsunade's hemophobia be cured?"

Baiye fell silent for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

"Hemophobia is actually a psychological problem. For a complete cure, Lady Tsunade has to come to terms with it herself." He paused. "But when Lady Tsunade has an episode, I can calm her down before it gets worse."

The Third looked at him but didn't ask how he would calm her down. He simply nodded.

"A psychological problem... All right. Thank you for your efforts from now on."

"It's my duty."

"Duty..." The Third repeated the word, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Very good. You're an excellent Konoha Ninja."

Instead of letting Baiye leave, he leaned back in his chair, as though thinking about something.

"You awakened Transparent Release, didn't you?"

Baiye didn't hesitate. "Yes."

"The Gekko Clan is an ancient clan too, and it once had its time in the sun." The Third's voice was quiet, carrying an old man's sense of reminiscence. "When Konoha was first founded, the clan made considerable contributions to the village. Unfortunately, because of the bloodline disease, only you, your mother, and your brother remain now."

Baiye said nothing.

"Did you join Konoha Hospital to treat the bloodline disease as well?"

"Yes. Thanks to Lady Tsunade's guidance, I've already made some progress."

"So Gekko Hayate didn't fail to awaken Transparent Release. You've been treating him all along?"

"...Yes."

The Third nodded and asked, "It seems your medical skills can indeed treat Transparent Release's bloodline disease to some extent... In that case, can you use Transparent Release at a relatively low cost?"

"As long as it isn't for too long, yes."

The Third fell silent for two seconds.

"Could you demonstrate it?"

Baiye didn't move. Then his figure turned transparent and vanished silently into the air, like water sinking into sand.

The Third sat in his chair, his gaze sweeping over every corner of the office. No sound, no presence, no fluctuation of chakra—he couldn't sense anything.

It was even more powerful than he had imagined.

If Baiye hadn't activated Transparent Release right in front of him, he might have been able to get close without the Third noticing.

"That's enough."

Baiye reappeared, his face tinged with pallor.

It wasn't exactly an act; he simply hadn't used his full strength to suppress the erosion.

The Third noticed but said nothing more.

"Go back and get some rest."

"Yes."

Baiye left the office and closed the door.

The light in the corridor was soft. He stood by the window and unfolded the Chunin Vest to look at it before folding it again.

At least the Third wasn't as ruthless as Danzo in the way he did things. Revealing a little of his ability would do more good than harm.

Konoha Hospital, that afternoon.

When Baiye pushed the door open, Rin was organizing the medicine shelves. She wore a white medical apron, her hair tied back, and worked briskly. Obito sat in a chair by the window, arms folded, swinging his legs in boredom.

Rin heard his footsteps and turned, her eyes lighting up.

"Congratulations on becoming a Chunin, Baiye-senpai!"

Baiye draped the Chunin Vest over the back of a chair and nodded. Obito snorted beside him.

"That just puts him on the same level as Kakashi. Kakashi became a Chunin when he was six."

Baiye glanced at him and said evenly, "Oh? I didn't expect to hear you praising Kakashi."

Obito's face turned bright red.

"Wh-who's admitting anything?! It's just not time yet. Sooner or later, I'll surpass both of you and become Hokage!"

Baiye didn't respond. He walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of water.

"Are you two so free today? Aren't you going on a mission? No cats to find?"

Obito's face darkened further. "...This guy's so annoying."

Rin couldn't help laughing. Then she covered her mouth, her eyes curving into crescents.

"We stopped doing low-level missions ages ago!" There was a touch of pride in her voice. "A little while ago, we even went out with Minato-sensei and wiped out a gang of bandits!"

"Impressive, impressive." Baiye took a sip of water, his tone flat.

Obito looked at Rin's happy smile, then at Baiye's expressionless face, and muttered under his breath, "...He's even more annoying now."

Rin didn't notice Obito's mood and continued, "It seems Minato-sensei has reached a critical point with something important, so he gave us some time off."

Baiye put down his glass. "Hm? Do you know what it is?"

Obito opened his mouth to speak, but when he realized no one was looking at him, he closed it again.

Rin tilted her head and thought for a moment. "I think he's training some kind of technique? Oh, right, I saw Lord Jiraiya too."

A technique?

The Rasengan? Is he about to finish it?

The Training Ground, that night.

Moonlight spilled across the clearing, stretching the shadows of two people long.

Baiye and Might Guy stood facing each other, both drenched in sweat. Might Guy was bent over, hands braced on his knees as he gasped for breath, but his smile was brighter than the moonlight.

"Baiye, you've improved so much lately!"

"Thanks to you." Baiye sheathed his Tachi and glanced at Might Guy. "You, on the other hand, don't seem quite right physically."

Might Guy straightened and patted his chest. "Haha, it's nothing. Youth isn't afraid of a little pain!"

Baiye didn't smile. He walked over and grabbed Might Guy's wrist. Chakra seeped into Might Guy's meridians, and Baiye "saw" it: deep in his muscles were signs of damage that shouldn't have been there, more pronounced than during his last examination.

"Don't push yourself when you're hurt. Let me take a look."

Might Guy didn't resist and obediently held out his arm.

As Baiye examined him, he went over the distribution and shape of the injuries in his mind. They didn't look like muscle damage caused by physical movements, but rather a backlash from some kind of burst beyond the body's normal limits.

"What secret technique have you been practicing?" Baiye looked up.

Might Guy's eyes lit up. "That's Baiye for you! You could even tell that!"

Baiye didn't deny it and asked directly, "Can you tell me what secret technique it is?"

"Of course!" Might Guy didn't hesitate. "It's the Eight Gates. My dad taught it to me. I accidentally got hurt a few days ago when I broke through the third gate."

The Eight Gates.

Baiye went over the name in his mind, his face expressionless.

"I can tell it's an extremely powerful secret technique," he said. "I wonder if I could learn it?"

Might Guy froze for a moment, then scratched his head. "My dad taught it to me. His name is Might Duy... the eternal Genin."

There was no trace of inferiority in his tone; he was simply stating a fact.

"I only believe what I see," Baiye said. "This is definitely a powerful secret technique. If your dad can master it, he must be very strong too."

Might Guy looked at him, his lips moving, but he said nothing.

Then his eyes reddened.

"I'll go ask my dad!"

Might Guy turned and ran off. He was always this efficient in his actions. Was this youth?

His green bodysuit quickly melted into the night under the moonlight, leaving only the sound of his footsteps receding into the distance.

Baiye stood where he was, looking in that direction for a while.

Sometimes, facing a pure heart was like facing a mirror: it let one see the color of one's own heart with great clarity.

Under the moonlight, Baiye walked home alone.

The forest path was quiet. Moonlight shone from behind him, and his shadow walked ahead of him, swaying slightly with his steps.

He stopped.

His shadow was less than half a meter from the shade of a tree ahead. Two more steps and it would merge into it.

Baiye didn't take those two steps.

"Who's there?"

There was no sound from the tree's shade. But Baiye's reiatsu detection had already sensed a strange fluctuation ahead.

It was a little like a soul, but it wasn't one.

Then the shade moved.

Several black shadows poured out of it, stretching rapidly across the ground toward Baiye.

Baiye's right hand settled on his sword hilt.