Seeking Guidance

According to Kakashi, Chidori was immensely powerful, but its Chakra consumption was equally astonishing.

"Personally, my limit is four Chidori a day. For you, it's probably only two."

Staring at the three large holes in the Giant Rock, Kakashi began to question his life.

Including the one he had used while fighting the Shadow Clone, Sasuke's limit was actually four as well.

Previously, the Third Hokage had told him that his weakness lay in his Chakra reserves.

Kakashi had gained some sense of that during battle as well.

But he had always thought he was only slightly worse than a freak like Might Guy. Compared to people like Asuma or Zabuza, it was still unclear who was stronger.

And now, a Genin actually had the same total amount of Chakra as him.

Even if Sasuke was a universally praised genius, this was far too demoralizing.

As if Kakashi himself wasn't a genius.

Looking utterly lost, Kakashi turned and headed down the mountain.

"Kakashi! Is Training over?"

Sasuke asked in confusion.

Kakashi staggered along without looking back, merely waving a hand behind him.

"Kakashi? Where are you going?"

Sasuke continued.

"To buy goji berries!"

Kakashi's irritated voice drifted up from the mountainside.

--

System maintenance in progress. Recovery countdown:

132 hours, 48 minutes, 35 seconds.

Walking down the street, Sasuke opened the system once again.

People were just like that.

When something was available at any time, they felt at ease and took it leisurely, sometimes not opening it even once for days.

But once something went wrong, even if they were clearly told when it would recover, they would still want to check it eight hundred times a day.

As the Chunin Exams drew nearer, Konoha became livelier by the day.

With no further incidents appearing for a long time, Jiraiya gradually let down his guard.

The beautiful women from various countries flooding into the village had left the Toad Master unusually excited these past two days.

He had gone out early that morning, presumably off somewhere to gather material.

Before he knew it, Sasuke had wandered near the Ama Guri Ama Shop.

The shop was not wildly popular, but its surroundings were pleasant. The benches outside, beneath the large trees, were where Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba Inuzuka, and the other companions from their class often used to gather and chat.

It felt like something from the last century.

He had only graduated a year ago, yet his school days already felt so distant when he looked back on them.

As he approached, he spotted someone sitting on one of the benches.

Looking closer, he saw that it was Neji Hyuga. He sat quietly, seemingly lost in thought.

For some reason, Sasuke suddenly felt a little awkward.

They had fought during the preliminaries, and Sasuke had narrowly won. Meeting alone like this afterward was inevitably uncomfortable.

Just as Sasuke was debating whether to leave, Neji suddenly spoke.

"The matches begin tomorrow."

Sasuke froze. You could see me too? Why were you activating the Byakugan alone in broad daylight?

Neji seemed to guess what he was thinking. "Even without the Byakugan, my senses are somewhat sharper than those of ordinary people."

Sasuke smiled and walked straight over to sit beside Neji.

He wanted to greet him, but he had no idea what to say.

Are you feeling better?

The words reached his lips, but Sasuke swallowed them back down.

After all, he was the one who had injured Neji. Asking that would sound rather provocative.

As Sasuke sat in silence, Neji spoke again.

"I've been thinking about whether it is more tragic to have everything and then lose it all, or to be born shackled by a fate one cannot resist in the slightest."

Sasuke remained silent, unable to tell exactly what Neji meant.

"I know your story," Neji said. "Before fighting you, I always thought you were somewhat luckier. Though you suffered, your goal was clearer than anyone's. Though it was difficult, the person you fought against was still a specific individual."

Sasuke understood half of it. Neji was clearly referring to the bond of hatred between him and Itachi.

But as for the other half, the fate Neji was comparing it to, Sasuke had no way of knowing.

"After I went back that day, I kept thinking. How could someone whose path was so clear suddenly abandon it?

"What confused me even more was that after abandoning it, you did not become weaker. Instead, you became more... open-minded."

"Actually, I—" Sasuke had just begun to say something when Neji interrupted him again.

"I want to meet him."

"What?" Sasuke asked, puzzled.

"That monkey."

"The monkey?"

"That day, you told me this world was not simply a matter of killing or being killed. A monkey told you, 'If you want to accomplish something, there is actually more than one way.'"

Neji began speaking faster. "I think he can help you accomplish it. Perhaps he can help me too.

"These past few days, I've been thinking about how to break my fate. Compared to the despair I felt before, your words gave me great inspiration. But no matter how much I think, it always feels like I'm missing something! You don't understand—the Main Family's power is simply too great!

"There is more than one way. I want him to tell me! What other methods are there?"

Sasuke remembered. Back when he had just emerged from the Forest of Death, under the influence of his summoned beast, Deceitful Monkey Kitsu, his way of thinking had begun to change for the first time.

But Sasuke did not understand any of the other things Neji had said.

"Anyway! I want to meet him."

"Please!"

Neji turned toward Sasuke and gave him a solemn bow.

"Uh, now?"

Sasuke looked around. No one seemed to be paying attention to them for the moment. Then he looked at Neji, who was still bowing, and finally made up his mind.

"Ninja Art: Summoning Technique!"

Poof!

After a burst of smoke, a weary-looking middle-aged monkey was summoned.

He was still dressed in that wrinkled old trench coat, looking like a down-and-out detective.

He glanced around, then said lazily,

"That annoying blond brat from last time isn't here. It's the Byakugan Kid instead.

"Go on. What is it?"

Sasuke did not know how to answer at first, while Neji paid no attention at all to Monkey Kitsu's appearance. He respectfully said, "I am Neji Hyuga, and I wish to seek your guidance."

Monkey Kitsu paused, looked at Neji, then at Sasuke, unsure what this kid was up to this time.

"After you taught me a lesson last time, I went back and thought about many things. I shared your views with this friend, and he was very interested. He wanted to discuss them with you in person."

By then, Sasuke had roughly come up with an explanation and said so.

"I thought you wanted to fight me! Hahaha."

A trace of gratification flashed through Monkey Kitsu's eyes after hearing Sasuke's words, and he made the joke.

In high spirits, Monkey Kitsu turned to Neji and asked, "You're from the Hyuga Clan, aren't you?"

Neji nodded.

Monkey Kitsu said nothing further. He stared intently at Neji's tightly covered forehead, then spoke again after a long while.

"The Branch Family?"