Kaoru, I Need Your Help!

Early the next morning, Yuzuru Hyuga went to find Kaoru Hyuga.

Even though he had left home at six in the morning, by the time he found her, she had already trained herself into a sweat-soaked state.

Having been granted permission to practice at Hizashi Hyuga's training ground, she no longer needed to worry about anyone else's feelings. Whenever she wished, she could train to her heart's content.

When she saw Yuzuru Hyuga, she instinctively stopped training. She first quickly but properly tidied her sweat-dampened hair, then smiled gently and bowed. "Yuzuru-sama, welcome home."

"You've worked hard."

Yuzuru Hyuga suddenly felt the urge to move. More accurately, the moment he stepped onto the training ground, it was as though his body had been activated, instinctively wanting to start training.

But since he would be departing for the front lines that afternoon, he did not dare exhaust his stamina and chakra in the morning, only to recover along the way.

Still, a small sparring match would not be a problem.

"Come. Let me see how much you've improved."

Yuzuru Hyuga smiled and held out a hand.

Kaoru Hyuga hesitated for a moment, but she still nodded seriously. With a faint smile, she said, "Yes, Yuzuru-sama."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and assumed her stance. She was wearing a fitted black training outfit today. Compared to when she wore dresses, she looked less soft and graceful, but possessed a little more sharpness.

"Come." Yuzuru Hyuga simply waited calmly for her to attack.

There was little need to say more about the battle that followed. He patiently fought with her for over a minute, and once he had clearly seen her progress, the match ended.

With a single Gentle Fist strike, Yuzuru Hyuga numbed her meridians and stalled her chakra for an instant, then stopped there.

"I'm sorry. I still disappointed you." Kaoru Hyuga pressed her lips together, disappointment lingering in her eyes.

She had thought that her progress these past days had already been fast enough, but against Yuzuru Hyuga, she still felt a gap even more exaggerated than the one she felt when facing Hizashi Hyuga.

The techniques and abilities Hizashi Hyuga used were, bluntly put, still standardized Hyuga Clan taijutsu. But Yuzuru Hyuga had long transcended that framework and created his own style. Their strength might have been similar, but their realms were simply worlds apart.

In other words, Hizashi Hyuga was now only stronger than Yuzuru Hyuga in the physical fitness, chakra reserves, and combat experience brought by age.

It sounded absurd, but it was the truth.

Moreover, Yuzuru Hyuga had a special advantage against the Hyuga Clan.

After his skill levels had risen, the same techniques were nothing but openings before his eyes. That was why, even when he had not yet learned the Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms, he had been able to rely on his understanding of acupuncture points and defense to endure Hyuga Shion's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms without being knocked down.

Can I really catch up to Yuzuru-sama?

At the thought of being left farther and farther behind, until she could not even see his back, Kaoru Hyuga felt fear and unease rise from the depths of her heart. The restlessness within her was impossible to distinguish as either a sense of crisis or despair.

She was someone who excelled at thinking and could see herself clearly. That was precisely why she was far more mature than others her age, and why she had grown weary and despairing of her own life so early on. It was only after seeing Yuzuru Hyuga that she had felt as though she had found her own kind, regaining hope.

But now, Yuzuru Hyuga had become so outstanding that she felt lost.

"No. If your goal is to stand beside me, or even surpass me in strength..." Yuzuru Hyuga gave her a cold reply. "I don't think you can do that."

"Even if the gap between us did not widen and you kept catching up to me instead, I would have to reflect on whether something had gone wrong with me."

His words plunged Kaoru Hyuga into silence. She bit her lip tightly, looking at the boy before her with unease in her eyes.

Yuzuru Hyuga lightly adjusted his glasses, then reached out and gently lifted a lock of her hair, smoothing her slightly disheveled long hair after the fight. Though he was younger than her, the gesture did not seem out of place in the slightest.

"But your goal was never merely to follow at my side, was it?"

His words left Kaoru Hyuga silent. Then he softly added, "Or have I misunderstood?"

"No!" How could Kaoru Hyuga deny that? Yet she lowered her head, her eyes faintly reddening as she felt the warmth of his palm resting against her long hair.

After hesitating, Kaoru Hyuga's voice trembled slightly. "It's just... if I stay by your side but am useless, then one day, you'll leave me behind, won't you?"

"I don't want... I don't want to be useless."

She raised her head, holding back tears. "Yuzuru-sama, I want to help you. Even if... even if I can only be cannon fodder, I..."

Yuzuru Hyuga placed his hand on her forehead, curled his fingers, and gave it a light push. "Idiot. I don't need cannon fodder."

"Stop scaring yourself. I never said I didn't need your help."

"I just want you to help me in a different way."

Yuzuru Hyuga withdrew his hand. Under her thoughtful gaze, he smiled faintly. "Go study."

"The principles and concepts of ninjutsu."

"The composition and structure of chakra."

"How ninjutsu was created from nothing."

"How so-called forbidden techniques were developed."

"Chakra's nature transformations and combinations."

"The structure and modification of the human body."

The more he spoke, the brighter Kaoru Hyuga's eyes became. It was as though he had personally pushed open a door for her, allowing her to see boundless light in an instant.

"Beyond that, I will teach you everything I understand about ninjutsu, taijutsu, and curse marks."

"Build a new field for me with your intelligence and effort, one that I cannot spare the focus to explore for now, using the knowledge I possess as your foundation."

"Kaoru, I need your help."

He smiled gently, and his final words came from the bottom of his heart.

Kaoru Hyuga stared blankly at the boy before her. The unease and fear in her heart seemed to have been soothed by his gentle smile and trusting gaze.

First, she pressed her lips together. Then the corners of her mouth lifted. Finally, it became a brilliant smile, filled with the energy and sweetness unique to a young girl, just like when she had joyfully slid down from the lawn during their first meeting.

"I understand, Yuzuru-sama!"

Her delighted voice carried happiness she could not hide.

If not for the fact that Yuzuru Hyuga before her was as noble and untouchable as the moon to Kaoru Hyuga,

she would likely have been unable to restrain herself from throwing her arms around him and hugging him tightly.

What he had just said was—

He needed my help.

He needs me. He needs me!

Her eyes shone with such dazzling light that Yuzuru Hyuga did not know what to do. In the end, he could only smile softly, curl his fingers, and lightly tap her forehead.

"Do your best, Kaoru."