Kaoru, I Need Your Help!

The next morning, Yuzuru Hyuga found Kaoru Hyuga.

Even though he had left at six in the morning, when he found her, she was already drenched in sweat from her training.

Having received permission to practice on the Hyuga family training grounds, she didn't need to worry about others' feelings and could train to her heart's content whenever she wished.

Upon seeing Yuzuru Hyuga, she instinctively stopped training. She first neatly and quickly tidied her sweat-soaked hair before smiling gently and bowing, "Young Master Yuzuru, welcome home."

"You've worked hard."

Yuzuru Hyuga felt a familiar itch in his hands; to be precise, the moment he stepped onto the training ground, his body felt activated, instinctively wanting to start exercising.

However, with him departing for the front lines that afternoon, he couldn't afford to exhaust his stamina and Chakra in the morning and then recover on the way.

But a small sparring match wouldn't be a problem.

"Come, let me see your progress," Yuzuru Hyuga said, smiling and extending his hand.

Kaoru Hyuga hesitated for a moment but then nodded earnestly. She smiled faintly, "Yes, Young Master Yuzuru."

She took a deep breath to steady herself and assumed a stance. She was wearing a tight black training outfit, which, compared to her previous dress, seemed to exude less softness and more sharpness.

"Go ahead," Yuzuru Hyuga calmly told her to make the first move.

The ensuing battle needed no further description. He patiently sparred with her for a little over a minute, and once he had assessed her progress, the fight concluded.

Yuzuru Hyuga simply used one strike of Gentle Fist, causing her meridians to paralyze and her Chakra to stagnate for a moment, signaling the end of the spar.

"I'm sorry, I still disappointed you," Kaoru Hyuga said, pursing her lips, a hint of disappointment in her eyes.

She had thought her progress these past few days was fast enough, but facing Yuzuru Hyuga, she still felt a far more exaggerated gap than when facing Hizashi Hyuga.

Hizashi Hyuga's techniques and abilities, to put it bluntly, were still standardized Hyuga Taijutsu. However, Yuzuru Hyuga had long since transcended those frameworks and developed his own style. Perhaps their strength was similar, but their realms were entirely different.

In other words, Hizashi Hyuga's only advantage over Yuzuru Hyuga now was the physical strength, Chakra reserves, and combat experience that came with age.

It sounded somewhat absurd, but it was the truth.

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

With his skill level raised, the same moves appeared full of openings in front of him. This was why, even without knowing the Sixty-Four Palms, he could withstand Kokone Hyuga's Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms without being defeated, relying on his understanding of acupoints and defense.

Can I really catch up to Young Master Yuzuru?

Just the thought of being left further and further behind, unable to even see his back, filled Kaoru Hyuga with a sense of fear and unease. Her restless heart couldn't tell if it was a sense of crisis or despair.

She was a person who was very good at thinking and seeing herself clearly. Because of this, she was much more mature than her peers. This was also why she had long felt weary and hopeless about her own life, only regaining hope when she saw Yuzuru Hyuga, feeling as if she had found a kindred spirit.

But at this moment, Yuzuru Hyuga was so outstanding that it left her feeling a bit lost.

"No, if your goal is to be on par with me, or even surpass me," Yuzuru Hyuga replied coldly, "I don't think you can achieve that."

"In fact, if the gap between us doesn't widen, and you're constantly catching up, then I'll have to reflect on myself and consider if something is wrong."

His words plunged Kaoru Hyuga into silence. She bit her lip tightly, her gaze fixed on the boy in front of her with a hint of unease.

Yuzuru Hyuga gently pushed his glasses up his nose, then reached out and lightly lifted a strand of her hair, tidying her slightly messy long hair that had become disheveled from the fight. Even though he was younger than her, his actions felt perfectly natural.

"But isn't your goal simply to stay by my side?"

His words left Kaoru Hyuga speechless. Then, he softly added, "Or, is my understanding mistaken?"

"No!" How could Kaoru Hyuga deny that? She lowered her head, her eyes slightly red, feeling the warmth of his palm against her hair.

Hesitantly, Kaoru Hyuga's voice trembled slightly, "It's just... if just staying by your side is useless, then won't I eventually be left behind by you!"

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

She looked up, holding back tears, "Young Master Yuzuru, I want to help you, even if... even if I'm just cannon fodder, I..."

Yuzuru Hyuga placed his hand on her forehead and gently pushed, "Idiot, I don't need cannon fodder."

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

"I just want you to change your approach."

Yuzuru Hyuga withdrew his hand, and under her thoughtful gaze, he smiled slightly, "Go study."

"The concepts and theories of Ninjutsu."

"The composition and structure of Chakra."

"How Ninjutsu is created from nothing."

"How forbidden techniques are developed."

"The transformation and combination of Chakra natures."

"The structure and modification of the human body."

The more he spoke, the brighter Kaoru Hyuga's eyes became, as if a door had been opened for her by his own hands, and she instantly saw a brilliant light.

"In addition to that, I will impart to you my understanding of Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and Curse Marks."

"Using your wisdom and effort to expand a new frontier for me that I cannot currently focus on, based on the knowledge I possess."

"Kaoru, I need your help."

He smiled gently, his final words also coming from the heart.

Kaoru Hyuga stared blankly at the young man before her, her unease and fear seeming to be soothed by his gentle smile and trusting gaze.

She pursed her lips at first, then the corners of her mouth turned up, finally blossoming into a brilliant smile, just as cheerful as when she'd slid down the lawn on their first meeting, brimming with a maiden's unique vitality and charm.

"I understand! Young Master Yuzuru!"

Her voice was jubilant, filled with an almost uncontrollable happiness.

If it weren't for Yuzuru Hyuga standing before her, someone as noble and out of reach as the moon to Kaoru Hyuga, she might have found it impossible to resist throwing herself into his arms for a tight hug.

He had just said

he needed her help.

He needed her! He needed her!

Her eyes shone with a brilliance that left Yuzuru Hyuga unsure of how to react. In the end, he could only offer a gentle smile, curling his finger and tapping her forehead lightly.

"Do your best, Kaoru."