Choice

"Can you even do it?"

At the place where he had met Mikoto that year, Shuji was working hard on the half-dead fish laid atop a large rock before him.

A faint green glow emanated from his palms as Shuji poured every ounce of his strength into saving the fish Nawaki had tortured to the brink of death.

Mystical Palm Technique!

Yes, after a year, Shuji had finally mastered this technique.

Meanwhile, Nawaki, carrying a washed stick in his hand, had already sidled up to Shuji with a smug grin.

"I can~"

Upon hearing that, Shuji pressed his lips together, keeping all of his attention on the fish.

"If you can't, forget it. Everyone's hungry anyway."

Nawaki did not leave. Instead, he continued grinning as he spoke to Shuji.

"Get lost~"

Without even looking at Nawaki, Shuji snapped at him irritably.

That bastard... He'd asked Nawaki to bring the fish close to death, and he went and ripped out its gills!

Still, Shuji refused to give up. At the very least, before the fish took its final breath, he wanted to try once more.

Clang!

Just as Nawaki was about to say something else, a blade rang out and a flash of cold light appeared.

The words Nawaki had been about to say instantly died in his throat.

Instinctively leaning back, Nawaki lowered his gaze to the blade less than a centimeter from him and raised both hands without thinking.

"Ah~"

Just as Mikoto was about to tell Nawaki to move aside, Shuji suddenly cried out. The green glow around his hands vanished in an instant.

After a brief struggle, the fish finally left this world.

Mikoto instinctively turned to look at Shuji beside her, who wore a startled expression, then somewhat blankly withdrew her sword.

"It's fine, it's fine. Go grill it."

Seeing that, Shuji immediately waved a hand with feigned magnanimity and tossed the fish in his hand to Nawaki.

Nawaki caught it reflexively.

"As expected of the most outstanding genius of our Hyuga Clan. You hid it well."

Hiashi's voice suddenly rang out, and Shuji's face immediately fell.

"You're the only one with a mouth, huh?"

Without hesitation, Shuji took two steps forward and kicked at Hiashi.

Only Mikoto was left standing where she was, chuckling softly.

"Nawaki! Are you only grilling one fish?"

Hiashi dodged aside and spoke to Nawaki at the same time.

"Hm?"

Nawaki paused. While skillfully gutting the fish in his hands, he looked up at Hiashi in confusion.

"There's..."

Hiashi raised his chin, looked around, then fixed his gaze back on Nawaki.

"Six people."

"Then catch your own if you want to eat..."

Nawaki curled his lip dismissively, lowered his head again, and continued handling the fish in his hands.

"What else can you do?"

Hiashi also curled his lip in disdain. Carrying a stick, he rolled up his pant legs, veins bulging at the corners of his eyes, and headed toward the riverbank.

Before long, all six of them were eating grilled fish.

Nice... I saved another twenty ryo on lunch.

Nawaki thought happily.

"Shuji, I'm planning to graduate early."

Sitting on the ground and eating grilled fish, Nawaki spoke to Shuji.

"Graduate early? What for? To deliver samples of the Senju family's bloodline limit to other ninja villages?"

Shuji's heart stirred at those words, but his expression remained unchanged as he teased Nawaki with a smile.

You...

Nawaki almost jumped to his feet to argue with Shuji.

But... he held himself back.

"How about... you graduate early too?"

Nawaki asked Shuji tentatively.

If possible, Nawaki wanted to form a team with Shuji.

Aside from his personal feelings and his desire to carry out missions with Shuji, Shuji's own abilities alone—a proficient command of Medical Ninjutsu and the scouting capabilities provided by the Byakugan—

made him the kind of companion any team would dream of having.

"What? Form a team with you, deliver samples of the Senju family's bloodline limit to other ninja villages, and throw in a pair of Byakugan as a bonus?"

Shuji lifted his eyelids slightly and asked Nawaki lightly.

"Actually, I don't want to graduate this early either, but Orochimaru-sensei is currently looking for suitable Genin to form a team. If I miss this opportunity..."

Nawaki pursed his lips as he spoke to Shuji.

Nawaki desperately wanted to become Orochimaru's disciple.

As one of the Hokage's disciples, Orochimaru was already a Jonin known throughout Konoha.

Though born a civilian, he had relied on his talent for ninjutsu to surpass Konoha's many Jonin.

How could a shinobi like that not be admired?

Only those in the Shinobi World could understand how many hardships one had to overcome to achieve what Orochimaru had achieved.

What Nawaki wanted was to become Orochimaru's disciple, learn ninjutsu, then defeat Tsunade and reclaim the money that should have been his all these years!

"Orochimaru-sensei..."

Shuji's gaze flickered slightly. A shinobi with exceptional talent in ninjutsu; the first shinobi in the Shinobi World to master genetic modification technology; a shinobi who would study—or perhaps was already studying—Hashirama Cells in the future.

So... should he follow Orochimaru?

At present, Orochimaru had yet to witness Nawaki's death, and his desire for immortality had not yet reached its limit.

The current Orochimaru was still the Hokage's disciple who simply wanted to learn every ninjutsu in the world.

Honestly, Shuji was a little hesitant.

Once he left the Ninja Academy, he would never again have such a peaceful life.

Nawaki watched Shuji before him with some nervousness.

Nawaki wanted very much to become Orochimaru's disciple, but he also hoped to become Shuji's companion.

"Have you already decided to graduate early?"

Shuji asked Nawaki.

Joining Orochimaru's team and becoming Nawaki's teammate was fine.

After all, Shuji still had the means to choose whether to step into those whirlpools or avoid them.

Continuing to train at the Ninja Academy was also fine. Given enough time, Shuji could absolutely grow strong enough to become invincible in the Shinobi World.

The only thing that could influence Shuji's decision was Nawaki's choice.

After more than a year together, even raising a pet dog would have created an attachment, much less Nawaki, a living, breathing person.

Shuji truly did not want to suddenly find himself attending Nawaki's funeral one day.

After all, with Nawaki's kind of personality, without a Nine-Tails sealed inside him, it would be genuinely difficult for him to stay alive...

"Yeah, I've made up my mind."

Nawaki pursed his lips and nodded firmly.

Actually... he was not quite that firm. If Shuji truly did not want to graduate early, Nawaki might lose his chance to become Orochimaru's disciple.

But Nawaki would still choose to remain at the Ninja Academy and continue studying.

Orochimaru was indeed a remarkably rare teacher, but Nawaki could still become someone else's disciple.

But a companion like this... he only had one.