May 15, Konoha Year 41, Rōran.
Konoha's Akaseki Squad was hard at work in Rōran.
Only Ranwu muddled along, spending each day practicing a little Ninjutsu and Taijutsu and cooking some Ranwu Beef Noodles... She knew nothing about space-time.
Akaseki, Hikari, and Minato had all been training in space-time techniques.
Hikari and Minato mainly relied on studying the Ryūmyaku.
Akaseki mainly relied on himself... immersing himself in "My Supermarket Connects to Ancient Times."
Akaseki had no idea how their training was progressing, but after all his hard work lately, his Yang Style had clearly improved!
Most of that improvement came during the second-to-last eight-hour stretch, when Hong Yan experienced Stillness alongside boundless love, entering a state of Benevolence.
The final eight hours brought less improvement, because...
Akaseki really had no interest in stories about women desperately trying to win back the men they had lost. After all, he was a man who had risen above base pleasures-he had experienced far too much Happiness to need any more!
If Akaseki opened the fourth of the Yin Style Eight Gates now, Happiness and Anger would probably be rivals. There was no telling which would become his second gate-opening emotion.
Both angry and happy-now that was more like a traditional Uchiha...
That very day, Hikari brought good news-they could leave!
After hearing the news from Ranwu, Akaseki hurried into the Ryūmyaku with her.
They found Hikari standing before the surging Ryūmyaku power, looking rather pleased with herself...
For an Uchiha, a smug expression of this degree was already quite "reserved."
"Hikari, did you succeed?" Akaseki asked curiously.
Still looking reserved, Hikari shook her head. "Not completely. But... it's enough to get the three of us out."
"Three?" Akaseki froze at that.
"Yes. You have my Engraving on you. I can give Ranwu a