Shelling

At first, Hanyu thought there were two deadweights in the ninja squad assigned to this mission. One was himself, and the other was the child who was much younger than him... As for Sanshao-sensei, she was another matter. From the look of her, it was obvious she wasn't a combat-oriented ninja, so no one would expect her to fight or demand that she do so.

Sanshao had pushed Hanyu to the front of the squad earlier, but certainly not so he could take care of the enemy... He was a rookie facing veterans, and outnumbered, too. How could he possibly manage that?

Clearly, Sanshao wanted to see whether Hanyu could perform the technique. And judging by the result, perhaps it was talent, perhaps dumb luck, or perhaps the Second was watching over him from beyond the grave. Whatever the reason, once Hanyu had actually performed the Water Dragon Bullet, his test was over. The onlookers no longer had any reason to let him keep fighting alone, much less risk dying at the enemy's hands.

Despite having learned it in an incredibly short time, Hanyu had successfully performed a high-level B-rank Water Release Ninjutsu. Whatever the circumstances, he had proved something quite important.

The Konoha Ninja had to step in now, but to Hanyu's surprise, before Kagami Uchiha or Mitokado Homura could make a move, the least remarkable ninja in the squad had already stopped the enemy's advance all by himself.

The child was facing two opponents at once and clearly had the upper hand. His small body darted and twisted with nimble ease, his short blade flashing up and down. His rapid assault left the enemy no chance to use ninjutsu, making the fierce battle look almost like he was chopping vegetables.

Even in that brief moment, his performance put Hanyu—who had used only one technique before getting knocked flat—to shame... Anyone with such astonishing combat talent surely couldn't be some nobody.

Still, no matter how well a ninja of that age performed, it was difficult for them to decide the outcome of a battlefield with one decisive blow. The squad's main fighting force would still have to step in... The rookies had had plenty of time to practice. They couldn't let the battle drag on like this forever.

Kagami Uchiha stepped forward and opened his eyes. Then, in an instant, the fierce battlefield fell silent.

Not every Uchiha had a pair of Sharingan, and not every pair of Sharingan could cast powerful genjutsu. But without exception, at Kagami Uchiha's level, the Mangekyō Sharingan and powerful genjutsu were practically standard abilities. The enemies trapped by his Sharingan genjutsu were now helpless as fish on a chopping block.

Kagami Uchiha didn't rush to finish them off. Instead, he prepared to drag them behind the trees... A professional interrogation awaited them there. The squad needed to find out who these people were and why they had infiltrated the Land of Fire. They would surely get answers soon; very few secrets could be kept from the Sharingan.

Hanyu splashed around in the puddle a few times, then struggled back to his feet. Looking around, he saw the little ninja helping Kagami Uchiha carry the enemies away, while Mitokado Homura remained on guard where he was. Hanyu shook the muddy water from his clothes and slowly made his way back to Sanshao.

"How do you feel?" Sanshao asked Hanyu as he came back from the battlefield.

From her expression, she seemed quite pleased with how he had performed, though there was something more to it than mere satisfaction. Only she could understand the complexity of her feelings.

"A little... thrilling," Hanyu said. The feeling of facing death couldn't possibly be summed up by the word thrilling alone, but... it really had been thrilling.

"Remember, the technique you just used is called the Water Dragon Bullet Technique... Hold out your hands," Sanshao instructed.

Hanyu thought, I know it's the Water Dragon Bullet. He did as she asked and held out both hands. Sanshao held his palms in hers, then gently squeezed them.

"If I'm not mistaken, you're naturally ambidextrous... That really does make you well suited to being a ninja."

She had an excellent eye for detail.

Hanyu really was ambidextrous. He was neither left-handed nor right-handed; both hands came naturally to him. For most people, that was convenient. For a ninja, it could be called a talent.

When the enemy had charged at him, his Hand Seals had gotten faster with each of the three times he formed them—not just a little faster, either. That was connected to the speed of his hands and his coordination.

Sanshao released Hanyu's hands and said, "Our mission is to go to the Land of Lightning and renew our alliance with the Cloud Village... You must be wondering why you were brought along on such an important mission. You're not even a ninja yet, and more importantly, you're still an outsider who hasn't become part of Konoha."

Hanyu nodded. He really didn't understand why they had brought him on a mission like this.

"The technique the Second used on you earlier was, if I'm not mistaken, an ultimate Water Release Ninjutsu called the Water Severing Wave. Normally, not only an ordinary person like you but even an elite ninja wouldn't survive a direct hit from it. Yet you lived. That's beyond what anyone could call 'luck'... It's a kind of connection," Sanshao continued.

Hanyu thought, What kind of connection is that? I just happened to have a suitable "shield" in my hands.

Sanshao saw his expression and realized he didn't take her explanation seriously. She didn't mind, though, and continued, "That ninjutsu was what caused the chakra erosion you're suffering from. It was also your chance to become a ninja... Now, it seems it's become something more than just a chance."

"?" Hanyu didn't understand.

"You'll understand later," Sanshao said, without explaining what she meant.

"Anyway, since you were able to use that Water Release Ninjutsu just now, you've proved that you truly have a connection with the Second. And now, it can also be called a connection between you and me," Sanshao added.

That explained why she was willing to teach Hanyu about being a ninja... She saw what had happened between him and the Second as a kind of inheritance.

She had hoped Hanyu was talented; otherwise, why would she have taken an interest in him? And judging by the result, her hopes had been justified.

Hanyu had already noticed that Sanshao seemed to have a close relationship with either the Second or the Senju Clan. Now, what she said amounted to an admission of that. Hanyu felt her interpretation of his relationship with the Second was a little off the mark... They were strangers who had met only once. Still, this explanation was easier for him to accept than kindness without any reason.

"Remember that 'thrilling' feeling you mentioned just now. If you can, hold on to it. The young people in the village praised you quite a bit earlier. They think you're mature, but I don't. You may have been through a lot, but there's no such thing as being mature beyond your years... What people call maturity is just numbness. And no one can stay numb forever."

Hanyu opened his mouth, but couldn't think of anything to say in response.

Was he mature? Definitely. But was he numb?

Far more numb than Sanshao accused him of being.

In this unfamiliar world, Hanyu could only protect himself with a thick shell. His worldview, values, and ways of dealing with things didn't quite fit with those of the people in this world. At the very least, they were different.

Only then did he realize that the young people Sanshao had mentioned were probably the Third Hokage and the others.