Utopia

In this living room of less than fifty square meters, the girl spoke of an ideal that transcended dimensions, sincerely extending an invitation to Mo Jingxian.

Was her ideal laughable?

No!

Not only was it not laughable, but Mo Jingxian felt she was braver than he was.

Those who chase their dreams radiate a certain light.

At this moment, she was so dazzling that it stung his eyes, making it hard for him to keep them open.

Mo Jingxian set down his rice bowl and replied with unprecedented seriousness: "You are right, everything has a beginning."

His gaze pierced through the window, extending far into the distance, toward the direction of the forest.

"A nation." He repeated the concept again, "It is too lofty—I don't mean the ideal is too high, I mean..."

He pointed at the girl, then gestured toward himself: "Two people, talking about establishing a nation."

Mo Jingxian picked out three chopsticks and built a triangular pyramid frame on the table.

Then, he gave it a gentle push.

The frame collapsed.

Ayako Hyuuga frowned: "Are you saying... my dream is unrealistic?"

Mo Jingxian waved his hand: "Dreams have no boundaries, but reality does."

The girl suddenly looked up, her eyes filled with anticipation as she gazed at him.

"Just as you said, everything has a beginning; why don't we start from the very first step of that dream?

If you want to possess a forest, shouldn't the first step... be to sow the seeds?"

The girl understood, the light in her eyes growing brighter and brighter.

She gripped Mo Jingxian's hand: "Xian, tell me... what should I do?"

Her hand was a bit cold, and for a moment, Mo Jingxian couldn't tell whose hand was the cold one.

He placed his hand over the back of hers: "No civilization is built in a day, and none can exist without the efforts of generations."

At this moment, the hands of two young people were tightly joined by their dreams.

"We must first survive, then find more like-minded people. The seeds of thought will sprout, and their vitality will exceed everyone's imagination."

"Mm." Ayako Hyuuga's dream became clear; she saw a path ahead.

"Thank you, Xian!"

"It is I who should thank you."

Ever since Mo Jingxian arrived in this world, he had been struggling just to stay alive, to the point where he had discarded many things.

It was Ayako who awakened his former self. Although her dream seemed somewhat empty, the courage she showed in chasing it was impossible to ignore.

If a little girl growing up in such a cruel world could bravely pursue the light, Then... how could he, a guy who had once seen the light, be content to fall into the darkness?

"Give it a name, Xian."

"What name?" Mo Jingxian was stunned for a moment.

"The name of the organization," she said. "To find our own kind, we naturally need an organization. You should name it."

Ayako made sense, so he would name it.

He pondered seriously for a while: "How about Peach Blossom Spring?"

To explain, he even told the girl the origin of the Peach Blossom Spring.

Ayako Hyuuga readily agreed: "It's so beautiful. I truly hope that one day I can see what the Land of Peach looks like."

Well, she had even decided on the name of the nation.

Mo Jingxian found a wooden board, sanded it smooth, and carved the two characters "Peach Blossom Spring" into it.

Not bad; his old craftsmanship hadn't been lost. He nailed the simple plaque onto the wall of the living room.

The cramped room, the crude wooden sign, and the presence of Mo Jingxian and Ayako Hyuuga—

At this moment, the Peach Blossom Spring organization was officially established, even if it looked more like a joke.

But the two were serious about carving out a small piece of pure land in this twisted world.

According to Ayako, since the organization was established, it needed a motto.

He carved a small line of text beneath the wooden board:

"Treat others as humans, and treat yourself as a human."

Ayako Hyuuga blinked, sighing sincerely: "That is so well said."

With his vanity slightly satisfied, he pulled the girl down to sit.

"Since we've established an organization, let's discuss its future development."

Ayako Hyuuga looked at him with hopeful eyes, filled with complete trust.

Well, it was unreasonable to expect a teenage girl to hold forth on such matters, especially since she had grown up in such a sheltered environment.

"Two directions: survival and discovery," Mo Jingxian began, setting the tone.

"Survival is easy to understand; we must do our best to improve our strength, for the path to realizing our ideals will surely be paved with thorns.

Individual power and energy are limited; we need to find more people, everyone striving together with the same ideal in their hearts.

The seeds of thought will bloom, and when the numbers are great enough, they will naturally grow into a forest of hope."

"Naturally grow." Ayako Hyuuga nodded solemnly. "I understand."

The fledgling organization known as Peach Blossom Spring had just been formed; it didn't even have a concrete framework yet.

But, as the two had said, it had planted a seed of hope that would one day bear fruit.

Next, Mo Jingxian shifted the topic to the chakra of the Hyuuga clan.

"Ayako, how much do you know about the nature of the Hyuuga clan's chakra?"

"Chakra nature?"

"Yes."

The girl thought for a moment and shook her head.

"The clan has always taught us only the Gentle Fist. Perhaps my status isn't high enough, but no one has ever mentioned chakra nature to me."

"That's to be expected."

"Did you discover something wrong?"

"I did indeed find something." Mo Jingxian saw the girl's nervous expression and smiled.

"Don't be nervous, it's a good thing."

That morning, when Ayako had channeled her chakra into his body via the Gentle Fist, he had realized that the Hyuuga clan's chakra was different from that of ordinary ninja.

He relayed his findings to Ayako and shared his speculations with her.

"Chakra authority, logic, nature." Ayako Hyuuga pondered, unconsciously repeating the terms.

"Correct. Compared to ordinary chakra, your Hyuuga clan's chakra has a higher level of authority.

In terms of chakra logic, it manifests in three directions: suppression, deactivation, and domination.

That is why... when you strike your chakra into an enemy's body using the Gentle Fist, you can seal their chakra and render them unable to move."

Ayako Hyuuga's little head was flooded with information, leaving her looking a bit dazed.

"It's quite easy to understand." He gave an example: "Take the Uchiha, for instance. Their chakra logic manifests as aggression, which is why their Fire Release and genjutsu are peerless."

Once compared like that, it was easy to grasp; the two great ninja clans of Konoha each had their own signature skills.

It was just that Mo Jingxian was explaining it through the lens of chakra logic.

It clicked; those convoluted terms suddenly made perfect sense.

Ayako Hyuuga's eyes sparkled. "Then is the chakra logic of the Senju clan 'life'?"

Snap. Mo Jingxian snapped his fingers. "Exactly. Your understanding is spot on."

He pointed at Ayako. "The fastest way to increase your strength is to formulate a training plan based on your chakra logic, or you could call it a combat mode."

"Mm, go on."

"Do you trust me?" he asked first.

Ayako Hyuuga took his hand and placed it against her heart. "I don't trust anyone but you."

Mo Jingxian felt a bit awkward; an adult soul resided within his body.

The girl opposite him was still too young, but other than that...

No, he couldn't let his mind wander.

He coughed, withdrew his right hand without a trace, and returned to the previous topic.

"Turn around, let's run an experiment."

The girl obeyed obediently.

Mo Jingxian pressed his palm against her back, his elemental energy slowly seeping through her skin and into her chakra.

Slowly.

Using the Principles of Sealing Jutsu, Mo Jingxian left a seal mark inside her body, similar to the mark of the Ice Flood Dragon Seal.

Then, he took a kunai and carved the same seal onto it, standing ten meters away.

"Attack this kunai with your chakra. Oh, and don't forget to activate the seal."

Ayako Hyuuga looked at Mo Jingxian holding the kunai, feeling a bit confused, but she chose to trust him.

She performed the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, executing the form and striking the air toward the kunai.

Ayako Hyuuga had no opportunity to learn the advanced Gentle Fist of the Hyuuga clan; she was merely imitating the basics.

The next moment.

A strange thing happened.

Mo Jingxian suddenly moved his kunai.

And the chakra she had struck out likewise traced an arc in the air, pursuing the kunai.

"How did you do that?" Ayako was intrigued.

"It's just a little trick." He put the kunai away. "It verified some of my previous conjectures and found a more suitable path of advancement for you."

"What path?"

"Long-range attacks, maximizing the logical advantage of your chakra."

"Look," he said. "You only need to strike chakra into an enemy's body, but does it really make a difference whether you use Gentle Fist to do it?"

Ayako pondered this carefully for a moment and nodded in agreement. "The benefits don't stop there. My strength currently cannot keep up with your combat rhythm, and on the battlefield, you still have to divide your attention to look after me."

Seeing Mo Jingxian rush to deny it, Ayako waved her hand to cut him off. "Let me finish."

He obediently shut his mouth, and Ayako continued, "If we switch to long-range attacks, it will be different. Not only will I not be a burden, but I can also provide you with support; the growth in our strength will be far more than a simple one plus one equals two."

"And there's more," Mo Jingxian added. "It can also maximize the advantages of your Byakugan. Aside from long-range sniping, our tactical options will become much more flexible."

"Slap." The two high-fived.

"That's the plan." Ayako Hyuuga set the matter in stone.

After a small celebration, there was one problem they had to face.

Mo Jingxian pointed to her forehead. "Take it off, let me see."

Having said that, he waited quietly, leaving time for Ayako to consider.

The girl did not hesitate at all and suddenly removed her forehead protector.

To be honest, the Caged Bird seal was not unsightly, but it symbolized control.

To someone who yearned for freedom, it was the sinful hand that broke one's wings.

He pressed his palm against the girl's forehead. Ayako blinked rapidly twice, but she did not dodge.

Her spine was held straight, forming a taut line from her tailbone to her neck.

When Mo Jingxian's palm landed there, Ayako felt the warmth of his palm.

Her tense body relaxed slightly, and she leaned forward almost imperceptibly.

It did not take long, lasting less than five minutes.

Mo Jingxian silently withdrew his hand and lowered his head in thought.

"How is it? It doesn't matter if it didn't work..."

Ayako Hyuuga's voice gradually trailed off.