Breaking Out of the Cocoon

He had given serious thought to the word "follow."

Especially when he pushed open the door and saw the boy still training, the conviction in his heart grew even stronger.

Only by following a shinobi like this, only by taking the initiative to leave this land that had languished for far too long, could his clan have any hope! Only then could the name of the Fuma Clan return to the shinobi stage!

What was more, he belonged to the Uchiha Clan!

The strongest clan in the Ninja World!

"No."

Yet the cold reply that reached his ears made his body tremble. Bitterness surged within him, but he still held on to a sliver of hope.

"Does Lord Arata refuse to keep me by his side because he finds my appearance ugly?"

Kagerou's hoarse voice gradually became clear and cool. Her ugly exterior slowly hardened, transforming into a brown earthen cocoon.

"Crack."

A crisp sound rang out.

A fissure split open across the hardened earthen cocoon. In a daze, a faint glimmer appeared—the sheen shaken loose by two pairs of thin wings.

As the wings folded away, the shinobi within the cocoon revealed her true form.

Short pale-green hair framed her delicate face. Her light-purple pupils, which should have been the finishing touch, instead seemed somewhat downcast and lifeless. The plain dress she wore completely exposed her identity.

Kagerou Fuma was actually a girl!

And judging by her appearance, she was only in her teens, not much older than Arata.

Yet someone like her had already become the pillar of an entire clan, sustaining its existence and even hoping that one day she could restore her family's former glory.

"I... I don't really like looking like this."

"Because I wouldn't have any authority within the clan if I did."

Kagerou spoke softly.

Yet her words remained calm, and her eyes were still lifeless.

Who knew what kind of external pressure had stripped away the light that should have belonged in a young girl's eyes?

"Sorry."

But Arata's answer remained the same.

He understood the girl's thoughts, but the seemingly illustrious Uchiha were currently in an extremely dangerous situation. One wrong step, and they could fall into an abyss beyond redemption.

In such an environment, how could he possibly have the mind to help another clan?

Besides, once he formed direct ties with the Fuma Clan, what attitude would Konoha take? Those old men would not care what kind of force he was supporting or what country it was in.

They would only use it as an excuse to continue spreading the argument that the Uchiha were a threat, forcing more neutral clans to take sides!

Arata did not want to, and could not, drag his clan down with him.

"How could this be..."

Kagerou murmured.

"I... I only want to follow you, Lord Arata, train with you, and become stronger. I absolutely won't cause trouble, and I won't ask for anything else."

Unwilling to give up, she continued pleading.

Ripples finally appeared in her lifeless eyes.

Arata fell silent as he looked at the girl before him.

His thoughts became tangled as well.

The girl before him was similar to himself. Both of them acted for the sake of their clans.

The difference was that she sought revival, while he sought protection.

After considering it for a moment, Arata produced a low-grade Speed Pill from his palm. Its emerald color made it look as though it contained deadly poison.

"Eat it."

There was no explanation, only those simple words.

At that, a glimmer quietly appeared in Kagerou Fuma's dim eyes, like a drowning person clutching at a lifeline.

She stepped up to Arata, took the emerald pill, and swallowed it immediately.

There were no unnecessary words from her either.

In the Ninja World, casually swallowing someone else's medicine was a taboo among taboos. It was equivalent to placing one's life entirely in the other person's hands!

Yet as the acting clan head of the Fuma Clan, she did not hesitate in the slightest!

Even Arata could not help but be moved by that sight.

Kagerou naturally knew that this was a hidden test from him. But if it meant allowing her clan to return to prominence, she would accept it even if it were poison that burned through her intestines!

However, the scene she had imagined did not occur.

The moment the pill entered her stomach, a cool sensation swept through her entire body. Even her movements seemed to gain a trace of lightness.

"This is...?"

The glimmer in the girl's eyes grew brighter.

She had never expected that it was not poison. It was even a beneficial pill capable of increasing her speed.

And she could already faintly sense that the enhancement was permanent, not merely fleeting!

How could she not be excited?

Arata did not answer. After his gaze shifted for a few breaths, dozens more pills appeared in his palm.

Most were low-grade Speed Pills, accompanied by two or three low-grade Constitution Pills.

"Take them."

He spoke softly.

This was the greatest help he could offer her at this stage.

Seeing this, Kagerou Fuma's heart began pounding. The hope in her eyes grew stronger, as though she had already seen the possibility of her clan's revival!

But just as she reached out, her hand froze in midair.

"I... I have nothing to repay you with."

Kagerou's voice was somewhat bitter. She clearly understood the value of these pills. They were worth more than the entire current Fuma Clan combined!

If they were put out into the world, forget the mere Fuma Clan—even the Five Great Shinobi Villages would fight over them.

Yet the boy before her handed over such items as casually as though they were nothing.

She desperately wanted to grow stronger and revive her clan, but she had nothing with which to repay him.

"It's fine."

Arata did not care.

These low-grade pills now provided him with very little enhancement. Giving them away was simply convenient; he had never thought of seeking anything in return.

"Then, can I...?"

The girl carefully accepted the pills before speaking again with hopeful anticipation.

If she could distribute these enhancement pills among her clansmen, even if only to a few of them, it would still strengthen them to some degree.

"No."

Before she could finish, Arata directly interrupted her. He knew what she was thinking, but the other members of the Fuma Clan were not worthy of his trust.

"I understand."

Kagerou's gaze dimmed slightly, but it soon settled. Then, right in front of Arata, she swallowed every single pill.

In an instant, she felt power surging through her body.

Although that power was far less astonishing than when she had taken the first pill, it still improved her constitution somewhat.

"If there's a chance in the future, I'll come again."

Arata gripped his Horizontal Blade once more.

He needed to continue training. Those words were also a dismissal.

At that, Kagerou's emotions stirred again.

She opened her mouth as if wanting to say something, but in the end, she swallowed the words and changed them to:

"I understand, Lord Arata."

"However, from this day onward, Kagerou's life is yours. If you ever need it, you may take it at any time."

With that, she slowly backed away. As she closed the door, she gradually returned to her usual appearance.

Once the door cut off his line of sight, Arata's thoughts finally refocused.

But when he raised his blade again, an inexplicable palpitation suddenly welled up in his heart.

It was not from excessive physical exhaustion.

Nor was a powerful enemy approaching.

His heart simply hurt for no reason.

"What... is this?"

Arata gripped his Horizontal Blade and did not continue training for a long time.