Breaking the Cocoon

The word "follow" was something Kagerou Fuma had considered with the utmost seriousness.

Especially after pushing open the door and seeing the youth still in the midst of training, the conviction in his heart grew even stronger.

Only by following such a ninja, only by taking the initiative to step out of this land that had been decadent for far too long, would his clan have any hope! Only then could the name of the Fuma Clan return to the stage of the ninja world!

What's more, he belonged to the Uchiha Clan!

The strongest clan in the ninja world!

"No."

Yet, the cold response that reached his ears caused his body to tremble, and a bitter emotion surged up, though a sliver of expectation still lingered in his heart.

"Is Lord Arata unwilling to keep me by his side because I am ugly?"

Kagerou's raspy voice began to turn clean and cold, and his ugly exterior gradually hardened, evolving into a brown earthen cocoon.

"Crack."

A crisp sound erupted.

The hardened cocoon split open, and in a daze, a faint light shone forth—the radiance shed by two pairs of delicate, thin wings.

As the wings folded, the ninja within the cocoon revealed their true form.

Short, light green hair framed a delicate face, though the pale purple pupils—which should have been the finishing touch—appeared somewhat listless and dull, and a simple dress completely revealed their identity.

Kagerou Fuma was actually a girl!

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

Yet, a being such as this had already become the pillar of her clan, maintaining the existence of her kin, and even hoping that one day she could restore the glory of her family.

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

"Because it lacks intimidation within the clan."

Kagerou said softly.

Her words remained flat, and her eyes were still devoid of spirit.

Heaven knows what kind of external pressure had caused her to lose the luster that should have belonged to a young girl's eyes.

"Sorry."

However, Arata's answer remained the same.

He understood the girl's intentions, but the seemingly prestigious Uchiha were currently in an extremely dangerous state; one slight misstep could lead to total ruin.

In such a climate, how could he possibly have the capacity to help another clan?

Furthermore, once a direct connection was formed with the Fuma Clan, what would the attitude of Konoha be? Those old fogies wouldn't care what kind of power you were helping or in what country it resided.

They would only use this as an excuse to continue propagating the theory of the Uchiha threat, forcing more neutral clans to pick a side!

Arata did not want to, and could not, implicate his clan.

"How could..."

Kagerou murmured.

"I, I just want to follow you to train and become stronger. I definitely won't cause trouble, and I won't have any other requests."

She was unwilling to give up and continued to plead.

Her listless pupils rippled at this moment.

Watching the girl before him, Arata fell silent.

His thoughts were in turmoil.

The girl before him was similar to himself; both were acting for the sake of their clans.

The difference was that she sought to revitalize, while he sought to protect.

After a moment of contemplation, Arata flipped his palm to reveal a low-level speed pill; its verdant color looked for all the world like it contained deadly poison.

"Eat it."

There was no explanation, just those three simple words.

Upon hearing this, a glimmer of light quietly emerged in Kagerou Fuma's dim pupils, like a drowning person grasping at a straw.

She took a step forward to Arata, picked up the verdant pill, and swallowed it immediately.

There were no unnecessary words from her either.

One must know that in the ninja world, casually swallowing another person's pill was the ultimate taboo; it was equivalent to handing one's life over to the other party!

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

Even Arata was moved by such a scene.

Kagerou naturally knew that this was an implicit test given by the other party, but in order to let her clan return to the stage, she would accept it even if it were a lethal poison!

However, the scenario she had imagined did not occur.

As the pill entered her stomach, a cool sensation instantly swept through her entire body, and even her movements gained a hint of agility.

"What is this?"

The light in the young girl's eyes intensified.

She had never imagined that this was not only not a poison, but actually a buff pill capable of enhancing one's speed.

Furthermore, she could already faintly sense that this augmentation was permanent, not merely a fleeting effect!

How could this not thrill her?

Arata did not answer; his gaze shifted for a few breaths, and his palm was soon filled with dozens more pills.

Among them, low-level speed pills were the majority, accompanied by two or three low-level constitution pills.

"Take them."

He said softly.

This was the greatest help he could provide her at his current stage.

Seeing this, Kagerou Fuma's heart hammered against her ribs, the look of hope in her pupils growing ever thicker; it seemed she could already see the hope of her clan's revival!

However, just as she reached out her hand, it hovered in mid-air.

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

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

If placed in the outside world, let alone a mere Fuma Clan, even the Five Great Shinobi Villages would descend to fight over them.

Yet, such items were being given away casually by the youth before her.

She wanted to become stronger, she wanted to revive her clan, but she possessed nothing to offer in return.

"It's fine."

Arata did not care.

Right now, these low-level pills offered him very little augmentation; giving them away was simply a matter of convenience, and he had never thought about receiving any reward.

"Then, could I..."

The young girl carefully took the pills, then asked with bated breath, full of anticipation.

If she could distribute these buff pills to her clansmen, even if only to a few, it would enhance their strength to a certain degree.

"No."

Before she could finish her sentence, Arata cut her off directly. He knew her intentions, but the other members of the Fuma Clan were not yet worthy of his trust.

"I understand."

Kagerou's gaze dimmed slightly, but she quickly composed herself and swallowed all the pills right in front of Arata.

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

Although this strength was far from the stunning sensation of the first time she had taken one, it still improved her constitution slightly.

"If there is an opportunity in the future, I will come again."

Arata gripped his Horizontal Blade once more and spoke.

He needed to continue his training, and these words were also a dismissal.

Hearing this, Kagerou's emotions stirred once more.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed her words and changed her response:

"I understand, Lord Arata."

"However, from this day forth, Kagerou's life belongs to you. If you ever need it, you may take it at any time."

With those words, she slowly retreated, and as she closed the door, she gradually returned to her usual demeanor.

As her figure was blocked from view by the door, Arata's focus returned entirely to himself.

Yet, just as he swung his Horizontal Blade again, an inexplicable palpitation suddenly surged within him.

It was not because of physical exhaustion.

Nor was it because a powerful enemy was approaching.

It was just an inexplicable pain in his heart.

"What... is happening?"

Arata gripped his Horizontal Blade, unable to continue his training for a long time.