A Faint Candlelight

There were many people boarding the ship. I was jostled around among a crowd of people in damp, disheveled clothes. Each time I was about to lose my bearings, fresh strength came from my right hand. At last, I stepped onto the swaying deck and made it onto the broad cargo ship.

Once I was up there, the fresh sea breeze hit me, and I immediately perked up. I pushed forward with the crowd, forcing my way to the rail.

Before me stretched the boundless ocean!

The sea breeze blew so hard that it was almost impossible to stand. The golden-pink dawn reflected on the water, and the whole world seemed too wide for my eyes to contain. Just one look warmed my chest and even brought tears to my eyes.

The sun rising over the sea—there was no sight more beautiful!

"Hey, no one's here to admire the view with you now." Kusama Shigeo suddenly squeezed in beside me, hooked an arm around my neck, and forcibly dragged me backward. "You'll see plenty of sights like this at sea. You'll get sick of them eventually, you know?"

He was rough as hell. I secretly struggled against him, and just then the guard who had brought us aboard came over.

"There aren't any spare rooms right now, so come with me to the storage room below."

"Understood."

As Hyuga Makoto replied, Kusama Shigeo and I also pulled apart.

The guard led us around the crowd and into a narrow stairwell. We passed through a dim corridor and went all the way down, finally reaching a cramped cabin.

He opened the door. Dust covered the room, which held a few pieces of furniture and some cargo piled haphazardly. It was clear no one had lived there for a long time.

"My name's Kina. I'm from the Land of Waves. If you need anything, come find me on deck." Kina looked around the room, then turned his gaze to me. Warmth flickered in his eyes, and he suddenly sighed. "If my daughter were still alive, she'd probably be just as cute as you."

We all froze at his words.

"Your... daughter?" I couldn't help asking.

"Yeah. My daughter was called Xiaonai. She passed away from an illness when she was very young." Kina pointed to the necklace around his neck, showing us the ornament he wore.

"She loved little trinkets like these, so I've always kept them with me."

"I'm sorry for bringing up something so painful," Hyuga Makoto said.

"It's all right. I'm sure my daughter would want me to pull myself together and help out lovely kids like you." Kina looked at us kindly, like a benevolent elder.

"And I believe she's still here, watching over me. She's never truly gone. Maybe someday... I'll get to see her again."

Perhaps all those left behind by someone they couldn't bear to lose had such delusions.

Seeing that none of us said a word, Kina noticed our awkwardness and smiled apologetically. "I'll go find you something to eat. Get some rest for now. If there's anything I can do to help, just tell me. I know a few people around here."

"Thank you for looking after us, but we've already troubled you enough. We'll take care of the rest ourselves." Hyuga Makoto dipped his head slightly, and I bowed along with him to thank Kina.

Kina smiled, nodded, and left.

As soon as we entered the cabin and closed the door, Kusama Shigeo couldn't hold back any longer and burst into wild laughter! He laughed so hard he doubled over, as if he were about to bring the roof down.

"'If my daughter were still alive, she'd be just as cute as you'—hahahaha!" He wiped away tears as he laughed until he was nearly out of breath.

"This trip really has been worth it..."

I glared at him coldly, my fists clenched tight. Just as I was about to lose control of my anger, the entire ship suddenly lurched violently and began to shudder nonstop!

A long blast of the ship's horn rang out as the waves churned. The ship had set sail!

I shoved Kusama Shigeo aside and clung to the only little window to look outside. The seawater spread out in waves, moving faster and faster. In just a few breaths, the damp, salty sea breeze poured into the room! The shore was already rushing away!

What incredible speed! At this rate, we might even reach the Land of Water ahead of schedule!

My excitement instantly swept away my gloom, so when something was held out in front of me, I didn't even react at first.

"Is this... my hair tie?" I recognized the star pattern on it. It was my Kuixing-branded one!

I reached out to take it and looked at Hyuga Makoto. I still couldn't help asking.

"Senpai, why did you make me pretend to be a girl?"

I might have been a woman in my previous life, but this life was a different matter. If I was a man now, then I'd be a man with my head held high!

Hyuga Makoto didn't answer. Kusama Shigeo cut in instead.

"Didn't you notice? That guy Kina was just talking to a girl who looked five or six. They're taking in the elderly and children first." He snorted. "And you saw what he had on, didn't you? A bunch of shells hanging around his neck, and a little flower on his straw hat. Who else could've put them there except his daughter, when she was still alive? Naturally, we had you dress up as a cute girl to—win—his—sym—pa—thy!"

Hearing that, I didn't get angry. Instead, for some reason, my anger ebbed away.

So... so that was it?

I hadn't even noticed...

"Hmph. The Hyuga Clan have their Byakugan, but we Kusama Clan members are good observers too. Besides sensing chakra, we have plenty of other ways to gather information!" Kusama Shigeo stuck his nose in the air and glared at Hyuga Makoto, but his words were aimed at me. "You should learn a thing or two, Uchiha brat!"

"Hmph. You're a medical ninja, and you want to compete with me at sensing? Why not take a scalpel onto the battlefield while you're at it?" This time he was right, but I still dug in my heels and refused to back down.

"You—!"

Just as it looked like we were about to start arguing again, Hyuga Makoto walked straight past us toward the door. I hurried after him. "Senpai, where are you going?"

"You two stay here."

Hyuga Makoto was about to open the door, but I grabbed his sleeve.

"Senpai, I'm coming with you!" I shot Kusama Shigeo a fierce glare. "I'm not staying here with him!"

"Like I want to be with you!" Kusama Shigeo had claimed the only table in the room. "Don't let the door hit you on the way out, you two!"

"Let's go, senpai." I moved closer to Hyuga Makoto, but everything around me suddenly fell silent.

I looked up. The chill had returned.

The boy stared at me, his eyes barely visible beneath his hat. Seawater dripped from him, and even one glance made my heart turn cold. He was as icy as ever.

He didn't need to say a word. I stepped back in fear and let go.

"Sorry, Captain..."

I watched him straighten his clothes, turn around, and open the door. It slammed shut behind him, and an oppressive feeling settled over my heart.

I'd thought we were already companions, but in that moment, the distance between us seemed to stretch endlessly.

The moment Hyuga Makoto left, Kusama Shigeo and I exchanged a glance, then each claimed a corner of the room.

I huddled over a torn flour sack on the south side. He leaned against the table by the wall. Neither of us looked happy, but no one broke the silence. We both held our tongues, and for a little while, we were at peace.

Hmph. I was already grateful he wasn't causing trouble.

At last, with a chance to rest, I took off my soaking-wet cloak and sat among the flour sacks. I pulled a blank scroll from my clothes and began writing.

I needed to organize everything I'd learned recently!

Relying on my memory, I first wrote down the hand seal sequence for Lightning Release Nintaijutsu. There were more than a dozen seals, and the sequence was long and complicated.

It would be nice if I could shorten it.

I closed my eyes and thought carefully, then recreated the anatomical diagram I'd seen my teacher draw, bit by bit. I wrote down the meridians, the flow of chakra, and the effects of each of the four stages of Nintaijutsu. The more I studied it, the more fascinating it seemed.

The technique involved both shape transformation and nature transformation of chakra. To master it, I needed exceptionally precise chakra control.

So whoever created this technique was undoubtedly a genius who had taken Lightning Release to the extreme!

More than a genius—they were a true prodigy, a one-of-a-kind talent.

You could even say that if someone mastered the fourth stage of this technique, they'd basically be able to use any Lightning Release Ninjutsu... It was incredible!

"My teacher said I used Murasame to perform Lightning Release," I murmured to myself.

"Could it be... that Murasame is a lightning-element blade?"

I drew Murasame and examined its blade closely. The more I looked, the more likely it seemed!

No wonder I hadn't been able to use it before. It needed Lightning Release Chakra to activate!

Could this... have something to do with the "Falling Thunder" Cat Granny mentioned?

As I thought, time passed. Before I knew it, I'd filled the entire scroll. I looked over my long explanation of Nintaijutsu and suddenly realized the technique didn't seem to have a name!

"My teacher only said it was called Lightning Release Nintaijutsu, but never told me its proper name..."

Maybe... I should give it a name!

What should I call it?

Since you had to shout when using a technique, I sat cross-legged and seriously considered what to call my move.

After a long while, I slapped my thigh and leaped to my feet—

"I've got it! I'll call it: The Village Rain of Despair, the Summoning of the Moon's Protection, the Enemy's Astonished Face, Over in an Instant, Absolutely Painless—Thunder! Demon! Nintaijutsu!"

With a thunk, a kunai embedded itself in the flour sack beside my ear, sending up a puff of white dust.

"What's gotten into you? Keep your voice down and stop disturbing me!"

I ignored Kusama Shigeo and clenched my fist in triumph!

Because that name was so freaking cool!

"It's just a little long." I tapped Murasame's blade and realized I probably wouldn't be able to finish saying the whole thing in the middle of a fight.

Maybe I should come up with a shorter one.

I carefully recalled how Nintaijutsu felt, and inspiration struck. A word popped into my head—

"Pierce the Body!"

Lightning-element chakra coursing through my body. It fit perfectly!

Then I'd call it "Lightning Style: Body Piercing"!

It even sounded awesome when you said it out loud!

With utmost care, one stroke at a time, I wrote the name of the Nintaijutsu on the scroll. I studied it over and over, then happily and carefully folded the scroll and tucked it into my clothes.

Once that was done, I finally breathed a sigh of relief. I lay back among the flour sacks, ready to get some rest, when an annoying voice suddenly jabbed at me.

"Hey, do you really trust that guy?"

I didn't want to deal with Kusama Shigeo, so I shut my eyes and pretended to sleep. But when I heard rustling by my ear, I opened my eyes and saw him stubbornly edging closer, squeezing in beside me with a sneaky grin.

"Hey, how about we make peace for now and work together against an outside threat?"

"Which outside threat?" I frowned. I hated how close he was, but he'd already shoved me against the wall, leaving me no room to move.

"Obviously that Hyuga Makoto guy—our so-called tem-po-rary cap-tain."

At a time like this, why was he still trying to drive a wedge between us?

I let out a cold laugh, thoroughly displeased. "Do you think we'd have made it this far and boarded this ship without him?"

Kusama Shigeo looked resentful at my words.

"So what if he has the Byakugan's scouting and detection abilities? Hmph, that kind of thing is easy. Just a flick of the fingers, and yet he gets all the credit..." Kusama Shigeo muttered, lowering his voice. "Don't you think it's strange that a man from a great clan like the Hyuga won't even show his face? He acts all mysterious. Doesn't seem like a good person to me."

Seeing how unconcerned I was, he gave me a twitchy warning. "Hey, I'm telling you, my sister told me there are some dead soldiers in Military Headquarters, all raised by the higher-ups as tools who kill without blinking. They say they won't hesitate to sacrifice their comrades for a mission. They'll do absolutely anything! Think about it. If we really get into danger, do you expect him to protect us?"

Hearing that, I found it so absurd I almost laughed, but anger rose in me too.

"He saved your life. Have you forgotten?"

As soon as I said that, Kusama Shigeo's expression changed.

"That counts as saving my life? It was an insult! I'm telling you, of course I remember! I don't need you worrying about it!" He stood up and looked at me coldly.

"I remember every favor and every grudge that's ever fallen on me or my family. Someday, I'll repay them all. I won't leave anyone in my debt, and I won't let anyone get away with anything!"

His words made no sense to me.

"What are you talking about? Are you threatening me?"

I stared back at him coldly. The room grew oppressive again, as if two storm clouds were hanging over our heads, thunder rumbling and a downpour about to break.

There was even a rumble of thunder!

No, it really was thundering!

We both turned toward the little window. The sky, which had been bright and sunny just moments ago, was now covered in thick clouds, black as pitch! A heavy mist filled the air, and howling wind rushed into the room, dispelling the tension in an instant.

The weather at sea changed so quickly!

I calmed down and stopped paying attention to him. I bundled up in my clothes and curled up in the flour sacks to rest.

Kusama Shigeo fell silent too and returned to his own corner.

The storm had temporarily passed.

Before long, the room grew completely dark. Maybe because I'd gone a day and a night without rest, I fell asleep without even noticing.

In my dream, I seemed to see Itachi's little face. He was smiling happily at me, just like before, tugging at my hair and babbling incomprehensible baby talk as he desperately tried to say his first word.

Sigh. I'd been teaching him for so long, and he still couldn't even say "big brother." Where was the promised number-one genius, Itachi? Why was he so adorably silly whenever he was with me? He really was a foolish little brother...

Could it be because I'd stolen his place as the eldest son, and his intelligence had really dropped to Sasuke's level? Nooo! QAQ!!

I frowned anxiously in my dream. With another helpless sigh, I suddenly felt an itch on my face, so I scratched it and turned over to keep sleeping.

But before long, the itch returned. This time it was on my ear, and a cool breeze kept blowing against it.

What the heck was that?!

The sensation was so irritating that I finally opened my sleepy eyes. A weak candle flame flickered before me, along with a face wearing a sleazy grin. It was so close that its brown eyes were fixed on me without blinking, and its chilly breath was almost on my face—

When he saw I was awake, a trace of panic seemed to flash in his eyes.

"Oh, you... you're awake."

"..."

My brain was still catching up, but my right hand had already swung out of its own accord, without mercy and with nearly all my strength!

A sharp slap rang out, followed by Kusama Shigeo's pig-like shriek.

He cursed me with every filthy word he could think of. Only then did I belatedly come to my senses. I rubbed my throbbing temple and muttered, "Serves you right!"

I didn't know how long I'd slept. The sky beyond the little window was still dark, and clouds seemed to be gathering for a storm. Looking down, the sea was so black it seemed almost invisible. I picked up the candle from the floor and lit the room. Hyuga Makoto still hadn't returned, so I asked, "Where's the captain?"

"Why should I tell you?"

I frowned and held the candle right up to his face, leaning in close as its light flickered between us.

"He still hasn't come back?"

"Are you that worried about your temporary captain?" A large patch of Kusama Shigeo's face was red from where I'd hit him. In the candlelight, it looked even redder and was strangely comical. "Is it just because he saved you?"

Hearing that, I turned to look at him without the slightest hesitation. "Yes. Because the captain saved me, I've accepted him. I accept him as my captain and my companion."

Unlike you, I'm not ungrateful.

Hearing me say that, Kusama Shigeo sneered and stared at me like I was an idiot. "It sure doesn't take much to become your companion."

I didn't want to argue with him. I glanced away and suddenly saw fresh food on the table. Every piece of hardtack had a bite mark in it. Puzzled, I asked, "Where did this come from?"

"The guard who brought us in gave it to us. He said it was especially for you." Kusama Shigeo gave a cheeky grin. "I tried it for you. It's not poisoned."

I had no words for Kusama Shigeo's childishness. I reached for an apple that was still in decent shape, then asked one last time, "Has Hyuga Makoto really not come back?"

"If you want to see him so badly, go look for him yourself."

I stopped trying to talk to Kusama Shigeo, put on my cloak, and walked straight out the door without the slightest hesitation.