The setting sun bathed Konoha's streets in warm orange light as the four members of Team Seven walked back toward the village.
The atmosphere was completely different from when they had set out.
Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki walked half a step behind Liuyu, their steps cautious.
Every so often, they stole a glance at Liuyu's back, then quickly looked away.
Matsumoto Ryūichi walked just ahead of Liuyu's side, his posture unconsciously lowered.
His back was no longer as straight as before. Instead, he leaned forward slightly, as if leading the way—or perhaps... accompanying him.
"Lord Liuyu," Matsumoto Ryūichi finally couldn't hold back any longer and spoke again, his voice brimming with barely contained excitement and curiosity.
A true master could teach anyone. Having finally witnessed ninjutsu performed without hand seals, he no longer cared about so-called dignity.
Among the many nobles, Matsumoto Ryūichi had risen to Jonin as a commoner by seizing every opportunity to ask questions.
"What you said before... about using the 'Eye of the Heart' to change Chakra's form and nature inside the body, without hand seals.
"Is that really possible?"
He asked very carefully, even addressing Liuyu with the honorific "Lord."
Liuyu pushed up his glasses and gazed calmly at the streets ahead, where lights were beginning to glow.
"In theory, yes." His tone was casual. "The essence of hand seals is to guide and stabilize the flow and transformation of Chakra through specific combinations of hand signs.
"And since my Kekkei Genkai lets me 'control the five senses,' it naturally includes 'sensing' and 'reshaping' the flow of my own Chakra."
He paused, as if trying to find a simpler way to explain:
"To put it simply, ordinary ninjas need hand seals as a 'mold' to shape Chakra into the desired form and nature.
"I can directly 'imagine' that 'mold' with my mental energy and shape the Chakra inside my body.
"I can skip the hand seals, but it takes more mental energy and requires much finer control."
This was the "reasonable" explanation Liuyu had given after careful consideration.
It explained how ninjutsu could be performed without hand seals while emphasizing the two key factors: "Kekkei Genkai" and "mental energy."
He attributed every unusual aspect to the unknown Kekkei Genkai called the "Eye of the Heart."
As for the truth? They could guess for themselves.
Sure enough, Matsumoto Ryūichi's eyes lit up with astonishing brilliance as soon as he heard the explanation.
"Directly 'imagining' a model for Chakra's transformation... using mental energy to replace hand seals as a guide..." he murmured, his voice trembling.
"How deeply must you understand changes in Chakra's nature and form to do that?"
He recalled his own experience learning Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
It had taken him three whole months to perform the twelve hand seals smoothly.
Then he had spent another six months learning to control the compression and release of Chakra in his throat, until he could produce a passable Great Fireball.
And Liuyu?
No hand seals.
No fixed Chakra flow path.
He used mental energy alone to compress fire-style Chakra to the extreme and shape it inside his body.
Then... he instantly unleashed the "Red Fire Cannon," whose power far surpassed the Great Fireball.
What kind of talent was that?
No, it was beyond the realm of talent.
It was monstrous.
An existence that overturned everything ninjas knew.
"No wonder... no wonder you could create a technique like that..." Matsumoto Ryūichi's voice was filled with awe.
"To compress fire-style Chakra to that extent, to make it hot enough to vaporize a human body in an instant... You must understand the nature of 'fire' to the utmost degree."
He suddenly thought of the Uchiha Clan's specialty.
The Uchiha were famous throughout the Shinobi World for their Fire Release.
From the legendary Asura of the Ninja World—Uchiha Madara—
to the current Uchiha Fugaku, the Uchiha's Great Fireball had always been a nightmare on the battlefield.
And Uchiha Ryūha... as a member of the Uchiha Clan, had a talent for Fire Release that had never been seen before.
Perhaps... it did make sense?
Matsumoto Ryūichi began wildly filling in the blanks.
That's it. It must be.
Uchiha Ryūha had an innate, unparalleled affinity for and control over fire-style Chakra.
His "Eye of the Heart" Kekkei Genkai had also given him terrifying mental energy and perceptiveness.
Together, the two allowed him to do what ordinary ninjas wouldn't even dare imagine—abandon hand seals and perform extreme Chakra transformations directly inside his body.
That was how he could use the powerful "Red Fire Cannon" without hand seals.
It all came from his terrifying mental energy and his ultimate control over Chakra.
The more Matsumoto Ryūichi thought about it, the more reasonable it seemed, and the more... afraid he became.
He had actually thought about "tempering" a genius like this?
He had even made him carry a cage, catch cats, and write an apology?
It was ridiculous!
Ridiculous enough to make him break out in a cold sweat!
If Liuyu had been dissatisfied at the time, if he had harbored any ill will toward him...
Matsumoto Ryūichi shuddered and didn't dare think any further.
He stopped, turned around, and bowed deeply to Liuyu.
"Lord Liuyu, please forgive my ignorance and disrespect." His voice was utterly solemn.
"I failed to recognize your greatness and judged a genius like you by ordinary standards.
"From now on, Team Seven will revolve around you.
"For every mission and every training session, your wishes will come first."
Uchiha Ryūha would most likely be his superior someday. It was only sensible to build a good relationship with him now.
Seeing this, Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki hurriedly stopped as well.
They copied Matsumoto Ryūichi and bowed ninety degrees to Liuyu.
"Thank you, Lord Liuyu!" Haruno Kazuya's voice trembled. "If it weren't for you, I would've died by that rogue ninja's blade."
"Me too!" Fujiwara Itsuki blushed. "And I shouldn't have talked about you behind your back... Please forgive me!"
Liuyu looked at the three of them, bowed before him, and fell silent for a moment.
Then he sighed softly.
"Teacher, Kazuya, Itsuki, there's no need for this." He helped Matsumoto Ryūichi straighten up, his tone gentle.
"I'm still Uchiha Ryūha of Team Seven, your student and teammate.
"I never took what happened before to heart."
He looked at Haruno Kazuya and Fujiwara Itsuki and smiled faintly.
"We're all comrades.
"Just as Lord Hokage said, wherever Konoha's leaves dance, the Will of Fire burns bright.
"Isn't that right?"
He spoke with such sincerity and humility, and his refined, gentle face made him seem like a breath of spring.
Yet Matsumoto Ryūichi's awe only deepened.
Calm in the face of praise or blame, humble and courteous, with unfathomable strength... How could someone with such composure be a ten-year-old boy?
He was clearly a... monster in a boy's disguise.
No, a genius.
An Uchiha, a future pillar of Konoha!
A surge of fervor rose in Matsumoto Ryūichi's heart.
Being the instructor of a genius like this—even in name only—was the greatest honor of his ninja career!
"You're right, Lord Liuyu!" He straightened his back, his eyes burning with excitement. "But your talents must never be wasted!
"D-Rank Missions—finding cats and catching dogs—are a complete waste of your time!
"As soon as I get back, I'll report what happened today to Lord Hokage and request higher-ranked missions for you!
"With your strength, you should start at C-Rank at the very least. No, B-Rank Missions!"
He grew more and more excited as he spoke. "And training resources! I'll apply to the village for a special stipend and high-level ninjutsu scrolls in my capacity as your instructor.
"A genius like you deserves the very best!"
Looking at Matsumoto Ryūichi, who seemed ready to pour his heart out, Uchiha Ryūha was speechless.
The power of an overactive imagination was truly frightening.
He had only offered a reasonable explanation, and the other man had filled in all the logic himself. He had even started planning Liuyu's future.
Still, this was good.
It saved him a lot of trouble.
Before you continue