Strike

The gentle breeze brushed against his ears as Sosuke lay on the lush green grass, basking in the warm sunlight with a contented smile on his face.

He was enjoying this rare, fleeting moment of rest, which brought him a great deal of happiness.

In the blink of an eye, nearly a month had passed since Sosuke arrived at the Land of Fire's Royal Capital.

He wondered how Tsunade and Jiraiya were doing. Given the personalities of those fellows, they were likely working hard and striving toward their goals at this very moment.

His mind involuntarily drifted to that beautiful figure with the golden ponytail—the girl who had once stood before him, confidently promising that she would become the female Hokage.

Suddenly, a slender hand appeared before Sosuke's mask, waving forcefully to break his train of thought.

Sosuke looked up gently.

He saw Kyoka Suigetsu, dressed in a floral kimono, furrowing her small brows and looking at him with an expression that clearly said she was very unhappy.

"Sosuke, you're thinking about other women again, aren't you?"

At this, Sosuke could not help but offer a wry smile.

Since arriving here, his interactions with Kyoka Suigetsu had become increasingly frequent, and he had grown more proficient in utilizing her abilities as well as various Kido spells.

"Suigetsu, I was merely reminiscing about my friends. After all, it has been nearly a month since I left the village."

Seeing Kyoka Suigetsu's displeasure, Sosuke could only explain softly; in his eyes, she had seemed to be acting more and more strangely lately.

Upon hearing his soft explanation, Kyoka Suigetsu's expression softened.

In truth, ever since the Hogyoku had fallen into a deep slumber, she had intended to find a different way to be with Sosuke, no longer standing behind him as she always had, but walking by his side.

However, for a Zanpakuto, such things were incredibly difficult, and even Kyoka Suigetsu could only manifest for a short time each day.

Just then.

"Aizen! I did it!"

A girl's excited cry interrupted the pair.

Shijimi Tamako stood there with a radiant smile, dragging a massive grass carp over a meter long!

She arrived before them, looking at Sosuke with an expression of immense pride.

Kyoka Suigetsu stood in place and glanced at her briefly, her delicate face devoid of any expression, before she slowly faded away.

Sosuke narrowed his eyes, examining the giant grass carp dragged onto the ground.

When he saw that the fish bore no physical wounds, a look of genuine surprise flickered in his eyes beneath his mask.

Every person possessed their own unique Slash Path.

It was an instinctive power used for offense; in the world of Shinigami, the power of the soul manifested as a Zanpakuto, yet the Slash Path did not necessarily mean using a blade to strike.

Slaughter, madness, deception, cruelty, fear, balance, resilience... every inner emotion represented a form of internal expression.

And this ideology could be transformed into a specific physical form through the understanding and training of the Slash Path.

Sosuke's form of the Slash Path was absolute control over a specific area.

Even the most minute existence could be felt and touched by him; within this zone, it was as if all his perceptions were amplified several times over.

He could easily contemplate and evade any conventional physical attack.

He had not expected that by simply teaching the training method of the Slash Path to this princess, she would actually grasp the entry-level threshold!

Looking at the fish before him, which had lost its life without a single cut on its body, Sosuke could not help but feel astonished.

Although he could not yet determine what form her Slash Path took, there was no doubt that Shijimi Tamako was a genius—a genius in the truest sense of the word!

"How was that! Aizen, did I reach the realm of the Slash Path?"

Shijimi Tamako looked at Sosuke with anticipation, yearning to hear a satisfying answer from his lips.

Sosuke buried his surprise deep within his heart, looked up, and smiled faintly.

"Yes, Tamako. You have touched the threshold of the Slash Path. It is truly remarkable."

Hearing this, a joyful smile bloomed on Shijimi Tamako's face as she looked at Sosuke with triumph.

"Well, I told you so! These things are just simple, easy tasks for me. But Aizen, I must thank you for your guidance. Thank you very much."

Though her words carried a hint of playful arrogance, her tone of gratitude was exceptionally sincere.

Sosuke glanced briefly at her palms, which were covered in calluses and scars from days of relentless training, and smiled slightly.

What an honest child she was. Even as a princess, she was willing to struggle for her own destiny...

However, at that moment.

Princess Tamako's subordinates brought some unpleasant news.

The message came via a decree from the Daimyo, Shijimi Nobuo.

It was said that the Daimyo had received intelligence that a group of ninjas intended to harm Shijimi Tamako in the coming days, so he had dispatched many attendants to protect her.

On the other hand, these men were also tasked with escorting Tamako back to the Daimyo Mansion.

Upon seeing the decree, Shijimi Tamako's expression shifted from her previous radiant joy to one of cold indifference.

"I understand."

She spoke in a cold voice.

It seemed as though she had returned to the way Shijimi Tamako had been a month ago.

Sosuke merely stood to the side, observing everything as an outsider, as if he possessed no presence at all.

The lack of information made it impossible for him to judge the cause of this situation.

"My apologies, Aizen, I need you to escort me back to the Daimyo Mansion."

Miss Tamako spoke with a lack of interest, as if she had lost her previous spirit.

To this, Sosuke replied softly.

"It is no trouble; this is my mission."

His magnetic voice was as gentle and refined as ever.

"A mission, is it..."

Shijimi Tamako murmured to herself before turning and walking away without looking back.

Watching this scene, a strange light flickered in the eyes behind Sosuke's frames.

Upon receiving this news, Pupil and Shackle also rushed over.

The group escorted Shijimi Tamako as they hurried toward the Daimyo Mansion.

Konoha Village, outside a residential district for clans.

At this moment, Might Duy was busily and spiritedly cleaning and wiping down an exquisite house!

"Here!" "Here!" "And here too!!"

"I must have it spotless by the time Teacher Kazumi returns!! After all, this is a mission Teacher Kazumi worked hard to find for me!!"

"Youth! It is about completing every mission with full confidence and high spirits!!"

Might Duy leaped and bounded all over the house; if one looked closely, they would find that his every movement was extremely precise!

Despite wearing heavy wrist guards, he did not cause the slightest damage to the surface of the house!

Just then, the purple-haired Shimura Kazumi returned to her home.

"Teacher Kazumi! I have completely wiped down the house! I didn't even miss a single roof tile!"

Shimura Kazumi's face remained beautiful and moving, though she only gave Might Duy a perfunctory look as she spoke.

"Well... well, I know. Here is your payment for this mission. Go back and rest early, get your energy up. Once that guy Sosuke returns, we'll be taking on a major operation."

"Yes! Teacher Kazumi!"

With that, he vanished as quickly as a gust of wind!

Watching Might Duy's swift departure, Shimura Kazumi could not help but show a helpless expression.

"What a terrifying guy..."

Lying on her bed, Shimura Kazumi could not help but think about the events of these past few days. Was this terrifying Might Duy really just a fresh graduate from the Ninja Academy!?

It was said that the Ninja Academy had almost missed out on a guy like this; how truly irresponsible!! She really ought to report this issue to her uncle.

However, given this guy's style of doing things... was he really suited to join Root...

It was all that damn brat's fault. Did a mission really need to take that long? He still hadn't returned.

Lying in bed, Shimura Kazumi soon drifted off into a dream.

In her dream, she seemed to see that annoying guy with the faint smile...