Training

To Shijimi Tamako, the wondrous powers displayed by ninjas were something she longed for!

She had once admired the strength of samurai, but as she gradually mastered their swordsmanship, she realized that their strength could no longer satisfy her needs!

A samurai could not face an entire army alone, but a ninja could!

She wanted to seize control of her own fate!

That was why she wanted to learn the wondrous power of ninjutsu.

She spoke softly again.

"I know that, as ninjas from Konoha, you have to follow the village's rules and can't pass ninjutsu on to outsiders. But surely you can at least give me some pointers."

Shijimi Tamako glanced lightly at Sosuke, who wore a mask, and continued.

"This may sound a little vulgar, but I still want to tell you three that my father will probably pay your village five hundred thousand ryo for this mission."

"I've also saved up some money over the years. If you're willing to take on an extra mission and train me until I reach the level of a ninja, you'll receive another five million ryo, as well as my friendship."

Shijimi Tamako spoke softly, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. There was a hint of confidence in her voice.

She was confident both in her own talent and in the price she was offering.

Five million ryo was no small sum. On the black market, it would be enough to buy the lives of many Chunin, or even some Jonin!

And her request was simple: she only wanted a few kids to teach her. Even Konoha would probably agree to such a deal.

Will you agree, Aizen?

Her gaze brushed lightly over Sosuke. The five million was offered specifically for him.

She had a feeling that Aizen's strength wasn't as simple as it seemed. She'd offered such a high price simply because she trusted her instincts.

Even though they were ninjas, Shackle and Pupil couldn't help drawing a quiet breath when they heard the figure of five million ryo.

All they had to do was teach her ninjutsu, and she was the daughter of the Feudal Lord of the Land of Fire—a princess.

The village would surely agree!

But they still looked to Sosuke, since he was the leader of this mission.

Sosuke didn't mind, of course, and accepted with a smile.

"If that's what Miss Tamako wants, the village probably won't blame us for teaching her ninjutsu. We accept the mission."

The others were all pleased when Sosuke finished speaking.

Who wouldn't like completing a mission and earning some extra money at the same time?

Shijimi Tamako smiled faintly, but kept her eyes fixed on Sosuke's mask.

Sensing her gaze, Sosuke turned his head slightly to look at her.

Their eyes met briefly. Each had their own intentions, but neither needed to say them aloud.

In a broad forest.

A waterfall plunged from the top of a towering cliff, sending up sprays of white water.

Numerous guards stood watch nearby.

Shijimi Tamako, dressed in training clothes, faced the raging waterfall without fear. Standing before it, braced against the splashing water, she gripped a wooden sword and swung it with intense concentration.

Her movements were very slow, yet they held a subtle rhythm that seemed to follow the laws of nature.

"Ha!"

She shouted, and the wooden sword in her hand suddenly accelerated from a snail's pace into a blinding streak of white light!

In an instant!

Her wooden sword had swung who knew how many times.

As she slowly returned the sword to her waist, she gently breathed out the air in her chest and abdomen.

A large carp, its fins and tail cleanly sliced off, landed on the bank, its wide eyes filled with terror.

By the riverbank, Sosuke was quietly refining his chakra beneath the shade of a tree. Watching what had happened, he smiled faintly.

If not for the Root Base business, simply enjoying this kind of leisure wouldn't have been bad. But thinking about the weighty mission still awaiting him, the smile at the corner of Sosuke's mouth gradually turned cold.

"Hey, Aizen! How was that strike? Did I reach the level you were talking about?"

Shijimi Tamako slowly came to the bank, soaked through, and looked at Sosuke excitedly.

"Mm. This fish should taste better than the ones from the past few days. I'll leave the cooking to you."

Sosuke didn't answer her question directly. After glancing at the carp, which was gasping with its mouth wide open, he replied with a smile.

At Sosuke's answer, Shijimi Tamako looked delighted. Then she happily set about preparing to grill the fish herself!

After these past few days of instruction, she felt that what Sosuke had taught her was an entirely new world, unlike anything she'd ever seen before!

She still remembered how, when Sosuke said he planned to teach her Slash Path, she'd been deeply dissatisfied. She had already mastered samurai swordsmanship and was even better than most samurai.

She had even looked down on what he said. But he'd only replied with a single sentence.

"There is no end to the path of the sword. Swinging a blade carelessly is something even a child can do. But have you ever truly struck with a sword of your own?"

When he finished speaking, the man took a small step forward and, with a calm expression, swung his sword once. Every one of her beliefs was overturned!

She couldn't even see how many times the man had swung his sword in that instant!

After a moment of silence, the giant tree before her seemed to have been precisely carved apart like a stack of building blocks!

Its pieces interlocked like the jagged teeth of a dog!

The heavy tree sank deep into the ground!

And yet it remained stubbornly alive! The marks on its trunk were almost impossible to see!

Every gap had been filled perfectly!

It was like a perfect work of art, painstakingly crafted by the most exacting artisan!

At that moment, Shijimi Tamako was deeply shocked—and couldn't help feeling thoroughly ashamed!

So, in his eyes, the swordsmanship she'd been so proud of was probably no better than a child's!

From then on, Shijimi Tamako felt nothing but awe for Sosuke, who wore a mask and looked so young.

She believed that her five million ryo had been worth every penny!

Was this man really just a Genin from Konoha?!

Shijimi Tamako couldn't believe it, no matter how she looked at it!

If an ordinary Genin from Konoha had this level of skill, the Land of Fire would have become the only great nation in the world long ago!

The flames slowly roasted the plump carp over the fire, releasing the distinctive aroma of grilled fish.

Sosuke gently divided the fish in two, giving half to Shijimi Tamako.

As the princess of the Land of Fire, Shijimi Tamako had never had to serve anyone, let alone grill fish!

A few days ago, she had seen Sosuke grilling fish and insisted that he teach her. Shijimi Tamako was clever, so she learned how to do it after just one lesson.

After that, Sosuke never grilled fish himself again. Every time, he ate the fish Tamako had made.

As her skills improved, the grilled fish naturally tasted better and better.

Over these few short days, Shijimi Tamako had learned Slash Path from Sosuke, Taijutsu from Shackle, and ninjutsu from Pupil!

As they observed one another over the past few days, they'd all come to understand each other a little better.

Pupil specialized in Fire Release Ninjutsu!

Shackle specialized in close-combat Taijutsu. His unusual attack style had caught Sosuke's eye, and he couldn't help admiring the unique qualities of the Hyuga Clan's Taijutsu.

As for Sosuke, he remained a mystery. Both Pupil and Shackle felt a measure of respect for him!

Of course, these past few days, Shijimi Tamako had spent most of her time with Sosuke.

After all, she hadn't yet trained enough to build up a sufficient amount of chakra. And deep down, she firmly believed Sosuke was hiding some of his strength.

As a princess, she had her own little schemes, so she stuck close to Sosuke every day like a little shadow that just wouldn't go away.

But Sosuke didn't pay it any mind.

And so the days went by, one after another.