To Become a Powerful Female Ninja, One Must...

Just as Sora had predicted.

As time passed, the number of Hidden Stone ninja around Rock Town Village steadily increased. Through the window, Samui could even see large numbers of Hidden Stone shinobi setting something up.

A barrier?

Traps?

She did not know.

They were now fish in a barrel. No one knew when Hidden Stone would strike, nor how they would do it.

Confusion mixed with fear, while beneath the despair was a forced determination to face death.

"There's no need to look like that. Until someone with enough weight shows up, they won't dare set foot in here—not even one step."

The leisurely voice came from behind her, snapping Samui out of her thoughts as she repeatedly glanced outside. She turned to look at Sora.

This bloodthirsty gladiator was now casually seated on a bench, flipping through a scroll. He played with a blackish-purple stone in one hand, while a small flask of liquor he had found somewhere sat warming over the fire beside him.

It was as though he was not in enemy territory, surrounded on all sides, but in his own home.

"Aren't you... afraid? Nervous?"

Samui could not help asking.

She could accept dying on a mission, and she could face death on the battlefield without flinching.

But this feeling of waiting to die was simply... too agonizing.

"Afraid? Nervous?"

Without even raising his head, Sora replied indifferently, "I threw those things away the moment I was born."

"I'd suggest that instead of wasting time on such meaningless emotions, you read more, practice your chakra... Didn't you say your swordsmanship was pretty good? Show me."

Samui pressed her lips together. She truly could not understand what was going on in Sora's head.

Did he really have the confidence to survive the coming siege?

Although the sight of Sora crushing Kitsuchi and fighting many opponents alone had been impressive, what awaited them next were hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Hidden Stone ninja—and maybe even Kage-level powerhouses!

With death closing in... fine, maybe you have the confidence and ability, but I...

"Come on, show me a few moves."

Urged by him, Samui could only helplessly obey her leader's command. With the air of someone who had simply given up, she drew a short blade and began demonstrating her techniques.

"Rising Dragon!"

"Flying Blade!"

"Flash Strike!"

Empowered by Lightning Release chakra, the short blade danced fiercely in Samui's hand. Her performance was impressive enough that Sora set down his scroll and watched closely.

That reaction gave Samui a small sense of accomplishment.

This was the blade technique I had mastered!

Even Lord Sora had to acknowledge it!

"Mm, as expected of the woman whose shoulders would grow so big she'd get periarthritis. You're still inexperienced, but I approve of that sway and bounce!"

Sora's gaze swept over her from top to bottom, and the more he looked, the more satisfied he became.

This woman might not possess a kekkei genkai, but with those assets, she was absolutely worth cultivating.

It was just that her blade technique was ugly as hell—a definite deduction.

If she were holding a paper umbrella instead...

With a touch of that half-hidden, teasing allure...

It would create a striking contrast with Samui's cool, aloof face.

That would be the true finishing blow!

"So? Not bad, right?"

After finishing her set, Samui saw the lingering interest on Sora's face and felt a little smug.

Disaster was about to descend. Since resistance was pointless, she might as well calm down and face it openly.

"Mm, you've got good foundations. Your blade technique, though, is as bad as a pile of shit."

"?"

Was that praise or criticism?

"All I can say is that your so-called blade teacher was complete garbage. Your blade doesn't look like a blade, and your fists don't look like fists."

"You use a short blade. Its advantages are speed and the ability to chain attacks. Sometimes, you can also take advantage of its small size, mobility, and concealability to catch people off guard."

"But what the hell is this blade technique of yours?"

Seeing Samui's bewildered expression, Sora explained, "Your blade technique contains a lot of moves like elbow strikes, kicks, and waist locks. It carries a heavy influence from Hidden Cloud-style ninja taijutsu."

"To some extent, this can't even be called blade technique. It's only a modified version of Hidden Cloud-style ninja taijutsu, replacing your fists and feet with a short blade."

"This ninja body technique required exceptionally strong physical attributes, combined with the stimulation of Lightning Release chakra, to display any real power. Besides, people had four limbs, while you only had one short blade."

Sora looked Samui up and down, then shook his head.

"I don't know whether your idiot Eight-Tails teacher was too lazy to teach according to your talents or was simply ruining a promising student here, but no matter how you looked at it, you weren't suited for this fighting style."

"..."

Samui parted her lips, instinctively wanting to argue, but she did not know where to begin.

Thinking it over carefully, it really did seem to be true.

Although her teacher, Killer B, was known as the Hidden Cloud's Killer Bee and his Seven-Blade Style was unmatched throughout the village, whenever he faced a powerful enemy, Killer B would abandon his blades and use Lightning Release ninja body techniques or the power of the tailed beast.

Sora was right. To Killer B, those seven blades were merely the Eight-Tails' eight tails. Killer B's true weapon had never been those seven blades, but his own body!

A jinchuriki's powerful physical attributes were the sharpest steel blade—but did Samui have such a body?

She only had softness and bounce.

"What should I do?"

Samui pursed her lips and spoke unwillingly.

She was a cold and proud woman, someone with extremely high standards for herself and unwilling to become a mere ornament.

When the thing she excelled at most, the thing she was strongest in, had been completely denied, the string of pride in her heart was plucked!

"You want to become a powerful ninja?"

Sora clicked his tongue.

In truth, he did not think Samui possessed the qualifications to become a powerful ninja.

Her chakra was not abundant enough, and her physical attributes were not strong enough.

She had neither a bloodline limit nor an inherited bloodline.

Perhaps becoming a female spy and using her physical assets to complete missions would have been a good choice, but this girl's temperament clearly meant she would never be willing to become that kind of person.

With all those limitations, even if Samui went as far as she could, she would only become an ordinary jonin. No matter how hard she worked, she could not break through that limit.

Not everyone was like Guy.

Besides, Guy had trained bitterly since childhood, while Samui's foundation had already been set. Trying to build a tall tower on such a foundation was no different from ascending to heaven.

"So there's no way..."

Samui's expression darkened as her delicate hand clenched tightly.

"That's not necessarily true. There are still many ways in this world to defy fate and change one's destiny." Sora spoke leisurely. "It's just that everything in this world has its own price. If you want to obtain it, you naturally have to pay an equivalent cost."

"Can you afford such a price?"