Time flew by, and soon, five months had passed.
Orochimaru had returned straight to the front lines five months ago and had not come back since.
Meanwhile, Mitaraishi Anko had been training at Sōkyū Hatake's home.
"Soru!" Mitaraishi Anko narrowed her eyes slightly, and the next instant, she appeared somewhere else.
Yes, under Sōkyū Hatake's guidance, Mitaraishi Anko had mastered Soru and Kami-e.
Of course, she was also making steady progress with the others.
Clap, clap, clap!!!
"Well done, Mitaraishi Anko. You've become very proficient with Soru," Sōkyū Hatake said, clapping.
"Sōkū, that's all thanks to your teaching." Compared to before, Mitaraishi Anko was clearly much more confident now, and the many days of training had left her figure increasingly toned.
"Mm-hmm. Just keep following the training methods I gave you," Sōkyū Hatake said with a nod, picking up a glass of water and handing it to Mitaraishi Anko.
"You're going to graduate early, aren't you?" Mitaraishi Anko took the water Sōkyū Hatake handed her and gulped it down.
"Yes. Counting the days, it's about time," Sōkyū Hatake said softly.
Over these nearly six months, aside from training with Mitaraishi Anko, Sōkyū Hatake had spent his time training on his own.
By now, he had adjusted the gravity chamber on his body to seven times normal gravity and could still go about his daily activities with ease.
"Then, are you going to the front lines, Sōkū?" Mitaraishi Anko asked somewhat dejectedly. Over these nearly six months, she had spent more time at the Hatake Clan Compound than at home.
"Probably. I promised Orochimaru-sensei I'd go find him after I graduated," Sōkyū Hatake said calmly.
"Then... for a long time... I won't be able to see..." Mitaraishi Anko murmured.
"What did you say?" Sōkyū Hatake had not heard Mitaraishi Anko's quiet