"Don't be too quick to trust sudden offers of 'kindness,' and don't be too quick to show anyone all your trump cards, especially your unique Taijutsu."
His words were like ice water, instantly dousing the faint warmth Shira had felt from the praise he'd received upon returning.
He understood. Ebizo was reminding him-or even warning him.
The potential he had displayed had already drawn the attention of certain factions within the village, and perhaps even of other villages. From here on, he would have to tread carefully at every step, as well as train.
"Yes! I'll remember your teachings, Lord Ebizo!"
Shira bowed respectfully, breaking out in a cold sweat. He really had let his earlier success and Guy's approval go to his head.
"Mm, as long as you understand." Ebizo resumed his kindly, smiling expression, as though his earlier words had been nothing more than idle chatter.
Shira knew it was time to leave. He bowed to the two elders again, then left the courtyard.
On his way home, Shira noticed that the way the villagers looked at him had indeed changed.
The undisguised contempt and ridicule of the past had nearly vanished, replaced by curiosity, surprise, and even a faint trace of awe.
Several children who had often mocked him before instinctively stepped aside when they saw him approaching, their eyes darting away.
"Look, that's him..."
"I heard he took down three bandits with the strength of ninja all by himself..."
"Really? But can't he use Ninjutsu...?"
Their whispers reached his ears.
Rani and Fūi had evidently spread word of his exploits a little. Perhaps they had meant well, but they had also pushed him into the spotlight.
Shira kept a calm expression and paid no heed to the talk around him, but inwardly, he was on guard a dozen times over. Ebizo's warning still rang in his ears.
He looked up toward the Kazekage's office. How would the Fourth Kazekage Rasa assess an "unstable element" like him after hearing the report?
Would he think Shira was more worth "nurturing," or more deserving of "attention"-or even "elimination"?
Even if Rasa was an extremist, for now, at least, he probably wouldn't make a move against him.
When he got home, his parents made a lavish meal.
That night, Shira lay on his hard bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep.
His growing strength had brought praise, but it had also drawn more hidden dangers. The road ahead seemed clearer, yet more thickly strewn with thorns.
But he hadn't backed down, and he couldn't. He had no way back, either.
Images flashed through his mind: the displaced refugees on the border of the Land of Rivers, the loneliness buried deep in Gaara's eyes, Might Guy's impassioned shout, and Ebizo's meaningful warning.
Strength. He needed to gain it faster, to become stronger.
Not to gain some lofty position, but to survive, to protect, and perhaps to change something in the future.
He clenched his fists, his eyes shining in the darkness.
Tomorrow, he would train twice as hard! No, ten times as hard!
He would start with the basics, perfectly integrating the breathing method into every movement, honing it again and again! Until the "wind" Ebizo had spoken of could no longer shake him, a tender shoot that had just broken through the soil!
"I've gotta work twice as hard, ya! I've gotta carve out a place for myself, ya!"
The small figure on the bed cheered himself on. Before long, he fell silent, sinking into a deep sleep.