Shira trained alone in a corner, putting himself through an intense physical workout. Steam curled around him as he gradually worked the power of the Second Activation into his instincts.
His progress was visible to the naked eye, and his control over his speed and strength grew increasingly refined. But a new worry had begun to take root in his heart.
Genjutsu.
It was his greatest weakness. His inability to control Chakra with precision meant that it was virtually impossible for him to learn conventional techniques for countering Genjutsu.
If he ran into a powerful Genjutsu ninja, the Taijutsu he relied on to survive would be of no use.
I have to find another way to make up for it... Shira thought as he performed weighted jumps. A stronger body? Or tougher nerves? What should I do...
He found no answer, but the weakness hung over his heart like the sword of Damocles.
Just then, a commotion tinged with petulance and arrogance came from the entrance, utterly out of place in the training ground.
"Move, move! Can't you see the young miss is going to train here?" a rather shrill female voice called out.
Shira stopped and looked toward the voice.
A group of children came in, surrounding two girls whose clothes were noticeably more luxurious.
The girl in the lead was slightly older, about eight. She had an enormous light blue ponytail and a bow tied at her forehead, with orange eye shadow around her crimson eyes.
She wore a tailored purple ninja outfit beneath a finely made brown leather vest. Most striking of all was the long, black-haired doll she held tightly in her arms, dressed in a red and purple kimono with a blank expression.
She looked at the others on the training ground as though they were a pile of stones in her way.
Shira was a little baffled. A young, gothic-style Hatsune Miku?
The slightly shorter girl beside her had neat, short lavender hair and an equally arrogant expression. But when she looked at the girl beside her, her eyes showed undisguised deference and a desire to please. She was Saya's younger sister, Sana.
Following behind them, looking nervous and helpless, was Mamushi, whom Shira had defeated before. His eyes darted around as though he wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into at any moment. Right now, he looked more like a frightened lackey.
"It's the eldest young miss, Saya, and the second young miss, Sana..."
"Get out of the way. They're the young misses of the Sakugutsu Clan."
The children around them whispered among themselves and instinctively cleared a space.
Shira's gaze sharpened slightly. The Sakugutsu Clan was a prestigious family in Sunagakure, renowned for manipulating sand and using the Puppet Technique, and held in high regard. It seemed that was what gave Saya and Sana the confidence to be so arrogant.
Saya swept her gaze across the grounds, and it soon settled on Shira, who was training alone with faint steam still lingering around him. She raised her eyebrows, a trace of interest appearing on her face.
"Oh? You're the one who can't use Ninjutsu but dared to hurt my bodyguard? You're quite handsome, but it's a shame you don't have a good pair of eyes."
Her voice carried a condescending, appraising tone as she gently stroked the doll in her arms. "Still... you don't look like much."
Behind her, Mamushi drew in his neck and looked at Shira with a trace of sympathy.
Shira's expression remained calm. He relaxed his training stance and replied indifferently, "It was just an ordinary spar. If there's nothing else, please don't interrupt my training."
He didn't want trouble, especially not with a young miss from a prominent family who was so obviously spoiled.
Then Shira stopped moving, and the steam around him slowly subsided.
He looked calmly at Saya, sensing the strange mental fluctuations coming from the doll in her arms.
He said nothing more, but she couldn't resist speaking first.
"I hear your Taijutsu is pretty good. You managed to take care of an idiot like Mamushi without using Ninjutsu." Saya gestured with her chin at Mamushi, who had drawn in his neck behind her. Then she looked back at Shira and said with a smile, "I'm bored anyway. How about playing with us?"