Chapter 142: The Young Guren

Tsunade was one of the Legendary Sannin, and a princess of the Senju Clan—completely from a different world compared to him, a Uchiha.

Under normal circumstances, the Senju had little to no deep ties with the Uchiha.

Even those Senju who had blended into civilian life after the clan's dissolution rarely associated with the Uchiha.

"What's the location?"

Shimizu asked.

Shizune stepped forward and handed over a scroll, which contained the location along with a map.

"Thanks."

Sunlight spilled across Shizune's face, outlining her gentle features.

Her looks weren't exactly stunning, but she had that quiet beauty—the kind that grew on you the longer you looked.

"It's nothing."

"Would you… like to have lunch together?"

Shizune asked hesitantly, stammering slightly.

"Sure."

Shimizu gave a slight smile. That sunlit smile stirred something in Shizune's heart—an inexplicable flutter.

It had been a while since the war started.

Shimizu's patience with others, his warm smile like a spring breeze, his handsome features, brilliant medical skills, and overwhelming strength—these things all drew Shizune in.

To her, Shimizu seemed like the perfect man—the ideal choice in a partner.

Even someone like her, who normally showed no interest in romance, couldn't help but develop feelings for him.

Iwagakure Encampment

"What are they thinking up top? Why send so few people to the Kannabi Bridge? I know those three are skilled Jonin, but this supply base is far too important!"

Ketetsu frowned at his superior officer.

"Just do your job. Orders from above. Besides, what really matters is the main force—one thousand Iwa-nin launching a surprise attack on Konoha."

"But…"

Ketetsu wanted to argue more, but his superior had already started humming and walked away.

"Poop~ poop~ what is… poop…"

Ketetsu cringed behind him, drenched in second-hand embarrassment. His superior's quirks were just too much.

He sighed deeply. Word was that this operation had been approved by several high-ranking officials.

The subordinates could only follow orders. Anyone who dared disobey would be branded a rogue ninja and dealt with accordingly.

Ketetsu figured he'd better not push his luck.

Maybe there was some higher logic to this plan that he couldn't see.

"The Kannabi Bridge, huh… With those guys on the frontlines, who could possibly sneak through? A suicide squad?"

He shook his head. The three Jonin stationed there were all elite.

That guy Hibari, for example, was one of the village's top fighters—a master of ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu, with vast combat experience.

How could things possibly go wrong?

With the current war strategy being a numbers game, the other villages were also forced to send their own shinobi or risk total collapse.

"Even if something unexpected happens, Konoha can probably only send a few Chunin at most."

Ketetsu shook his head again. As a veteran of the Second Great Ninja War, he had sharp eyes—he could tell Konoha was already stretched thin.

Boom!

A burst of fire ignited in the sky.

If one looked closely, they'd see the flames shaped like an enormous longsword, pinned beneath the foot of a man with wildly flowing black hair.

Shimizu's chakra nature had long been refined through countless simulations—he had mastered all chakra natures.

Wind, Fire, Lightning, Earth, Water, Yin, and Yang—Shimizu could wield them all.

But to manifest a Kekkei Genkai, one had to combine at least two chakra natures and harmonize them completely.

Even someone like Kakashi, a full-spectrum chakra user, had never created a Kekkei Genkai. He could only use single-element ninjutsu.

"Flying feels… pretty nice."

Shimizu said coolly.

After many tests, he finally no longer dropped out of the sky mid-flight.

He had also improved his Blade of Sky Prison technique, using Wind Release to manipulate air currents and generate upward lift.

The previous limitation of only being able to hold the Sky Prison Flame Sword in hand was also resolved.

He compressed it into a thread-thin sword in his palm, then layered it with countless even finer strands of the same technique—like a thread of hair.

He then expanded one end into a sword-shaped platform large enough to step on. Releasing Wind Release from underneath created suction, firmly attaching the blade to the soles of his feet.

He added a layer of transparent wind membrane for insulation, protecting him from the sword's high temperature.

Thus, sword-flight was achieved.

However, the chakra cost was enormous. Currently, Shimizu's chakra reserves were about four times that of Part I Kakashi.

Even so, he could only fly for about fifteen minutes before exhausting all his chakra.

In that time, he could cover around sixty li.

If he were to plant a curse seal in the future and use natural energy for flight, both the range and duration would increase dramatically.

By the time Shimizu arrived, what greeted him wasn't a village—but a blazing inferno.

Flames devoured the village, thick smoke billowing skyward, making the afternoon sky seem even redder.

The air reeked of burning flesh.

"Was it enemy nation shinobi…? Or rogue ninjas? Or maybe just bandits?"

Descending from above, Shimizu couldn't help but find the scene grimly ironic.

Everyone was already dead—was there even a need for a medic?

"Hey, who the hell are you?!"

A middle-aged man holding a kunai stared in terror. Someone… was flying?!

Thud!

Shimizu raised a hand, and a bloody hole appeared in the man's forehead.

A flaming arrow had pierced him in an instant. He collapsed, eyes wide in shock, his expression frozen in fear.

The flames clung to him like maggots on flesh, quickly reducing him to a charred corpse.

The stench of blood clung to the man—he had clearly just participated in a massacre. His wrist wore a golden bracelet that didn't match his build, and he lacked a forehead protector.

A rogue ninja, without a doubt.

During wartime, for civilians, the world was chaos—utter lawlessness.

Large-scale ninja battles often spilled into civilian areas. Smaller villages or self-taught ninjas who left the beaten path would often turn to banditry, seizing the moment to grab whatever they could.

No shinobi from the Five Great Nations would waste time massacring a village like this. If caught, they'd face severe punishment from their own village.

Such actions tarnished the village's reputation—no one would risk their name for such petty gains.

Shimizu had no time to waste here. He was about to leave.

He could just report the tragedy to Shizune later.

But then, he spotted something near a doorway—a tiny black dot, barely the size of a mosquito. With his terrifying vision, he realized it was a little girl.

She stood there dazed, eyes vacant, unmoving despite the raging fire.

"What's your name?"

Shimizu changed his mind.

He used the Body Flicker Technique to instantly appear before the girl, casually asking the question while deciding whether or not to save what little was left of this village.

Earlier, he'd assumed everyone was already dead—saving them seemed pointless.

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