Chapter 58: The Wind Rises
Dawn.
The pale gray tile eaves sliced through the dim light of daybreak as the five-petal bamboo blinds tapped lightly against the doorframe in the morning breeze. The Hatake clan's estate lay shrouded in mist, like a sharp blade sheathed in silence.
"Hikari, I'm heading out."
"Be careful. Come back early."
"Heh, got it."
Dressed in his signature green spandex, Might Guy flashed a gleaming grin, hoisted his pack, and waved at Hikari before dashing off.
Yesterday, he'd accepted an A-rank escort mission at the Hokage's office—guarding a merchant caravan bound for the capital of the Land of Fire. The reward was absurdly generous, almost suspiciously so.
"The capital's the most prosperous city in the world—you can buy anything there! Hikari, what do you want? I'll bring you back something!" Guy's eyebrows wiggled, his excitement at leaving the village plain on his face.
Hikari remained expressionless.
Gifts from Guy held no appeal for her.
There were plenty of things in this world that could excite her: sealing scrolls from the Five Great Shinobi Villages, the Rinnegan, Hashirama's cells, the Mangekyō Sharingan, Tailed Beasts, Sage Mode—but none of those could be bought with money.
"Just bring the money back. Don't waste it, okay?"
Guy's smile drooped, disappointment flashing across his face.
Hikari was perfect in every way—
Beautiful, prodigiously talented, fiercely ambitious—her virtues were endless.
But her personality? Too damn rational.
She barely showed any emotion.
In Guy's fantasies, his daughter was supposed to be adorable, sweetly clinging to him like a soft mochi ball.
But Hikari?
A literal iron fist wrapped in a thin layer of dough.
He still remembered the time he'd kicked her arm—only to have half his body go numb from the recoil.
If only she'd call me 'Dad' just once…
Lost in his thoughts, Guy blurted it out before he could stop himself:
"Hey, Hikari… could you call me 'Dad'?"
"Get lost."
"Y-Yes, ma'am!"
Seeing Hikari's tiny fist rise—already shimmering with distorted chakra—Guy bolted, not daring to look back.
If he wasn't mistaken, that was Wind Release chakra nature transformation.
Getting hit by that would not be fun.
Wait…
Since when did she learn Wind Release?!
As he sprinted away, Guy's mind raced.
Hikari's progress was unnatural. At this rate, she might even graduate from the Academy before he returned from his mission!
Watching Guy flee, Hikari slowly withdrew her chakra.
Hiss—!
The air around her fist twisted, emitting a strange, breath-like whistle.
She opened her palm, and the Wind Release chakra shifted from her knuckles to her fingertips.
Running a finger along the wooden doorframe, the chakra hummed ominously.
Zzzzt! Zzzzt!
Where her finger passed, the intricate carvings split apart—as if sliced by an invisible blade, yet sounding more like a chainsaw tearing through wood.
Seeing the damage, Hikari quickly retracted her hand.
This isn't my house. Better not wreck it.
Still, she was pleased.
The razor-sharp Wind Release chakra was worth every second of the half-month she'd spent sneaking off to the hospital to train.
Her offensive power had leveled up again.
Developing independent nature transformation and original jutsu was something only elite jōnin could pull off.
Technically, she could graduate early, take the Chūnin Exams, and even aim for jōnin promotion.
But she wouldn't.
With Guy out earning money, she had no financial pressure.
No way she'd sacrifice her training time for mission pay.
Five and a half years remained until the canon storyline began.
Not long, but not short either.
She had to use this time to forge a foundation strong enough to reach the Six Paths level.
Her greatest advantage wasn't her Kekkei Genkai—it was her knowledge of the future.
The scariest thing wasn't hitting one's limits—it was standing at a crossroads with no idea which path led to the end.
But she was different.
With Kaguya Ōtsutsuki as her benchmark, she knew exactly which path to take.
All she had to do was keep moving forward.
Nothing could be simpler.
That said…
Guy's timing for leaving Konoha wasn't ideal.
The Uchiha Massacre was drawing closer.
The village's atmosphere grew heavier, currents of tension swirling beneath the surface.
Using her Byakugan from a distance, she'd observed the Uchiha district—countless chakra signatures dotted the area like stars, encircling the clan grounds.
From the masked figures lurking around, it was clear: ANBU and ROOT were watching.
Three steps a post. Five steps a sentry.
The surveillance was so tight that even a mosquito flying past would've been tracked and gender-checked.
Hikari immediately abandoned any thought of "visiting" the Uchiha.
She stirred trouble for survival, not for fun.
Just like in Kirigakure, she lacked the strength to meddle in major events. Even the smallest ripple from these incidents could drown someone like her.
Starting today, her main body would train full-time in the Forest of Death—focusing solely on Gentle Fist and Wind Release.
Until the Uchiha massacre, she wouldn't set foot near southwest Konoha, where their compound stood.
She'd also avoid the Memorial Stone—no need to run into Obito visiting Rin's grave.
Her Wind Release nature transformation was still in its early stages, but she already knew how to advance it.
Cutting a waterfall.
Or more accurately—tearing it apart.
Sustained Wind Release chakra output until the pressure could slice through falling water—that was the mark of mastery.
As for a training spot?
Her Byakugan had already scouted one:
A cliff in the northern Forest of Death, near Konoha's border.
Below it roared a waterfall—40 meters tall, 70 meters wide.
A monstrous challenge.
If she could sever a cascade that size, her long-range attacks would reach terrifying new heights.
Then, she could finally develop her own Wind Release jutsu.
She'd already practiced **Water Release shape transformation (bird form)**—her dream of flight was within reach.
Once achieved?
In battle, she could ascend on wind currents, pinpoint enemies with her Byakugan, and rain down Ten-Finger Drilling Bullets or Water Release barrages.
And if anyone somehow closed the distance?
Her three mastered taijutsu styles and Eight Gates' physical supremacy would teach them true despair.