Chapter 20: Sudden Change
Kakashi wasn't sure what to make of Hyūga Hizashi.
The man's willingness to sacrifice himself so Konoha would no longer suffer war was, of course, worthy of Kakashi's respect.
But when it came to technology, Kakashi couldn't agree with his perspective.
However, now was clearly not the time to argue with Hizashi about whether the diesel engine was a "curious contraption."
Besides, Kakashi wasn't the type to make trouble. If he had to say something, it would just be, "You're right."
...
Night.
Waves crashed against the shore reefs as the small wooden boat from the Land of Fire docked on the beach.
Stepping onto the soft sand, Kakashi's dark eyes scanned the surroundings.
He had to admit, the night view of the Land of Whirlpools was something a person from Konoha would never see.
The sea under the night sky reflected the bright moon. The salty, damp sea breeze brushed Kakashi's face, and a crab scuttled past his feet on the sand.
If it were possible, living here from time to time would be extremely pleasant.
"No danger nearby."
The moment he stepped ashore, Hyūga Hizashi fulfilled his duty as a sensor-nin. His pair of white eyes saw through everything within eight kilometers.
Every detail of the surroundings was laid bare to his eyes.
"Mm. We'll find a place to rest for the night. Everyone must be tired. We'll take turns on watch. We head to the destination first thing tomorrow."
Jiraiya waved and headed inland.
The group didn't start a campfire. They just ate some of their dry rations with water from their canteens to fill their stomachs and recover some stamina, then found a place to rest.
Kakashi, of course, did the same. On a mission, lighting a campfire was like announcing to any potential enemies, "Here I am!"
Leaning against a large tree, Kakashi held his White Fang close and rested against a rock.
The night passed without incident.
When Kakashi woke, the four of them, like four precise machines, moved out toward their destination without a single unnecessary word.
This was a habit unique to shinobi who had survived the war. No wasted actions.
If this were the new generation of young shinobi, like Naruto's class, they probably would have caused some trouble on the way.
Kakashi and the others arrived at one of the Uzumaki clan's ruins. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but rubble.
"No one nearby," Hizashi said, scanning the area.
"Mm." Jiraiya nodded, opened the mission scroll, and said:
"According to the intel, the sealing location is at the bottom of the pool behind the Uzumaki Shrine."
"Kakashi has Suiton chakra. Hizashi will scan it with his Byakugan first. Once we're sure it's safe, Kakashi will go in."
"If you run into trouble, don't hesitate. Detonate an explosive tag as a signal."
Jiraiya said this as he led the way.
"Yes, I understand." Kakashi nodded.
The sealing place was a pool, which was also the Uzumaki clan's main source of fresh water. That meant it was easy to find.
In just ten minutes, the four of them arrived at their objective.
The pool's surface was perfectly still. The surroundings were lush and green, showing signs of having been maintained. But it had been a long time since then; the area was now overgrown with weeds.
"It's down there." Jiraiya stared at the pool, his expression grave.
"Byakugan!"
Hizashi didn't hesitate. Veins bulged around his eyes as his white pupils stared deep into the water.
"There's a barrier underwater. It's blocking my Byakugan."
A moment later, Hizashi deactivated his eyes and spoke grimly.
Jiraiya thought for a moment, then bit his thumb, formed the seals, and shouted:
"Kuchiyose no Jutsu! (Summoning Jutsu)"
With a puff of white smoke, a small toad appeared.
"Gamakū, go down and see if there's anything there."
The unknown barrier blocked the Byakugan, so they couldn't just let Kakashi go in. Jiraiya decided to summon a toad to test the waters.
"OK!"
The little toad made an "OK" gesture and jumped into the water with a plop.
But less than three minutes later, the little toad resurfaced, bubbling.
"Ribbit! It's too cold down there! I can't take it, ribbit!"
With that complaint, Gamakū dispelled the summoning right in front of Jiraiya.
Jiraiya's mouth twitched.
"Jeez..." He put his hand to his forehead.
"Forget it. I'll go."
Kakashi took off his flak jacket, leaving him bare-chested. Carrying only the White Fang and his ninja pouch, he got ready.
"Be careful."
"If anything happens, signal immediately and come straight up."
Hearing Jiraiya, Kakashi formed a one-handed seal and said calmly:
"Suiton: Hissoku no Jutsu! (Water Style: Breath-Holding Jutsu)"
It was a jutsu that allowed a shinobi to stay underwater for a long time. It could last about half an hour.
Even though Kakashi had lost his Sharingan, he didn't lose the jutsu he had copied with it.
It wasn't as exaggerated as the "over 1,000 jutsu" from the rumors, but with his five chakra natures, Kakashi could use over 300 different jutsu.
This Hissoku no Jutsu, for example, was one he had copied from a Suiton user he'd encountered.
Using this jutsu, a shinobi could be active underwater for about forty minutes. If in combat, that time would be cut in half.
Jiraiya had chosen Kakashi for this precisely because he was so well-rounded, with no real weaknesses.
...Except for the fixed impression that he had low chakra. But now, that one weakness was being steadily fixed by his 'golden finger' ability.
The moment he entered the water, Kakashi felt a bone-chilling cold seep into his skin.
No wonder the little toad couldn't stand the cold. Even Kakashi, a human boy many times larger, felt the cold.
Fish swam past Kakashi as he descended. He reached the bottom of the pool but found no trace of the barrier Hizashi mentioned.
His dark eyes scanned the area. He used the White Fang to clear away the silt and weeds at his feet, intending to just check for anything underneath, but at that moment, something suddenly happened.
The White Fang in his hand suddenly began to hum violently, and a sliver of light burst from the edge of its scabbard!
This is...
Kakashi's eyes narrowed. He instantly sensed the anomaly.
Chakra.
The chakra that was everywhere... it had been masked by some technique!
He had dived all the way to the bottom without noticing a thing.
According to the intel, the iron coffin sealing Uchiha Hikari was a unique Uzumaki artifact that absorbed natural chakra to replenish the seal!
This whole area was saturated with the natural chakra gathered by that coffin. And his White Fang was a blade forged by the Ninja Cats from the old fragments and chakra metal, specifically designed with special patterns to help the wielder channel chakra smoothly.
Now, by pure coincidence, Kakashi felt an unknown force pulling on the White Fang!