It was past midday. Shorai sat in the middle of his secluded training ground, legs crossed beneath him, while Stoic and Whimsical faced him from opposite sides of the clearing.
Sunlight filtered through the branches overhead. A faint breeze passed through the leaves, carrying with it the distant sounds of the village.
For several minutes, none of them spoke.
Shorai's mind remained fixed on a single problem.
Swift Release could not remain his answer to everything.
Not now.
His chakra pathways were still adapting to Water Release. Even with Perfect Body Revival, forcing himself into the same extreme acceleration too soon could undo the progress he had spent the past week building. At most, he could use Shunshin for controlled movement without placing further strain on his body.
That left him with a question he could no longer avoid.
'How do I fight when speed is no longer my foundation?'
"Stillness of mind," Shorai said at last. "Water Release as a foundation."
Stoic and Whimsical watched him in silence.
"Right now, Shunshin is the only movement technique I can use freely without compromising the state of my pathways," Shorai continued. "I need to adapt my Water Release into something that complements both my offense and defense."
His gaze lowered as he organized the pieces in his mind.
"That means my present skills come down to chakra shaping, Genjutsu, Fuinjutsu, Shurikenjutsu, and close-range combat."
"Your taijutsu will still revolve around Shunshin," Whimsical said. "The strikes may be slower than Swift Release, but they will still be powerful. We can use chakra shaping in the fists, chakra scalpels, threads, and Rasengan. Also, you are not completely helpless with strikes or reaction. The Lightning in your body still gives you an advantage—visual comprehension, thought speed, and bodily response. In our normal state, that is roughly comparable to a one-tomoe Sharingan in perception and reaction. Shadowless Flight approaches a two-tomoe level, while Phantom Step approaches three."
Stoic added, "That's right. Also, Fuinjutsu can prepare the battlefield. Traps. Restraints. Delayed tags. Genjutsu can create an opening or expose a weakness."
"Right." Shorai nodded. "Water Release needs to make those tools more effective rather than replacing them."
His gaze shifted toward Stoic.
"You suggested the Hidden Mist Technique once. I like that idea."
Stoic's expression did not change.
"It is suitable."
"Especially if it is laced with Genjutsu," Shorai continued.
"Ordinary vision becomes practically useless inside it. More importantly, the mist would carry our chakra through every suspended droplet. A Byakugan user might see a dense wall of chakra rather than a clear body—an entire field of light in front of their eyes. With enough focus, they could perhaps notice movement within that mass, but finding the true body in the middle of it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack."
Shorai's gaze sharpened.
"A truly exceptional sensor might do better. Someone with Uzumaki-level sensory ability could feel the individual chakra-laced droplets and search for the larger concentration hidden among them. Water Clones, deliberately reinforced with uneven chakra distributions, could create several stronger false concentrations within the field. Even then, an exceptional sensor would be forced to focus on separating those signals while we keep moving, reposition the clones, and layer Genjutsu over their senses."
"Enough to create an advantage," Stoic said. "Not enough to assume we are untouchable."
"That is the foundation," Shorai said. "What else?"
"Weapons, explosive tags, and direct projectile assault," Stoic replied. "Our Fuinjutsu is still limited in live combat. We lack curse seal applications and anything that can reliably shut down another shinobi's chakra network. The best early use is restraint—movement seals, mental disruption, chakra interference, or extraction formations."
"Mid-range control," Shorai murmured. "Potentially long-range if we prepare enough."
He looked toward Whimsical.
"But what about close to mid-range?"
Whimsical rested his cheek against one hand.
"Water Clones," he said after a moment. "A clone can pressure an opponent, create openings, or trap them in a Water Prison through contact or dispelling at the right moment. Sealing tags could automate some of the timing."
"I like it." Shorai nodded. "What else?"
"Hydrification."
Stoic glanced at him.
Whimsical continued, "Turning the body into water to ignore physical attacks. Like the Hōzuki clan."
"We do not have that predisposition," Shorai said, shaking his head. "The Hōzuki can do it instinctively. For me, reaching that level would take too long even if the technique is theoretically possible. We do not have the time."
"Fine." Whimsical pushed himself to his feet. "Then something closer to what we already understand."
He raised both hands and settled into a fighting stance.
"We've used chakra as armor with Wind and Lightning during Swift Release. Chakra control and shaping are already our strongest weapons."
A pale-blue light began to radiate around him.
Slowly, water gathered across the surface of his clothes and skin.
Not enough to weigh him down.
Not enough to look like a full suit of armor.
A thin, glimmering layer wrapped around his body instead, flowing like a shallow current.
"Here," Whimsical said. "Watch."
Shorai and Stoic fell silent.
Whimsical pivoted toward an empty section of the clearing. He dragged his left foot across the ground as his left palm swept through a wide arc.
Whoosh!
A blade of water detached from his hand.
It cut through the air, lost cohesion near the end of its flight, and struck the tree in a sharp burst. The bark split just enough to leave a thin scar in the trunk.
Whimsical turned back with a smug smile.
"See? Cutting damage. Compression. Pressure."
"A chakra-sustained layer of water around the body," Shorai analyzed. "Something that can harden, compress, and change shape at will."
"A Flowing Mantle," Whimsical declared with a grin.
Stoic folded his arms.
"It could be lethal at close range if the opponent is caught off guard."
"Thin it," Shorai continued. "Compress it. Harden and shape layers into a sharp rotating form, like a saw. Create spikes, needles, cutting edges…"
"Or bullets," Whimsical added.
Shorai's eyes narrowed in thought.
"If we know an attack is coming, the mantle could tighten around the body and rotate. A small vortex structure. Similar to the Hyūga clan's Rotation, but formed from water rather than pure chakra. It could deflect weaker projectiles or reduce the impact of incoming strikes."
"And then turn offensive immediately," Whimsical said. "Knock away kunai, catch someone's fist, then cut them with the same flow."
Stoic shook his head.
"Do not compare it to the Hyūga's Rotation too closely. Their defense erupts from every tenketsu at once. Ours would be a controlled current around the body—slower, narrower, and far less absolute. But it could still redirect a kunai, dull a strike, or punish someone who enters close range. With enough refinement, it may become far more responsive than this. But it will never be the Hyūga's Rotation. It has to become our own defense."
He continued.
"Wind Release would be more lethal and more efficient for cutting," Stoic warned. "The Flowing Mantle has advantages—subtlety, adaptability, and control—but it will demand a constant flow of chakra. At first, it will be inefficient."
"Everything is inefficient at first," Whimsical replied cheerfully.
"Yes," Shorai mused. "That is something to work on. Lightning could be released in a decisive burst. Water demands guidance. It has to be shaped, compressed, held together, redirected, and constantly persuaded not to return to its natural flow."
Stoic ignored both of them.
"We should study the Hōzuki clan's Water Gun method. And the Second Hokage's way of compressing water. Both will teach us how to transform Water Release into a more lethal form while reducing unnecessary chakra expenditure."
Shorai nodded slowly.
"So, in addition to our foundation training: Water Compression. The Flowing Mantle for defense and taijutsu. Water Clones. Water Prison. Water Gun. Hidden Mist."
He continued listing the techniques.
"Water Binding. Water Wild Wave. Variations of it that can become walls, sweeping force, or shaped attacks."
"But," Shorai added, "the obvious weakness is power. How strong will my compressed Water Release actually be?"
"If the enemy is not especially skilled with Fire Release, Water has the natural advantage," Stoic said. "But that does not make it automatic."
"Ice, however," Shorai said.
"That is what you are thinking about."
"The Land of Snow." Shorai exhaled. "If I clash with their shinobi, they may use Ice Release. If I cannot defeat it directly, then I need a way to at least cancel their techniques into a stalemate."
"Pipe dream," Stoic said flatly.
Whimsical grinned.
"But I will humor you," Stoic continued.
He crossed his arms.
"You would need to spend too much chakra compressing and shaping water simply to keep yourself safe. Stopping a strong projectile-based Ice Release technique would require your Water Release to approach the force of Kakashi's Water Dragon Bullet. Even then, it would only let you deflect or delay an attack—not erase it."
Shorai's expression remained serious.
"Your chakra reserves have grown," Stoic added, "but they are not at the level where you can cast and forget techniques the way the blonde idiot carrying the Mind Stone can."
"Hm." Shorai sighed. "Then it puts more pressure on me to finish this and begin adding Wind Release afterward."
"Yes," Stoic replied. "Water and Wind would give you better options against Ice. Lightning would be more immediately destructive, but it is exactly what your current training needs you to limit."
Whimsical stretched until his back cracked.
"Are we done talking? Original, prepare the methods. Dork and I will continue the foundation work."
Stoic's eye twitched.
Before he could reply, Shorai raised a hand.
"The plan is set. We do not have time to waste."
A gust of wind stirred the clearing.
Shorai's will was already closing on the Reality Stone.
The moment he activated it, the air around them seemed to twist faintly as though reality itself had taken a quiet breath, echoing through the woods.
"Both of you will continue alternating between stillness training and Water Release simulations," Shorai ordered. "Then return to reinforce the habit in the real world, as always."
Both clones nodded.
Shorai opened portals to the Soul Space for them, then turned toward his inventory and withdrew several blank scrolls.
"I will get us what we need."
His focus sharpened.
The Reality Stone answered.
Knowledge flowed into his mind: the methods behind each technique he sought, limited to what he could comprehend and tailored to his own chakra system. Principles of water compression. Chakra flow patterns. The mechanics behind the Hidden Mist Technique. Water Clone formation. Water Prison restraint. The Hōzuki Water Gun technique. A path of gathering moisture from the air.
Hours passed.
Shorai sat beneath the dimming light, carefully burning the lines into the scrolls with a narrow thread of red light before the borrowed knowledge faded from his mind. Each line had to be exact. If the heat scarred a character too deeply or blurred a seal pattern, he had to begin it again.
By the time the sun began sinking beyond the horizon, sweat had gathered across his forehead.
His fingers ached.
The final scroll received its last line.
Only then did Shorai let out a slow breath.
Stoic and Whimsical opened their eyes and stepped out of the Soul Space.
"Prepare yourself," Stoic said.
Shorai nodded.
He settled his breathing, began circulating chakra through his body, and prepared his mind for what came next.
Then he deactivated the Reality Stone.
The borrowed knowledge began to fade, taking back what it had only temporarily lent him.
At the same time, he released the Perfect Shadow Clone Technique.
The accumulated experience of both clones returned to him in a single wave.
Shorai's body stiffened.
His head pulsed.
He spent another hour cooling his overheated synapses and guiding the experience into place before the familiar exhaustion finally settled over him.
Even through it, he could feel the progress.
"Now…" Shorai muttered, staring at the scorched marks on the scrolls. "Let us turn these rough records into something usable, then sleep."
By the time he finished, darkness had fully covered the village.
He returned to his apartment, washed quickly, and collapsed into bed.
—
Sunday morning arrived.
Shorai made a quick stop at Heavenly Lotus.
The news was pleasant.
Ren's negotiations had gone well. The film production had agreed to Shorai's condition: two weeks of preparation, no more and no less. Their own schedule was tight, but they could accommodate the delay.
Shorai spent a short time posing for the new catalogue, accepted the finalized arrangements, and left before Aya could trap him in another extended conversation.
Then he went to the hospital.
Sasuke's treatment could not be skipped.
The dark-haired boy remained unconscious, but his complexion had improved. His breathing was steadier. His chakra network no longer showed the same signs of strain.
'Any day now,' Shorai thought.
Once the treatment ended, he returned to the training grounds.
The clock continued ticking above his head like an executioner's blade.
—
Stoic and Whimsical stood waiting for him.
Their chakra signatures were steady.
Their expressions were not.
Whimsical looked eager.
Stoic looked impatient.
"Here," Shorai said.
He handed them copies of the rewritten scrolls. Then he activated the Reality Stone, warping the area just enough to let them enter the Soul Space quickly.
"Now we study the methods," Shorai said, smiling as he unrolled his own scroll. "Then, as always, we drill them into habit."
Both clones quickly followed suit.
For hours, the three of them studied.
The methods were not simple. Every jutsu carried its own chakra flow, shaping requirements, pressure balance, and activation sequence. Water Release demanded control in a way Lightning never had. Lightning could be fast, violent, and decisive in the face of resistance.
Water was not.
Water demanded that its user guide it continuously.
It gathered. It adjusted. It waited patiently for weakness.
By the time they entered the Soul Space, the mental construct Shorai had prepared was already waiting.
A quiet figure stood before them: a murky black body outlined in crimson, hollow eyes fixed upon the three of them.
Its task was simple.
Correct their posture.
Correct their chakra flow.
Correct every inefficiency until nothing remained except the most effective path.
They trained until night.
—
By the end of the day, Shorai stood beside the pond in his training grounds, staring at his reflection in the calm surface.
His chest rose and fell heavily.
"It is so chakra-hungry," he said between breaths. "Every technique requires such fine control and shaping."
He lifted his hands and studied them.
"Damn. Do I really have to resort to hand seals for now?"
His face twisted in displeasure.
One of the things Shorai disliked most was weaving hand seals. They were slow. They revealed information. They gave an opponent clues about what was coming and, in some cases, enough time to counter.
"Hidden Mist, Water Wild Wave, Water Prison, and Water Binding are not easy to unleash quickly," Stoic said. "Each requires a specific chakra flow, shaping pattern, and degree of force. Hand seals save us time."
Shorai gave him a flat look.
"As ironic as that sounds," Stoic added.
"At least, with my chakra control and growing mastery of Water Release, I only need a few," Shorai muttered.
"Look on the bright side, buddy," Whimsical said with a bright smile. "The method behind every jutsu you warped is perfect."
He lifted one of the scrolls.
"Take Hidden Mist. It teaches us how to use the moisture already present in the air and draw it closer. Which means…"
"A first step toward Tobirama's level of using the water around him," Shorai finished.
Familiar words came to mind, ones that described the legendary power of the Second Hokage's Water Release.
'Right. The man who could use powerful Water Release in a place without water.'
Shorai's lips twitched.
'Without water? Compared to him, almost everyone else looks like a novice when it comes to mastery of that element.'
Whimsical nodded eagerly.
"If we ever reach his speed of gathering water, we may be able to use something like the Water Colliding Wave."
"You two—" Stoic began.
"It is a distant dream," Shorai said, cutting him off. "Stay focused."
He glanced down at the pond.
"Moisture gathering. The Flowing Mantle. Shaping. Compression. Those are our priorities right now."
"Good," Stoic said, a cold smile touching his face. "You are finally adapting to the new mental approach."
Shorai's eyes narrowed.
"Let us go."
They trained until late into the night.
Only then did Shorai finally call an end to it and return to his room.
—
Alone in his apartment, Shorai lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
His body ached with exhaustion, but his mind remained active.
"Hidden Mist will require another few days before I can call it acceptable," he murmured. "Water Clones and the Flowing Mantle are not difficult to activate or sustain. The mantle will need at least another week before it is reliable enough for combat."
He continued his assessment.
"Water Gun and Water Binding need faster activation. Water Compression is easy on a small scale, but there is too much delay when I prepare and fire it as a projectile."
His eyes narrowed.
"Water Wild Wave is still too slow. Its output varies too widely, and it consumes too much chakra. For now, shaping it into a water wall is the simplest application."
He thought of Sasuke.
"I wonder how it would fare against his Fireball Technique. I am not confident it could stop the Fire Dragon. Maybe if I burn more chakra…"
Shorai fell silent.
'Tomorrow, I need to begin turning these methods into an actual fighting style.'
A smile touched his lips.
'I cannot wait.'
Sleep claimed him soon after.
—
Monday morning came.
Shorai went to the hospital for another treatment session.
The staff had grown accustomed to the white-haired boy who carried a special permit signed by the Hokage herself. Some greeted him with polite smiles. Others simply nodded as he passed through the corridors.
His thoughts remained fixed on the training awaiting him later that day.
He opened the door to Sasuke's room.
Then stopped.
Sasuke's eyes were open.
The Uchiha stared at the ceiling without expression.
For a moment, Shorai froze in the doorway.
Then Sasuke's dark eyes shifted toward him.
Silence stretched between them.
"Good morning, Sasuke," Shorai said at last.
He entered, closed the door, and approached the bed.
"You have been out for quite a while."
Sasuke did not answer.
He tried to sit up.
Shorai moved quickly to support him.
"Do not rush it."
Sasuke's body shook with effort. He grimaced as weakened muscles protested the movement.
"Your body is healthy," Shorai said. "But you have not used it in some time. It will adjust gradually."
Once Sasuke was sitting upright, Shorai pulled back and sat in the chair beside the bed.
Sasuke's lips moved.
Nothing came out at first.
Then:
"Sho… rai…"
"Yes?"
"Khm…" Sasuke swallowed. "H-how long…"
"You were unconscious?" Shorai asked.
Sasuke gave the smallest nod.
"Two weeks, give or take," Shorai replied. "But the exact number does not matter. You survived."
Something shifted in Sasuke's expression.
"Survived," he repeated.
His face tightened.
"Survived…"
His fingers curled into fists.
"Survived?"
The word came out harsher each time.
Then Sasuke raised a hand to his head, his breath catching as pain pulsed through him.
"Easy," Shorai said, leaning forward.
He placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder and sent a controlled pulse of chakra through his body, calming the unstable flare in his pathways.
"The Fifth Hokage and I worked to bring you back," he said quietly. "Do not undo that work by tearing yourself apart the moment you wake."
Sasuke froze.
His eyes shifted toward Shorai.
"The Fifth?" he asked.
"Yes. Lady Tsunade. Things changed while you were asleep."
Shorai's gaze remained calm.
"You went through something intense, Sasuke. You returned alive. That is not something to be ashamed of."
Sasuke looked away.
His hand clenched again.
"Alive…" he whispered.
His shoulders began to shake.
"Weak."
The word was almost soundless.
"Why am I this weak…?"
"It depends on what you compare yourself to," Shorai said.
Sasuke did not look at him.
"You are not weak because you could not defeat Itachi."
The room became still.
"You were weak only in the sense that you tried to face something you did not understand. Someone whose experience, ability, and information were far beyond yours."
"Like a civilian trying to fight a bear with his bare hands."
Sasuke's jaw tightened.
"That does not make you worthless," Shorai continued. "But if you learn nothing from it, then the pain will have been wasted."
"Shut up," Sasuke said suddenly.
His voice shook.
Shorai did not move.
"Do you think I am mocking you? That I am laughing at what you experienced?" Shorai asked, his voice low and cold. "Do you think I do not understand what it feels like to be helpless? To realize that no matter what you do, you are not in control?"
Sasuke flinched, taken aback by Shorai's tone. Then he frowned, leaned toward him, and grabbed the front of his shirt.
Shorai looked directly into his eyes, his voice still icy.
"You were not ready. That is the truth."
Sasuke's grip tightened.
"But you are still here."
Shorai continued.
"You have another chance to prepare. This time, properly."
Sasuke stared at him.
The fury in his eyes did not disappear.
But it faltered.
Shorai's voice began to warm.
"Remember what I told you before you lost yourself in that hallway," Shorai said. "No plan. No preparation. No understanding of the enemy."
Sasuke's fingers trembled.
"You did not go after revenge. You went there to court death—and you nearly succeeded."
The force slowly drained from his hand.
"You do not understand," Sasuke muttered.
"I… I had to."
His head lowered.
"I had to."
"Damn it all."
Shorai watched him for a moment.
Then he asked, "Was that the first time you experienced dōjutsu on that level?"
Sasuke jolted.
His eyes shifted toward Shorai.
"The Mangekyō Sharingan," Shorai said. "Do you remember it clearly?"
"I…" Sasuke swallowed. "I do."
"I see."
Shorai leaned back slightly.
"Then remember everything you can. The moment he looked at you. The feeling of his chakra. How easily he controlled the situation. What he chose to show you—and what he did not. That man keeps his cards hidden until he must reveal them."
Sasuke's expression darkened.
"That bastard…"
"You cannot underestimate him," Shorai said. "He is not simply strong. He is calculated."
Sasuke looked at him again.
"How do you know that?"
"I am not a regular genin, Sasuke," Shorai replied. "My position imposes secrecy. But I can tell you this: I work directly under the Hokage. I was not simply sightseeing alongside Lord Jiraiya and Naruto."
Sasuke frowned.
"Naruto…"
"He was interested in him," Sasuke muttered.
"You are not entirely wrong," Shorai said. "It is more complicated than Naruto himself."
He kept his tone controlled.
"Naruto has his own burden. You have yours. What matters is that he is training as well—and that he wants your acknowledgment."
"Idiotic," Sasuke said. "Hmph. Loser."
Then his expression hardened.
"Shorai."
"I am listening."
"I want to fight you."
Shorai raised an eyebrow.
"You wake after more than two weeks unconscious, and your first decision is to put yourself through another hospital visit?"
"How idiotic of you."
Sasuke's gaze sharpened.
"I want to see how strong you are."
For a moment, Shorai said nothing.
"I have had suspicions," Sasuke continued. "Back in the Academy. On the bridge. During the Chūnin Exams."
His hands tightened against the blanket.
"You always seem to hold back. Always hiding your real self…"
Shorai listened.
"While we…" Sasuke's voice caught. "While I struggled through everything, you kept moving forward. Getting stronger. Noticed by the Hokage."
His eyes burned.
"You faced those two. You did not end up like I did."
"No," Shorai said quietly. "But I did not accomplish much against Itachi's partner either. He had a troublesome ability of his own. He was not on your brother's level, but the gap between us was still large enough that I understand the position you were in."
He paused.
"They escaped Lord Jiraiya's technique shortly after you lost consciousness."
Sasuke's expression fell.
"Your brother has a cool and calculating mind," Shorai continued. "He does not commit to a fight unless he sees a path to victory. He was the youngest ANBU captain in Konoha's history. That alone should tell you enough."
Sasuke turned toward the window.
"So what?" he asked. "Just a title."
"So learn from it."
Shorai's voice sharpened slightly.
"From what I understand, Genjutsu is one of the first layers of his combat style. He uses it to disrupt, confuse, and break his opponent's rhythm before he commits more chakra than necessary. That is a weakness you will need to address one day."
"Genjutsu…" Sasuke murmured.
"Yes."
Shorai's expression became serious.
"And that was before the Mangekyō Sharingan. Before abilities he may not reveal unless he is forced to. Unless he becomes serious."
"Mangekyō Sharingan…"
"Do you understand now?" Shorai asked. "The distance between you and him is not something you can erase through rage."
Sasuke's lips pressed into a thin line.
"You need information. Training. A plan. You need to understand your own weaknesses before you can think about facing his—and choose circumstances that give you an advantage."
Silence filled the room.
At last, Shorai stood.
"Eat. Rest. Start moving your body again."
Sasuke did not turn from the window.
"In two days," Shorai said, "we can spar."
Sasuke's eyes widened slightly.
"I will figure out how to arrange it. No one will know."
For the first time since waking, a faint spark returned to Sasuke's face.
"Fine," he answered quietly.
Shorai gave him one final look.
Then he turned toward the door.
Outside, the hallway remained calm.
But Shorai knew that the stillness would not last.