The next day, Training Ground Three.
Karin arrived a full half hour earlier than Sora. She didn't waste a moment of it, immediately resuming her practice of tree climbing and water walking.
She approached a tall tree, formed the necessary seals with her small hands, concentrated chakra precisely at the soles of her feet, and then began ascending the trunk step by careful step—steady and controlled.
This time, she didn't fall.
She climbed all the way to the top branches, paused briefly to steady her breathing, then descended just as cautiously, maintaining perfect balance throughout.
Next, she moved to the nearby stream.
With utmost caution, she gathered chakra in her feet once more and slowly stepped onto the water's surface.
Splash!
The instant her foot made contact, it sank straight through.
"Damn it!" Karin grumbled in frustration as she hauled herself out of the water, soaked and dripping.
She tried again—and again. Water splashed everywhere; her clothes were soon thoroughly drenched.
"The chakra output needs to be far more refined."
Sora's voice sounded calmly behind her.
Karin whipped around. Sora was already there, standing casually on the bank. He wore simple civilian clothes, his face bearing the usual bright, energetic smile that felt so familiar.
"The water surface is much harder to master than tree bark because it offers no fixed point of support," Sora explained patiently. "You have to control your chakra output at an extremely delicate balance point."
"It's like normal walking—your center of gravity constantly shifts, so your chakra flow must adjust dynamically in response."
Sora strolled to the water's edge. Without forming any seals, he simply stepped out onto the stream as if it were solid ground.
His feet made no ripple—no splash, not even the faintest disturbance. He walked back and forth across the surface several times with effortless grace, as relaxed as strolling on dry land.
Karin's eyes widened in astonishment, utterly transfixed.
"My chakra reserves are dozens of times greater than yours," Sora said matter-of-factly. "But I can do this easily."
"The reason you can't yet is that your chakra control isn't refined enough," he continued. "Now—close your eyes. Use your chakra to sense the water's flow."
Karin obeyed immediately. She shut her eyes tightly, focusing her mind completely on the sensations beneath her feet.
"The water's flow is gentle, but it's always moving," Sora's voice guided softly beside her ear. "Your chakra must behave the same way—constantly flowing, constantly adjusting."
Under Sora's patient instruction, Karin attempted it over and over. She no longer rushed impatiently; instead, she focused on calmly feeling the subtle shifts of chakra at her soles.
Finally—after who knows how many tries—her foot remained firmly on the water's surface.
It lasted only a brief second, but Karin's face exploded with unrestrained joy.
"Teacher Sora! I did it!" she shouted excitedly.
"Hm." Sora acknowledged with a soft hum, his expression betraying little.
"Today, we'll experiment with practical applications of the Shadow Clone Technique," Sora said. "Don't you want to defeat Uchiha Sasuke?"
Karin's head snapped toward him.
"If you can produce one shadow clone to practice water walking alongside you, your efficiency will double," Sora explained. "If you manage two—or even more—your progress will outpace others by several times. But remember: when a shadow clone dispels, all its memories and fatigue flood directly back into your mind. Be mindful of your limits."
Karin's eyes sparkled with sudden inspiration.
"Come on, Karin," Sora said, his tone carrying quiet challenge. "Show me where your limits truly lie."
That ever-present bright smile on his face appeared somewhat unfathomable beneath the setting sun.
Karin inhaled deeply, her small hands flashing rapidly through seals. She *would* succeed. She *would* grow stronger. She would make it impossible for Uchiha Sasuke to ever look down on her again.
And she would make Brother Sora truly proud of her.
Poof!
A burst of white smoke erupted—success.
Karin's face broke into an excited, triumphant grin.
Sora watched her, a fleeting, barely perceptible glint of approval flashing in his amber eyes.
"Very good," Sora said. "Now—have your shadow clone join you. Begin water walking practice together."
Karin and her clone stepped onto the water simultaneously.
Splash!
Both figures plunged straight in.
Sora watched the twin splashes with an amused smile.
"Interesting," he murmured to himself.
He knew Karin's potential extended far beyond this.
At that moment, a figure approached from the distance.
"Clan Head Inoichi—it's been a while," Sora's voice instantly shifted to warm enthusiasm.
"Akashi Sora, regarding the cooperation you mentioned yesterday—I'd like to discuss it in greater depth," Yamanaka Inoichi's steady voice carried from afar.
"That's enough for today," Sora said, his tone switching seamlessly from stern instructor back to the lazy, approachable neighbor brother.
He waved casually toward Karin, who was still floundering in the water.
"I need to talk business with Clan Head Inoichi."
Karin clambered out of the stream, completely soaked and looking like a drenched kitten—pitiful yet determined.
She glanced at the distinguished middle-aged man approaching—wearing a jonin vest, exuding refined authority—then at Sora's suddenly overly enthusiastic smile, and nodded obediently.
"Yes, Teacher Sora."
Sora turned to Inoichi with an inviting gesture.
"Clan Head Inoichi, shall we speak somewhere more private?"
"That would be best," Inoichi agreed with a nod.
The three walked in silence back toward the apartment.
Karin trailed behind, head lowered, stealing curious glances at the man walking beside Sora.
The Yamanaka clan head.
Ino's father.
Was Brother Sora really meeting him just to discuss opening a hot pot restaurant?
She didn't believe it for a second.
But she asked nothing.
Sora had taught her: questions that shouldn't be asked—don't ask them.
Back at Sora's apartment.
A faint, lingering aroma of hot pot still hung in the air, not yet fully dissipated.
"Karin, pour some tea for Clan Head Inoichi," Sora instructed offhandedly.
"Yes."
Karin efficiently located the tea leaves, boiled water, and brewed a fresh pot.
Her movements were light and careful, producing almost no sound—she worked to minimize her presence entirely.
In the living room, Sora and Yamanaka Inoichi sat facing each other across the low table.
The atmosphere carried a quiet weight.
Inoichi surveyed the modest apartment—clean, tidy, filled with everyday lived-in warmth.
It was hard to imagine this was the home of an Anbu squad captain.
"Captain Akashi—truly impressive for your age," Inoichi began, breaking the silence with measured courtesy.
"Clan Head Inoichi flatters me," Sora replied with a cheerful wave of his hand. "I'm just muddling through day by day—it's all thanks to the support of seniors like you."
His demeanor perfectly matched the rumors: a bright, sunny young man.
But Inoichi would not be deceived by surface appearances.
Someone who had risen to Anbu squad captain at fourteen could never be a simple "little sunshine."
Karin approached quietly with the tea tray, carefully placing cups before each man.
"Clan Head Inoichi, please enjoy the tea."
Inoichi glanced at the red-haired girl, his eyes flickering briefly.
Uzumaki clan.
"I heard from Ino that yesterday you hosted your subordinates and several children for hot pot," Inoichi said, lifting his cup and gently blowing on the steam. "And you mentioned a potential partnership."
"Yes, kids love lively gatherings," Sora admitted with an easy laugh. "I figured running a restaurant alone would be too much work, so I thought I'd ask if Clan Head Inoichi might be interested."
Inoichi sipped the tea—clear and refreshingly fragrant.
"A hot pot restaurant?" Inoichi set down his cup, his gaze settling steadily on Sora's face. "Captain Akashi, that isn't quite what you implied at the dinner table yesterday."
"Oh?" Sora feigned innocent confusion. "What did I say?"
Inoichi observed the deliberate act of ignorance but didn't call it out directly. Instead, he stated calmly, "My Yamanaka clan specializes in intelligence. And you are an Anbu squad captain."
He paused, then spoke deliberately, word by word.
"What you truly seek is likely far more than just one hot pot restaurant, isn't it?"
"Clan Head Inoichi," Sora said, lifting his own cup and blowing gently on the steam. "Let's speak plainly—no need for veiled words."
Inoichi's motion with the cup paused briefly.
Here it comes.
"The restaurant business is merely a pretext," Sora said, setting his cup down. His perpetually smiling amber eyes gazed calmly at the older man.
The energetic, cheerful facade slipped away, revealing the profound, unfathomable stillness beneath.
"What I truly want is to build strong ties with the Ino-Shika-Cho trio—your Yamanaka, the Nara, and the Akimichi clans."
Inoichi's heart sank abruptly.
Such a direct opening—blunt enough to catch him slightly off guard.
He offered no immediate response, merely lifting his cup for another slow sip.
The tea was quite hot.
"Clan Head Inoichi is a wise man; you undoubtedly understand Konoha's current political landscape," Sora continued unperturbed by the silence.
"The Root leader, Shimura Danzō, vanished some time ago—his fate still unknown."
"Of the Sannin, Lady Tsunade is lost to gambling and wanders far from the village. My master, Lord Jiraiya, is also constantly traveling with unpredictable whereabouts."
"The only one who remained in the village, Lord Orochimaru... regrettably, he has defected."
"And most crucially," Sora leaned forward slightly, clasping his hands on the table.
"The Third Hokage is advanced in years."
The apartment fell into a deathly hush.
Karin stood in the corner, barely daring to breathe.
She couldn't comprehend their conversation, but she could feel the invisible, suffocating pressure thickening the air.
Inoichi set down his cup; porcelain met wood with a soft clink.
He regarded the young man before him anew.
Ash-blond short hair, amber eyes, a face still carrying traces of youthful innocence.
"Captain Akashi, what exactly do you mean by this?" Inoichi's voice came out slightly hoarse.
"Nothing in particular," Sora replied, instantly reverting to his lazy, relaxed posture—leaning back into the sofa.
"Just simple curiosity."
He spread his hands innocently, smiling with harmless cheer.
"After Lord Third eventually steps down..."
"Who does Clan Head Inoichi believe will become the Fifth Hokage?"
Karin, standing aside, trembled uncontrollably at this earth-shattering question.
The Fifth... Hokage?
What on earth was Brother Sora thinking?
Inoichi offered no answer.
He merely lifted his tea again in silence, taking another slow sip.
The tea's bitterness spread across his tongue.
He needed time—to process the question's implications, and even more, to decide how to respond to the boy before him.
The apartment's air seemed to solidify.
He studied the young man.
Those amber eyes were terrifyingly calm.
They held no overt desire, no burning ambition—only pure, detached curiosity about facts.
That very lack of visible hunger was more chilling than any overtly ambitious gaze.
In the midst of this stifling silence, Sora suddenly laughed.
The tense mask of the Anbu captain shattered instantly, replaced once more by the lazy, harmless neighbor brother.
"Clan Head Inoichi, no need to be so serious."
He waved a hand dismissively, sinking deeper into the sofa with relaxed posture.
"I'm not trying to force an immediate answer from you, and I certainly harbor no insane notions of overthrowing Konoha."
His tone lightened dramatically, as if the bombshell question had been nothing more than harmless banter.
Yamanaka Inoichi did not lower his guard.
He knew—this was merely the young man sheathing his fangs.
"I'm simply someone who likes planning ahead," Sora said with a helpless shrug and smile. "Having plans disrupted feels terrible."
"I merely hope that, should the village ever face a crisis, there would be a few trusted seniors willing to stand by my side."
He deftly reframed any hint of "overthrowing Konoha" into far-sighted "protecting Konoha."
Inoichi listened in continued silence.
He had to admit—the young man's rhetoric was masterful.
"Of course, personal ties are personal ties; business is business," Sora shifted smoothly, gesturing toward the pots still faintly fragrant on the table.
"This hot pot restaurant isn't just talk. You can see its potential for yourself."
"The Ino-Shika-Cho clans are tightly bound—one prospers, all prosper; one suffers, all suffer. No need to reply hastily. Discuss it with the Nara and Akimichi clan heads."
He distributed the pressure from one individual across three clans.
And transformed a simple cooperation into a binding thread of mutual interest.
Inoichi felt his tension ease slightly.
Tied by tangible profit was far safer than pure political speculation.
At the very least, it proved Akashi Sora needed the Ino-Shika-Cho's financial resources, manpower, and intelligence network—not merely a political ally.
"I'll discuss it with them," Inoichi finally replied, his voice steadier.
"That's good to hear." Sora's smile brightened further.
The apartment's atmosphere finally relaxed.
Karin felt she could breathe again.
She watched Sora's cheerful face, but a chill rose in her heart.
So... even a smile could be a weapon.
Just as Inoichi assumed the conversation was concluding, Sora leaned forward slightly as if recalling something.
"Oh, right—Clan Head Inoichi."
Inoichi's tension spiked once more.
"Did you ever run missions with the Fourth Hokage?"
The question came utterly out of left field.
From the succession of the Hokage title straight to reminiscing about a departed legend.
Inoichi struggled momentarily to follow the shift.
"A few times," he answered truthfully nonetheless.
Namikaze Minato.
That name represented an entire era's legend for Konoha—the eternal sun in the hearts of his generation of shinobi.
"That's perfect." Sora clapped his hands together, his face lighting up with childlike curiosity.
"It's like this—when I was training in Sage Mode at Mount Myōboku, the toad sage who taught me..."
Mount Myōboku.
Sage Mode.
Inoichi's pupils contracted sharply.
"...said my talent for Sage Arts surpasses even what the Fourth Hokage displayed back then."
Sora scratched his head, wearing an expression of slight embarrassment mixed with puzzlement.
"I always felt he was just flattering me—after all, the Fourth was a legendary hero."
"Since you've personally witnessed the Fourth using Sage Mode, Clan Head Inoichi, perhaps when you have time, you could advise this junior—help me determine if it's true?"
The stern mask of the Anbu captain dissolved instantly once more, replaced by the lazy, harmless neighbor brother.
The apartment's atmosphere finally relaxed fully.
Karin felt she could breathe freely again. Watching Sora's cheerful face, however, a chill crept into her heart.
So... even a smile could be a weapon.
Yamanaka Inoichi walked home beneath the evening breeze, yet felt no coolness at all.
His mind churned relentlessly with every word Akashi Sora had spoken.
Each sentence was like a pebble dropped into a lake, sending out endless rippling waves.
The Fifth Hokage.
Sage Mode talent.
Ino-Shika-Cho.
This fourteen-year-old boy had laid out an immense chessboard—one that could shape Konoha's future.
And he, along with the entire Ino-Shika-Cho alliance behind him, had been placed upon it.
Player... or pawn?
Inoichi's steps quickened.
Returning to the Yamanaka clan compound, clan members bowed respectfully as he passed.
"Clan Head."
He paid them no heed, striding directly through the courtyard to his office. At the door, he issued a command to the waiting guard.
"Summon Nara Shikaku and Akimichi Choza."
His voice carried no inflection—yet held undeniable authority.
The clansman felt a jolt of urgency and departed immediately without delay.
Soon.
Nara Shikaku, clan head of the Nara, arrived yawning widely.
Dressed in simple sleepwear, clearly roused from bed, he grumbled continuously: "Inoichi, what's so urgent at this hour? This is such a hassle..."
Following closely was Akimichi Choza, clan head of the Akimichi. His massive frame nearly filled the doorway, but his expression remained calm.
"Inoichi, what's happened?"
Inoichi offered no immediate answer. He arranged for guards outside, then closed the door firmly.
Seeing his grave demeanor, Shikaku's lazy posture straightened somewhat.
The room's atmosphere instantly grew heavy.
"Today, I paid a visit to Akashi Sora," Inoichi began directly.
Akashi Sora.
The name alone sharpened Shikaku and Choza's attention.
"Then he asked me a question."
Without preamble, Inoichi recounted the entire afternoon conversation at Sora's apartment verbatim.
From the succession of the Hokage title, to the future of Ino-Shika-Cho.
To the final, seemingly casual "request for advice" regarding Sage Mode talent.
The room fell into prolonged silence.
Only the candle flames flickered softly.
"Heh..." Nara Shikaku suddenly chuckled low, breaking the quiet. "Interesting. Truly interesting."
"What a terrifying kid," Akimichi Choza said gravely, feeling an overwhelming pressure from Inoichi's retelling.
"He's not asking us," Shikaku said, walking to the window and gazing at the pitch-black night sky. "He's informing us."
"He's telling us that the winds in Konoha may be shifting."
"And that he possesses the capability to be the one stirring those winds."
Inoichi sighed. "He gave us a choice."
"Cooperate... or remain spectators."
"He used the hot pot business as the entry ticket."
Shikaku turned back, regarding Inoichi and Choza.
"This isn't a real choice."
"The moment he placed this question before us, we lost the luxury of standing on the sidelines."
"The Ino-Shika-Cho clans are bound together—one prospers, all prosper; one falls, all fall. We cannot afford to gamble."
Inoichi and Choza fell silent.
They knew Shikaku spoke the truth.
Akashi Sora had played an exquisite open strategy.
He had packaged enormous political risk as an enticing commercial opportunity.
Refusal meant pushing a young man of limitless potential into opposition.
Acceptance meant binding the three clans' futures to a mere fourteen-year-old boy.
"He's only fourteen," Choza said, voice slightly hoarse.
"That's precisely what makes him more terrifying," Shikaku replied, stepping to the table and picking up the scroll Inoichi had left there—the one containing Sora's hot pot base.
"Hiss—"
A bold, overpowering aroma instantly filled the room—intensely spicy, richly savory, layered with the complex interplay of dozens of spices, rushing straight to the senses.
Choza's stomach growled audibly in betrayal.
Shikaku coughed twice from the intensity, waving a hand to disperse the fragrance—but his brow furrowed deeper.
"No, becoming Hokage might be only one of his goals."
Shikaku's voice turned unusually grave.
"Inoichi, Choza—have you considered: if this truly becomes, as he claims, a new pillar industry for Konoha... then what he controls won't be limited to wealth and connections."
He paused, letting the implication sink in.