Chapter 13: Whispers in the Shadows
"It's him!"
In the shadows, a white-haired boy, a tanto strapped to his back and a crow-patterned mask covering his face, watched the figure slurping ramen. His black, ink-like pupils narrowed in surprise.
"Who is it?" the burly ANBU member behind Kakashi leaned in and asked in a low voice.
Kakashi quickly relayed everything he knew about Liumu. A flicker of astonishment passed through the other man's eyes upon hearing it.
But…
"Root agents are also here. The Third Hokage has ordered us not to provoke conflict with them. Withdraw, for now."
Whoosh. Whoosh. Whoosh.
In a series of flickers, the several figures vanished.
As evening approached and Jiraiya was still nowhere to be seen, Liumu ventured alone into the dense forest at the village's edge, intending to practice his Clone Technique. Unexpectedly, he found Kakashi waiting there.
"Heh. So it was you watching me."
Liumu took in Kakashi's iconic appearance—even with the mask, he recognized him instantly.
"Why are you here?" Kakashi asked, getting straight to the point.
"Sightseeing." Liumu spread his hands. It was this gesture that allowed Kakashi to finally spot the Konoha forehead protector on Liumu's arm.
"Are you the one who appeared in the Land of Rain a few days ago?" Kakashi stared intently into Liumu's eyes, his tone devoid of emotion.
"Hmph."
Liumu snorted coldly, not deigning to answer the accusatory tone.
Kakashi knew he was no match for Liumu. He had risked meeting Liumu secretly, unsure if he could glean any useful information. Seeing Liumu's patience visibly wearing thin, Kakashi sighed and abruptly changed the subject.
"After this mission, I'll likely begin preparing for the next Chunin Exams. You…" He paused, his gaze fixed on Liumu, full of expectation. "I hope you'll return by then. We could take the exam together."
Kakashi had graduated at five, become a Chunin at six. Facing this invitation, Liumu sighed and smiled. "I refuse."
Kakashi: "???"
"Why?"
Kakashi didn't understand. As a shinobi, who didn't desire recognition? To become a Chunin, a Jonin… Liumu's strength was astounding, peerless among their generation. Kakashi couldn't fathom a reason for his refusal.
But how could Kakashi know the famous adage that circulated about Konoha: 'When Jonin fight, the world trembles; when Genin fight, the world ends.'
Strength wasn't defined by titles like Chunin or Jonin. It came down to raw power.
Liumu had no interest in titles. He couldn't be bothered to fight for them. It was enough to be a comfortably overpowered nobody. Fighting for prestige was pointless.
Liumu didn't answer Kakashi's confusion. Hearing the faint rustling in the surrounding woods, he said to Kakashi, "As ANBU, you're already breaking protocol by being here. You should go. Don't get caught."
With that, Liumu turned to leave. But after a step, he paused, thinking better of it. He added without looking back, "The people of the Land of Rain just want peace. It doesn't really matter who brings it to them. That's all…"
"Let me tell you one more thing. It's not just us watching you. Root is here too. Don't get caught by them, or not even the Third Hokage will be able to protect you."
After delivering his warning, Kakashi gave a curt nod. With a soft poof, he vanished in a swirl of leaves and smoke.
Liumu stared at the dissipating mist, a faint smile on his lips. "What was that? Returning a favor?"
...
...
...
Late Night, The Inn.
"Searching for death, indeed!"
Liumu waited until Jiraiya was in a deep, snoring sleep before stealthily retrieving a certain 'inspiration guidebook' from the sage's pack.
As a fresh work created after Jiraiya's recent 'inspiration gathering,' the moment Liumu opened it, he was greeted by illustrations that would make anyone's blood pressure spike.
"Hiss… impressive."
"Whoa, they can do that?"
"Wow, I've never even heard of this pose!"
...
A specialty of certain regions, Jiraiya's artwork was direct, with no obfuscating blank spaces or censorship. Under the masterful strokes, Liumu even discovered several 'techniques' he'd never encountered before.
"No wonder even a serious guy like Kakashi turned out the way he did after reading this stuff growing up," Liumu chuckled to himself. After thoroughly 'studying' the material, he carefully returned the book to Jiraiya's pack, ensuring no trace remained.
Only then did he slip back to his own futon.
Illusions required innate talent, which he seemed to lack. But ninjutsu had always been Liumu's Achilles' heel.
The 59-point talent value on his system's attribute panel made it clear: to learn ninjutsu, he'd have to exert several times, even ten times, the effort of an ordinary person.
Furthermore, the performance of ninjutsu depended on a shinobi's chakra nature. One could only practice ninjutsu corresponding to their inherent affinity.
Like Sasuke's Lightning, Naruto's Wind. Even Sakura, the 'useless' one, was initially endowed with talent for Genjutsu by Kishimoto (before he seemingly forgot and turned her into a pure brawler).
"Looks like I'll have to ask Master Jiraiya to check for me tomorrow."
...
Taotie's Gluttony had doubled the sheer volume of chakra within Liumu's body. Even if exhausted, it could be rapidly replenished in a short time, functioning like a BUG-level, infinite chakra battery.
When Jiraiya finally responded to Liumu's request and began checking his chakra nature, even the seasoned sage was startled by the sheer density of chakra he sensed within the boy.
"What's wrong?" Liumu asked, puzzled by Jiraiya's stunned expression.
"Ah… nothing!" Jiraiya took a deep, scrutinizing look at Liumu before regaining his composure. He plucked a leaf from the ground and placed it in Liumu's palm. "Try to focus your chakra into this leaf."
"Huh?"
Seeing Jiraiya's test method, Liumu was suddenly reminded of the scene where Yamato taught Naruto to shape his Wind Nature chakra for the Rasenshuriken.
It was just like this. If Liumu's chakra nature was Fire, the leaf would burn. Wind, and it would become brittle and tear. Lightning, and it would wrinkle and curl. Water would cause it to wilt and decay. Earth would make it harden or glow.
Different natures produced different effects. As Liumu concentrated his chakra, a faint, light blue flame flickered to life on the leaf in his palm.
The moment Liumu saw this flame, he recognized it instantly: it was the Three-Colored Divine Flame, the remnant power left within him by the Taotie's 'alchemical belly.'
"It seems your nature is Fire Release," Jiraiya stated with a light smile. "That's somewhat similar to me."
"Tsk."
Liumu grimaced. Before the test, he'd considered all possibilities. Fire Release was the result he'd least wanted to see.
Why? Because of the 'Smoke Effect' rule. If there was a huge explosion of smoke during a battle, it generally meant the opponent was perfectly fine.
From what he remembered, almost none of the Fire Release ninjutsu were particularly impressive or reliable. A wave of profound disappointment washed over Liumu.
(End of Chapter)
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