Ebizō had originally planned to continue testing Shiraishi, but he had never expected the boy to push himself so far just to gain power—injecting Scorch Powder into his own arm and nearly destroying it in the process.
Sunagakure's medical ninjutsu system was far inferior to Konoha's. Even after emergency treatment, the reattached arm could not possibly achieve the same precision in hand seals and chakra linkage as it would under the care of a top-tier medical ninja like Tsunade. Because of this, Ebizō was deeply concerned about Shiraishi's condition.
To prevent him from resorting to such unrealistic and reckless methods again, Ebizō was forced to seriously consider how to help Shiraishi develop a second chakra nature more safely.
"I'll teach you a technique first," Ebizō said. "Let's see if you can master it."
Before leaving, he handed Shiraishi a D-rank Wind Release technique—Wind Dance.
It was an on-the-spot test of Shiraishi's comprehension and control.
Wind Dance consumed very little chakra, but it placed extremely high demands on chakra control. Its main purpose was to enhance control over airflow, allowing it to synergize with other Wind Release techniques during combat. Both Beast Wave Palm and Whirlwind Blade could be strengthened by it.
After memorizing the hand seals and key points, Shiraishi quickly organized the information in his mind. Without hesitation, his hands blurred through the seals.
"Wind Release: Wind Dance!"
A surge of wind spiraled outward. Standing at the center of it, Shiraishi keenly sensed the shifting airflow. His silver blade flashed, seamlessly weaving Wind Dance into a flowing offensive rhythm. His teal robe fluttered wildly, giving him an effortless, unrestrained air.
His chakra control was solid—exactly what one would expect from someone who had already mastered tree climbing and water walking.
"As for developing other chakra attributes," Ebizō said sternly, "I'll find a way to handle that. Until then, you are forbidden from using such dangerous methods again."
He was genuinely afraid that Shiraishi might do something even more extreme if left unchecked.
"I trust you, Master," Shiraishi replied simply.
Watching him leave, Chiyo chuckled softly. "That child isn't simple at all. So many ideas—he's like a crafty little fox."
Though Shiraishi tried hard to conceal his intentions, how could Ebizō and Chiyo—two seasoned veterans—fail to see through him? After the initial shock, they understood his small schemes clearly.
Rather than being displeased, they found him clever.
"We can understand his desire to become stronger," Ebizō said quietly. "In a place like Sunagakure, if you don't show your value, you'll eventually become nothing more than someone else's stepping stone. People are far more dangerous than they appear."
Looking back now, Ebizō fully understood Shiraishi's calculations and methods. But at their age, nearing the end of their lives, the two elders felt more pity than anything else toward this boy—someone desperate enough to risk everything just to climb higher.
Ten years ago, they would never have tolerated such a calculating child. They would have simply driven him away.
Now, they thought differently.
They wondered why he was so determined to walk this path—and the more they thought about it, the more it hurt their hearts. As long as Shiraishi did not betray Sunagakure or cross his moral bottom line, they were more than willing to give him a helping hand.
"If we're going to do that kind of special training," Chiyo said slowly, "we'll have to leave the village."
She glanced at Ebizō with concern. "Can your body handle it?"
"Don't worry," Ebizō replied casually. "Within the Land of Wind, aside from your precious grandson, there's no one who poses a real threat."
At the mention of Sasori of the Red Sand, Chiyo's expression darkened instantly.
"Tell me," she said coldly, "what really happened to the Third Kazekage?"
"…Probably Danzō," Ebizō answered without hesitation.
Seeing her brother stubbornly insist on blaming Danzō, Chiyo was left both exasperated and helpless. She kicked him lightly from behind.
"You old fox…"
—
After leaving Ebizō's residence, Shiraishi did not head home. Instead, he went straight to the Arakawa clan estate.
As one of Sunagakure's prominent great clans, the Arakawa family also resided in the Oasis Ring District. Their compound was imposing, with several clan shinobi patrolling the gates.
Shiraishi's attire today was casual. While Ebizō had never cared about such things, the Arakawa guards were clearly displeased by his appearance.
A commoner was still a commoner—no sense of etiquette at all.
He didn't even have a surname. How was he supposed to submit a formal visiting plaque?
In this world, ordinary civilians had no surnames. To obtain one, they needed to be granted a name by the daimyō of the Land of Wind. Powerful bloodline clans, on the other hand, had possessed family crests and surnames since ancient times.
Arakawa Maru wanted to bring Shiraishi through the front gate, but clan rules were clan rules. Commoners could only enter through the side entrance and were restricted to a narrow area.
Unable to defy his family, Arakawa awkwardly led Shiraishi in through the side gate.
Inside the side reception area, several clan servants were resting. Arakawa and Shiraishi found a secluded corner to sit.
"…I'm sorry," Arakawa said quietly. "My father refused to issue the library access pass. He believes that technique is only worth a D-rank Fire Release."
In Arakawa's father's eyes, the Fire Release: Spark Shiraishi he had given earlier was nowhere near C-rank value. The trade was rejected outright, and Arakawa was ordered to copy the technique for clan records before returning the original scroll to Shiraishi.
To avoid angering him, Arakawa secretly took compensation equivalent to a B-rank mission reward and gave it to Shiraishi as restitution for the failed deal.
"It is C-rank," Shiraishi said patiently. "It has future development potential. And in fact, it's a technique I created myself—"
But Arakawa had already stopped listening. He didn't understand those concepts, and to him, it sounded like Shiraishi simply didn't want to let go of the deal.
"You're really shameless," a cold voice interjected. "Calling something you copied a self-created technique and inflating a D-rank into a C-rank—impressive. In truth, this jutsu is nothing more than an imitation of the Uchiha clan's Fire Release."
Shiraishi turned.
Yamaji Ryōko stood there.
Arakawa scratched his head awkwardly. "She's… my cousin."
Everything clicked.
If she weren't from a great clan, how could she have apprenticed under Sasori of the Red Sand? And how could she have remained untouched after Sasori defected? Combined with her previous attempt to corner him, it was obvious—this jōnin's emotional intelligence was severely lacking.
Once he understood her background, Shiraishi lost all interest. The failure of the jutsu trade was clearly influenced by her as well.
"In that case, I'll take my leave."
He accepted the compensation from Arakawa, glanced at Yamaji Ryōko, and left through the side gate without another word.
"So that's it?" she sneered. "Giving up already, genius? I might be willing to buy your technique."
"No need," Shiraishi replied coldly, without turning back. "With your level, you can only make it worth D-rank."
His figure disappeared from their sight.
Yamaji Ryōko's expression darkened. She was just about to step forward when a figure appeared silently behind her.
Arakawa's father.
"He's already Ebizō's disciple," the clan head said calmly. "Don't provoke him. Rejecting the trade was enough."
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