---
"When I'm strong enough."
After speaking, Ye Dou lay back on the bed once more. His journey to Loulan wasn't urgent—there were preparations to be made.
[I haven't changed.]
The next day, after the fever had finally broken, Ye Dou returned to the Ninja Academy.
His injuries weren't severe. Thanks to the [Explosion of Potential], even his physical body had been enhanced by a factor of five. Were it not for the backlash caused by the technique, he wouldn't have weakened enough to fall ill. A few days of rest were all he needed to feel normal again.
Back in Class A, the noise remained as familiar as ever, with no sign that anyone had noticed the tense undercurrents in Konoha lately.
Ye Dou was just like the other children—at least, that's how it appeared. No one knew anything. Everything remained the same.
His young age was the perfect camouflage. Even someone as paranoid as Shimura Danzō would never suspect that the mysterious assassin who wiped out Root's elite had been a mere seven-year-old child.
"Ye Dou, good morning!"
As he arrived at his seat, Hyūga Hanabi greeted him with a bright smile.
She always seemed cheerful—at least around him. Her face was nearly always lit with a smile.
Ye Dou didn't respond. He simply pulled out his chair and sat down.
"Are you feeling better? You shouldn't push yourself too hard."
Hanabi, unfazed by his silence, adjusted her tone with gentle concern.
"Don't worry about class—I took notes for you. Here—these are yesterday's. It only covers the morning lessons, though..."
Ye Dou accepted the notebook without a word.
Some people say that a person's handwriting reflects their character. He wondered if that was just a saying. But upon opening the notes, Hanabi's writing surprised him—it was graceful, unassuming, and neat. Not sharp, but steady and dignified.
"Thank you."
He suddenly spoke, unsure if his gratitude was for her concern or for the notes.
The mongoose perched on his head cracked a wide, knowing grin but—surprisingly—didn't say a word. It simply watched the exchange in silence.
"N-No… you're welcome..."
Hanabi, startled by the rare reply, blushed and looked away. Her heart fluttered like a startled deer, suddenly unsure how to act, her demeanor shifting into something more Hinata-like. She quickly lowered her head.
After a moment, she peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. But Ye Dou simply flipped through the notes as if nothing had happened.
This deflated her mood a little. With a sigh, she rested her cheeks in her palms and turned her head away.
Ye Dou paid it no mind and quietly continued reading.
---
"Life at the Ninja Academy has settled down. The kids who once gave me trouble don't dare approach anymore after a few beatings."
There was no longer a need to focus energy on the Academy.
He planned to devote the coming time to serious growth. Theoretical lessons could be left to a shadow clone.
His clash with Susanoo had been an eye-opener. He had realized how much he still lacked.
Even with his body empowered fivefold, he had been unable to defeat the skeletal form of Susanoo, and had been on the verge of collapse.
And that wasn't even the Complete Susanoo. The fully manifested form had been shown to cleave mountains with a single swing and even drive the Five Kage into desperation.
"To stand a chance against a Complete Susanoo, I must master Busoshoku Haki—Armament Haki."
Armament Haki, a combat technique from the world of One Piece, allowed the user to harden their body like invisible armor. It could strike Logia-type Devil Fruit users by bypassing their elemental intangibility and greatly enhance both defense and offense.
Those who mastered it to the extreme became walking fortresses—resistant to blades, bullets, fire, and even explosions.
If he'd possessed Armament Haki during his battle with Uchiha Shisui, he might've been able to withstand Susanoo's strikes and use his Gravity Fruit to launch devastating counterattacks—even tearing Shisui apart midair.
"Also, I need to work on Kenbunshoku Haki—Observation Haki."
The illusion cast by the Root ANBU back then had been a basic genjutsu—nothing compared to the elite illusions of the Uchiha clan.
Even so, Naraku's senses were thrown into disarray, and he had almost been beheaded.
He didn't even want to imagine what would've happened if it had been Itachi Uchiha who had used genjutsu. Honestly, even a regular Uchiha with a fully awakened three-tomoe Sharingan could've likely destroyed him on the spot.
He couldn't afford to suffer that kind of vulnerability again.
Kenbunshoku Haki would allow him to fight even with his eyes closed—sensing intent, movement, and killing intent with precision.
But mastering Haki was far easier said than done.
He'd researched training methods for ages and still hadn't found a breakthrough.
Maybe it was due to lack of strength. Or maybe he needed more real combat experience.
Either way, after his clash with Root, developing both types of Haki had become his most urgent challenge.
---
"I can't neglect physical training either. My current Douriki—'Power Level'—has reached 600. In bursts, I can push it over 900. That's roughly the level of a Chūnin or even low-Jōnin."
"But since I'm struggling to master Rokushiki techniques like Geppō and Rankyaku, that must mean my physical conditioning still needs work."
He clenched his fists, eyes resolute. He couldn't waste more time in the Academy.
"By the way, Ye Dou—there's a practical combat lesson today. Are you sure you're okay? Want me to ask Iruka-sensei to let you rest?"
Hanabi, still flustered but concerned, turned back toward him.
Today's lesson wasn't just target practice—it was paired combat training.
"I know what I'm doing. Don't meddle."
Ye Dou closed his notebook and replied flatly.
But in his heart, he had already made plans to use a shadow clone to handle Academy classes for the rest of the semester.
"It's not that I've changed. It's just that the conflict between the Uchiha and Konoha is reaching a tipping point. If anyone discovers I'm using clones, it'll only create complications."
That was the justification he gave himself—and with that, he felt at ease.
[Practical Combat Drill]