Akio froze for a moment before realizing what Hiruzen was getting at, the man had gotten a taste of success and now wanted him to pull the same trick on Sunagakure.
But that brought up an important question.
"Where's my money?" Akio asked flatly. The stuff he'd sold to Hiruzen earlier still hadn't been paid for.
Hiruzen's face turned bitter. "Elder Akio, there's been… a small complication."
What followed was a long-winded story that started with "battlefield losses," somehow veered into "fewer mission completions," and ended with "taking care of our retired shinobi." In short, Konoha's finances were tight. Could they maybe pay him a little later?
Akio's eyes narrowed. "Konoha's broke? I don't buy that. You just bought a pile of explosive tags from Uzushio not too long ago."
Hiruzen sighed. "That was one of the last things we could afford."
Akio gave a small nod. "So? What's the situation on the battlefield? Did Sunagakure pull back yet?"
Hiruzen shook his head. "They were retreating, but once Iwagakure joined in, they stopped. Now the situation's turned against us."
Akio frowned. He only half-believed Hiruzen's words. With Konoha's current forces, facing two villages at once shouldn't be too much of a problem, they still had plenty of reserves. After all, Obito and the younger generation hadn't even been sent to the frontlines like in the original timeline.
"Another trip to the battlefield, huh?" Akio sighed. He'd barely had three peaceful days.
"Oh, right," he added, raising his head. "I forgot to ask, why did Sunagakure attack Konoha in the first place? Did their Third Kazekage go missing?"
"You knew about that?" Hiruzen blinked. "Yes, and not only that their genius, Sasori of the Red Sand, disappeared too. They claim Konoha is behind it, but that's just an excuse!" He looked thoroughly exasperated.
"Sasori… disappeared?" Akio murmured. He remembered from the original timeline that Sasori had defected after being discovered experimenting on human puppets.
He went quiet for a while, deep in thought.
"The Third Kazekage vanishing means Sasori did go through with his human puppet research… maybe he just hid it well this time and didn't get caught. Chiyo must be going insane right now, no body, no proof, nothing…"
"Elder Akio." Seeing him fall silent, Hiruzen quickly continued, "If you're unwilling to go to the front again, could you at least help me persuade the Hyūga clan? You've tutored Hiashi before. If they agree to fight, Konoha could handle both Iwa and Suna at once."
Akio nodded. "Whether I go or not, I'll visit the Hyūga first."
As troublesome as the Space Ninjutsu had been for him, it was still an incredible gift. Without the Hyūga clan's Gentle Fist, he probably wouldn't have obtained it for another decade.
After all, it had cost him 2000 Witness Points to raise his five elemental natures to level nine, and then another 500 each for Yang and Yin Release before unlocking Space Ninjutsu. The Hyūga's Gentle Fist had fast-forwarded that by ten years, definitely a debt he owed.
And maybe, just maybe, there was still more to learn from Hiashi.
The Hyūga compound was vast, nearly the same size as the Senju's, but when Akio arrived, there wasn't a single guard posted at the gate which caught him off guard.
Then he noticed how passing villagers were whispering and pointing.
Most of the clans had already sent their people to the frontlines, but the Hyūga had stayed behind entirely. And during wartime, refusing to fight for Konoha was bound to draw criticism. No wonder they didn't even dare post guards the clan wasn't shameless enough for that.
"Anyone home? If not, I'm coming in!" Akio called casually before stepping inside.
"Are you… the owner of that Kiboku-dō shop, the one named Hagoromo?" Two Hyūga men approached him cautiously.
Akio froze. A quick glance downward reminded him that he hadn't dispelled his Transformation Technique.
"Ah, right. Your clan leader ordered a batch of Six-Flavor Rejuvenation Pills earlier. I'm here to deliver them," he said, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
The two men stiffened immediately. Of course they knew what those pills were for. If the clan leader found out people were gossiping about that, he'd probably have them executed on the spot.
Clearly nervous, they exchanged glances.
"So," Akio said lightly, "will you lead me to him, or should I drop it off myself?"
The two men shared another look. "If you're delivering something to the clan head, we'll take you to him. We won't… ask questions."
Akio almost burst out laughing. "Looks like the Hyūga have a few clever ones after all."
Following them, he was soon led to Hiashi's quarters.
"Clan Head, the Kiboku-dō shop owner, Hagoromo, is here to see you," one of them reported.
Hiashi, who had only recently taken over as clan leader, looked up from his work in surprise. He remembered buying a carving from the man once, but they hadn't had any dealings since then. Why would he show up now?
"I see. Let him in," Hiashi said, then frowned slightly. "What's with you two? You look… odd."
The pair shook their heads quickly. "Nothing at all, sir."
Once outside, they gestured to Akio. "Shopkeeper Hagoromo, the clan head will see you now."
"Quite the formal reception," Akio muttered, rolling his eyes as he stepped inside. For a "civilian," even being allowed to meet the Hyūga clan head was already a privilege.
When he entered the hall and saw no one else around, Akio smiled. "Hiashi, it's me."
Hiashi froze, then quickly stood up. "Teacher?"
Akio nodded. "Don't tell anyone about this identity. Just you well, if Hizashi finds out, that's fine too."
"I never expected the Kiboku-dō shop owner to be you," Hiashi admitted. "No wonder your carving skills were that refined." Then his expression turned a bit awkward. "That daughter of yours…"
Akio's face darkened. Every single time his cover got blown, someone brought that up. It was starting to sting.
"Adopted," he said curtly. Whether Hiashi believed it or not, he didn't care.
Thankfully, Hiashi's personality was as serious as ever, he didn't pry further.
"You're not here to speak for the Third Hokage, are you? He went too far this time. I understand the village's situation, but the supplies Kirigakure promised to return never arrived and my father's eyes…"
Akio waved his hand, cutting him off.
"Do I look like someone who'd run errands for Hiruzen?" he said, his tone dripping with disdain.
"I came here because I need something from you. Don't resist just come with me."
In the next instant, Hiashi found himself standing in a strange, ethereal space.
"This is?!" Hiashi's eyes widened. The massive Eight Trigrams pattern beneath his feet was all too familiar.
"This," Akio said calmly, "is a space born from mastering your Hyūga Gentle Fist to its absolute peak. You're my first guest here." He glanced at the sleeping fat cat nearby and added, "Ignore that thing."
Hiashi was stunned for a long moment before turning to him. "So the ancestor's legend was true. When the Gentle Fist reaches the level of the Two Hundred and Fifty-Six Palms, it can strike with power strong enough to rend space itself."
"Two hundred and fifty-six… heh, looks like I just found another clue," Akio murmured, eyes gleaming with excitement.
---
[Every 50 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
For early access to advanced chapters visit my P@treon:
P@treon/ Dexy3
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!