Chapter 36 — Teacher, I'm Counting on You to Be My Backing!
Although Aburame Ryōma insisted the Ishigoryu Mountain defensive line was on the verge of collapse—
that the Mist could break through at any moment—
he still granted Hyūga Ritsu a brief window to prepare.
He wasn't so brazen as to shove Ritsu out the door and send him straight into a meat grinder.
Ritsu returned to his quarters, where his teacher, Hiruko, was still waiting.
"Ritsu, how was it? What did Aburame Ryōma want?"
Hiruko immediately asked upon seeing him.
"Teacher, wait just a moment. I called two elders over as well. I'll tell you all together—
…ah, they're already here."
Before Ritsu even sat down, Hyūga Takashi and Hyūga Shinichirō arrived in a hurry.
"Clan Leader, what happened? Why did Ryōma look for you?"
Shinichirō—always the impatient one—blurted out before the door even closed.
"Teacher, Elder Takashi, Elder Shinichirō—please sit."
Ritsu took his seat, lifted his cup, and drank a mouthful of completely cold tea before continuing.
He glanced at the three of them, noticing how all six eyes were fixed sharply upon him.
He paused, then spoke:
"First matter:
All clan members who came to the front with us will be split and assigned into various teams to perform missions."
"That sounds… fairly normal,"
Takashi murmured after thinking it over for a couple of seconds.
"It is normal," Ritsu agreed. "Which is why I'm entrusting this arrangement to you two, Elders.
Make sure each of our clan members ends up in a reliable team.
Their goal is not just to complete missions—but to come back alive."
Shinichirō frowned.
"And what about you, Clan Leader? You're not participating in these arrangements?"
"The second matter," Ritsu said calmly, "is that I've been assigned a mission. I'm to leave immediately for Ishigoryu Mountain. The line is reportedly under fierce attack—several calls for reinforcements have already come."
That answered Shinichirō's question for him.
Takashi's face tightened.
"That sounds… extremely dangerous. Clan Leader, how many people are they giving you?"
"Just one."
"WHAT?"
Hiruko shot to his feet, nearly knocking over his chair.
"Only one? Aburame Ryōma is going too far! Does he think he alone commands this entire battlefield? I'm going to find Orochimaru right now—"
He turned to leave, anger boiling off him.
"Teacher," Ritsu said, "don't rush.
The person going with me… is Uchiha Shisui."
"...What?"
Hiruko froze mid-step, the outburst dying instantly in his throat.
Hiruko, who had already taken two steps toward the exit, froze mid-stride.
He slowly turned back, narrowing his eyes.
"The Uchiha Shisui you're talking about… you mean that Uchiha Shisui?"
"As far as I know, the Uchiha clan has only one Shisui."
"…Huh.
Then that makes things… a lot less problematic."
Hiruko walked back and sat down again.
Even Elders Takashi and Shinichirō nodded in agreement.
Shunshin no Shisui—Shisui of the Body Flicker—was a name so infamous that even Konoha shinobi who had never stepped foot on the eastern front knew it well.
He was hailed as the Uchiha clan's greatest prodigy, a shinobi whose speed bordered on teleportation, a nightmare whispered about among Mist-nin.
Together with Minato the Yellow Flash, he was regarded as one of Konoha's two shining stars.
As for Hyūga Ritsu, the "Number One Prodigy of the Branch Family"—
He was a prodigy too, yes…
But compared to Shisui, they weren't even in the same galaxy.
"I thought Aburame Ryōma was planning to set you up…"
Hiruko muttered, brows tightly locked. "Something still feels off. Is there some angle we're not seeing?"
Takashi and Shinichirō were frowning deeply, clearly thinking the same.
"Teacher, Elders—stop overthinking it," Ritsu said calmly. "With the information we have, we won't figure out what's hidden. I already have my own plans. Besides—if danger appears, I'll have Shisui take the lead."
He didn't even bother hiding that arrangement.
"Before I leave, there's something else I need to discuss."
"What is it?"
Takashi and Shinichirō immediately focused.
"I've already entrusted the matter of breaking the Caged Bird Curse Seal to Teacher. He has agreed to research a method that can be used widely across the clan."
The two elders' faces lit up instantly.
"So," Ritsu continued, his expression turning solemn,
"from here onward, Elders Takashi and Shinichirō—you must lead the clan in fully assisting my teacher.
As long as his requests don't harm the village or the clan's fundamental interests, and as long as they fall within our power—fulfill them at any cost.
If you have questions, now is the time to ask."
Ritsu glanced between them.
"If not, let me warn you now:
the way I broke the curse seal… was through a forbidden technique.
Don't be surprised when you see Teacher's research direction."
"Rest assured, Clan Leader," Shinichirō said eagerly. "If we can remove the Caged Bird, we'll pay any price. Even if Teacher needs… human materials… for experiments, that's—"
"Shinichirō! Watch your mouth!"
Takashi barked, horrified. "Some things you do without saying. Do you want people to grab us by the throat with your words?"
Shinichirō immediately bowed his head.
"Right, right—I won't say it again.
But whatever the Clan Leader's teacher needs, I swear I'll make it happen."
"Just call me Hiruko."
"Mr. Hiruko," Takashi said respectfully, "please take care of us from here on. You are the Clan Leader's teacher—whatever you require, simply speak."
Hiruko sighed and waved off the overly respectful tone.
He glanced at Ritsu, who was smiling brightly, and let out a helpless breath.
"Ritsu, this entire arrangement…
is basically coercion."
Ritsu grinned.
"Teacher, I'm counting on you to become my backing."
Hiruko stiffened.
Suddenly, old memories surfaced—
A tiny child, barely taller than a table, had once stood before him with sparkling, earnest eyes, begging:
"Please take me as your student!"
He refused at first.
But Ritsu pestered him endlessly for nearly three months.
Eventually, Hiruko relented.
And somehow… nearly ten years had passed in a blink.
Now, that little kid had grown into a full jōnin—
even the Hyūga clan leader—
while he, the teacher, was still just an ordinary jōnin.
Beyond gifting Ritsu the Chimera Technique, what else could he truly give him?
Hiruko exhaled the memory away.
He looked at Ritsu and said, "Hold out your arm. I need to draw some blood."
"Huh? Why?"
"For research. You're the prime example of someone who broke the Caged Bird. Your blood has enormous scientific value."
At that moment—
From outside came Hyūga Akiha's voice:
"Clan Leader! A ninja from the Uchiha clan is here!
He claims to be Uchiha Shisui, and says he's here to see you!"