Chapter 36: Honoring the Fallen, Looking Toward the Future

The sky was a deep clear blue, and white clouds drifted lazily overhead.

A cool breeze rustled through the trees, their shadows swaying gently on the ground.

In an abandoned training field, where weeds had long since overtaken the space, a small figure stood motionless for what seemed like an eternity.

Hui stood there, head slightly tilted upward, his gaze distant.

It was as if he could see familiar figures in the empty space before him.

A large, sturdy man with a broad chest, and a carefree figure with black hair, casually wielding a sword.

"Captain Bear, Wind... I did it. I delivered the message, and I got Lightning out of danger," Hui spoke softly to the air, his voice tinged with a sense of loss.

His mind flooded with memories—flashes of their first meeting in Squad Four, Wind busily setting traps during his final stand, Captain Bear's resolute figure walking away to lure the enemy.

Everything felt like a fleeting dream, yet he knew it had all truly happened.

Bear and Wind, the two brothers and mentors who had always taken care of him, were gone. He would never see them again.

This wasn't a dream or a scene from a movie; they weren't actors playing a part. They had been real, and now… they were dead.

That thought shattered the last remnants of distance he had felt from this world. Hui, once a soul from another world, now felt the weight of reality pressing down on him.

From this moment, Hui was no longer someone who had reincarnated into the world of "Naruto." He was Mochizuki Hui.

"Light..."

Lightning's voice called out softly as he approached Hui from behind, his eyes heavy with understanding as he saw the boy standing there, silent and sorrowful.

"Captain Bear and Wind… they'd be proud of you for everything you've done. I'm sure of it."

Lightning looked up at the sky as well, as if he too could see Bear and Wind's silhouettes above.

"This is the life of a ninja… we never know when we'll die on a mission," Lightning said, a melancholic tone in his voice.

Even though he had long accepted the reality of being a ninja, it didn't make it any easier when comrades died—especially not when they were people who had fought and bled beside him.

But Lightning couldn't afford to let himself or Hui sink into despair, so he spoke again, his voice steadying with resolve.

"Every ninja knows that death is part of the path. But dying doesn't mean it was all for nothing. Our deaths have meaning when they leave something behind for the living to carry forward."

Lightning turned to Hui, his eyes sharp and serious.

"You, Light, are what Bear and Wind left behind. You carry their legacy. And if Bear could say one last thing, I bet it'd be that he wanted you to become Hokage one day."

"Light, you have to keep moving forward. Take what they left behind and become the light that illuminates Konoha's future."

Lightning's words hung in the air like a solemn vow.

Hui stood in silence, his face unreadable. After several long moments, he raised his head, looking Lightning in the eye with fierce determination.

"I won't let their sacrifice be in vain. And I… I won't let this happen again."

Beneath the warm sunlight, Hui's face was etched with conviction.

The war continued. On the battlefield between Konoha and the Mist Village, things had begun to turn in Konoha's favor.

The failed ambush had been a significant blow to the Mist Village. Not only had Konoha annihilated an elite force of hundreds, but the psychological toll on the Mist's forces was immense. Their morale had plummeted.

The Mist's field commander was furious, seething with hatred for Konoha's infamous Anbu, the mysterious force that had disrupted their plans.

Yet, despite the pivotal role played by the First Division's Squad Four, not a single word was spoken about them.

No honors, no recognition. Captain Bear and Wind… their names, like all Anbu, would fade into the shadows.

This was the life of an Anbu—those who walked in darkness. While alive, they had no name. When they accomplished great things, there was no glory. And when they died, no one remembered.

For now, Hui remained in Konoha, ordered to rest and recover, awaiting new squad members to join his team.

But the order did not specify when those new members would arrive.

For the moment, Hui had nothing but time. And so, he began to reflect, organizing his thoughts, considering his next steps.

After the recent events, Hui realized that his combat options were too limited.

He primarily relied on shurikenjutsu, swordsmanship, and taijutsu for close combat and single-target attacks. His ultimate technique, the Silver Moon, a strike infused with light energy, was his trump card—unpredictable and deadly.

However, Silver Moon had a fatal flaw: it required time to charge.

Moreover, without being able to extract chakra like other ninjas, Hui's arsenal lacked the versatility and unpredictability that most shinobi possessed.

He had no large-scale attacks, no way to handle multiple enemies at once.

It frustrated him.

Technically, Hui could extract chakra from his body. But every time he did, it was immediately absorbed and transformed into Primordial Qi, leaving him without usable chakra.

This transformation process was slow, and Hui had no idea when it would be complete. Only after his chakra had fully converted into Primordial Qi would he be able to turn that energy back into chakra and use it.

And once that happened, Hui knew his strength would skyrocket.

After all, with Tobirama as his mentor, he had access to countless powerful ninjutsu. Once he could harness chakra, those techniques would be at his fingertips, filling the gaps in his fighting style.

And the best part? Chakra sensors wouldn't be able to detect him.

Since his energy wasn't stored in his body like normal chakra, it wouldn't leave a trace. He could produce it on demand, use it, and then disappear from detection again.

But until then… he was limited.

With a sigh, Hui reminded himself that he was still young, and his potential remained untapped.

His power was immense, but it required time to manifest.

If he had ten more years, he wouldn't need to worry about these things. Time would turn his potential into unstoppable strength.

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