After Feng Huo got home, he fell asleep but stayed alert through the night, standing guard despite exhaustion.
When he woke up, it was already afternoon. He got up from the fire, washed his face, and suddenly felt a bit bored.
Anbu life was nothing like he had imagined. He thought he would be constantly receiving missions — assassinating traitors, intercepting intelligence, even going undercover in enemy lands, prepared to sacrifice his appearance for deep cover. Instead, he was basically a security guard.
A security guard!
God, talk about irony!
Wait… thunder?
Feng Huo's eyes widened. His chakra nature was both Fire and Lightning — Lightning!
Chidori?!
Now that the Hiraishin (Flying Thunder God) technique had been mastered, learning Chidori again shouldn't be impossible. Moreover, Chidori was Kakashi's signature move — there would be no psychological barrier about "stealing" it.
The problem was, Chidori wasn't just a simple fireball or straightforward jutsu. It required precise molding and nature transformation of chakra. Feng Huo was a complete novice in that area. Without a teacher, Chidori would be impossible to master on his own.
The first person who came to mind was Namikaze Minato.
Despite his modesty about names, Minato was known for his brilliance, calm demeanor, and, most importantly, his reliability.
"I wonder if he's still in the village…" Feng Huo thought.
The last time he had dinner with Minato and Kushina, Minato had casually mentioned where he lived. Feng Huo had noted it down and, after asking around for directions, found the place quickly.
He knocked on the door for a long time, but no one answered. Minato must be out on a mission.
"Who else can I ask?"
Might Guy? No, impossible.
Orochimaru or Tsunade? Forget it — those two were even more difficult to approach.
Actually, if Feng Huo hadn't joined the Anbu, the Third Hokage would have assigned him a jōnin tutor. But now that he was in Anbu, it wasn't appropriate for him to have a personal guide.
"Kakashi has his father to look out for him. Uchiha Sasuke has his father too. Where am I supposed to find someone?"
As Feng Huo walked down the street, a sudden chill ran down his spine — as if a giant beast was watching him, ready to pounce with even the slightest movement.
He turned stiffly and saw a humanoid figure with fiery red hair standing in front of a small shop — Jūki, his cold eyes piercing through him.
"Hehe, what a coincidence, Feng Huo."
Feng Huo wanted to greet her, but his hands were frozen with cold.
"Hmph, really? I saw you shopping and you look so boring," Jūki said, hands on hips, clearly displeased.
"I should be the one spoiling the fun, right?"
"You sounded weird just now."
"No, absolutely not! I was just joking!" Feng Huo hurriedly changed the subject. "By the way, Jūki… I mean, sister!"
"Call me sister!" Jūki snapped, glaring at him. "Kids these days have no manners at all!"
"…I'll take that."
Feng Huo smiled awkwardly. "Sister Jūki, does Minato Namikaze live around here?"
"What?" Jūki looked puzzled.
"You know, your boyfriend." Feng Huo tried to explain delicately.
"Boyfriend? What? I don't have a boyfriend! You're lying — I'll beat you up!" Jūki blushed, her red hair whipping around like fiery tentacles, eyes blazing fiercely.
Feng Huo was speechless, so he quickly asked, "Well, is Minato in the village right now?"
"He's out on a mission. Hasn't come back yet. What do you want with him?" Jūki's temper cooled slightly.
Feng Huo sighed. "I want to ask him something about chakra nature transformation."
"Maybe I can help," Kushina said, stepping forward with a confident smile. Her personality was strong, and she always felt she could rival Minato in many ways.
Feng Huo hesitated but then asked eagerly, "Sister Jūki, do you understand how to change chakra shape and nature?"
"That's basic stuff," Jūki replied, rolling her eyes. "You're joking, right? Didn't you learn that in the Academy?"
"I fell asleep in class."
"Can I hit you?"
"Bastard! Go to hell!"
Boom!
A blast of chakra erupted like fireworks, briefly lighting up Muye Village. After venting her frustration by punching him, Kushina's mood improved, and she patiently began teaching Feng Huo about molding and transforming chakra nature.
"Thank you so much…" Feng Huo rubbed his bruised nose and swollen cheek but felt he had gained invaluable knowledge. He decided not to argue with this fiery woman for the sake of Minato — after all, he graduated from the second Academy class!
Back in his small courtyard, Feng Huo sealed the fire and began practicing. Gathering chakra in his hands, he carefully attempted to change its nature and form following Kushina's instructions.
As night fell and the chill of autumn wind crept in, Feng Huo, immersed in training, was jolted awake.
"Oh no, I have to go to work!"
He couldn't just skip his Anbu duties. It was late, but he hurriedly prepared to leave. As he reached the door, his eyes lit up with an idea.
At the Academy, he used shadow clones to attend class and train his body. Now he could go to work while his shadow clone stayed behind to practice chakra molding!
Feng Huo quickly sealed and summoned a shadow clone, then the main body rushed toward the Anbu base.
At home, the shadow clone began practicing the complex chakra transformations.
"Sorry I'm late."
At Anbu headquarters, Feng Huo changed into his uniform and donned his black eagle mask with a white background, only to find three others already there.
"Come sooner next time," Dalin said lightly.
Grass Pheasant and Zhuye merely shrugged indifferently. The Anbu were all carefully selected by the Third Hokage, known for their discipline and skill — with the notable exception of Uchiha Sasuke.
The four silently took up their post outside the Hokage's office, relieving the previous shift.
Feng Huo stood concealed in the shadows of a tree, restraining his chakra signature carefully.
In fact, this was a form of training too. Every ninja has a unique aura — Orochimaru's cold, Tsunade's brash. On special missions, these auras stand out like moons in the dark, visible even to the blind. A skilled Anbu must master suppressing their presence.
Soon, Sarutobi Hiruzen called Feng Huo by name.
Feng Huo's spirits sank. Wouldn't he rather not come back tonight?
Hiruzen grasped Feng Huo's hand and reminisced on the turbulent years past, silently passing on the Will of Fire. Fortunately, Feng Huo wore a mask — otherwise Hiruzen might have seen his grimace and been tempted to clean house with his golden staff.
Around midnight, Feng Huo's shadow clone finally dissipated, chakra exhausted. The memories and fatigue flooded into Feng Huo's main body all at once, nearly causing him to tumble off the roof.
"Hiss!"
He hadn't learned much in school, so receiving the clone's memories was always exhausting. But compared to the grueling training from Might Guy, he was getting used to the pain quickly.
"This isn't bad. Progress is progress." Feng Huo smiled as he reviewed the memories, feeling satisfied.
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