"Kids, don't run off. I'm going to handle some business."
One morning, Hii Kōri walked out of the hut they'd all come to call 'home' as usual.
Before leaving, he held the doorframe and turned to his three disciples, still eating breakfast.
"Okaaay~"
Yahiko's voice drew as he ate fried eggs while carefully not getting oil on the notes in his hand, his gaze never leaving the pages.
That was a 'gift' he'd wheedled out of Hii Kōri after seeing Nagato wearing his glasses , Hii Kōri's Water Release technique notes.
Since they were loose records from Hii Kōri's own Water Release training, they often had erasures, the recording style was quite jumpy, and many things were omitted hard to understand without explanation.
Yahiko couldn't remember his expression when he first opened them. At least Hii Kōri had laughed quite happily back then, and Nagato and Konan had enjoyed themselves for quite a while.
But now, having some understanding of Teacher's recording habits, Yahiko could roughly comprehend the notes, though some of the ideas in them were still too unconstrained for him.
Nagato, wearing glasses, remained reserved as ever, merely silently nodding to Hii Kōri. In his eye sockets now, the gray-purple of the Rinnegan was invisible, replaced by gray similar to Hii Kōri's.
Though as transplanted dōjutsu, once activated they couldn't be deactivated, the disguised appearance was simple enough.
All manner of skills this is color contacts.
Though prolonged wear had side effects of eye discomfort, don't forget Hii Kōri was someone who could go without sleep in a place like Sunagakure, reading all day.
The world's best eye drop formula was in his hands, combined with Yang Release medical techniques working on a two-pronged approach.
Eye fatigue? Nonexistent.
Though only eight, Nagato had already mastered all five basic nature transformations and Yang Release essentials. While boosted by the Rinnegan, it still showed his talent was indeed considerable.
Especially Uzumaki sealing techniques, he used them quite smoothly.
In terms of strength, with regular escape alone he could easily handle the five great villages chūnin, and even ordinary jōnin could be matched. Using Rinnegan abilities, his upper limit was completely unknown.
Hii Kōri's advice on this was: don't use them unless necessary. Even having begun training Yang Release, a child's body still couldn't withstand the consumption from recklessly using Rinnegan dōjutsu.
After all, with his configuration, he could learn almost all of Hii Kōri's abilities except Yin Release and taijutsu.
Such a promising seedling Hii Kōri couldn't bear to see him waste away.
People often say they don't care, aren't concerned, but once actually becoming a teacher, who can really let go of their disciples?
As for Nagato, he naturally complied with Teacher's guidance without question.
"Teacher, this is for you."
Konan, having finished breakfast, took out a paper crane from her collar and stood on tiptoe, smiling as she handed it to Hii Kōri. "It's a good-luck charm."
Her Yang Release talent manifested in quite fantastic 'Paper Manipulation Technique' , an ability to control paper and temporarily transform parts of her body into paper.
Judging by chakra nature, this apparently wasn't an elemental kekkei genkai. Considering Konan's Yang Release talent, it could only be a physical-type bloodline.
Hii Kōri had searched through all the texts in his memory but couldn't find where this ability originated. Still, from practical observation, it was quite ninja-like.
Compared to Yahiko specializing in Water Release, and Nagato who could directly copy Hii Kōri's training methods, Konan's teaching was actually the most troublesome for Hii Kōri, and the one he paid most attention to.
Such interesting and potential ability it was hard not to be interested. Of course, this also made Konan, who easily gets close to others, more dependent on and trusting of Hii Kōri than Nagato and Yahiko.
Though Hii Kōri always vaguely said he was 'handling some business,' all three children knew he was going to attack Konoha ninjas.
After several months together, they knew he'd come alone to this area specifically searching for a Konoha ninja with a unique technique. If anything, it was their existence slowing his progress.
Aware of this, Nagato and the others felt some subtle guilt, but Hii Kōri didn't mind at all.
Ultimately, deciding to teach them ninjutsu was his own choice. Therefore, the risks and costs should rightfully be borne by him.
Business is business.
Ninjas are also merchants. If you can't keep such matters straight, you'll easily make losing deals.
As for Yahiko's initial offer to help find clues to his 'enemy' as payment for learning ninjutsu Hii Kōri had never taken it seriously.
Partly he didn't trust their abilities, partly he felt he hadn't fallen that low.
Children raised as ninjas in villages from the start were one thing, but using petty gains to drive war orphans to work for him, that would be too excessive.
Even in his previous life, when his stance could unconsciously become a curse user at any moment, the main component of his soul was still someone from civilized society.
After Geto Suguru became a curse user, he didn't make his two adopted daughters go out to work either.
"Is that so? Then I'll treasure it properly."
Gently ruffling the girl's hair, Hii Kōri tucked the paper crane into his loose sleeve, then stepped out the door.
"Well then..."
Taking a pitch-black mask from his sleeve with no detail whatsoever and putting it on, Hii Kōri's presence instantly became blurry, difficult to discern.
This was a cognitive blocking mask made from part of his 'shadow,' capable of blurring others' perception of Hii Kōri through chakra of the same origin but completely different operational logic and approach.
It could help him gain advantage in combat while hindering enemies from gathering intelligence about him quite useful equipment in every sense.
But his purpose in bringing it out now was singular: completing the necessary preconditions for the 'ritual.'
"The comrades on the front lines have been helping for so long I need to give them a return gift."
Even his voice became vague, grotesque like a voice that might echo in memories but could not identify whose 'acquaintance' it was. Grinning, Hii raised his hand and began forming seals slowly and deliberately, as if ensuring not a single error.
"Cursed Genjutsu: Demonic Descent."
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