After leaving the room, Kazuyama headed north toward the coastline. He didn't need to search for Terumi's whereabouts—he had already contacted Ichikishimahime the moment they arrived.
At the time, Terumi was training in ninjutsu by the sea, with Ichikishimahime supervising nearby.
According to Ichikishimahime, the two had reached a truce. She helped Terumi refine her training, while Terumi dutifully attended to the Snake Princess of Ryūchi Cave.
"Sensei, where are we going?"
"Stop asking. Keep walking. You'll meet your sparring partner soon."
Kazuyama glanced at Kakashi, whose face was dusted with snowflakes, and couldn't help but chuckle.
Kakashi was always the cool, stoic kid, but looking ? Tch—he should really snap a picture and save it for blackmail later.
Before long, they reached the shoreline.
Terumi was in the middle of training under Ichikishimahime's watch.
"Lower your stance. How are you going to withstand the impact of the waves like that?" ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽
"Pull your chakra in. Don't waste it. How much chakra do you think you've got to spare?"
"In real combat, every ounce of wasted chakra could cost you your life."
Ichikishimahime sat gracefully on a rock, surrounded by a protective barrier formed by her Senjutsu chakra, keeping the snowflakes at bay.
Terumi stood knee-deep in the sea, letting the waves crash into her body. This was the regimen Ichikishimahime had arranged.
The force of the waves was a powerful way to temper the body, and she instructed Terumi to coat her body in chakra to resist the impact. It might've looked unconventional, but it was surprisingly effective.
One glance at Terumi's drenched, battered form—and her intense focus—told you how seriously she was taking it.
"Yo, hard at work, huh?"
"Ichikishimahime, I'm back. And I brought you a new trainee."
Kazuyama's arrival didn't surprise Ichikishimahime. Thanks to the Coiling Serpent Technique linking them, she'd sensed him long before he arrived.
Kakashi trailed behind his teacher, eyes glued to Terumi in the distance.
No—more accurately, his attention was locked on the training she was undergoing.
Wave impact training? It looked brutal—but effective. Definitely something that could help toughen up his body.
Lately, Kakashi had thrown himself into physical conditioning without pause.
Kazuyama had told him early on—physical strength was the foundation. Without a solid body, he'd never be able to master the wide range of ninjutsu he aspired to use.
And his family's sword style demanded just as much physical endurance.
The training in front of him? It sparked something. He was definitely interested.