Chapter 88 (Patreon)

Heavy rain poured from the night sky, shattering the silence of the forest.

Inside a nearby cave, Mihawk and the other six shinobi sheltered from the downpour.

Shikamaru stood near the entrance, staring through the thick curtain of rain with a helpless expression.

“What terrible luck. With rain this heavy, any scents left outside will probably be washed away.”

Kakashi turned toward Mihawk.

“Mihawk, why did you ask Shino to send his insects after those bats?”

“They weren’t ordinary bats,” Mihawk explained calmly. “My senses picked up something unusual about them. They were most likely specially trained summons being used to scout the area.”

Realization flickered across Kakashi’s visible eye.

“I see.”

“My kikaichū have already attached themselves to them,” Shino added. “If those bats belong to the enemy, they’ll lead us directly to whoever sent them.”

Kakashi’s eye curved slightly.

“Well done, Shino.”

“Kakashi-sensei, Shikamaru, Mihawk… You should all get some rest.”

Ino and Hinata approached them from deeper inside the cave.

Behind the two girls, three tents had already been erected.

“This rain may continue for quite a while,” Ino added.

Mihawk glanced at the tents before shaking his head.

“You should sleep. I’m going outside.”

He reached into the pack Hinata had carried and removed a storage scroll.

Poof!

A small cloud of white smoke appeared as Mihawk unsealed the red umbrella stored inside.

Seeing that he truly intended to leave, Kakashi frowned.

“Where are you planning to go at this hour?”

“My perception works differently from ordinary sensory ninjutsu. I’m going to scout the surrounding area,” Mihawk replied evenly. “There’s no need to worry about my safety. I memorized Orochimaru’s presence years ago. If he hasn’t left this forest, I’ll be able to sense him even from several kilometres away.”

He paused briefly before adding with complete confidence,

“Besides, Orochimaru isn’t capable of defeating me.”

Mihawk’s tone held no arrogance. He was merely stating a fact.

Seeing that his mind was already made up, Kakashi could only nod.

“Be careful. Even if you don’t encounter any enemies, don’t stay out longer than necessary.”

Mihawk inclined his head and began walking toward the mouth of the cave.

Before he could step into the rain, however, a slender hand grasped his palm.

“Mihawk-kun.”

Hinata looked at him with a serious expression.

“I want to come with you.”

Mihawk’s expression softened.

“All right.”

He closed his fingers around her hand, and the two of them walked side by side into the curtain of rain.

Watching them disappear into the darkness, Ino sighed with unmistakable envy.

“I really envy them. They found each other when they were children, and they’ve stayed together ever since.”

Standing nearby, Choji casually placed another chip into his mouth.

“Mihawk has never smiled much, even when we were children. It feels like Hinata is the only person who can make him smile so naturally.”

“Haah…”

Shikamaru yawned as he started toward one of the tents.

“With that troublesome personality of his, Hinata and her little sister Hanabi are probably the only ones capable of keeping him grounded.”

He paused for a moment.

“It’s fortunate that someone cares about him that much—and that the person is Hinata.”

Kakashi’s visible eye narrowed slightly before he nodded in agreement.

“Yeah… It really is.”

Certain personality traits were difficult to conceal.

Although Kakashi had not spent much time around Mihawk, he had already noticed the problem during the Chūnin Exams several years earlier.

Calling it a flaw might have been too harsh.

Mihawk was simply an extremely self-centred person. He felt little attachment toward the village itself and possessed none of the devotion normally associated with the Will of Fire.

Someone like that, without any meaningful bonds tying him down, could easily abandon the village without hesitation.

Shikamaru had recognized it.

Kakashi, whose intelligence was surpassed by few people besides Shikamaru himself, had naturally noticed it as well.

That was why he agreed with Shikamaru’s words.

Fortunately, Mihawk was not alone.

He had Hinata.

Unaware of the conversation taking place behind them, Mihawk and Hinata continued deeper into the forest.

The rain hammered against the red umbrella as they walked.

Mihawk held it above them with one hand while his other arm rested around Hinata’s waist, keeping her close beneath its cover.

“Hinata,” he asked with a faint smile, “how has your training been progressing lately?”

“Huh?”

Hinata blinked in surprise.

“Mihawk-kun, how did you know I’d been training differently?”

A moment later, realization appeared on her face.

“Hanabi told you, didn’t she?”

Her final words carried complete certainty.

Mihawk lowered his gaze toward her clear white eyes.

“Then why don’t you show me how much you’ve improved?”

Hinata immediately understood what he meant.

A knowing smile appeared on her face, and for once, her voice carried a trace of playful pride.

“You’ll definitely be surprised, Mihawk-kun.”

Only a few days earlier, her father had told her something she had never expected to hear.

She had already surpassed him.

For a brief moment, Mihawk thought he saw a hint of Hanabi’s confidence in her older sister.

Hinata had changed greatly.

She was still gentle and reserved, but she no longer doubted her own strength as she once had.

Mihawk concealed his amusement and raised an eyebrow.

“Oh? And what exactly is supposed to surprise me?”

Hinata covered her smile with one hand, her eyebrows curving into gentle crescents.

“You’ll find out when the time comes.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Mihawk glanced up at the storm raging above the forest, and a faintly mischievous smile touched his lips.

“Or perhaps we should stop the rain now, find an opponent, and let me see your progress immediately.”

“…”

Hinata tilted her head, momentarily confused.

Mihawk handed her the umbrella.

Then his right hand settled upon the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Hinata’s eyes widened as she immediately understood his intention.

“Mihawk-kun, are you going to cut through the storm?”

She had witnessed the heights Mihawk’s swordsmanship had reached.

She knew perfectly well that his blade could split the clouds and alter the weather itself.

However, the last time she had seen him perform such an overwhelming feat, he had still been far weaker than he was now.

Noticing the concern in her eyes, Mihawk spoke gently.

“Don’t worry, Hinata.”

His sharp red eyes remained unchanged, calm and unwavering beneath the darkness of the storm.

Clearing away clouds of this level no longer demanded any meaningful effort from him.

The Mihawk standing beside her now was incomparably stronger than the swordsman she remembered.

A cool wind swept through the forest as his thumb lightly pushed the blade from its sheath.

The corners of his mouth lifted into a confident smile.

“I’m no longer the man I was back then.”