Chapter 33: Half a Month of Reading, a Slight Understanding

"We have arrived at the Fire Temple."

Kakashi said this lightly, shifting the subject. He had no intention of engaging in a verbal contest with Chiba to prove who was superior. That would be too childish. If he were the type of person to get caught up in such things, he would have been assimilated by Might Guy’s antics long ago after being pestered by him for so many years.

Chiba looked up. In the distance, at the temple entrance, two colossal stone statues were integrated into the gate, appearing grand, imposing, and magnificent.

"Is this the Fire Temple? It’s incredible!" Tenten’s eyes widened. The main gate alone felt so overwhelming that she unconsciously felt a sense of solemnity. Tsukikage Kazesa clutched her sword, staring blankly at the entrance.

Chiba was different from them. While the two girls looked like tourists experiencing a grand sight for the first time, he was secretly observing the stone statues and the gate.

The Iron Wall Seal.

The sealing barrier was not fully activated at the moment, so it did not block their entry, but from the traces on the statues and the gate, one could still discern the patterns of the barrier and the sealing formulas.

"It’s definitely a different approach from the sealing arts of Konoha," Chiba thought to himself.

However, all methods share the same underlying principles. At its core, it was still a sealing technique. If one wanted to break it, it was not strictly necessary to destroy the statues as Kakuzu had done; one only needed to disrupt a few of the key formulas.

"What are you looking at?" Tenten moved closer. "They’ve already gone inside."

"Nothing much, just feeling that these two statues are quite extraordinary," Chiba replied.

"Guest, these are very important idols of our temple."

"My apologies, Master. I have no intention of touching them; I was simply observing from the side," Chiba apologized with a bow before following them inside.

The interior of the temple did not differ much from what he remembered from the anime. The architecture was rigid and formal, carrying an air of solemnity. Monks stood guard in the surrounding area, and a woman dressed in gorgeous attire walked with graceful, lotus-like steps toward the main hall. A figure could vaguely be seen inside the hall.

*Is that Chiriku?* It had to be him. Chiba looked at the man’s features, which vaguely matched the appearance he remembered from the anime. Then, he caught a glimpse of Sadataki Sakuraba’s face. Her makeup was heavy, yet even with such an alluring, vibrant look, it could not hide her naturally refined features and beautiful face. She was clearly a beauty.

Tenten and Tsukikage Kazesa waited at the entrance and did not go in. Kakashi, having put away his book and feeling bored in the temple, noticed Chiba looking around and quietly walked over.

"What are you looking at?"

"The formulas. The Fire Temple’s sealing arts. Well, how should I put it..." Chiba found it hard to describe.

Kakashi looked around and whispered, "What’s wrong? It’s a pretty good technique. Judging by your expression, you seem to think it’s not very good?"

"The formulas are too obvious, and the weak points are on the outside of the barrier. The statues themselves have no special protection; they could be destroyed quite easily. It feels full of loopholes," Chiba muttered.

Kakashi was silent for a moment. A barrier like the one at the Fire Temple was considered quite sophisticated; he himself wouldn't have been able to spot the traces of the formulas without looking closely. Yet, according to Chiba, it was riddled with holes.

*Is it possible that their technique isn't trash, but your level is just too high?* Of course, he wouldn't say something so self-deprecating out loud. He merely patted Chiba on the shoulder and made a gesture for him to be quiet. Chiba nodded slightly.

After a long while, a figure emerged.

"I didn't expect a C-rank escort mission to be carried out by the legendary Copy Ninja himself."

A burly monk walked out, a silk scarf with the character for "Fire" wrapped around his waist. Chiba immediately recognized him: Chiriku of the Twelve Guardian Ninja!

"Just a team leader duty. It’s not bad to get a C-rank mission," Kakashi said, his mask crinkling as if he were smiling.

"Wonderful! How is Asuma doing?"

"He's doing well, just a bit busy. He's had a lot of missions lately and hasn't had much rest," Kakashi replied with a smile.

Chiriku exchanged a few pleasantries with him before casting his gaze toward Chiba. After looking him up and down, he asked with curiosity, "I wonder which clan’s genius is lucky enough to be your student, Kakashi?"

"Greetings, Master Chiriku. I am Chiba Yagyu," Chiba said with a slight bow.

"Chiba Yagyu..." Chiriku thought for a moment. He couldn't recall any major "Yagyu" clan in Konoha. There was a samurai family by that name in the Land of Iron, but that shouldn't have anything to do with Chiba. *So, he’s a commoner?* Chiriku thought. *For a commoner to have Kakashi as a teacher, he must be a genius among geniuses.*

"Please, come inside, everyone. Once I finish speaking with Miss Sakuraba, I will come to host you properly," Chiriku said, pressing his palms together. He then ordered someone to lead Chiba and the others to the side hall to rest before returning to the main hall.

Chiba sensed the situation. Sadataki Sakuraba was likely offering incense, so Chiriku didn't need to be there for a short while, allowing him to take a break to host them. After all, Kakashi was a well-known Jonin in the ninja world.

They sat in the side hall for a while until some monks brought them vegetarian meals. Kakashi didn't stand on ceremony at all, and Chiba and the others began to eat. It was free, so it would be a waste not to.

After they finished, Chiriku returned from outside the hall. "Was the meal to your liking?"

"It was delicious, thank you, Master," Kakashi replied with a nod.

Chiriku smiled and sat down to one side, saying, "I heard from inside that this young donor mentioned there were issues with our temple’s sealing barrier. Could you elaborate on that?"

"It’s not a huge problem, really. It’s just that the weak points of your barrier are on the outside. If someone doesn't know, it’s fine, but if they do, they could destroy the entire barrier just by destroying the statues," Chiba explained.

He knew that Kakuzu and Hidan had destroyed the statues directly, which then shattered the Iron Wall Seal. He continued, "If someone understands sealing and barrier techniques, it’s even simpler. They would only need to destroy the internal formulas hidden within, without needing to destroy the entire statue."

"This..." Chiriku fell into deep thought. He had considered this issue before, but the Fire Temple was powerful, and he was confident in his ability to kill any enemies who arrived, so he hadn't taken it to heart.

Soon, another question occurred to him. "Are you well-versed in sealing and barrier arts?" Chiriku asked, somewhat startled.

"I’ve been reading books for half a month, so I know a little bit."

"..."

Chiriku wasn't sure what to make of this, so he glanced at Kakashi and the two girls. The two girls didn't seem surprised at all. Either this young man truly possessed such ability, or they knew he was lying. But... was there any need to? Konoha and the Fire Temple were not enemies; there was no reason for the boy to lie to him.

Yet, both of these required an extremely high level of knowledge. Even ordinary Jonin were rarely proficient in them. Although he knew a little, he couldn't have identified the location of the formulas just by looking at the traces on the outside.

There was only one explanation: the boy really did understand sealing arts, and it certainly wasn't just "a little bit." His level of mastery was likely far above his own.