"Kakashi, I'm here."
"Huh? Wait!"
From behind the high wall, Kakashi's panicked voice rang out.
But before he could hide anything, Kyohiko's head popped over the wall.
Below, Kakashi's face was bruised, with patches of green and purple. Beside him, his shadow clone froze for a moment before dispelling itself.
Kakashi had gone all out from the start.
Kyohiko was speechless.
He coughed lightly and said, "Sorry, bad timing."
"You... never mind, come in."
Kakashi's face turned red.
But.
The embarrassment was already out there. It didn't matter if Kyohiko saw a bit more.
Besides.
He still had his mask.
Kakashi put on his mask, returning to his usual demeanor, and no one could tell what was going on underneath.
Kyohiko jumped down from the wall.
"Having a mask is so convenient. Once it's on, no one can see your injuries or expressions. I kind of want one too."
"..."
Kakashi was silent for a moment, then turned away. "Suit yourself."
He walked inside.
How boring!
Kyohiko followed.
Soon, they arrived at a small dojo.
The Hatake household wasn't small.
Aside from the living quarters and courtyard, there was also a dedicated space for sword training.
Kakashi brought out several swords, ranging from short to long, with a stack of others nearby.
"We'll start with these. They're practice swords, not sharpened."
He tossed one over.
"Let's try some basic moves first."
"Alright."
Kyohiko took the sword and began practicing.
Slash, chop, slice...
Kakashi watched for a while, his eyes widening in surprise beneath his mask.
He observed for a bit longer, then couldn't help but wonder—
Was this really Kyohiko's first time using a sword?
But.
Wouldn't asking make him seem inexperienced?
Kakashi continued to watch.
After a while, Kyohiko stopped and turned to him.
"Any issues with my form?"
"Hmm..."
Kakashi pondered, hoping to find something to nitpick.
But.
In the end, he answered honestly, "Just swinging the sword isn't enough. You need real combat to truly understand."
Kyohiko's sword techniques were already quite standard, almost perfectly mastering the basics. Practicing forms at this stage wouldn't help much.
What he needed now was actual combat.
Combat focused on sword techniques!
Kyohiko nodded.
When he swung the sword, it felt natural, as if he didn't need much practice.
This was probably the effect of mastering the basics of the White Fang's sword techniques.
"Alright, I'm used to using kunai. Switching to a sword feels awkward. Go easy on me."
"Of course!"
Kakashi gave him a cold look.
In a regular fight, he wasn't sure he could beat Kyohiko, but when it came to pure sword techniques, he didn't think Kyohiko stood a chance.
"Then..."
"Begin!"
As soon as they spoke, their swords were drawn.
Clang clang clang!
Their blades clashed repeatedly.
In just a few exchanges, they had already struck multiple times.
So fast!
Kakashi was shocked.
He could see...
Kyohiko's sword techniques were indeed basic, just standard movements, far from refined. But his speed and reactions were incredibly quick.
Such sharp reflexes!
Was this trained?
Kakashi sped up, almost reaching his limit, before noticing Kyohiko's sword starting to falter.
It wasn't that his reactions were slow, but his technique and strength couldn't keep up.
This was a sign of lacking skill.
After one round.
Kakashi felt refreshed.
So satisfying!
"Again."
He was enjoying himself, his confidence soaring.
Kyohiko's eyes gleamed.
"Alright."
Their swords clashed again.
In an instant.
Boom!
Chakra surged, and a burst of air erupted.
Using his enhanced strength, Kyohiko knocked Kakashi's sword aside and swung his blade toward Kakashi's neck.
Kakashi quickly dodged.
"You cheated!"
"Are you a samurai?"
Kyohiko sheathed his sword.
He spoke confidently, "I'm learning the sword to refine my skills. Once I'm proficient, I might not even use it anymore, so I don't need to strictly adhere to sword techniques."
Kakashi was speechless.
This guy was clearly twisting logic, but he had a way of making it sound convincing, almost as if he could sway people with his ideas.
He put away his sword.
"If you need, you can come practice with me anytime."
"I'll borrow this sword for now."
"Beginner level."
At this stage, it was only natural that Kyohiko couldn't match Kakashi in pure sword techniques.
Kyohiko wasn't bothered.
He took the sword and headed home.
Kakashi didn't stop him.
Everyone needed to train and improve their strength.
Facing Hoshigaki Kisame...
Although Kyohiko hadn't shown it much, the battle had left a deep impression on him.
In that fight, he had used all his tactics and strength to their fullest, yet he had only managed to injure his opponent, not kill him.
Of course.
The one most affected was probably Hoshigaki Kisame.
As a Kirigakure jonin, being ambushed by a Konoha genin and having his knee shattered was an unbearable humiliation.
...
For several days, Kyohiko didn't leave his house except to eat and run, focusing entirely on training his sword techniques, reflexes, and instincts.
Then, about ten days later.
While Kyohiko was training, he suddenly heard the system's notification.
[Through your leadership, Konoha has allied with the Land of Lightning and the Land of Hot Water to implement a strategy in the Land of Waves, effectively limiting the Land of Water's maritime expansion.]
[Reward: Upgrade any skill by 1 level.]
So fast?
He was surprised.
Based on Ryoho Kyohiko's estimation, given Sarutobi Hiruzen and his advisors' usual efficiency, it would take at least a month or two to push through such a plan.
Unexpectedly.
In just over ten days, not only had the plan been approved, but it had also been executed.
Was Sarutobi Hiruzen really this efficient?
No way!
"It seems Teacher Jiraiya really stepped up this time."
Kyohiko felt a sense of pride—
Jiraiya hadn't fallen into the trap of believing that "love" alone could bring peace.
After a moment of reflection, he turned his attention to the reward.
Any skill!
This meant he could choose, right?
Who would have thought?
This reward...
Kyohiko's eyes lit up.
Then, he fell into a long period of indecision.
It was a great reward.
But which skill should he upgrade?
Kyohiko scanned through his skills, finally narrowing it down to two.
Master-level Body Flicker Technique.
Proficient-level Strength of a Hundred Technique.
His gaze shifted between the two.
The possibilities for a Grandmaster Body Flicker Technique were vast.
On one hand, he could achieve something like Shisui's mastery, where the Body Flicker Technique reached its peak and even integrated with other abilities.
On the other hand, he could develop faster movement techniques, possibly even gaining control over his speed.
This could be a significant qualitative leap.
But he wasn't Shisui, nor was he Namikaze Minato.
He didn't have the Sharingan or extraordinary talent.
If he upgraded the Body Flicker Technique, he might end up in a situation similar to Kakashi's without the Sharingan—struggling to keep up.
The Strength of a Hundred Technique offered stable and controllable improvements, but the benefits were predictable.
After some hesitation, he made his decision—
Body Flicker Technique!
Although the upgrade's outcome was uncertain, the potential rewards were too great to pass up!