Kakashi's Challenge

Just as Feng Ye was about to continue training, he suddenly sensed something. He looked up toward the top of the outer wall on one side of the small courtyard and said:

"Looks like you've developed a habit of not using the front gate."

A familiar figure appeared atop the wall, with the same silver-white hair and a mask covering his face. It was none other than Hatake Kakashi.

"No, I just happened to be coming back from that direction."

Kakashi leaped down from the wall and landed in the courtyard.

Standing together at close range, the differences between Kakashi and Feng Ye were still quite noticeable. First, Kakashi's hair was a little longer. Second, he wore a mask. Third, he was clearly a bit smaller and shorter than Feng Ye.

Kakashi said to Feng Ye, "Just as you predicted, the friction between the villages has intensified. Lately, all the missions have involved intercepting each other and gathering intelligence..."

"I see."

Feng Ye was not surprised in the slightest.

After all, ever since he had transmigrated into this world, apart from changing a small number of things at the Ninja Academy, he had not affected the course of the world at all. With the larger trend unfolding as it was, next year would inevitably be the year the Third Great Ninja War broke out.

"You still don't plan to graduate? There's nothing left for you to learn by staying at the academy."

Kakashi looked at Feng Ye.

Others might not know, but he knew exactly how strong his older brother was. At least so far, he had never won a single duel against Feng Ye!

He had already been promoted to Chunin last year. After becoming a Chunin, he had challenged Feng Ye again, yet he still could not beat him. Feng Ye's speed was practically abnormal!

And besides.

Feng Ye was not only powerful; his mind was strong as well. Though he was only a year older, many of his judgments about the situation were nearly on the level of an adult's.

Feng Ye looked at Kakashi and smiled. "It's true that there's nothing left to learn from the teachers, but staying at the academy gives me more time to train on my own... By the way, have you come across the techniques I mentioned recently?"

Since Kakashi was already a Chunin, he had access to far more ninjutsu than Feng Ye did. Feng Ye had learned many techniques from Kakashi. He had also asked Kakashi to pay special attention to two techniques: the Flying Thunder God and the Eight Inner Gates.

There was no need to say much about the Eight Inner Gates. It was a technique he had to obtain no matter what. As for the Flying Thunder God, he could try to train in it. If he mastered it, he would gain an incredible life-saving technique. If he failed, it did not matter much. To someone who could manipulate time, Space Ninjutsu was not all that important.

"Those techniques are all in the Scroll of Seals. How could they be that easy to access..."

Kakashi rolled his eyes.

Although he was already a Chunin and could access many techniques such as the Shadow Clone, techniques like the Flying Thunder God and the Eight Inner Gates, which fell under the category of Forbidden Jutsu, were still not so easy to obtain.

"There'll always be an opportunity."

Feng Ye did not mind. Once Kakashi became a Jonin, it would not be difficult to get access to them. Then again, Kakashi would become a Jonin at Twelve Years Old. Perhaps Feng Ye would become one even sooner.

After all, he would be forcibly graduated next year no matter what. After that would come the Shinobi World war. There would be no possibility of hiding his abilities in a war. Faced with countless dangers, he would have to go all out.

Kakashi shook his head. "...I really don't know how you can stand it."

After their father had been unable to bear the villagers' criticism and committed suicide, Kakashi had been deeply affected. He did not want to be watched with those strange looks, so he displayed his extraordinary talent. He graduated at five and became a Chunin at six. Sure enough, no one looked at him strangely after that.

But Feng Ye had followed the ordinary course at the Ninja Academy, forming a stark contrast with Kakashi, who had become a Chunin at six. During that period, discussions about them could be heard almost everywhere in the village.

Kakashi knew very well that Feng Ye was stronger than him.

Yet Feng Ye was completely unmoved. He ignored all the criticism and continued attending school as usual, calmly and normally. He had never mentioned graduating early.

Feng Ye sighed. "You still don't understand."

Hatake Sakumo, Konoha's White Fang, who had made a name for himself across the Shinobi World and achieved tremendous military merits during the Second Shinobi World War—had he really been driven to suicide by the villagers over just one failed mission?

Bullshit!

Perhaps Feng Ye in his previous life would not have dared to be certain, but Feng Ye, who had come to this world and experienced the incident firsthand, knew very clearly that Konoha's higher-ups must have been involved.

At the very least, Hiruzen Sarutobi, the Third Hokage, had never stepped forward over the matter from beginning to end. Otherwise, suppressing an incident involving a failed mission would have taken only a few words, especially when the mission had failed because Sakumo had saved his comrades.

Though Feng Ye could not determine the exact circumstances, he could roughly infer that Danzo had definitely interfered, because Hatake Sakumo had threatened Danzo's position.

With his immense strength and military achievements, as long as nothing unexpected happened, Hatake Sakumo could have succeeded to the position of Fourth Hokage. That might have been Danzo's reason for making his move.

Since Hatake Sakumo's death could not be separated from Danzo, then Feng Ye and Kakashi were likewise under the scrutiny of the higher-ups. It was fine for Kakashi alone to display exceptional talent. Even if Danzo wanted to recruit Kakashi into Root for training, Hiruzen Sarutobi would not agree.

But if Feng Ye also displayed astonishing talent, things would be different.

Based on what Feng Ye knew of Danzo's personality, that bastard would surely come up with ten thousand reasons to persuade Hiruzen Sarutobi to make one of them join Root.

Naturally, Feng Ye could not possibly join Root. Kakashi was his younger brother, after all, and Feng Ye could not let Kakashi enter Root and undergo Danzo's brainwashing either.

"Understand what?"

Kakashi looked at Feng Ye in confusion.

Feng Ye shook his head. He did not intend to explain these matters to Kakashi. Kakashi was still too young, and his personality was too impulsive. It was better not to let him know about Konoha's darkness.

"But it's about time..."

A thoughtful look appeared on Feng Ye's face.

The tense situation before the outbreak of the Third Great Ninja War had already begun. Under these circumstances, it did not matter even if he revealed his strength. Danzo would not be so idle at a time like this that he would still be thinking about expanding Root. He would definitely be focusing his attention on the other villages.

The Third Great Ninja War was both a crisis and an opportunity.

Kakashi would become a Jonin during the war, and Feng Ye would as well. Once they both became Jonin and gained sufficient status, they could escape Danzo's shadow. Even after the war ended, Danzo would have no reason to casually transfer official Jonin of the village. Hiruzen Sarutobi would not tolerate it.

And if he thought further ahead, it was not impossible for him to train and improve during the Third Great Ninja War, surpass Jonin, and attain strength comparable to a Kage. After all, he possessed the Phantom Clock and the power to manipulate time!

"Speaking of which, I wonder how your training has been going lately, Brother..."

After glancing at the wooden posts set up in the courtyard, Kakashi suddenly turned toward Feng Ye. A faint glimmer flashed in his eyes.

Though he had never beaten Feng Ye so far, he had never given up on the idea of defeating him. Especially recently, after going through battle after battle, he felt that his strength had improved considerably. If Feng Ye had slacked off in his training, perhaps Feng Ye might not be able to beat him this time!

After all, Kakashi had never been lazy since becoming a ninja. He had always trained diligently, and he had gone through countless real battles and bloody fights. His strength had been steadily improving!

Feng Ye raised an eyebrow.

Before Kakashi had even finished speaking, Feng Ye already understood what he meant.

"Hmm. I was just thinking of seeing how much you've improved lately."