First Meeting

"But we've already beaten Zabuza once. If we train hard over the next few days, we should be able to make a lot of progress before we face him again. But there's one thing that's giving me a headache right now..." Nanfeng paused, then continued.

"You're worried about that mysterious ninja's abilities? If he's from Kirigakure, he should just be an ordinary Chunin or Jonin, right?" Kakashi frowned.

A few years ago, the massacre of Kekkei Genkai users that had shocked the shinobi world had taken place in Kirigakure.

It was said that after that incident, not a single Kekkei Genkai wielder remained in Kirigakure. Even the once-famous Hozuki and Kaguya Clans had been completely wiped out in the fighting.

"You're thinking about what happened all those years ago? But there are always survivors, and the shinobi world is huge. Who knows what kind of people might still show up..." Nanfeng sighed as green light rose from his hand.

After several days of treatment, Kakashi's wounds had nearly healed. As for his depleted chakra, he didn't want to use Soldier Pills to replenish it just yet.

Medicine could make a ninja's body dependent on it, and the effects of Soldier Pills were especially potent—and dangerous!

Using them for too long could make the body lose its ability to restore chakra naturally. For a ninja, being unable to mold chakra was practically a death sentence!

Even a Taijutsu specialist like Rock Lee, who couldn't use Ninjutsu, needed a great deal of chakra to support him when he performed Taijutsu.

"Let's put all that aside for now. Given my condition, I should still be able to guide your training, right?" Kakashi asked with a frown.

He knew his students worked hard. He'd seen them training back in the village, and they had a solid grasp of the basics. Still, as their teacher, he had a few standard tests to give them.

Naruto and Sasuke came when Nanfeng called them over, appearing in front of Kakashi. Neither said anything, but the concern in their eyes revealed how much they cared about their teammate.

Kakashi looked at the two of them with some satisfaction, especially Sasuke. Caring about his teammates was a huge step forward!

"Come on, Kakashi-sensei, we've got the basics down solid. What else do you need to test us on?" Naruto grumbled when he heard Kakashi's plans.

He wasn't joking. After training with Nanfeng for the past few years, they'd built an incredibly solid foundation. Some powerful ninjas didn't have as thorough a grasp of the basics as they did.

"First, we'll test your chakra natures. If your chakra nature doesn't match the Ninjutsu you use, the amount of chakra you expend will increase several times over. Of course, if you have a huge chakra reserve, then forget I said that." Kakashi pulled three pieces of paper from his pocket and placed them in front of them.

"Chakra paper? I tested my chakra natures a long time ago. Lightning Release and Fire Release. As for Naruto and Nanfeng, I don't think either of them has been tested..." Sasuke thought back over the time they'd spent together and realized, to his surprise, that he didn't even know his teammates' chakra natures!

"Just test them and you'll know. Put some chakra into the paper, and the way it reacts will tell you your chakra natures," Kakashi said quickly.

Nanfeng was curious about his own chakra natures, too. He seemed able to use every kind of Ninjutsu, and he'd never had any trouble with chakra nature transformations consuming too much chakra. Still, he was eager to find out which natures he actually had.

"Naruto's chakra natures are Wind Release and Water Release, while Nanfeng's are Earth Release and Water Release. You're both capable of using two natures, which is great. I'll let you in on a secret: the First Hokage's chakra natures were also Earth Release and Water Release, just like yours, Nanfeng," Kakashi said with a pleased smile.

"I'm so excited I could die. He was the First Hokage, and you're comparing me to a legendary figure like him. You think way too highly of me!" Nanfeng rolled his eyes and said crossly.

But a thought suddenly occurred to Nanfeng. If I heal Tsunade's injuries later and somehow get my hands on Senju blood, maybe I could combine Earth Release and Water Release to create the most powerful Kekkei Genkai in the shinobi world—Wood Release!

At the thought, Nanfeng's heart began to race. He only hoped the story would move along faster, so he could find the legendary Slug Princess sooner!

"Your expression's gotten pretty strange. Don't tell me you're already imagining your wonderful future after I said all that?" Kakashi's words doused Nanfeng's fantasies with cold water, bringing him back to reality. "You've got a good foundation. Now I want to check how well you control your chakra. Tree Climbing and Water Walking."

"But we've already mastered those. After the graduation exam, I realized my chakra control wasn't good enough, so I asked Big Brother Nanfeng about it. He showed us how to train, and now we can do both really easily!" Naruto answered.

As if worried Kakashi wouldn't believe them, Naruto and Sasuke demonstrated by climbing trees and walking on water as if gravity didn't apply to them. Only then did Kakashi relax.

But then he got a headache. For the first time, he felt how difficult it could be to have students who were so easy to teach. It was like he was just there for show!

"I can't teach Naruto anything for now, but I can teach you some basic Wind Release Ninjutsu. Sasuke, come with me. My chakra nature is Lightning Release, too, so I can teach you a few things—things that'll help speed up your body's reactions..." Kakashi said.

"You've probably noticed that the Sharingan can perceive movements your body can't keep up with. Lightning Release chakra can help make up for that weakness. If you want to get stronger, you'll have to work hard!"

Nanfeng was a Medical Ninja, and Kakashi had even less to teach him. After casually telling him to train on his own, he took Sasuke toward the nearby woods.

"Keep working on the Ninjutsu in the Scroll of Seals. You still haven't mastered the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!" After saying that, Nanfeng got up as well. He was heading to the same woods Naruto had visited earlier.

It was quiet there, and no one would disturb him. It was also a good place to practice the Rasengan.

Yuki Haku, I'm really interested in your Ice Release Kekkei Genkai. When we meet again, don't disappoint me! With that thought, Nanfeng walked alone into the woods. As he left, a few figures seemed to linger behind him.