The Name of a Genius

In the end, Kakashi accepted the shoes from Gu Qi.

The shoes Gu Qi had made were sized for himself, so there was no way Kakashi could wear them.

But this was the world of Naruto, where there was a jutsu called the Transformation Technique.

Kakashi shot Gu Qi a look, formed Hand Seals, and transformed into his likeness.

As Gu Qi, Kakashi took off his original shoes and put on the slime shoes.

"They're so soft. It feels like I'm walking on cotton," Kakashi said.

"Forget how they feel. Try them out," Gu Qi urged.

Kakashi nodded and jumped without using any chakra.

It should have been an easy little hop, but to his astonishment, he soared more than three meters into the air.

Ordinary ninja could easily jump up into a tree, but they did it with the help of chakra.

Very few people could manage this using only their physical strength, aside from ninja with exceptional Taijutsu skills.

But Kakashi hadn't used any chakra this time, and he'd done it without even exerting much effort. His interest in the shoes shot up.

So this time, Kakashi leaped with all his might and flew straight into the air.

When he landed, he was surprised again to find that the shoes had absorbed most of the force of his fall.

"Now try using chakra!" Gu Qi kindly reminded him.

Kakashi didn't say anything. He simply generated chakra beneath his feet and dashed forward.

Once again, he was stunned!

Using the same amount of chakra to dash, he traveled much farther in these shoes than he had in ordinary ones.

"All right! I have to admit, you've surprised me again." Kakashi returned to his original appearance and handed the shoes to Gu Qi.

"Of course I have." Gu Qi basked in Kakashi's praise.

Kakashi asked, "I'm curious. What exactly are these shoes made of?"

"Have you heard of amoebas? Judging by your expression, I guess not. An amoeba is a single-celled organism with a remarkable ability to change shape.

"These shoes of mine are made by fusing a large number of amoebas together.

"But amoebas are too soft, so I added a metal support frame inside." Gu Qi was spinning another tall tale.

"...What you're saying sounds pretty convincing, but why do I feel like you're lying to me?" Kakashi said, looking doubtful.

"Really? Why would I lie to you?" Gu Qi looked utterly innocent.

"Whatever! Make me a pair like these." Kakashi didn't press him and simply asked Gu Qi for a pair.

Gu Qi made an OK sign. "No problem. I'll have them for you in ten days."

"It'll take that long?"

Gu Qi rolled his eyes at Kakashi. "You need to understand, these are living organisms. They need time to grow."

"Fine, ten days it is." Kakashi shrugged.

"By the way, what did you come here for?" Gu Qi asked, suddenly remembering.

Kakashi shrugged. "I heard you'd been cooped up at home for days, so I came to see what you were up to. So, are you sure you haven't been dumped?"

"Get lost~"

"By the way, if you wanted to mass-produce these shoes, who do you think would be a good partner?" Gu Qi asked.

Kakashi thought it over. "For something this specialized, aside from Konoha Hospital and a few special departments, the only ones in Konoha who could handle it are probably the Aburame Clan."

"The Aburame Clan?" Gu Qi immediately pictured a group of people in sunglasses, hiding beneath the hoods of their trench coats.

Kakashi nodded. "They're Konoha's famous insect users. Since they need to cultivate special insects, they have plenty of specialized facilities."

Besides breeding their Kikaichū themselves, the Aburame Clan also used specialized equipment to propagate them.

Out in the wild, they could use secret techniques to cultivate special Kikaichū. But at their base, there was no need for that.

After all, this was the world of Naruto, a bizarre world where biotechnology was nearly at its peak.

"Now that you mention it, they're definitely the right people to go to," Gu Qi said, rubbing his chin.

"So you're planning to work with the Aburame Clan?" Kakashi asked.

"Of course. If I don't turn this stuff into money, how am I supposed to research anything else?" Gu Qi said matter-of-factly.

Kakashi sighed. "Don't you think you've been drawing a little too much attention lately? Ration Pills, ***, tracking agents—any one of those inventions could set an ordinary person up for life.

"And you've come up with one after another.

"You have to understand, you're only five."

"I'm a genius!" Gu Qi said, unconcerned.

"I know you're a genius, but that's exactly why you need to be careful. You have to understand that the other villages won't want to see Konoha produce another Konoha's White Fang."

At the mention of Konoha's White Fang, Kakashi's eyes dimmed slightly.

"I know, I know. I'll keep a low profile for a while," Gu Qi said, patting Kakashi on the shoulder.

"It's up to you. Whatever happens, just remember that I'm here for you," Kakashi said, his tone calm and breezy.

"Ugh, don't get all sentimental. I nearly teared up," Gu Qi joked.

"You little brat!"

After chatting for a while, the two went their separate ways.

After saying goodbye, Gu Qi went straight home to start growing a pair of shoes in Kakashi's size.

After growing the new shoes, Gu Qi decided to begin researching new biological equipment.

This experiment had convinced him that slime was an excellent biological carrier.

This time, he decided to see whether he could use slime as a carrier and imbue it with traits from other organisms.

For example, he could use a spider's ability to spin silk and its barbs to make a pair of slime gloves.

Then Gu Qi could swing from building to building like Spider-Man, saving chakra.

Or he could combine it with a vampire's ability to suck blood and make a slime vest that could drain blood.

If an enemy got close, it could absorb their blood to restore his injuries and strength.

There were also protective suits that could disperse energy, like an egg, and so on.

Now he just needed to see whether slime would reject the DNA of other organisms. If it didn't, he could put his ideas into practice.

As for Kakashi's warning, Gu Qi thought it over for a long time. In the end, he decided that since he'd already made a name for himself as a genius, he might as well keep it up.

At least with the village keeping an eye on him, he wouldn't have to worry about his safety.

Kakashi was there to back him up, but he couldn't protect Gu Qi every moment of the day.

Only with the village backing him could he be sure of getting enough protection until he was strong enough to fend for himself.

"It's about time I upgraded my disguise gear. At the very least, I need to have an explanation ready for everyone outside," Gu Qi murmured to himself.