Yamanaka Tohru had taken leave from Konoha Hospital, and he was waiting at the hospital entrance early the next morning for Uzuki Yugao to arrive.
Yesterday, he and Uzuki Yugao had only agreed to meet the next day; they had not specified that it would be in the morning.
Yamanaka Tohru waited bitterly at the entrance of Konoha Hospital for two hours before Uzuki Yugao finally came running over, panting, with a short sword in her arms.
When he saw Uzuki Yugao, Yamanaka Tohru immediately used the Body Flicker Technique to appear beside Yugao.
"Senior Tohru, have you... been waiting long?" The little girl had obviously run all the way there. She stopped and panted heavily.
"No, I just came out of the hospital too," Yamanaka Tohru said.
"Yugao, let's go to the Third Training Ground. The teacher who'll be instructing you in swordsmanship is there."
"Okay!" The moment swordsmanship was mentioned, the little girl's eyes lit up.
At the Third Training Ground, Kakashi, whom Yamanaka Tohru had summoned early for training, was hacking at a section of logs while muttering to himself. If anyone approached Kakashi, they could hear him saying, "Damn Yamanaka Tohru, telling me to learn from Obito and then showing up late!"
Yamanaka Tohru arrived late with Uzuki Yugao and ignored Kakashi's resentful gaze as he introduced him to Uzuki Yugao.
"Yugao, this is Hatake Kakashi, my friend. He's the heir to the Hatake Clan's swordsmanship. Would you be okay with him teaching you?"
"What? Yamanaka Tohru, you called me here so early just to have me teach a little girl swordsmanship?"
Kakashi had thought Yamanaka Tohru needed him for something important, so he had arrived at the Third Training Ground early. Instead, Yamanaka Tohru had left him waiting for two hours. Now that he learned he had been summoned to teach a little girl swordsmanship, Kakashi exploded.
The little girl beside them became excited when she heard that Kakashi was an heir of the Hatake Clan. But when she heard that Kakashi was unwilling to teach her, her expression instantly dimmed.
Children always wore their happiness and anger plainly on their faces. Seeing Uzuki Yugao's dejected expression, Yamanaka Tohru decided to make Kakashi understand the situation.
"Kakashi, I'll give you one more chance. Are you teaching her or not?"
"No!"
The instant Kakashi finished speaking, Yamanaka Tohru's Lightning Release Chakra Mode erupted. He activated Lightning Body Flicker and appeared directly behind Kakashi.
Over the past two years, Yamanaka Tohru had improved, and a genius like Kakashi had naturally continued learning as well.
Yamanaka Tohru had only managed to master his Lightning Release Chakra Mode and Lightning Body Flicker with Hatake Sakumo's help, and Hatake Sakumo naturally held nothing back when teaching Kakashi.
Moreover, the Hatake Clan's swordsmanship was inherently similar to Nintaijutsu. Since Kakashi also used Lightning Release Chakra, he had learned to stimulate his cells' activity with it.
The instant Yamanaka Tohru used Lightning Body Flicker, Kakashi had already seen through his intention. He left a clone behind in advance and likewise used Lightning Body Flicker to evade.
Yamanaka Tohru had not activated his Sharingan, so he failed to notice Kakashi's trick and dispersed Kakashi's clone with one strike.
Yamanaka Tohru had not expected Kakashi to deceive him and use the Clone Technique in an instant. Since Yamanaka Tohru's strike had missed, Kakashi naturally would not let the opportunity pass.
Kakashi drew his short sword and poured Lightning Release Chakra into it. It was clearly a Chidori Blade.
"Not bad, Kakashi. You can already use Chidori Blade."
"I don't have your Sharingan. My dynamic vision can't keep up with Chidori's thrust, so I could only find another way through the derivative ninjutsu you mentioned. Besides, this technique is no longer simply Chidori Blade."
"What do you mean?" Kakashi's words drew Yamanaka Tohru's attention to the short sword in his hand. It truly felt different from an ordinary Chidori Blade.
Kakashi did not explain further. The short sword, radiating blue-white light, slashed directly toward Yamanaka Tohru. Yamanaka Tohru also wanted to see how much Kakashi had improved over the past two years, so he did not dodge and fought Kakashi head-on.
Uzuki Yugao watched the two of them. Even using only Taijutsu and the Body Flicker Technique, they were incredibly powerful.
Uzuki Yugao had also heard of the genius Kakashi. He had graduated as a Genin at the age of five, and everyone in Konoha knew of him. But she had not expected that the kind senior from yesterday would be so strong too.
"You're pretty good, Kakashi. You've improved this much in just two years!" After fighting for a while, Yamanaka Tohru realized that in his normal state, without using Sage Mode or Ice Release, he could not defeat Kakashi in a short time.
Yamanaka Tohru had previously speculated that Kakashi had advanced to Jonin at the age of eleven in the original story. By the time of the Battle of Kannabi Bridge, he had already become a Jonin and had carried out missions for some time.
Yet the eight-year-old Kakashi could already fight Yamanaka Tohru in his normal state without falling behind. Yamanaka Tohru did not know whether this was due to Hatake Sakumo's instruction or whether Kakashi had always possessed such potential.
One had to remember that even in his normal state, Yamanaka Tohru could fight an ordinary Jonin on equal terms. Kakashi's current strength was at least that of a Special Jonin.
"Hmph!" When Yamanaka Tohru stopped, Kakashi did not attack again either. Kakashi had originally thought his progress over the past two years had been tremendous, but he had not expected that he still could not defeat Yamanaka Tohru even without Yamanaka Tohru using Ice Release.
"Hey, Kakashi, teach that little girl, will you? Please!"
"Why?" Kakashi sensed that something was wrong with Yamanaka Tohru.
"Don't you think she's kawaii? So pretty, so soft and adorable!"
"So you're that kind of person!" Deep contempt showed in Kakashi's dead-fish eyes. The child looked only three or four years old, yet Yamanaka Tohru was actually that kind of pervert!
"Hey, hey! What's with that look? I swear I'm not a lolicon. I just happen to like lolitas, that's all." Yamanaka Tohru's explanation sounded utterly unconvincing.
"Um... Senior Tohru, does that mean Senior Kakashi still isn't willing to teach me?" Uzuki Yugao asked cautiously.
"Of course not. Kakashi just doesn't know where to begin teaching you. Isn't that right, Kakashi?"
Kakashi felt waves of chill rising around him and shuddered. He had just been unable to defeat Yamanaka Tohru in his normal state, let alone Yamanaka Tohru using Ice Release.
"That's right!" Under Yamanaka Tohru's pressure, Kakashi nodded in agreement.
When she heard that Kakashi agreed, a brilliant smile appeared on Uzuki Yugao's little face.
After that, Yamanaka Tohru simply took extended leave from Konoha Hospital and stayed at the Third Training Ground with Kakashi and Uzuki Yugao.
In Year 42 of Konoha, Sunagakure was making frequent moves. Although it had not launched a direct attack, minor clashes continued. Orders were issued one after another from the Hokage Office, and the village's mid- and high-ranking ninja began purchasing various ninja tools.
Today, the heads of the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans also held a clan meeting. Every ninja in the clans had to attend, so Yamanaka Tohru naturally went as well.
This was Yamanaka Tohru's first clan meeting. He had always thought that the Ino-Shika-Cho Clans did not have many members, but there were nearly five hundred ninja in attendance.
During the meeting, Yamanaka Tohru's cousin, Yamanaka Inoichi, remained silent. Akimichi Choza held a bag of snacks, while Nara Shikaku alone laid out the details of how the three clans would respond to the coming war.
The clan members of the three clans had long since grown accustomed to this and listened quietly.
After the clan meeting ended, the ninja of the three clans hurried away to prepare. Yamanaka Tohru also returned to the Third Training Ground.
Yamanaka Tohru was at the Third Training Ground to develop a new type of Medical Ninjutsu. The Third Shinobi World War was about to begin, and he had to complete this technique as quickly as possible.
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