The True Ninja's Talent

July, 43rd year of Konoha, the Ninja Academy entered its "private tutoring" period once again.

Students could choose to participate in the wilderness survival training camp organized by the school, or they could freely manage this time to plan their own arrangements.

In the training ground behind the school, Might Guy sat leaning against a massive tree, his gaze locked onto the two figures colliding repeatedly above.

"Clang..."

The crisp sound of kunai clashing rang out incessantly. Kakashi, wearing his ninja headband, sprinted along a thick tree trunk. After a series of leaps, he paused slightly, gathered his strength, rebounded, and closed the distance once more.

Kakashi swung his kunai in rapid succession, sparks flying with every impact. Seeing Shu Furukawa vault nimbly over his head, he hurriedly twisted his body.

He leaned down to parry, sparks showering out again. After narrowly dodging the continuous attacks, Kakashi attempted a counter-strike, executing a high sweep kick before quickly twisting to stab at his opponent.

In the instant he dodged, Shu Furukawa precisely clamped onto his arm. The kunai in Shu Furukawa's left hand successfully blocked the strike, and before Kakashi could engage in a test of strength, he turned into a puff of smoke with a "poof."

"Shadow Clone!"

The thought had barely flashed through his mind when Kakashi sensed a kunai at his back. His sharp, intense gaze reverted to dead-fish eyes, and he let out a long sigh, whispering:

"When did you use the Shadow Clone?"

"That's a secret, Kakashi. How are your exam preparations coming along?"

Shu Furukawa asked as he jumped down from the branch. Following behind, Kakashi began to grumble about the upcoming Chunin Exams:

"The captain didn't recommend me for the joint exams; it's just an internal selection within the village."

"You know, ordinary genin can't keep up with my pace. I just don't want to do those boring D-rank missions anymore."

Seeing Kakashi shrug, Shu Furukawa shook his head slightly. Might Guy, having overheard their conversation, perked up and asked excitedly:

"How about C-rank missions? Kakashi, how much pay did you get?"

"Ten thousand ryo? I didn't pay attention to that. Most of them are escort or intelligence-gathering missions. It would be a bit difficult for you, Guy; I don't think you're very good at infiltration operations."

Kakashi, hands in his pockets, didn't forget to shrug his shoulders after saying this, clearly "retaliating" for the "youthful strike" Might Guy had given him earlier.

Everyone caught the subtext in Kakashi's words, but Might Guy himself crossed his arms and fell into deep thought, only looking up after a long while to say:

"My Transformation Technique does indeed have some issues. If it's an infiltration commission, I still need to continue my training."

"To be able to take on C-rank missions as soon as possible, I must complete 500 side kicks!"

"..."

Hearing the "daily youth challenge," Obito Uchiha turned his head stiffly. He somewhat regretted coming to find Kakashi; he couldn't keep up with their rhythm at all.

"Come fishing! I don't want to keep Rin waiting and hungry."

Obito decisively changed the subject, loudly calling everyone to the riverbank. In the distance, Rin Nohara and Shizune had just finished gathering some wild vegetables to go with today's "barbecue day" event.

Everyone was fishing for the first time, and as a result, after half a day, only Kakashi had a bountiful harvest.

Not expecting to come up empty-handed here, a slightly embarrassed Shu Furukawa ultimately chose a ninja's method:

"Lightning Style: Ground Flash!"

"Hey?! You guy..."

Amidst Obito's exclamation, several fish floated to the surface at once. Watching Shu Furukawa calmly walk over to pick up the fish into the bucket, the hot-blooded Uchiha youth shouted angrily:

"You're cheating again! Damn it, we clearly agreed to decide the winner through fishing..."

"I see, this is also a form of training. Here I come!"

Tossing his fishing rod aside, Might Guy also rushed onto the surface of the water. Although he couldn't maintain his footing steadily, he didn't sink immediately either.

Water splashed everywhere. Obito shouted in annoyance from the bank, while Kakashi, having reeled in his line, picked up his bucket and left calmly; he had already secured enough ingredients.

Although they didn't know the species of the fish, they were meaty with few bones, making them perfect for eating. Might Guy buried his head and devoured them.

On the other side, Obito remained dissatisfied with losing the fishing duel, grumbling about it every now and then.

"Kakashi, are the Chunin Exams very difficult?"

Rarely getting to spend time with the boy she admired, Rin Nohara took the initiative, her soft inquiry making Obito choke on his grilled fish...

"The village's internal selection shouldn't be that difficult; it focuses more on ninja aptitude and individual ability."

"Right now, even jonin have many missions, and low-level missions need more people to take them on."

Seeming not to care much about promotion, Kakashi explained with a calm expression. The confidence he displayed inadvertently stung Obito once again.

"Kakashi is a guy with outstanding ninja talent. I wouldn't be surprised if this guy becomes a jonin at twelve."

Shu Furukawa also praised him with a smile. Rin Nohara looked at Kakashi, her eyes filled with admiration once again, which made Obito shout loudly:

"What outstanding talent! As long as I can awaken the Sharingan, becoming a jonin won't be a problem. I'll easily surpass this guy who loves to show off."

"Kakashi's control over chakra is truly excellent."

Shizune, who was usually quiet, also spoke up in admiration. Shu Furukawa nodded and, looking at the clearly unconvinced Obito, explained simply:

"The chakra gathered and flowing within the human meridian system is limited. To ensure survival, the eight gates within the body act as limiters on the flow volume."

"The strength of the chakra carried and wrapped outside the human body is similarly limited, which is why extraction and control are of the utmost importance."

"The Uchiha clan possesses vast amounts of chakra; if one cannot control it with precision, it is difficult to fully leverage that inherent advantage."

"..."

As Shu Furukawa "began the lecture," explaining the "strength of a ninja" through the meridian system and chakra flow, Might Guy listened with rapt attention, and Hatake Kakashi appeared lost in thought.

The two girls had studied medical ninjutsu and understood the gist, but Obito listened with a face full of confusion, staring blankly while holding his grilled fish, as if to say:

"What kind of gibberish are you spouting?"

"Instantly extracting a massive amount of chakra and controlling it with precision—that is Kakashi's talent. In the future, when he becomes a Jonin, this talent will amplify the intensity of the ninjutsu he casts."

Shu Furukawa said no more, raised an eyebrow, and began to enjoy the delicious fish.

Although these theories applied to all ninjas, there were always those who could shatter such inherent limitations.

The most prominent examples were Hashirama Senju, who possessed "chakra reserves by the ton," the Uchiha who piloted "Gundams," and the Child of Prophecy who frantically churned out Rasengans...

"What the heck! You just need to let your body remember the feeling of battle!"

A dizzy Obito retorted loudly, putting on a show of having understood nothing at all. Shizune let out a soft giggle, and even Rin Nohara broke into a smile.

Kakashi noticed Obito laughing foolishly along with the girls, sighed with feigned exasperation, and then spread his hands.

"It really is too difficult for a dead last!"

Soon, the two were bickering again, but Might Guy felt a heavy weight in his heart.

Unable to stop himself from thinking about his own limitations, Might Guy understood why his father did not use forbidden techniques lightly; the damage was far greater than he had anticipated.

By the end of September, the news of Hatake Kakashi's promotion to Chunin swept through the entire village; even visiting merchants would join in praising Konoha's genius youth.

As time passed, the news of the six-year-old Chunin spread further and further, even sparking a craze for diligent study within the Ninja Academy...

The upper echelons of Konoha seemed intent on setting an example, and more and more youths began clamoring to graduate early.

Before class in the afternoon, the homeroom teacher, Ryosuke Kimura, did not forget to praise Kakashi once again, and took the opportunity to announce to everyone:

"By this time next year, not only will Furukawa graduate from the Ninja Academy, but he will also be able to formally participate in the work of medical ninjas."

"Lady Tsunade has evaluated the Military Ration Pill that Furukawa recently improved and has given it an extremely high rating."

"..."

From Military Ration Pills to missions and war, Ryosuke Kimura grew more and more excited, unable to stop himself for a long while.

In the seat by the window in the front row, Shu Furukawa was lost in his own world. Ever since he began using essence to cultivate certain herbs, his "pharmacology" experiments had progressed by leaps and bounds.

Yet, after solving the problem of alienation, another issue had emerged. Thinking back on his attempts over the past few days, Shu Furukawa pondered secretly:

Is it only possible to use Sage Chakra for one minute...