Inside the Hokage's hall, Might Dai rushed toward Nawaki and threw a punch at him. Nawaki stood perfectly still, letting the rain of punches and kicks land on him.
The moment his first punch connected, Might Dai sensed something was wrong. His full-force blow felt as though it had hit nothing at all, like striking a sheet of paper.
He had thought Nawaki was using the Substitution Technique, but when he looked closely, he saw that the person before him had a lively expression and bright, spirited eyes. There was no other Nawaki in sight, either. So he trusted his instincts, gritted his teeth, and unleashed a series of Steel Fist techniques.
The more he attacked, the stranger it felt. Given his current strength and speed, even a clone or a substitute should have been sent flying by the force of his blows. Then he should have been able to chase and intercept it at even greater speed, batting it helplessly back and forth with his fists and feet like a ball until it was badly injured and unable to move. That was the essence of Steel Fist.
But no matter how hard he attacked, Nawaki's body never went flying! It was as though he had no weight or solidity. Sometimes he would rise into the air, but not from the momentum of a blow—instead, he seemed to drift with the air currents, like a piece of paper!
The sensation was so bizarre that Might Dai felt as if he weren't fighting a person at all, but struggling against a sheet of paper.
He wasn't imagining it. Nawaki was using Kami-e, a technique specifically designed to defend against blunt attacks! It let him relax every part of his body and yield to the currents created by his opponent's attacks, fluttering like paper. Aside from fast sword techniques, ordinary attacks could hardly harm someone using it.
"Dai, everyone has seen your strength. Stop now. I still have something to say." Nawaki drifted through the air on the force of Might Dai's punches, speaking with ease.
At that, Might Dai released the Eight Inner Gates. Sweating profusely, he asked excitedly, "Was what you just used also Taijutsu, Upper-Rank Ninja Nawaki?"
Everyone in the hall, including the Third Hokage, was stunned by the two men's performance. Might Dai's speed and strength, and Nawaki's defensive Taijutsu, had opened their eyes. They had never imagined that pure Taijutsu could reach such heights or possess such power.
"Th-that Taijutsu is incredible!"
"Could Might Dai's Taijutsu actually go toe-to-toe with a Jōnin?"
"Isn't Upper-Rank Ninja Nawaki's Taijutsu even stronger? He came through that ferocious barrage without a scratch!"
"That must be the Konoha Six Powers! I heard he created an A-Rank Taijutsu style when he was three!"
"Three years old? That's ridiculous!"
In response to Might Dai's question, Nawaki nodded. "That's right. I used Kami-e, one of the Six Powers. It can defend against all blunt-force damage. With your physical strength and talent, you could master the Six Powers quickly if you train seriously! Want to learn? I'll teach you!"
Might Dai's eyes lit up. "Really, Upper-Rank Ninja Nawaki? You're willing to teach me the Konoha Six Powers? How can I repay you?"
"That's right. The Konoha Six Powers demand a great deal of physical strength and control, so only a few people besides me are qualified to train in them. As for repayment? You have to become my disciple!" Nawaki didn't ask Might Dai to teach him the Eight Gates in exchange. Their principles were quite simple: one only needed to know where the gates were and break through the body's limits to open them. In the original story, Kakashi had opened the first gate by climbing a cliff with one hand. With his current physical strength, Nawaki could open two or three gates himself; he only needed some dedicated training.
"Your disciple? We're quite far apart in age, but with your strength, Upper-Rank Ninja Nawaki, you'd have no problem being my teacher!" Might Dai was as straightforward as ever and agreed without hesitation.
"Excellent!" Nawaki was very pleased to gain a disciple with the strength of a Jōnin, who could even unleash Kage Level power. If Might Dai had enough resources to train his body, along with the absolute control granted by Life Return, perhaps he could learn to close the Gate of Death at will. He might even surpass his son, Might Guy.
After accepting Might Dai as his disciple in front of everyone, Nawaki turned to the Third Hokage. "Lord Hokage, I was right, wasn't I? Dai's Taijutsu could improve our squad's ability to break through enemy defenses."
The Third Hokage took a puff from his pipe and nodded. "Dai is certainly strong, but if he joins your squad... the village has never had a five-person squad before. It would be unconventional, and perhaps a waste of manpower. You know the village is short-handed right now!"
Nawaki nodded. "That's true. How about this? I'll become the three of theirs' supervising Jōnin under my Special Jōnin status. Then Clan Head Akimichi can form a new squad and serve the village. I'm sure Shinnosuke and the others will agree, right?"
"Having a five-year-old junior become my supervising Jōnin would be embarrassing, but when it comes to Nawaki... I agree!" Shinnosuke was the first to speak up.
Hikari and Dai nodded in agreement as well.
Torifu Akimichi was at a loss for words. "Did none of you even consider what I think? Are my own subordinates rejecting me?"
Nawaki gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Clan Head Akimichi. I wouldn't want this either, but Lord Hokage seems to need people badly. Having two Jōnin in one squad would be even more wasteful, wouldn't it?"
"Cough, cough..." The Third Hokage seemed to choke on his pipe. He hadn't expected things to turn out this way. Nawaki was always doing things by his own rules, yet somehow making it sound perfectly reasonable.
The Third Hokage looked at his young disciple's teasing gaze and said reluctantly, "But then the average level of your squad won't meet the Chunin standard, so you won't be able to take B-Rank Missions!"
Nawaki theatrically slapped his forehead, as if he had only just remembered. "Oh? If you hadn't reminded me, Lord Hokage, I would've forgotten. Goodness, what should we do?"
The Third Hokage saw through Nawaki's over-the-top act and easygoing tone. The boy had clearly planned for this all along.
Sure enough, less than a second later, Nawaki smacked his fist into his palm. "I've got it! With their strength and mission experience, the three of them should be able to apply for Chunin rank, right? Then I'll recommend them as their supervising Jōnin! Does Lord Hokage need to send Chunin to test their strength?"
At Nawaki's words, Shinnosuke, Hikari, and Dai all brightened. They had wanted to become Chunin for a long time!
Nawaki had left the Third Hokage speechless. He silently puffed on his pipe. There was no way he would let all these promising youngsters go off on B-Rank Missions.
Nawaki and the other three would surely become the backbone of the Hokage Faction in the future. Even Might Dai, whom he had previously overlooked, had now displayed a special talent. He was an unconventional genius, and there was a good chance he would become a Jōnin someday.
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