"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"
With a soft shout, a wall of water surged up from somewhere in the hills behind Konoha, rising from the ground and shooting into the sky in an instant.
If anyone had been nearby when the wall erupted, they would have seen the sturdy trees rooted in the earth smashed by its impact. Their trunks aboveground broke into pieces and flew through the air.
But the wall lasted only a few seconds before crashing apart, turning into a white wave that sank into the forest...
On the ground the wall had just ravaged, a boy stared in shock at the scene he had created. His eyes were wide with disbelief. He even raised his hands and examined them closely, as though wondering whether the jutsu he had just used really was supposed to be merely defensive.
"Holy crap!"
Once he confirmed that he really had performed the jutsu himself, the boy couldn't help swearing.
"Even if the Second Hokage improved it, you didn't have to make it this ridiculous..."
"Who are you calling 'you'?"
A fist landed with pinpoint accuracy on the boy's head, displaying just how thoroughly its owner had mastered the move...
"The Second Hokage's Water Release is as famous as the First's Wood Release. Of course it has this kind of power, you idiot of a student! What are you so surprised about?"
The owner of the fist, Kaguya Ogata, glared at his hopeless student.
"Quit your endless whining. Keep practicing! Look how quickly your jutsu gave out. If I had you try a more advanced technique, you wouldn't even be able to fart!"
He had a point. Qi really couldn't handle advanced techniques yet. The Second Hokage's Water Release jutsu were very different from the traditional methods of casting them, and mastering them perfectly was no easy task. It would take time.
Take the Great Waterfall Technique, for example. The Second Hokage's version was practically a super-sized waterfall...
Qi had to get used to the Hand Seals and learn to control his chakra, and there were no shortcuts. He could only practice hard.
"I know, Master. If you keep knocking me on the head, I really will turn into an idiot..."
Qi rubbed his head, grinning wryly. Even if Ogata hit him ten more times, he couldn't master the technique on the spot...
"You're already dumb enough. A little dumber won't hurt! Keep practicing!"
Ogata grunted, but still plopped down beside him.
Believing that quality mattered more than quantity, Qi sighed and started practicing the Second Hokage's version of the Water Formation Wall again. A rushing wall of water surged upward once more...
He understood that you couldn't build a tall tower without a solid foundation. When the scroll recording the secrets of the Second Hokage's Water Release first appeared before him, he had been ecstatic. But he knew these techniques weren't easy to master—not only because the Hand Seals had been refined, but also because they required precise chakra control.
The Water Formation Wall was the most basic Water Release technique in the scroll, making it the best one for him to practice. Once he mastered one technique, he could master them all. If he learned this one completely, he could follow the instructions and quickly get the rest of the Water Release techniques down, too!
He might not have Uzumaki Naruto's absurdly large chakra reserves, but he was confident he could develop the most refined chakra control. That would give him enough fighting ability despite having only an ordinary amount of chakra, and set him on the path to becoming a supreme powerhouse!
"Boom, boom..."
The roar of the water echoed again and again. Day after day, Qi trained hard in the hills behind the village. Most of the time, of course, he was practicing the Second Hokage's Water Release.
The word "training" really meant one thing: tedium. The same movements had to be repeated hundreds or thousands of times, with total concentration every single time, or the training would be pointless. Who could guarantee they'd always be that focused?
People became training fanatics because they kept making progress. Without that, almost no one could stick with it. Fortunately, Qi was someone who saw results, so he could keep up with this grueling test of endurance—an exercise even more tedious than the rote studying he had done in his previous life.
As time passed, his Water Formation Wall lasted longer and longer. The wall grew more stable, and he used less and less chakra. Meanwhile, Ogata, who had been watching over him all along, looked increasingly pleased.
Eventually, Ogata stopped supervising him altogether. Qi started getting up early and heading to the hills to train on his own, while Ogata had missions of his own to carry out.
But Qi was living through wartime: the Third Shinobi World War, the longest war since the Five Great Shinobi Villages were founded. He couldn't spend all his time training—and he didn't want to, either. Without real combat to test himself, he couldn't know whether he was actually improving.
So one morning, when Qi woke up early as usual and prepared to head to the hills, he ran into Kakashi at the door.
"You've got a mission. Next time you move, let me know first. It took me ages to find you."
Kakashi still had his usual cold expression and tone, as though nothing in the world could concern him.
He looked up at the new house where Qi and Ogata were living together and nodded.
"Nice house, though."
"Sorry for the trouble."
Qi eagerly accepted his mission notice, but the moment he glanced at it, his pupils shrank.
"This is a deployment order?"
"That's right. We're heading to the front lines to fight the Rock Ninja. This time, it's a battle involving more than a thousand people. Each side has dozens of jonin."
Kakashi glanced at Qi.
"Getting cold feet?"
"Yeah, right. I couldn't be happier!"
Qi glared back.
"Want to see who gets the higher kill count this time?"
"That sounds interesting. I accept."
A spark of excitement flashed in Kakashi's eyes, too. He had long since acknowledged Qi's strength, and he was at an age when he was bold and competitive. He was very interested in a challenge like this.
"Let's see which of us is stronger on the battlefield."
"Want to put something on it?"
Qi gave him a sly look.
"Fine, but don't grin like such a creep..."
Kakashi felt a chill and took a step back.
"What are we betting?"
"You know my master. He can't use ninjutsu, but his Instant Kill Technique is no worse than your father's."
"You're betting on that?"
Kakashi raised an eyebrow. Maybe Qi's words had had an effect last time, because he wasn't as opposed to people bringing up White Fang in front of him anymore.
"What else could we bet on? What else do you and I have in common?"
Qi shrugged.
"Then that's the bet!"
Kakashi declared confidently.
"If I lose, I'll teach you the Hatake Sword Technique, too. If you lose, you have to teach me all the Kaguya Taijutsu!"
"Deal! It's settled!"
"Deal!"
They slapped their palms together to seal the wager. After all, what they were betting were secret techniques that outsiders could never learn, so it made sense to formalize the agreement.
After making their bet, Kakashi and Qi chatted for a bit before Kakashi left. Qi went back inside to put away the mission notice. He needed to keep it safe, or he wouldn't be allowed through the village gates. It was an important document.
"Master? How long have you been standing there?"
As soon as Qi entered the foyer, he saw Ogata watching him with a knowing smile. He stood in the doorway to the living room like a boulder.
"Good! You finally challenged White Fang's son. Now you're acting like a man. I'm very pleased today!"
Ogata seemed to be in a good mood.
"Do you remember what I told you before?"
"What did you say...?"
Qi had a bad feeling. He even used an honorific, not knowing what this old scoundrel was planning now...
"Besides, this is just a bet. It's not as serious as you think. Why would I challenge him for no reason...?"
"Heh..."
Ogata acted as though he hadn't heard Qi's explanation. Smiling broadly, he said each word slowly.
"I told you before: you're my student, and you have to beat White Fang's son. If you don't, I'll beat you up. Remember?"
"..."
Qi suddenly regretted making the bet. Maybe he shouldn't have challenged him after all...
Damn it. Now he had no choice but to win, or he really was going to get beaten up...