The Wager

"Water Release: Water Formation Wall!"

Following this soft shout, in a remote area behind Konoha, a curtain of water erupted instantly, surging straight into the sky.

If anyone had been standing close to where this water wall rose, they would have seen the sturdy trees rooted in the earth shattered into fragments the moment they were struck by the water, their trunks sent flying into the air.

However, the water wall collapsed with a roar after only a few seconds, dissolving into a patch of white foam that settled into the forest.

On the ground just ravaged by the water, a young man stared in astonishment at the scene he had created. His eyes were filled with shock, and he even raised his hands to examine them closely, as if doubting whether the technique he had just performed was truly just a defensive Water Release.

"Holy crap!"

After confirming that this was indeed a ninjutsu he had cast himself, the youth couldn't help but let out a curse.

"Even if it was improved by the Second Hokage, buddy, you can't make it this exaggerated..."

"Who are you calling 'buddy'?"

A seasoned fist landed with pinpoint accuracy on the youth's head, fully demonstrating the master's mastery over this particular move.

"The Second Hokage's Water Release is as famous as the First Hokage's Wood Release. Isn't it natural for it to have this kind of effect? What are you so surprised about, you idiot apprentice!"

The owner of the fist, Kaguya Ogata, glared at his foolish apprentice with a look of exasperation.

"You're chattering away and driving me crazy. Get back to practicing! Look at how short a time you managed to keep that technique up. If you were to try a higher-level jutsu, wouldn't you fail to produce even a fart?"

He was right; Qi really couldn't handle high-level techniques yet. The Second Hokage's Water Release had undergone significant changes compared to traditional methods, and mastering it perfectly was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Take the Great Waterfall Technique, for example; the Second Hokage's version could truly be called a "Great" waterfall.

Qi had to familiarize himself with these hand seals and the control of his chakra; there were no shortcuts to be taken, only bitter, repetitive practice.

"I know, Master. If you keep knocking on my head like that, I really will become an idiot..."

Rubbing his head, Qi gave a wry smile. Even if Ogata hit him ten more times, he couldn't reach the standard on the spot.

"You're already an idiot, so a little more won't matter! Get back to training!"

Ogata huffed, though he sat down on the side.

Adhering to the principle that quality is better than quantity, Qi sighed and began practicing the Second Hokage's version of the Water Formation Wall again, the surging water curtain rising once more.

He understood the principle that one cannot build a high-rise without a foundation. Although he had been ecstatic when the scroll containing the secrets of the Second Hokage's Water Release first appeared before him, he knew it wasn't something easily mastered, given not only the modified hand seals but also the requirement for precise chakra control.

The Water Formation Wall, being the most fundamental of these Water Release techniques, naturally became his best training exercise. Once one method is mastered, all others become clear; as long as he fully grasped this one, he could easily apply the same logic to master the rest of the Water Release techniques one by one.

While he lacked the bottomless chakra reserves of Uzumaki Naruto, he was confident in developing the most refined chakra control techniques, allowing him—with his average chakra levels—to possess sufficient combat capability and step onto the path of a peak powerhouse!

"Boom, boom..."

The roar of water echoed again and again. Day after day, Qi trained hard in the hills behind the village, spending the vast majority of his time on the Second Hokage's Water Release.

The word "training" actually meant nothing more than monotony. The same movements had to be repeated thousands of times, and every single repetition required total concentration, or it would yield no results. Who could guarantee they possessed such focus?

The reason people are called "training maniacs" is that they are always able to gain something; otherwise, almost no one could persist. Fortunately, Qi was one of those who gained results, allowing him to endure this exercise that tested his endurance far more than the rote memorization of his past life.

As time passed, the duration of his Water Formation Wall slowly grew longer, the structure of the water curtain became more stable, and the amount of chakra consumed decreased. On the other side, Ogata, who had been watching over him, began to show more and more satisfaction in his eyes.

Eventually, he stopped supervising altogether, as Qi would wake up very early to head to the hills to train on his own, while Ogata had his own missions to execute.

However, Qi remained in a time of war—the Third Shinobi World War, the longest-lasting conflict since the founding of the Five Great Villages. Therefore, he could not spend all his time training, nor did he want to; after all, without real combat to test his skills, he could not claim to be improving.

So, one day, when Qi woke up early as usual, intending to head to the hills, he encountered Kakashi at his door.

"You have a mission. Next time you move, please let me know, because I had a hard time finding you."

Kakashi maintained his usual indifferent expression and tone, as if he didn't care about anything.

He looked up at the new house where Qi and Ogata lived together and nodded.

"Though, this house is nice."

"Sorry for the trouble."

Qi took his mission notification with excitement, but the moment he glanced at it, his pupils constricted.

"This is a deployment order?"

"Correct. We are heading to the front lines to engage the Rock Ninja. This time, it's a large-scale battle involving over a thousand people; there are dozens of Jonin on both sides alone."

Kakashi glanced at Qi.

"Getting cold feet?"

"Don't be ridiculous, I've been waiting for this!"

Qi glared back.

"Want to make a bet? Let's see who gets the most kills this time."

"An interesting challenge. I accept."

A flash of excitement crossed Kakashi's eyes as well. After all, he had long since acknowledged Qi's strength, and at his young and reckless age, he was quite interested in such a competition.

"Let's see which of us is stronger on the battlefield."

"Want to set a wager?"

Qi looked at him with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"No problem, but stop smiling so sleazily..."

Kakashi felt a chill and took a step back.

"What are we betting?"

"You know my master, right? Even though he doesn't use ninjutsu, his Instant Kill Technique is no worse than your father's."

"You want to bet on this?"

Kakashi raised an eyebrow. He didn't know if it was because of what Qi had said last time, but he no longer felt so resistant when others brought up White Fang in front of him.

"What else is there to bet on? Is there anything else we're learning that overlaps?"

Qi shrugged.

"Fine, let's bet on this!"

Kakashi said proudly, "If I lose, I'll teach you the Hatake Sword Technique as well. If you lose, you have to teach me the entirety of the Kaguya Taijutsu!"

"A deal! It's a promise!"

"It's a promise!"

With a sound, the two slapped their palms together to seal the oath. After all, the stakes were unique techniques that outsiders could never learn, so being a bit formal was perfectly reasonable.

After setting the wager, Kakashi and Qi chatted idly for a few moments before parting ways. Qi returned to his room; he needed to put the mission scroll away safely, otherwise, he wouldn't even be able to leave the village gates, as it was a crucial piece of documentation.

"Master? When did you get here?"

Just as he entered the foyer, Qi saw Ogata looking at him with a half-smile. At this moment, he stood at the entrance of the main hall like a massive boulder.

"Not bad. You've finally challenged White Fang's son. You finally act like a man. I'm very satisfied today!"

Ogata seemed to be in a great mood.

"Do you remember what I told you before?"

"What did you say..."

Qi had a bad premonition. He even used an honorific; who knew what this old scumbag wanted to do now...

"Besides, this is just a bet. It's not as serious as you think. Why would I challenge him for no reason..."

"Heh heh..."

Ogata seemed not to hear Qi's addition. He smiled and said, word by word, "I said back then that since you are my disciple, you must defeat White Fang's son, or else I will beat you up. Remember that?"

"..."

Qi suddenly felt a pang of regret. Perhaps he shouldn't have made that bet...

Damn it, now he had to win no matter what, or he would really end up getting a beating...

.