" No wonder Chidori needs the Sharingan to unleash its full power."
Kyohiko's current Body Flicker Technique had the same problem after he used it.
His eyesight couldn't keep up with his body.
It wasn't as deadly as Chidori, but it still affected how well he could fight.
There were two ways to solve it—
Either improve his eyesight so it could keep up with his body.
Or train his body to keep up with his speed.
The former required talent, and Minato Namikaze was a prime example.
As for the latter, Guy was the perfect example.
Keep training!
With determination in his eyes, Kyohiko began using the Body Flicker Technique in combination with punches, kicks, and Kunai attacks.
At first...
He moved incredibly fast.
Later, his speed gradually decreased, but his movements grew sharper and more forceful.
Above him, Jiraiya sat astride a tree, concealing himself among its leaves with a Ninjutsu Technique. He could barely hide his shock.
As one of the Sannin—
He could, of course, tell what the little boy below was training.
Controlling his speed!
The boy's Body Flicker Technique was impressive, but faster wasn't always better. If his speed exceeded his control, it could easily become a weakness in battle.
His Body Flicker Technique was formidable.
Some Jonin might not be as skilled as the boy below, at least when it came to the Body Flicker Technique alone.
But that wasn't what surprised Jiraiya most.
What truly astonished him was—
The boy understood that faster wasn't always better. He needed to master his speed before trying to increase it further.
Controlling one's speed was often more important than increasing it.
It seemed like a simple truth, yet many ninja only realized it through life-and-death battles.
"Truly remarkable!"
Another Minato?
Jiraiya's gaze grew complicated.
This wasn't the first time he'd seen the boy.
In fact, Kyohiko passed by the road near the bathhouse every time he went to train.
On several occasions, Kyohiko had nearly exposed Jiraiya's whereabouts, but that was exactly why Jiraiya remembered him so well.
Hardworking and diligent.
He trained every day without fail, never once taking a break. But what amazed Jiraiya most was the boy's way of thinking.
Kyohiko wasn't the only one who worked hard.
Jiraiya remembered another boy in green with an outlandish style who trained just as hard, but the two had completely different focuses.
That boy devoted himself to Taijutsu.
But this one...
Ever since Jiraiya had known him, the boy had practiced only Taijutsu, the Body Flicker Technique, and the Substitution Technique. He had a clear goal and wasn't training blindly.
Now, after mastering the Body Flicker Technique on his own through sheer hard work, he'd begun studying its finer points and training himself to control his speed.
That kind of insight was beyond ordinary people.
A genius!
Just like Minato back then.
Sitting in the tree, Jiraiya watched the boy below sweat through his training as memories and thoughts came flooding back.
As one of the Sannin, he could hide himself so well that Kyohiko wouldn't have a chance of noticing him at his current level.
By dusk, Kyohiko was sprawled beneath the tree, exhausted.
He gazed up at the shifting shadows of the leaves and blinked. Then—
In the moonlight, one of the shadows seemed a little off.
Kyohiko sat up.
"Who's there?"
"Whoosh!"
A bird seemed to dart across the night sky, vanishing among the shadows of the trees.
Konoha Ninja Academy.
A group of students who had already become ninja sat in the classroom.
Their teacher hadn't arrived yet.
They leaned over the windows, watching the children below train hard, laughing with amusement.
Two people were exceptions.
One was Might Guy.
He was in the corner, doing a one-handed handstand to train his body. Compared with everyone else, he had a strangely artistic flair.
The other was Kyohiko.
He was watching Guy.
At last, Guy couldn't take it anymore.
Kyohiko had once been an outsider in their class. After crossing over, all he'd cared about was training and getting stronger. He had no time to think about building connections, and he kept a low profile at school.
His relationship with Might Guy could only be called ordinary. They knew each other's names and faces, and that was about it.
So...
"Kyohiko, am I disturbing you with my training?"
Guy seemed a little nervous.
Kyohiko shook his head. "No. I just really admire you."
"You admire me?"
Guy looked surprised. Then, with a whoosh, he lowered himself from his handstand and sat up straight beside Kyohiko. His face showed excitement and disbelief, but also a hint of insecurity. "You're making fun of me, aren't you? I barely passed the exam to graduate early."
"But you did pass, didn't you?"
Kyohiko didn't think much of it.
Then he said earnestly, "Guy, I've been watching you. Your talent for Ninjutsu isn't great, and your understanding isn't anything special either..."
They were all shortcomings.
Guy's expression grew more and more bitter as he listened.
Then—
"But you have a level of perseverance and a determination to ignore what others think that nobody else has. That's a kind of talent too. Guy, you're definitely a hard-work-type genius!"
"A hard-work-type genius?"
Might Guy froze.
For the first time in his life, someone other than his father had called him a genius.
He couldn't help feeling embarrassed.
"I... I'm hardly a genius."
"Why not? Lord Hokage said that perseverance is the greatest talent of all, but most people don't have it. Look around the classroom. Besides you, who else is training?"
Kyohiko lowered his voice.
Guy looked around—
Sure enough, no one else was.
Everyone was lazing about. Kyohiko, on the other hand, was still skillfully manipulating a Kunai with one hand, while his other hand seemed to be practicing Hand Seals.
And then there was...
The kunoichi named Kurenai Yuhi.
She was sitting at her desk too, away from the noisy crowd.
Guy looked around, then turned to Kyohiko with curiosity.
"Did Lord Hokage really say that?"
Was that the point?
Hiruzen Sarutobi had never said that. It was the future Hokage, Kyohiko Yoshimine, who had said it!
Kyohiko collected his thoughts and gave up on the idea of quickly milking Guy for rewards.
Just then, Might Guy suddenly threw his arms around Kyohiko.
"But I'm really grateful to you, Kyohiko. You're the second person besides my father who's ever believed in me!"
As he spoke, he burst into tears.
Even Kyohiko, who was usually so composed, couldn't help feeling a little astonished.
That was quite a change—
Completely out of nowhere!
Guy's wailing drew everyone's attention.
It was the first time they'd seen anything like this, and it was a rare sight. They all stopped making fun of the younger students outside and turned to stare.
Kyohiko narrowed his eyes, feeling like he'd died of embarrassment.
What hurt even more was—
He'd paid a price, but received no reward. He felt like a clown.
Guy was crying.
Kyohiko was reflecting.
Their feelings were entirely different.
A woman's voice broke the strange, awkward silence and drew everyone's attention.
"Guy, who was the first person?"
That was right!
Who was the first?
Everyone was curious.
Guy stopped crying.
Everyone around them was staring.
But he wasn't embarrassed at all. Instead, he looked tremendously proud. "Of course it was my lifelong rival, Kakashi Hatake!"
Kakashi.
When they heard the name, everyone first showed respect, then skepticism—
Huh? You?
Then—
"Hahahaha!"
Everyone burst into laughter except Kurenai Yuhi and Kyohiko.
"Tch, I could say Kakashi's my lifelong rival too!"
"Hahaha, I'm Kakashi's rival as well!"
"Me too!"
The classroom filled with cheerful laughter.
Kakashi had graduated at five and become a Chunin at six.
But the person before them...
He'd graduated at seven as a Genin. That was impressive too, but he was clearly nowhere near Kakashi's level. How could he claim to be Kakashi's "lifelong rival" and take credit for himself?
Guy fell silent.
Kyohiko patted his shoulder, offering comfort and affirmation with heartfelt sincerity—
If there was no reward, it had to be because he hadn't been sincere enough.
So.
He had to turn it up!
"If you aim to be number one, you might reach second or third. But if you aim for second or third, the best you can do is fourth or fifth—or even worse. Guy, believe in yourself. You'll definitely be Kakashi's lifelong rival!"
"Kyohiko!"
Might Guy threw his arms around Kyohiko again, but this time he wasn't crying. He was excited and happy.
What did it mean to find a kindred spirit?
This was it!
Father, someone finally understands me!
Might Guy smiled, then tears streamed down his face. He didn't hold back at all.
Kyohiko sighed inwardly—
Guy had made Kakashi his goal, while Kyohiko himself had once taken the future Guy as his goal.
Everyone had a bright future ahead of them.
He was still lost in thought when—
[Building a ninja's mental strength is also an extremely important part of the Hokage's work. You strengthened a Genin's resolve and inspired his boundless fighting spirit.] [Reward: Your basic Taijutsu skills have improved]
Basic Taijutsu Techniques?
Kyohiko pondered this, and more knowledge surfaced in his mind. It was all about how to apply force with punches and kicks, with most of it focused on techniques for generating power with the legs.
He became even more certain—
The rewards were closely tied to the impact of the event and the other person's existing abilities.
For example.
Yesterday's reward had been Kyohiko's complete trust in "himself," so what improved was his strongest skill, the Body Flicker Technique.
As for Guy, his greatest strengths at the moment were his strong body and Taijutsu.
Before you continue