Challenge Kyohiko? Asuma, Have You Gone Crazy?

Maruboshi Kosuke...

Jiraiya remembered.

He had asked the Third Hokage to find someone to help him, and eventually found Maruboshi Kosuke to help him. But Jiraiya became increasingly busy and had no time to deal with Kyohiko.

It looks like--

In the end, Maruboshi Kosuke was completely drained!

That's an amazing learning ability.

Jiraiya rubbed his temples.

Maruboshi Kosuke's Water Wall and Water Dragon Bullet are both special, with a learning difficulty level of A. Kyohiko was able to learn them, and he even learned the trump card sword technique, Willow.

Abnormal!

I wish I had had that kind of talent back then.

It took him a long time to come to his senses.

"You've made such great progress, I feel unworthy to be your Teacher..."

"Let's learn from each other and make progress together."

Kyohiko chuckled.

Jiraiya rolled his eyes.

He just said it, and the kid actually jumped on the bandwagon.

However, he knew very well that with Kyohiko's talent, if he had followed Orochimaru, his current achievements would have been...

No!

Orochimaru is too dangerous!

Jiraiya instantly became alert.

At this moment, he looked at Kyohiko, and his feelings became even more complicated.

Kyohiko is very talented, but he fears that the other person might become like Orochimaru.

eternal life...

A terrifying and insane target!

He didn't dare ask, and after a moment of silence, he said, "Kyohiko, do you ever feel that life is fragile and yearn for immortality?"

"Because of Orochimaru?"

Kyohiko put down the book he was holding.

Sure enough, Jiraiya returned to the village, he didn't go to Tsunade's place or Hiruzen Sarutobi's place. He came specifically to Jiraiya's place to get some advice and vent his emotions.

Tsk!

First Kakashi, and now Jiraiya...

Compared to Tsunade's subordinates, he was the real psychologist.

Kyohiko turned around.

"I once told Kosuke that it was because of our past experiences that we are who we are today. The same applies to Orochimaru. Teacher, you were on the same team as him and you both came from humble backgrounds. You must be the one who understands him best, right?"

"Knows best..."

Jiraiya was startled, his expression one of utter astonishment.

"So I think if this is what's bothering you, the only one who can find the answer is yourself. Even Tsunade might not be able to help, after all, she's a woman and comes from a good family, so there's an inherent distance between her and you."

Kyohiko said calmly.

Jiraiya stared at Kyohiko, speechless.

This disciple has become more mature; he can analyze so much from just one sentence.

"Teacher, I suggested the Psychology Department, so of course I know a little about it."

Kyohiko answered.

Jiraiya nodded.

He seemed to have found his goal, and was no longer lost, but—

After standing up, he turned around and looked at this disciple who had surprised him the most.

"Kyohiko, although it sounds a bit... I still hope you won't be the next Orochimaru."

Jiraiya sighed, "Everyone has different ways and ideas about achieving peace. War may be a necessary step towards peace, but it must be fought for peace, not for so-called progress or mobility."

Even Orochimaru, I cannot agree with this kind of philosophy!

After saying that, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, but I have to go see my Teacher now."

Are you looking for the Lord Hokage or the Third Hokage?

"Is there a difference? Isn't he the Hokage?"

Jiraiya puzzled.

Kyohiko smiled faintly, "Although the Third Hokage is still serving as Hokage, his application and recommendation letter have already been submitted to Kyoto. Tsunade should be in the Hokage Office right now."

"What?!!!"

Jiraiya stared blankly, then immediately stood up. "Damn it, I've only been gone a few days, Konoha has already changed so much? I have to go find Tsunade, I'll come back to find you later..."

Before he could finish speaking, he had already disappeared.

Sunagakure, where Chiyo once lived.

Scorpion was fiddling with various pieces of equipment, pausing from time to time to gaze at the three puppets in front of him in deep thought.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside.

He glanced at them indifferently, then went about his own business, ignoring them completely.

Ebizo looked at him, then at the three puppets.

Maybe.

These are the last vestiges of humanity on a scorpion's body.

However.

Chiyo was already dead, her humanity maintained only by puppets; he simply couldn't imagine it.

What will happen once Sasori perfects them to surpass the Chikamatsu Ten Puppets? And right now, besides Sasori, how many other geniuses in Sunagakure are worth nurturing?

Compared to Konoha, that's far too few!

He watched quietly, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

After a long time, Scorpion completed part of the modification, but with a crash, the entire puppet fell apart.

He lifted his foot in annoyance, but then put it down again.

Even if it's a replica, Scorpion doesn't want to kick it away directly.

He turned around, looking at Ebizo with an unfriendly expression, and said sharply, "Are you very free every day?"

Actually, I've been very busy lately and haven't had much time to visit you.

Ebizo answered in a lukewarm manner.

He smiled and said, "Don't take it out on me. I'm leaving the village tomorrow, and no one will come to see you then."

That would be best.

Scorpion sneered.

Ebizo nodded. "Perhaps, war is about to begin."

"Oh."

Scorpion responded indifferently.

Ebizo paused for a moment, then turned and left unhurriedly.

Scorpion continued assembling replicas of his parents and grandmother.

For the next few days, Kyohiko didn't leave the house, and his daily morning runs were interrupted.

The three-fold flow rate meant that he could hardly do anything besides reading each day.

Fortunately--

Perhaps it was his physical condition that stimulated the potential of his body and blood, but he could clearly feel that his physical strength and energy were recovering much faster than before!

Rough estimate...

He should be about 30% stronger now than before he received the bloodline enhancement.

This allowed Kyohiko to store Chakra much faster than normal, and in less than half a month, he had stored up the amount he would have stored in the previous month.

This reserve is sufficient for emergencies; he no longer needs to frantically store more Chakra and can store a small amount each day for backup.

so.

Kyohiko used the Yin Seal to completely seal the two pools.

If he were a beginner, he definitely couldn't do it, but as a master of Yin Seal, he could easily and freely control the "pool".

"If I could learn Gaara's Feigned Sleep Technique and conserve energy for Chakra while sleeping every day, I'd probably be able to go even faster."

Kyohiko put a Military Ration Pill into his mouth.

Then, he thought of--

This does seem to be a direction worth considering.

The Feigned Sleep Technique is not difficult to achieve from the perspective of Genjutsu.

Stepping outside and seeing the blazing sun, Kyohiko felt for the first time how wonderful the sunlight and green grass were.

It's so good to be alive!

He took a deep breath and felt his whole body revive.

Then, a smile appeared on Kyohiko's face.

"My eternal rival, shall we have a duel?"

"Kakashi, Guy, you changed your route; you pass by my house every day now. Thank you."

Kyohiko expressed his heartfelt gratitude.

Guy was clearly worried about him, which was why he acted this way, and Kakashi, who was next to him, felt the same way.

As for how they knew, it must have been Kurenai Yuhi, right?

Kyohiko thought to himself.

At this moment, Kakashi's gaze was indifferent.

"Is this technique really worth it? In the time you haven't improved, I might have already surpassed you!"

Kakashi knew it very well.

Kyohiko is a genius, an even more amazing genius.

Even Kyohiko needs to spend so much time...

This Yin Seal must be very difficult.

but.

He was unaware of its specific function and effects.

In his view, if Kyohiko had spent his time improving himself, he might have made remarkable progress.

Kyohiko smiled.

"Yeah?"

He Body Flicker Technique down from above and was beside them in an instant.

"I've completed the technique. As for its effects, do you still remember the Tailed Beast?"

"Tailed Beast..."

The scene in Might Guy immediately flashed into Yugakure's mind.

Yugito Nii possessed the ability to control the power of the Tailed Beast, making her extremely powerful.

That power is truly terrifying!

"Could it be this technique?"

"It can store the Chakra I don't usually need. If I can develop suitable Ninjutsu in the future, it might even be able to share Chakra with others."

Kyohiko looked at the two of them, "Now, do you understand?"

"Certainly!"

Kakashi's expression turned serious.

He wasn't exactly Chakra- poor individual, but compared to Kyohiko, his Chakra was only average.

At this age, insufficient Chakra is common.

In battle, if extra Chakra is available, it might even be possible to turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless situation.

A life-saving technique in some respects!

No wonder Kyohiko put so much effort into it.

Kakashi couldn't help but feel envious, but he knew that he couldn't possibly master a technique as difficult as the Yin Seal at the moment, and his Chakra control was not as good as Kyohiko's, so he might not be able to learn it.

In addition, Kyohiko spent three months.

Even with those resources, it might take him one or two years to learn it.

It's been too long!

It would be better to study swordsmanship.

As for catching up with me...

Kyohiko grinned, "Come on, give it a try!"

"Good."

Kakashi focused his gaze and instantly drew the blade from his waist.

Like Kyohiko, he also practiced using dual swords.

but.

The difference is--

This time he only used one knife. The moment he drew the blade, his hand touched the blade, and a raging fire instantly burst into flames.

They possess the properties of both fire and wind, and are sharp and intensely hot.

"Watch out!"

Kakashi gave a reminder.

Although he knew he might not be able to hurt Kyohiko, he still didn't want Kyohiko to get hurt.

The blade slashed down.

Kyohiko drew his sword, and azure Chakra coalesced.

However.

Just as the blades were about to collide, Kakashi gripped the sword with both hands.

In an instant.

Boom!

The wind ignites the fire, causing the flames to grow, with the central part displaying a unique flame color.

Based on perception...

This strike may possess both the cutting power of wind and the scorching heat of fire!

Kyohiko was amazed.

Without a doubt, Kakashi took a completely different path.

His swordsmanship incorporates various nature transformations, making it more like the Uchiha Style Kenjutsu, but its application is more powerful than that of most current Uchiha.

Fortunately, Kyohiko reacted quickly and dodged in time.

but--

Boom!

The flames exploded, transforming into a vortex.

However.

At the same time, Kyohiko swung his fist, unleashing a burst Chakra chakra that transformed into a torrent.

Kara!

The ground cracked open, and air currents swirled wildly.

Flames and blades were all swept away.

Kakashi jumped back to prevent the sword from slipping from his hand.

He blinked, then sighed softly, "You've become stronger!"

Improving Yin Seal involves more than just knowledge of Sealing Technique.

Kyohiko has a stronger understanding of Chakra, and with his Mastery Level Strength of a Hundred, he can easily extract, condense, and unleash Chakra in a short time.

"Kakashi, don't be discouraged. Kyohiko said that aiming for first place will help us improve even faster!"

Might Guy flashed his White Fang, "Come chase after me, my forever friend!"

Kakashi rolled his eyes at him.

This guy is too realistic!

He used to be called my eternal enemy, but now we've turned around and become my eternal friend.

What exactly is forever?

Kakashi squinted.

"Take it easy next time. Although I can use Earth Style Ninjutsu now, there's no need to waste Chakra every time. Besides, I feel like you've gotten a lot stronger."

He was speaking when he was about to Hand Seals.

Kyohiko looked at his hands thoughtfully.

He had used the Mastery Level Strength of a Hundred before, and he was actually holding back his strength just now; normally, it shouldn't have such destructive power.

What are the effects of bloodline enhancement?

Chakra?

He recalled carefully that the Chakra he had gathered in that instant was indeed more and stronger than before.

Ahead, a boy stood there, looking at Kyohiko.

He clenched his fist, his voice excited and high-pitched.

"Kyohiko Yoshimine, I challenge you!"

"..."

Kakashi glanced back at Kyohiko, then looked at Asuma ahead.

A look of speechlessness crossed his face as he turned and pointed to the still-unsettled cracks in the earth. "See that thing?"

"Um?"

Asuma held the Kunai, puzzled as to why he had brought this up.

"You got this with a single punch, do you still want to challenge me?"

Kakashi's voice was indifferent.

Asuma looked at the ground; the cracks and craters—he had assumed they were the result of their Ninjutsu duel, but it turned out to be from Kyohiko's punch...

He was stunned, speechless.

Could I possibly be a match for such power?

Kyohiko looked at Asuma, unsure how to comfort him. Just as he was thinking of how to say something tactfully, an Anbu Ninja appeared in Body Flicker Technique.

Seeing this, the other party breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Then, in a somewhat abnormal voice, he said, "Kyohiko, Lady Tsunade summons you."

"Good."

Kyohiko immediately followed, feeling very fortunate.

If Shinnosuke had arrived any later, he might have really given his silly younger brother a piece of his mind.

Asuma did not give chase, but it was clear that the duel he had imagined had ended before it even began.

The opponent was too strong, too strong for him to match.

Kakashi leveled the ground with Ninjutsu and looked at Might Guy for help.

This kind of thing...

He's even worse than Kai.

Kai gave a thumbs-up, with a "I've got this covered" look on his face, and immediately stepped forward. "Asuma, are you wondering why Kyohiko is so strong?"

"?"

Asuma was bewildered.

He didn't understand what Kai was trying to say.

Might Guy flashed his bright white teeth and said, "You might think you've worked incredibly hard since graduation, but others have worked just as hard and are even more talented than you..."

"Are you saying I should just give up?"

Asuma's gaze was cold.

Might Guy shook his head, his tone impassioned, "Although I don't know why you see Kyohiko as your enemy, what I mean is, if you can't do it, it's because you haven't tried hard enough!"

"Sweat is the fountain of youth. Don't worry about what others think, let's run 500 laps together!"

Might Guy shouted loudly.

Asuma blinked, completely dumbfounded.

In the past, he had run and trained with Guy and Kakashi, but he still couldn't withstand such explosive Might Guy.

However, one of Kai's words deeply moved him.

Don't worry about what others think...

He nodded.

"Good!"

To become stronger, you can't care about what others think!

Asuma thought to himself.

Kakashi watched Asuma and Guy run off excitedly, feeling utterly speechless.

What the heck?

He asked Kai to persuade Asuma not to take the defeat too seriously, since they had all lost along the way.

but.

How did things develop like this?

And Asuma actually did run off with them.

Are you crazy?

Kakashi Hand Seals to smooth out the crater in the ground, then paused for a moment before walking off in another direction.

Perfect timing! With Kai having a new partner, Kyohiko no longer needs to store up large amounts of Chakra...

He can do his own thing now.

Inside the forest, Kakashi maintained the Rasengan with one hand, while the other Hand Seals, finally transforming into a ball of blazing white lightning, and then—

The two have merged into one.

Sizzle!

The Rasengan turned silvery-white, and the Chakra within it split into two streams: a normal Lightning Style. The Lightning Style Chakra trembled wildly, making the Rasengan both chaotic and orderly.

Hang in there, hold on!

However.

In the chaos, the Rasengan quickly disintegrated.

"Let's try the plan first to see if it's correct; otherwise, what if I'm the one on the wrong track?"

The next moment, Kakashi created a Shadow Clone.

Then, he and his Shadow Clone each used a different technique, and then—

Between the two, the silver-white Rasengan seemed to be swallowed by lightning, and the constantly vibrating Lightning Style Chakra emitted a "zzzz" sound, like a chirping.

Immediately, Kakashi and his Shadow Clone struck the ground together.

Laugh!

In the blink of an eye, his entire hand disappeared into the ground, while the silver Rasengan continued to chime brilliantly in his palm, like a bird.

Shadow Clone dissipated, Kakashi looked at his palm, then at the deep hole that had shrunk into a neat circle, and could hardly contain his excitement.

Although he took a shortcut, he succeeded!