"Ah, a draw."
He didn't want to say much, but if he gave Fei Shi an opening, he'd talk him into a rage.
"Oh, how did it end in a draw? Little Uncle's been watching too much, and now he's weak in the knees? Show some restraint, Kakashi."
Kakashi: "..."
I shouldn't have answered him!
"Hey, Fei Shi, Kakashi's pretty strong. This is the final round, the one that decides the winner. Why don't you be the referee?"
Fei Shi was more than happy to.
Back when he was training in Konoha, he'd met Guy, who was pouring his youth into exercise on the training field. They'd trained together and become friends.
"Sigh."
Fei Shi was someone Kakashi didn't want to deal with. They were good friends, but Fei Shi was just too vicious with his teasing.
Compared with Fei Shi, who loved to needle people, Kakashi would rather face the annoying Guy.
"All right, all right, get ready! On your marks! Get set! Climb, you brats!"
Kakashi stumbled and nearly fell, but quickly regained his balance and started climbing.
Guy, meanwhile, didn't think twice and took the lead.
The cliff was uneven, and climbing eighty meters was dangerous.
They didn't use chakra while climbing, since they were training their bodies, so things could easily go wrong. The weaker ones, however, had safety measures in place.
Their pace varied as they climbed, but before long, they reached the summit.
"Hahahaha, Kakashi, I win! The score between us is now three to three. But I'll win in the end, because I'm going to become the strongest man!"
"Oh, I know."
Kakashi replied listlessly.
All he wanted now was to go back. If he didn't leave soon, Fei Shi would catch him...
"Hahahaha, Kakashi, I can't believe you lost. I know a way to get stronger. Want to hear it?"
"No, I'm tired. I'm going back to rest."
If I don't leave now, you'll talk me to death.
"Hey, hey, wait. There's a technique I want to teach Naruto and the other kids, but I need someone to help me demonstrate it. You're more suited to it than Guy, since he's no good at ninjutsu. And I can teach you, too. I promise I'm not setting you up this time."
Kakashi stopped.
Teach the teacher's child, huh?
"Phew."
Kakashi took a deep breath and steadied himself. It was worth making a sacrifice for the teacher's child. He walked up to Fei Shi, stopped about ten meters away, and struck a pose as if preparing to face his death.
Fei Shi: "..."
I've only set you up a few times. Is that really necessary? I'm not some ancient monster.
"Watch closely, you little brats. I'm about to use the technique I told you about. You'll need a strong body to learn it, so if you want to try, work hard at training after this. All right, Kakashi, attack me with Fire Release and Lightning Release."
As soon as Fei Shi finished speaking, Kakashi began forming Hand Seals.
"Fire Release: Fireball Jutsu!"
The huge fireball came straight at him, but Fei Shi didn't dodge. A black substance covered his body, and he tore the fireball apart with his bare hands.
Kakashi was startled. What's that black substance? Is it a new jutsu Fei Shi developed? He took a fireball head-on. It may be a low-level jutsu, but the heat is still intense. He actually withstood the flames. Interesting.
Hmm, I wonder if I could learn that jutsu from him.
"Use Chidori."
Kakashi frowned, but quickly formed Hand Seals and unleashed Chidori.
The result was the same. The black substance blocked it.
Even Chidori!
That's an incredible jutsu!
Kakashi marveled inwardly.
He's so talented at combat, training, and developing jutsu. What a shame... He opened his mouth, then closed it.
Fei Shi took out a piece of black cloth, folded it over several times, and held it over his eyes.
"Kakashi, Guy, attack me with all you've got. Don't worry about hurting me."
"Got it!" ×2
They knew a little about Fei Shi's strength, so they weren't too worried. They were just curious about what he was planning. Was he going to block his eyes and dodge their attacks? How could that be possible?
But what happened next stunned them.
Fei Shi handled their attacks with ease. He even began dodging before they had fully struck.
It was as if... he could see the future.
The thought startled them.
How could a person see the future? Even a few seconds would make an enormous difference in battle.
For ten minutes straight, Kakashi and Guy failed to land a single hit on Fei Shi. The four children stared wide-eyed. Fei Shi, with his body covered in black substance, could withstand ninjutsu and dodge attacks in advance. They thought he was incredibly cool.
"This is what I want to teach you. I call it Haki."
"Haki?"
Everyone looked puzzled.
"Yeah. I call the black substance covering my body Armament Haki, and the ability to dodge attacks in advance Observation Haki."
"Armament Haki can be applied to your body or your weapons. In some ways, it's like Kumogakure's Lightning Release Chakra Mode, but its defense and attack power are greater.
"Observation Haki is a way to enhance your senses. It lets you predict the trajectory and nature of an enemy's attacks. At its highest level, you can see a few seconds into the future.
"There's also Conqueror's Haki, which can only be trained by people with tremendous spirit. You can combine it with Armament Haki to unleash even more powerful attacks. That technique is called Conqueror's Haki Infusion. You can only learn it once you've mastered both Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki."
"Conqueror's Haki? What does it do? Is Conqueror's Haki Infusion the only thing it can do?"
Kakashi couldn't help asking.
He was fascinated by this thing called Haki. That ability to withstand ninjutsu was incredible. If he learned it, he'd have a much better chance of surviving missions.
"Hmm, I'll let you try it after I finish explaining. To train in Armament Haki, you need a strong enough body. Armament Haki uses up your stamina, not your chakra. As for Observation Haki, the best way to train is through real combat—by taking a beating."
Everyone: "..."
"Excellent! Fei Shi, this is great! Teach me! My youth is thirsting for this!"
Fei Shi and Kakashi: "..."
What kind of suggestive line is that? You'll give people the wrong idea!
"All right, all right. I'll teach you. Kakashi, you should learn it too. It'll make it easier to stay alive on missions, even if you can't complete them."
"Got it!" ×2
"All right, you wanted to try Conqueror's Haki, didn't you? Brace yourselves."
Boom!
An invisible force surged out of Fei Shi. The four children fainted on the spot.
Seventeen-year-old Kakashi had been through plenty of life-or-death missions, and his will was strong. He gritted his teeth and managed to hold on.
Might Guy did the same, shouting, "My youth won't let me fall!" as he held out.
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