Sparring with Kakashi

"You graduated early?"

Kakashi Hatake led Shimizu into the living room, intending to brew some tea for him.

Unfortunately, after searching for a long time, Kakashi realized that the tea had run out a few days before his father's death and had never been replenished.

"I'm just here to sit for a bit."

Shimizu waved his hand, signaling that Kakashi didn't need to worry about such formalities.

"I did graduate early, but your reputation hasn't been so great lately."

"Those are just the incompetent evaluations of trash ninjas."

Kakashi's white hair looked somewhat greasy, matted into clumps, clearly having gone untended for a long time.

His eyes were listless, resembling those of a dead fish, with slightly swollen lids and dark shadows lingering beneath them.

Shimizu scanned the living room; it was cluttered and carried a strange odor.

"Want to spar? Just taijutsu? I've been practicing a bit lately."

Shimizu understood that Kakashi hadn't yet emerged from the shadow of losing his father, so he extended the invitation.

This was his true objective.

The results deduced in the Simulator indicated that Kakashi would come to challenge him after hearing about his early graduation.

Shimizu had taken the initiative to come over for a spar; the sooner he could steal the techniques, the sooner he would master the Hatake Style Kenjutsu.

"Fine."

There was no emotion in Kakashi's voice, but he did not refuse Shimizu's invitation.

Sparring with a strong ninja would be conducive to his own improvement.

"Mission rate... this should help it rise..."

Kakashi murmured, his voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.

The two arrived in the spacious courtyard.

"Here."

Kakashi tossed a wooden short blade to Shimizu, while gripping an identical one in his right hand.

Once Shimizu was ready, Kakashi's wooden blade slashed forward with enough momentum to cut through the air.

Shimizu's gaze sharpened as he raised his blade to parry.

If it weren't for the fact that after obtaining the Byakugan, it seemed to have triggered some special reaction with his Sharingan, enhancing his normal vision, he would have had to activate the Sharingan just to dodge this single strike.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The blades clashed, sparks flying before being extinguished by the rapid movements.

The wooden short blades Kakashi brought out were made of a special material, unlike ordinary wood; they were similar to metal and could conduct chakra, making them convenient for daily practice.

"A strange... feeling."

Kakashi's previously listless eyes gradually grew solemn; he felt pressure coming from Shimizu.

Every time he swung his blade, Shimizu managed to evade from a different angle, and as time passed, his defense gradually shifted into offense.

He looked up to see that Shimizu had not activated the Uchiha bloodline limit, the Sharingan.

"I'm getting serious."

Kakashi's speed changed abruptly, and a current of electricity, invisible to the naked eye, surged over his blade.

"Using Lightning Style to stimulate his cells, the path of execution is..."

Shimizu twisted his wooden blade, blocking Kakashi's strike.

Boom!

The wooden short blade shattered, fragments scattering in all directions.

Kakashi instinctively closed his eyes, and this was the moment Shimizu had been waiting for.

He quickly activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan, observing the residual path of the Lightning Style chakra within Kakashi's meridian system and memorizing it in his mind.

All of this happened in a split second; by the time Kakashi opened his eyes, Shimizu had already deactivated his Sharingan.

All Kakashi saw was Shimizu's smile.

"Kakashi, you aren't going to ask me to pay for that, are you?"

"No."

Kakashi was concise.

While sparring with Shimizu, he had also managed to reorganize his own kenjutsu.

Ever since his father died, no one had practiced with him, and his technique had become increasingly rusty.

He had turned his focus to practicing Lightning Style instead.

Kakashi already had a rough prototype in mind; perhaps before long, he would be able to create that technique.

"Shall we keep training?"

Kakashi took the initiative to ask.

While he had been immersed in the battle just now, his heart had found a sense of relief, allowing him to briefly forget the reality of his father's death.

"Let's go."

Qingshui nodded.

What he had managed to pilfer through observation so far was far from enough; it wasn't sufficient for him to execute the Hatake family's swordsmanship.

The Uchiha Settlement.

A short-haired girl walked into an area that other clansmen rarely visited today.

She navigated the streets of the Uchiha Settlement with practiced ease, heading toward her destination.

"Oh, it's little Rin."

Uchiha Tesho, the owner of the Uchiha Rice Cracker Shop, greeted Nohara Rin with a smile.

The direction Nohara Rin was heading was toward Uchiha Shimizu's home, and she frequently passed by his shop.

He was a mild-mannered Uchiha, approachable and very warm toward people from other clans.

"Yes, Grandpa Tesho, hello. I'd like one rice cracker."

Nohara Rin greeted Uchiha Tesho. Over the past two years, she had often come to the Uchiha Settlement to seek tutoring from Qingshui.

Sometimes, when she was hungry, she would buy something at the Uchiha Rice Cracker Shop.

Qingshui's house was full of Military Ration Pills; although the taste was passable, Nohara Rin wasn't used to them and preferred eating natural food.

"Here you go, it's piping hot."

Uchiha Tesho pushed back the money Nohara Rin offered and pressed the rice cracker into her hands instead.

At his age, he wasn't short on money; he just ran the little shop to pass the time and keep himself occupied.

"Thank you, Grandpa Tesho."

Nohara Rin quickly placed the money on the table with a nimble hand before jogging away.

"What a kind girl. If that little brat Obito knew Rin was here again, he'd be pestering her all over again."

Uchiha Tesho watched Nohara Rin's retreating figure with a benevolent expression. He knew Obito's grandmother and was therefore quite familiar with Obito, silently marveling at the boundless energy of the youth today.

Five minutes later, at Qingshui's house.

Nohara Rin had already finished the rice cracker. She had been in such a rush today that she hadn't eaten lunch, so she had specifically bought the cracker to stave off her hunger.

A piece of pork lay on the table in the middle of the living room. Nohara Rin stood on the west side of the table, while Qingshui stood on the east.

"Let's continue the practice."

Qingshui glanced at Nohara Rin, telling her to practice according to what he had taught her previously.

For the past two years, Nohara Rin had spent most of her time reading books on her own, with Qingshui providing guidance on her shortcomings.

Nohara Rin began practicing medical ninjutsu on the piece of pork.

"Qingshui-kun, why have you always been so eager to help me?"

Nohara Rin asked Qingshui while using medical ninjutsu to treat the wound on the pork.

As she grew older, she understood more and more.

She also knew that a girl must always be careful to protect herself.

Qingshui's help, which came without any expectation of reward, actually made Nohara Rin feel a bit uneasy.

At first, she had been very grateful, but gradually, Qingshui's attitude seemed a bit too good.

Free things are often the most expensive.

Just like how the most precious thing in the world is oxygen—it is everywhere, visible at all times, and accessible to everyone.

Without oxygen, one would die of asphyxiation in just a few minutes.

Unfortunately, people often only realize the value of oxygen when they are faced with the danger of suffocation.

"Didn't I say? Classmates should help each other."

Qingshui's pitch-black eyes stared intently at Nohara Rin.

The corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily. After two years of getting along, the step of building trust had been completed.

It was time to execute the next phase.