Continue Training

Kakashi lowered his head and looked at the tabletop.

"I think it's more likely that he created it himself."

Hatake Sakumo looked at him.

Kakashi continued, "His movements are rough. They don't have the traces of years of practice."

"But he adjusts quickly, and his combat judgment is far stronger than what he showed at the academy."

"If he hasn't been hiding it for a long time, then he must have suddenly grown stronger recently."

"Father, why would someone who used to be so ordinary suddenly master this kind of Lightning Release Nintaijutsu?"

Hatake Sakumo did not answer immediately.

Kakashi raised his head, obvious interest in his exposed eye.

"I want to find a chance to spar with him."

"I want to see just how much he's been hiding."

"And prove that I'm still the greatest genius."

Hatake Sakumo looked at his son and suddenly smiled.

"Fine."

Kakashi froze.

Hatake Sakumo said, "When you encounter a peer worth paying attention to and want to test yourself against him, that is a ninja's instinct."

"But remember, Fang Xu is your classmate, not your enemy."

"You may spar, but don't ambush him, don't hit too hard, and don't damage your relationship over victory or defeat."

"Maintain the proper etiquette."

Kakashi nodded.

"I understand."

The next day, the dismissal bell rang, and the students gradually left the classroom.

Fang Xu packed away his textbooks and slung his backpack over his shoulders.

Kurenai Yuhi glanced at him.

"You're training again?"

"Yeah."

Fang Xu nodded.

"I'm going to the riverbank west of the village to practice some ninjutsu."

Kurenai Yuhi looked somewhat helpless.

"You really haven't been slacking off at all lately."

Fang Xu smiled.

"I don't have a choice but to work hard."

"Lightning Body Tempering uses too much stamina. My appetite keeps getting bigger every day."

"I'll also see whether I can catch a couple of fish by the river and add to my ingredients."

Kurenai Yuhi could not help laughing.

"You've got both cultivation and meals planned out."

Fang Xu spread his hands.

"It can't be helped. Poor people need to know how to manage their lives while cultivating."

Kurenai Yuhi reminded him, "Then don't go anywhere too dangerous."

"Don't worry."

Fang Xu said, "I'm not going to recklessly enter a place like the Forest of Death yet."

"I'll consider hunting in there once I'm stronger."

Only then did Kurenai Yuhi nod.

"See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow."

After saying goodbye to her, Fang Xu left the Ninja Academy and headed toward the outskirts on the western side of the village.

The riverbank soon came into view.

It was some distance from the village center, with many trees around it, so few people usually came here.

The river was not wide, but its waters were clear enough for him to see the occasional shadow of fish passing beneath the surface.

Fang Xu set his backpack aside and first checked the surrounding area.

Only after confirming that no one was around did he walk to the riverbank.

"Practice ninjutsu first, then fish."

His food consumption was far too great now.

Lightning Body Tempering, Taijutsu training, and swordsmanship practice all burned through his stamina.

Relying solely on buying meat put too much pressure on his money pouch.

The fish in the river could not completely solve the problem, but they could at least supplement his food supply.

As for the Forest of Death, there were plenty of wild beasts and plenty of meat inside, but it was equally dangerous.

Before he had sufficient strength, he would not gamble with his life.

Fang Xu pushed those thoughts aside and raised his hands.

Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique.

He had already practiced this ninjutsu to a proficient level. After forming three hand seals, he could steadily condense a lightning ball in his palm.

But Fang Xu was not satisfied with that.

His goal was to gradually reduce the Lightning Ball Technique from three seals to two, then one, and finally release it without seals.

This was not merely for show.

It was to gain a more precise grasp of the process through which chakra transformed into lightning.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit's lightning came from the fruit's ability.

Lightning Release lightning came from chakra nature transformation.

If he wanted to study the mutual conversion between chakra and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power in the future, he had to begin with the most basic control over lightning-nature chakra.

Fang Xu formed hand seals.

After completing the three seals, chakra flowed through his meridians and gathered in his palm.

Crackle!

A blue-white lightning ball the size of a fist swiftly took shape.

The lightning ball spun in his palm, arcs of electricity leaping across its surface as it gave off a dense crackling sound.

Fang Xu did not throw it out immediately. Instead, he stared at the structure of the lightning ball.

"First, chakra gathers. Then it transforms into lightning nature. Finally, shape transformation stabilizes it into a sphere."

"The hand seals help me lock those steps into place."

"If I want to release it without seals, my body needs to memorize this whole process on its own."

He flicked his wrist.

The lightning ball shot out and struck a rock by the river.

Boom!

A scorched mark exploded across the rock's surface, sending fragments flying.

Fang Xu glanced at the result and understood the situation.

The power was stable, and the consumption was acceptable.

For the second attempt, he formed one fewer seal.

The flow of chakra immediately became less smooth.

The instant lightning emerged from his palm, it began to scatter.

Fang Xu did not panic. He immediately slowed his chakra output and used his mental strength to gradually suppress the turbulence of the lightning-nature chakra.

A few breaths later, a lightning ball one size smaller than the previous one took shape.

It was not as stable as the three-seal version, but it had not collapsed.

"Progress."

Fang Xu threw the lightning ball toward another rock.

Boom!

The scorched mark this time was shallower, but the technique had succeeded.

After the lightning faded, Fang Xu did not continue forming seals.

He stood still, his ear twitching slightly.

The river wind blew through the grass. Beneath a tree to his left, a blade of grass swayed in a distinctly unnatural way.

In that instant, he had caught sight of a figure.

Silver-white hair.

A black face mask.

Fang Xu turned his head and spoke directly.

"Kakashi, come out."

The grass fell silent for a second.

Then Kakashi stepped out from within it.

One hand was tucked into his pocket, and part of the hilt of the short sword on his back was visible. His tone was lazy.

"So I was discovered."

Fang Xu looked at him.

"You followed me here from school?"

Kakashi said, "Sorry for the trouble."

There was not a shred of sincerity in those words.

Fang Xu raised an eyebrow.

"That apology was more perfunctory than the stalking."

Kakashi did not refute him.

"I only wanted to confirm something."

"Confirm what?"

"Just how much strength you've been hiding."

Kakashi looked at Fang Xu, his voice more serious than before.

"I saw you teach those three little punks a lesson in the alley that day."

"Lightning Release Nintaijutsu without hand seals. Your speed, strength, and paralysis effect were all impressive."

"What you showed at the academy before was completely different from that day."

"Fang Xu, you've been hiding your abilities all along."

Fang Xu did not deny it.

"It's not strange for a ninja to have a few trump cards, is it?"

"Not strange."

Kakashi reached back and gripped the hilt of his short sword.

"So I want to test you."

The short sword left its sheath.

Its blade glinted coldly beneath the setting sun.

Kakashi held the short sword horizontally before him, his tone calm.

"Fight me."

Fang Xu looked at the short sword in his hand.

"The Ninja Academy doesn't encourage private fights."

"A spar."

Kakashi said, "We stop at the right point."

After saying that, he added another sentence.

"My father said we should observe proper etiquette."

Fang Xu looked at him, then at the patch of grass beside him that had been pressed flat.

"You stalked and spied on me, and now you're talking to me about etiquette?"

Kakashi fell silent for a second.

"I already apologized."

Fang Xu was nearly angered into laughter.