Kakashi looked down at the tabletop.
"I think it's more likely he created it himself."
Hatake Sakumo looked at him.
Kakashi continued, "His movements were rough. They didn't show signs of years of practice."
"But he adjusted quickly, and his combat judgment was much better than what he showed at school."
"If he hasn't been hiding it for a long time, then he only suddenly got stronger recently."
"Father, why would someone who used to be completely ordinary suddenly master this kind of lightning-attribute nintaijutsu?"
Hatake Sakumo did not answer immediately.
Kakashi raised his head, clear interest showing in his exposed eye.
"I want to find a chance to spar with him."
"To see just how much he's hiding."
"And prove that I'm the greatest genius."
Hatake Sakumo looked at his son and suddenly smiled.
"All right."
Kakashi froze for a moment.
Hatake Sakumo said, "When you meet someone your age worth taking notice of, wanting to test them in a fight is a ninja's instinct."
"But remember, Fang Xu is your classmate, not your enemy."
"You can spar, but no sneak attacks, no heavy blows, and don't let winning or losing damage your relationship."
"Observe the proper courtesies."
Kakashi nodded.
"I know."
When the dismissal bell rang the next day, the students filed out of the classroom.
Fang Xu put away his textbooks and shouldered his bag.
Kurenai Yuhi glanced at him.
"Going training again?"
"Yeah."
Fang Xu nodded.
"I'm heading to the riverbank west of the village to practice ninjutsu for a while."
Kurenai Yuhi looked a little helpless.
"You really haven't been slacking off at all lately."
Fang Xu smiled.
"I can't afford not to work hard."
"Lightning Body Tempering takes too much stamina. I'm eating more every day."
"I'll also see if I can catch a couple of fish by the river. That'll give me some extra ingredients."
Kurenai Yuhi could not help laughing.
"You've got both training and meals all planned out."
Fang Xu spread his hands.
"Can't help it. Poor people have to be thrifty when they train."
Kurenai Yuhi reminded him, "Then don't go anywhere too dangerous."
"Don't worry."
Fang Xu said, "I won't go charging into places like the Forest of Death as I am now."
"I'll consider hunting in there once I'm a little stronger."
Only then did Kurenai Yuhi nod.
"See you tomorrow, then."
"See you tomorrow."
After saying goodbye to her, Fang Xu left the Ninja Academy and headed toward the village's western outskirts.
The riverbank soon came into view.
It was some distance from the village center, with plenty of trees around and few visitors on most days.
The river was narrow but clear, and the silhouettes of fish could occasionally be seen darting beneath the surface.
Fang Xu set his bag aside and checked the surroundings first.
Only after confirming that he saw no one did he walk to the river.
"Ninjutsu first, fishing afterward."
He was going through too much food now.
Lightning Body Tempering, taijutsu training, sword practice-all of them burned stamina.
Relying solely on buying meat put too much strain on his wallet.
The fish in the river would not solve the problem entirely, but they would help a little.
As for the Forest of Death, it had plenty of wild animals and meat, but the danger was considerable too.
Until he was strong enough, he would not gamble with his life.
Fang Xu gathered his thoughts and raised both hands.
Lightning Release: Lightning Ball Technique.
He had already become proficient in this ninjutsu. Once he completed the three hand seals, he could reliably form a lightning ball in his palm.
But Fang Xu was not satisfied with that.
His goal was to gradually reduce the lightning ball from a three-seal ninjutsu to two seals, then one, and finally cast it without seals.
This was not simply to look cool.
It was to gain finer control over the process of converting chakra into lightning.
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit's lightning came from its fruit ability.
Lightning Release's lightning came from changes in chakra nature.
If he wanted to study the mutual conversion of chakra and the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's power in the future, he had to start with the most basic control of lightning release chakra.
Fang Xu formed hand seals with both hands.
With the three seals complete, chakra flowed through his meridians into his palm.
Crackle!
A fist-sized ball of blue-white lightning rapidly took shape.
The lightning ball spun in his palm, arcs dancing across it with a fine crackling sound.
Fang Xu did not rush to throw it. Instead, he watched its structure.
"First, gather chakra, then convert it to lightning nature, and finally use shape transformation to stabilize it into a ball."
"The hand seals help me lock those steps into place."
"To cast it without seals, I need my body to remember the process on its own."
He flicked his wrist.
The lightning ball flew out and struck a rock beside the river.
Boom!
A scorched patch blasted open on the rock's surface, sending fragments flying.
Fang Xu glanced at the result and got a sense of it.
The power was consistent, and the consumption was acceptable.
On his second attempt, he left out one seal.
The chakra flow immediately became uneven.
As soon as lightning emerged in 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 agitation of the lightning-nature chakra.
A few breaths later, a lightning ball a size smaller than the last one took shape.
It was less stable than with three seals, but it did not collapse.
"That's progress."
Fang Xu threw the lightning ball at another rock.
Boom!
The scorch mark this time was shallower, but the technique had succeeded.
After the lightning faded, however, Fang Xu did not continue forming seals.
He stood where he was, his ears twitching slightly.
The river breeze swept through the grass. Beneath a tree to his left, a blade of grass swayed very unnaturally.
In that instant, he had caught sight of a figure.
Silver-white hair.
A black mask.
Fang Xu turned his head and spoke directly.
"Kakashi, come out."
The grass fell still for a second.
Then Kakashi stepped out.
With one hand in his pocket and part of his short sword's hilt showing over his back, he spoke in a languid tone.
"So you noticed me."
Fang Xu looked at him.
"You followed me here from school?"
Kakashi said, "Sorry."
There was not a trace of sincerity in the word.
Fang Xu raised an eyebrow.
"That apology was even more half-hearted than your stalking."
Kakashi did not argue.
"I just wanted to check something."
"Check what?"
"How much strength you're really hiding."
Kakashi looked at Fang Xu, his voice a little more serious than before.
"I saw you teach those three punks a lesson in the alley that day."
"Lightning nintaijutsu without hand seals-the speed, strength, and paralyzing effect were all pretty good."
"What you used to show at school was completely different from that day."
"Fang Xu, you've been hiding your abilities all along."
Fang Xu did not deny it.
"It's nothing strange for a ninja to have a few trump cards, is it?"
"No."
Kakashi reached back and gripped his short sword's hilt.
"That's why I want to test you."
The short sword left its sheath.
Its blade gleamed coldly in the setting sun.
Kakashi held the short sword across his body and spoke calmly.
"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'll stop short of hurting each other."
After saying that, he added something else.
"My father told me to mind my manners."
Fang Xu looked at him, then at the patch of flattened grass nearby.
"You stalked me and spied on me, and now you're talking about manners?"
Kakashi was silent for a second.
"I already apologized."
Fang Xu was so annoyed he nearly laughed.