When he saw the scene on the training ground, even this professor of ninjutsu drew a sharp breath.
In the image, the boy moved like a sprite dancing amid raging waves.
Every swing of his blade brought a visible vortex of water, dissolving the dense barrage of ninjutsu around him.
No hand seals, no complex chakra manipulation-he was drawing on natural energy through swordsmanship alone?
What... what principle was behind this?
"A genius... no, he's an outright prodigy!"
The Third murmured to himself, his eyes flashing.
Even the Konoha White Fang couldn't have achieved this at his age, could he?
The boy had integrated Chakra Nature Transformation into his swordsmanship so perfectly that offense and defense became one. His creativity was downright terrifying.
"Though swordsmanship is no longer mainstream in this era, if it can be developed to such heights... this boy must receive special training!"
The Third took a deep pull on his pipe, his gaze fixed on the figure fighting like a man possessed.
"Using every Genin in the training ground as a whetstone... I like this little fellow's nerve."
"I just wonder what this sword style I've never seen before is called..."
On the training ground.
The battle was drawing to a close.
Groaning Genin lay all around, and those who could still stand were panting, their chakra nearly exhausted.
Lei Dou flicked the blood off his blade, looking rather bored.
[Data collection efficiency has dropped significantly...]
The system notifications had started becoming sporadic two minutes earlier.
He had wrung this group of Genin dry. Fighting them any longer wouldn't yield any valuable data.
Seeing Lei Dou still brimming with energy, neither flushed nor out of breath, the Genin were filled with despair and fear.
"A monster... he's definitely a monster..."
"After fighting for so long and using so many powerful moves, isn't he tired?"
"Does he have an endless supply of chakra?!"
Tired?
Lei Dou felt utterly untroubled. He almost wanted to laugh.
What a joke. He had the system-optimized Water Breathing equipped.
This Breathing Technique's greatest cheat was the tremendous boost it gave his heart and lung function and endurance. Combined with his already enormous chakra reserves, this level of exertion didn't even count as a warm-up.
"Out of energy already?"
Lei Dou eyed the swaying crowd mockingly. "You can't handle this little exercise? So young, yet so weak. I'd suggest going home and eating some goji berries to build yourselves up."
The words did little damage, but the insult was devastating.
For a group of adult ninja in their twenties, being called weak by a teenage boy felt worse than death.
"Brat! Enough of your arrogance!"
Just then, the crowd parted on its own, and three figures stepped forward with formidable intensity.
Their equipment and their eyes alike set them apart from the rabble he had just fought.
Oh? Have a few big fish finally shown up?
Lei Dou narrowed his eyes, feeling a pressure he hadn't experienced in a long time.
Chunin? Or Special Jōnin?
Though he couldn't determine their ranks precisely, his instincts told him these three could contribute plenty to his progress bar.
"You look a little stronger than these weaklings. What, are you here to stand up for them?"
Lei Dou showed no fear. Instead, he openly provoked them.
The three exchanged glances, so infuriated by his nerve that they laughed.
"Brat, take a good look. We're Chunin! Don't lump us in with those freshly graduated rookies!"
"Chunin..." Lei Dou curled his lip, looking disappointed. "What a shame. I thought I'd drawn out some Jonin."
"..."
Veins throbbed on the three Chunin's foreheads.
What did he mean, "only Chunin"?
They were the backbone of the village! And this brat was disappointed in them?
"Utterly arrogant! You'll pay for your conceit!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Without another word, three kunai shot out in a triangular formation at astonishing speed. Wind-nature chakra coated them, making them shriek as they tore through the air.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Lei Dou flicked his wrist, parrying them precisely, but the jolts through the web of his hand made his gaze sharpen.
"Not bad! Now you're starting to look like ninja!"
"Hmph! Don't get cocky yet, brat! A Chunin's way of fighting is beyond your understanding!"
A cold voice suddenly sounded behind him.
So fast!
Was this... the Body Flicker Technique?!
They were on a completely different level from those Genin who just ran around on their own two legs!
Lei Dou's scalp prickled, and he instinctively brought his blade back to guard.
Clang!
Sparks flew!
An enormous force struck him. Before he could steady himself, the other two figures appeared like phantoms on either side.
Working in perfect coordination, the three Chunin instantly trapped him in a killing formation.
That suffocating pressure finally gave Lei Dou a taste of danger.
But this was exactly what he wanted!
Water Breathing, total concentration!
Eighth form: Waterfall Basin!
Lei Dou roared, bringing his long blade down in a fierce overhead slash.
The swing seemed to summon an immense waterfall from the sky, its terrifying water pressure exploding together with the sword energy.
Boom!
The three attackers were forced back by the sudden area attack, instantly shattering their lethal combined formation.
Lei Dou seized the opening to backflip away, gently rotating his aching wrist.
"That was close. Almost messed that up."
The three Chunin were equally stunned.
In a situation that should have meant certain death, this brat had reacted instantly and unleashed a sword technique that powerful?
The watching Genin broke into cold sweats. When this brat had fought them earlier, he really had just been playing around!
[Great Sage: High-level combat data recorded... activating computational overclocking...] [Analysis progress increased by 10%... current analysis capabilities enhanced.]
Just as Lei Dou prepared to take the initiative, the system notification in his head brought him to a halt.
Enhanced analysis capabilities? What does that mean?
[Great Sage: Computational capacity has surpassed the 30% threshold. Real-Time Skill Analysis unlocked.]
In plain language.
[Great Sage: Simply put, the host can now directly analyze and copy an enemy's skills.]
Holy shit?!
Lei Dou's pupils shook.
Before, he had to go through all the trouble of stealing scrolls or finding someone to teach him. Now he could learn just by watching?
Even the Sharingan had to be awakened. He could just cheat outright?
This was ridiculously overpowered!
That instantaneous movement technique the three had used was definitely the Body Flicker Technique.
It was a godlike skill that came standard with high-level ninja!
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Quick! Analyze the Body Flicker Technique they just used!
[Great Sage: Analysis initiated... estimated time: five minutes.]
Five minutes?
So if I last five minutes, I can learn the Body Flicker Technique? That's a bargain!
Lei Dou's eyes lit up. He looked at the three Chunin as though they were three glittering golden treasure chests.
Even the Third Hokage, watching from in front of the crystal ball, was stunned by this undisguised fervor for battle.
Even the Third Hokage watching through his crystal ball was stunned by that undisguised, feverish fighting spirit.
"Instead of running from powerful enemies, he only grows fiercer... is this boy a battle maniac at heart?"
That temperament was a double-edged sword. Handled well, he would become the village's blade. Handled poorly, he would be a ticking time bomb.
"Lord Third, you wanted to see me?"
"Lord Third, you wanted to see me?"
Shimozuki Hayate pushed the door open and entered, looking bewildered.
Hiruzen Sarutobi took a deep pull on the pipe between his lips. His cloudy old eyes gleamed as he tipped his chin toward Hayate.
"Come closer and take a good look! Your Shimozuki clan has produced quite a little monster this time. He's doing something big enough to shake the entire Konoha High Command!"
Something big?
Hayate's heart sank, and cold sweat trickled down his temple.
"Lord Third, has that little brat Lei Dou caused trouble? He hasn't even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet. He's young, hotheaded, and doesn't know better. If he's offended anyone..."
"Trouble? Haha, I'd welcome more of this sort of 'trouble'!"
Hiruzen Sarutobi laughed heartily, smoke rings dispersing in the air.
"If not for that impulsive streak, I almost would have misjudged him. I nearly missed a prodigy with such astonishing talent for swordsmanship!"
"Huh?"
Hayate was utterly baffled, his mouth hanging wide enough to fit an egg.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go, was it?
"Hayate, don't worry. If things keep going this way, it won't be long before the name of the Shimozuki clan resounds throughout the shinobi world!"
"Hayate, put your mind at ease. At this rate, it won't be long before your Shimozuki clan's name rings out across the entire shinobi world!"
The Third's praise was so lavish that Hayate felt a little dizzy.
Famous throughout the shinobi world? Because of Lei Dou?
"Seeing is believing. Look for yourself!"
Without further explanation, Hiruzen Sarutobi brushed his withered hand over the crystal ball on his desk, bringing the image forward.
The crystal ball's faint glow revealed the scene at Konoha Training Ground No. 1.
The crystal ball's faint glow revealed the scene at Konoha Training Ground No. 1.
At the center of the image stood Lei Dou, ninja blade in hand.
Facing him were three fully armed Chunin!
What made Hayate's scalp prickle even more was that Lei Dou wasn't retreating at all. Like a tiger descending from the mountain, he charged straight at them!
One against three!
This was no desperate struggle. It was outright one-sided domination!
The ordinary ninja blade seemed to come alive in Lei Dou's hands, forcing the three Chunin into a frantic scramble.
Then a sight unfolded that nearly made Hayate's eyes pop out.
The instant Lei Dou swung his blade, azure water materialized from thin air like a raging dragon surging from the sea!
Boom!
The solid Earth Flow Wall that had just risen was instantly sliced apart like crumbling tofu by the watery sword energy.
Before the Chunin using Earth Release could even react, the unstoppable slash hurled him away. He screamed as he crashed down far in the distance.
After landing that hit, Lei Dou didn't even turn his head.
He swept his blade backward several times, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.
Clink! Clang! Clink!
Every shuriken hurtling toward him in a sneak attack from behind was precisely knocked down, scattering sparks.
The next second, the ground cracked.
Lei Dou drove his foot into the earth and shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bow, unleashing terrifying speed generated through taijutsu alone.
Too fast!
The Chunin fighting Lei Dou went pale. If they hadn't desperately used the Body Flicker Technique, that last attack would have taken their heads off.
Hayate watched with his heart pounding. Lei Dou's control over the battle was so precise it was almost horrifying.
Hayate watched with his heart pounding. Lei Dou's control of the battle was frighteningly precise.
Feint one way, strike the other!
The ninja on the left had just scrambled away using the Body Flicker Technique when he realized that Lei Dou's icy eyes had actually remained fixed on the unlucky fellow to the right.
While moving at high speed, Lei Dou forcibly shifted his center of gravity.
A change of direction!
His entire body lunged straight at the ninja on the right at an angle that defied the laws of physics.
That ninja was no pushover either. He was already forming hand seals.
"Fire Release!"
However, illuminated by the flames all around him, Lei Dou advanced instead of retreating.
Yet, illuminated by the blazing inferno, Lei Dou charged forward instead of retreating.
His Ninja Blade swept in a circle, his body spinning like a windmill. Wrapped in surging torrents of water, he carved a bloody path straight through the heart of the flames!
A head-on breakthrough!
Almost in the blink of an eye, his cold, stern face was right in front of his opponent's nose.
His long blade angled upward.
The icy tip hovered less than a centimeter from his opponent's Adam's apple.
That bone-chilling cold froze the Chunin in place. He didn't dare move a muscle.
With both his companions instantly put out of action, the lone remaining Chunin lost his nerve completely.
He didn't last even two exchanges before a kick sent him sprawling.
"Is... is that really Lei Dou?"
Hayate's throat felt dry.
Honestly, even if he, a Special Jōnin, stepped in himself, he probably couldn't have dealt with those three so cleanly and effortlessly.
And Hayate knew full well that there was more.
Lei Dou still hadn't used his ace in the hole-Transparent Release!
Combined with that kekkei genkai's ability to conceal his presence, the fight would probably have ended even faster.
At that point, it wouldn't merely have been suppression, but a one-sided slaughter.
Forget the Chunin—even a Jonin would have a hard time dealing with such terrifying swordsmanship coupled with silent, undetectable Transparent Release.
Never mind Chunin-even a Jōnin would have a headache dealing with that.
"Magnificent! It's nothing short of art!"
"That kid, Shimozuki Raito, has a talent for swordsmanship unlike anything I've ever seen. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him unparalleled!"
"That boy Shimozuki Raito has a talent for swordsmanship unlike anything I've seen in my entire life. Calling it unparalleled would be no exaggeration!"
As he spoke, the old man turned to Hayate with a faint, knowing smile. "By the way, did you secretly teach him this overpowering swordsmanship?"
"No, no! Lord Third, you've got it all wrong!"
"No, no, no! Lord Third, you've got it all wrong!"
"I don't even know swordsmanship at that level myself! How could I teach it?"
Since it wasn't a secret family art, there was only one possible answer.
"Oh? How interesting."
Hiruzen Sarutobi stroked his beard. "So, this child has never shown you anything like this before?"
"Never!"
"Hmm..."
The Third nodded thoughtfully. "Then that all but settles it. In the few short days you were away from the village on your mission, this boy had a sudden breakthrough and created this astonishing swordsmanship himself!"
Listening to the Third's deduction, Hayate felt as though he were hearing a myth.
Sure, I told him to practice his swordsmanship before I left, but I didn't tell him to go and found an entire school!