Chapter 34

He had only been the Anbu commander for a few months. Why did he have to move again?

"I want you to become a jonin instructor. This year's students are quite interesting."

Actually, Xuan Zhe had already heard about this from Hatake Sakumo.

Although Kakashi had not graduated in a single year as the stories went, he had spent three years at the Ninja Academy and had indeed learned everything he needed to.

A few days ago, he had finally applied for early graduation.

To put it plainly, in wartime, graduating early was nothing unusual.

Most students graduated at around ten years old.

If you really had to stick it out for the full six years, that meant your talent as a ninja was nothing special.

But the news Nawaki brought was rather interesting-

Kakashi was not the only one applying for early graduation.

Obito Uchiha was among them too.

Apparently, after hearing that Kakashi was graduating early, the guy had refused to be outdone and submitted an application himself.

There was also Might Guy, the perennial dead last who proclaimed himself Kakashi's eternal rival.

And the Hokage's second son, Asuma, who would sport a thick beard in the future.

"Lord Xuan Zhe, I applied for early graduation too."

"Me too! I feel like there's really nothing left to learn at school. Rin said she was applying, so I joined her."

The speakers were the two little girls, Rin Nohara and Kurenai Yuhi, who had just each received a knock on the head from Tsunade.

"More and more interesting..."

Xuan Zhe's smile was meaningful.

The Third Shinobi World War?

I'll have to make good use of this.

The stack of documents in Hiruzen Sarutobi's hands was piled high, all of them early graduation applications submitted by the Ninja Academy.

Judging by the thickness alone, there had to be quite a few applicants.

Hatake Sakumo's son, Kakashi Hatake.

Obito Uchiha, whose grades were at the bottom but who had Uchiha blood.

Genma Shiranui of the Shiranui Clan, staunch loyalists of the Sarutobi Clan.

Kato Shizune of the Katō family, who had not inherited Dan Katō's Spirit Transformation Technique.

Rin Nohara, a civilian girl with close ties to Tsunade.

And his own sole blood descendant, Asuma Sarutobi.

He had finally made it through a day of physical training.

Bare-chested, his muscles sharply defined as though carved with a blade, Xuan Zhe sat down on the lawn, crossed his legs, closed his eyes, and entered a meditative state.

The system panel surfaced in his mind.

[Host: Hatake Xuanzhe]

[Swordsmanship: Hatake Style Swordsmanship (Naruto world) → Hawkeye Black Blade Swordsmanship (One Piece world), evolution: 40.2%]

[Fire Release Ninjutsu (Naruto world) → Kekkei Genkai: Blaze Release (Naruto world), evolution: 91.4%]

[Body Flicker Technique (Naruto world) → Hohō (Bleach world), evolution: 30%]

It had been over three years, and this was his first time opening this thing to look.

The numbers on the panel had barely flashed before Xuan Zhe felt his entire being-mind and soul alike-suddenly dragged out of ** and dropped into a pitch-black place.

There was nothing there. When he stepped down, rings of light rippled beneath his feet like water.

Yet something was calling to him.

There was no sound, just a force urging him forward.

He had no idea how long he walked.

Finally, a burst of fire suddenly sprang up in the dark world, flared once, and went out.

Xuan Zhe looked up ahead.

Where the flame had gone out, the lingering light had not yet dispersed.

An utterly ordinary sword stood planted upright in the rippling **.

Without a word, he slowly walked over and reached out to grasp it.

The instant his palm touched the hilt.

The invisible dark ripples beneath his feet split open with a crash, countless cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

Before he could take a proper look at the light.

Raging flames capable of burning the whole world to ashes erupted from those cracks.

In the blink of an eye, they devoured the entire space.

Back in reality, Xuan Zhe's eyes snapped open.

The ordinary iron sword resting on his legs had become the one he had held in that world of flames.

Deep-purple hilt wrapping, an old sword guard.

It was not as ornate as Hawkeye's Supreme Grade Blade, Yoru, nor as sinister as Zoro's Great Grade Blade, Shusui.

Xuan Zhe examined the Tachi in his hand. Compared with his previous one, the biggest difference was...

It looked a little better.

Just a tiny bit.

[Ding! Host has triggered a new evolution path!]

[Ordinary Tachi → Zanpakutō (Asauchi form), current progress: 1%]

[Skill unlocked: Sword Pressure]

[Skill details: A realm comprehensible only to those who have truly reached the pinnacle of Kenjutsu. Turns sword intent into an invisible oppressive force, preventing opponents from even forming the thought of resisting, and can even inflict actual physical damage.]

[Representative figures: Hawkeye, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Sōsuke Aizen, Ichigo Kurosaki in his horned Hollow form]

"This thing... why does it seem a bit like conqueror's haki?"

Xuan Zhe muttered and flexed his right hand.

The scene in the mental world was still imprinted in his mind. The sensation of being scorched by flames had not felt fake in the slightest.

"Xuan Zhe!"

Just then, a familiar voice came from his left.

Xuan Zhe instinctively turned to look.

He had only just left the mental world and had not fully reined in the sword intent in his mind. A wave of sword pressure spilled out of him uncontrollably.

Hatake Sakumo happened to jump down from a tree and met Xuan Zhe's gaze head-on.

Thud!

The Konoha White Fang, whose strength was already approaching the Kage Level Peak, lost his footing and fell flat on his face.

"Are you putting on a comedy show here?"

Xuan Zhe slung his shirt over his shoulder, reined in his sword intent, and could not help laughing.

Hatake Sakumo rubbed his backside as he stood up, the corners of his eyes twitching constantly, a chill still running down his back.

That look in this brat's eyes just now... wasn't that a bit too terrifying?

"What's wrong? Split your backside into four? Need me to give you a hand?"

Xuan Zhe held out his hand, laughing even harder.

"Wasn't it already in two...?"

Hatake Sakumo could not resist the retort, but still reached out and let Xuan Zhe pull him up.

"Today's the day Kakashi and those other kids graduate early. I just counted-at least a dozen brats went into the exam hall. Want to go take a look?"

Xuan Zhe had just finished his training for the day, then taken a brush with death in the mental world.

He really had no energy left to keep training now.

After tidying up, he headed into the village with Hatake Sakumo.

Outside the Ninja Academy, people were packed so tightly that not a drop of water could have squeezed through.

"Isn't this a bit much? There weren't nearly this many people when I graduated early..."

One look at the crowd made Xuan Zhe want to turn around and leave.

"I heard this year's graduating class is a little different. Aside from Lord Hokage's youngest son, there's someone from the Uchiha Clan, and quite a few children from the smaller Shinobi Clans..."

As Hatake Sakumo spoke, he suddenly spotted two familiar figures ahead.

"Duy! Shinku!"

Hearing Hatake Sakumo's voice from near the school gates, the two adults ahead looked back.

Might Duy and Shinku Yuhi.

"Hey! Sakumo! You're here too! The kids are inside showing off their youth!"

This fellow Duy, Konoha's acknowledged Eternal Genin, had exactly the same personality as his son Might Guy, brimming with hot-blooded enthusiasm all day long.

Since the end of the Second Shinobi World War, he had been the only permanent fixture left among Konoha's Genin.

Of course, Xuan Zhe was still a Genin too...

Shinku Yuhi's gaze toward Xuan Zhe was not particularly friendly.

He kept feeling that his little daughter, who was only just beginning to blossom, would sooner or later be snatched up by a certain slick old hand.

Xuan Zhe inwardly rolled his eyes. You're ** overthinking it, aren't you?

That girl's only nine. She hasn't even grown all her hair yet.

The school gates were packed with parents waiting to pick up their children. Before long, the doors of the school building slowly slid open to either side.

A crowd of little brats poured out.