“You learned it… after seeing it once?”
Kakashi stared at the earthen wall for several seconds before slowly turning his attention back to Gen Hoshino.
Even someone like him found himself momentarily stunned.
Yes, he had intentionally slowed his hand seals down.
But that didn’t mean someone could master a ninjutsu merely by watching the seals once.
Ninjutsu was a sophisticated art.
Any technique required continuous practice and refinement before it could be used effectively.
And yet…
This kid had learned it after seeing it only once?
Not only had he learned it, but he’d even modified it into something like this?
And his hand seals had been so fast that Kakashi had only lowered his head to read for a moment before the kid had already finished?
You’ve got to be kidding me!
“Yeah. I’ve encountered this technique before, so…”
Gen Hoshino answered modestly.
In truth, he hadn’t memorized many of the hand seals at all.
But he could clearly sense the changes in chakra involved in the technique!
The Ōtsutsuki bloodline had given him an incredible affinity for and control over chakra.
And hand seals had originally been developed by the ancestors of the Uchiha so that ordinary people could manipulate chakra more effectively.
Once someone reached the level of Hashirama Senju, they basically only needed to bring their hands together and whatever technique they wanted would come flying out!
Naturally, Gen Hoshino couldn’t compare himself to someone like that.
But that didn’t mean he couldn’t imitate the principle.
The only problem was the power behind it.
As for those carvings?
Since Kakashi’s Earth-Style Wall didn’t have a dog carved into it, why couldn’t he carve the Hokage into his?
Wouldn’t that make it look like he loved the village?
No one understands love for Konoha better than me!
“Is that so…”
Kakashi reluctantly nodded.
Guy hadn’t mentioned anything like this to him.
“Looks like your situation is even better than I imagined. You’re more talented than I thought.”
“Thank you for the compliment…”
Gen Hoshino smiled innocently.
“Guy-sensei said something similar. He originally planned to personally train me, but unfortunately, his application wasn’t approved this year…”
“……”
Kakashi’s dead-fish eye resurfaced.
So I’m just the substitute?
Still, he felt that having this kid follow Guy would be a bit of a waste.
Guy was undeniably excellent and could certainly ensure that the kid grew stronger, but Guy was more suited to teaching taijutsu.
“So keeping him with me really is the best option?”
For some reason, this thought surfaced in Kakashi’s mind.
Especially considering that the kid had wholeheartedly agreed with the words Obito had once spoken.
That made Kakashi’s impression of him even better.
With that thought, Kakashi’s expression became slightly more serious.
“In that case, let’s see what your true level is.”
“Huh? Didn’t we already—”
Gen Hoshino was caught off guard.
Before he could finish, Kakashi had already moved!
In an instant, Kakashi appeared behind him and swung the edge of one hand toward his neck.
Even while attacking, Kakashi still had enough composure to explain.
“Yesterday’s test was for your entire team. But your team has already been disbanded, and you’re missing two members, so naturally things are different. That’s also why I’ve been hesitating. Let me see your limits.”
Whoosh!
The hand strike descended.
Gen Hoshino had already disappeared.
“This kid’s Body Flicker Technique really is fast.”
Even though Kakashi had already experienced it before, he still couldn’t help being impressed.
With a Body Flicker Technique like this, escaping when he encountered danger shouldn’t be much of a problem.
“Tch…”
Gen Hoshino crouched atop the Earth-Style Wall and looked toward Kakashi.
Several kunai suddenly appeared in his hands.
The next moment, he hurled them toward Kakashi!
“Your aim is pretty average.”
Kakashi easily jumped over the kunai.
But he soon noticed four more kunai flying toward him.
This time, Gen Hoshino’s aim was extraordinarily precise.
Every one of them was aimed directly at a vital point.
Kakashi raised an eyebrow.
And that wasn’t all.
He saw that Gen Hoshino had already finished forming his hand seals.
The next moment, the kid spat out six small-to-medium-sized fireballs.
Accompanied by the flying kunai, they shot toward Kakashi at tremendous speed!
“This is…”
Four kunai combined with six fireballs seemed to completely surround him.
But Kakashi quickly found an escape route.
The problem was that the opening happened to be where the earlier kunai had been.
And Kakashi noticed nearly invisible steel wires attached to them!
“Phoenix Sage Fire Technique, combined with this kind of throwing technique…”
Isn’t that standard Uchiha shurikenjutsu?
Where did he learn it?
Kakashi was puzzled, but he knew that he needed to take the fight more seriously now.
“Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”
Rather than dodge, Kakashi instantly formed the necessary hand seals and exhaled.
A massive sphere of flame shot forward.
The fireball not only swallowed Gen Hoshino’s Phoenix Sage Fire, but also altered the trajectory of the kunai before continuing toward Gen Hoshino himself!
“As expected of a jōnin. In that case… Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!”
Gen Hoshino didn’t dodge either.
He formed a few symbolic hand seals before bringing his hands together.
Boom!
A fireball nearly as large as Kakashi’s erupted from his mouth.
The two massive spheres of flame collided, producing a deafening roar.
The intense heat rapidly raised the temperature of the surrounding air, and the grass covering the training ground was ignited in an instant.
Gen Hoshino quickly repositioned himself.
He wasn’t stupid enough to stand still and take attacks head-on.
At the same time, he constantly observed his surroundings, trying to locate Kakashi.
Whoosh!
Almost in the blink of an eye, Kakashi appeared behind Gen Hoshino with the Body Flicker Technique.
The kunai in his hand was already pressing toward Gen Hoshino’s neck!
“The battle isn’t over yet. Don’t let your guard down.”
Gen Hoshino didn’t answer.
He immediately brought his own kunai around to meet Kakashi’s.
Clang!
The two kunai collided with a metallic ring.
Gen Hoshino pulled another kunai from his left hand and slashed fiercely.
Kakashi sidestepped and avoided it.
Gen Hoshino didn’t care.
He continued fighting Kakashi at close range.
His body and chakra had both undergone a tremendous enhancement, but his actual combat experience was seriously lacking.
The power of the Ōtsutsuki bloodline was no joke.
Otherwise, why would people like Urashiki and Momoshiki—whose combat intelligence was frighteningly poor—still possess enough power to destroy a planet?
And precisely because their combat intelligence was so terrible, one had ended up being taken down by an invisible Rasengan and forced to rely on a Kāma, while another had actually been poisoned to death by Jiraiya…
Gen Hoshino certainly wasn’t going to make such stupid mistakes.
Besides, he had discovered something else.
It seems I can use training with Kakashi to legitimize some of the techniques I already know?
It wasn’t just the ninjutsu.
Even the swordsmanship he had obtained from Kakashi yesterday seemed to work…
Although Kakashi was using kunai, the way he attacked was exactly the same as the swordsmanship in Gen Hoshino’s mind.
If that was the case…
Gen Hoshino’s eyes changed.
He pressed toward Kakashi even more aggressively.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The sounds of clashing metal rang out continuously as their figures darted back and forth across the training ground.
Kakashi was clearly holding back, while Gen Hoshino was fighting with complete seriousness.
For a moment, the two seemed evenly matched.
But gradually, Kakashi’s expression became strange.
This kid…
is he copying me?
Kakashi could clearly feel that Gen Hoshino was learning his movements.
At first, his movements had been somewhat ‘stiff.’
The transitions between techniques had even been slightly ‘sluggish.’
But as the battle progressed, the kid became increasingly proficient.
His movements grew more fluid, and even his changes in attack became increasingly effortless.
For a brief moment, Kakashi actually felt as though he were fighting himself!
This learning ability is ridiculous!
“No wonder he knows Uchiha shurikenjutsu…”
Finally, looking at Gen Hoshino, who was becoming more and more like himself, Kakashi decided he couldn’t continue.
He took the initiative to call a halt.
“All right. That’s enough.”
“Yes.”
Gen Hoshino immediately stopped and backed away.
“I basically understand your situation now. Honestly, you’re even better than I expected.”
Kakashi stared at Gen Hoshino strangely for quite some time before speaking.
“What you’re lacking right now is combat experience. I know what to do now. Get yourself ready. We may be leaving the village tomorrow.”
“Really?”
Gen Hoshino’s spirits immediately soared.
And at that exact moment, his system flashed again.
[Side Quest Complete: Who Is the True Copy Ninja?]
[Reward Obtained: Kakashi’s Lightning Release]
“Of course.”
Kakashi waved his hand.
He looked somewhat troubled as he glanced toward the training ground, where several patches of grass were still burning.
“All right. Go home for now. Get up early tomorrow.”
“Yes!”
Gen Hoshino immediately nodded.
Perfect.
He wanted to go home and check his new reward anyway.
After giving Kakashi a slight bow, he turned and ran off.
That left Kakashi alone, staring at the flames burning across the training ground.
And at…
The Earth-Style Wall that was gradually being swallowed by the fire.
Even as the flames consumed it, the four carved faces of the Hokage could still be faintly seen.
At that moment, Kakashi fell into deep thought…