‘Kakashi’s correction progress 84%’
‘Kakashi’s correction progress 85% Obtained free attribute points * 2’
…
‘Kakashi’s correction progress 89%’
‘Kakashi’s correction progress 90% Obtained free attribute points * 3’
“It increased to three points at 90%.” Kaito panted heavily, feeling thoroughly refreshed.
“This wave wasn’t a loss at all.
I only spent two attribute points in total, but my strength has improved by a massive margin.
From now on, I’ll dominate the academy without a rival!”
Thud!
Opposite him, Kakashi fell hard onto his rear, staring blankly up at the sky in a daze.
*Kaito…
is actually this strong?
I really did waste the past six months.
I let my classmates catch up to me.
If I can’t even beat Kaito, there’s no way I can beat Asuma and the others, right?*
Asuma wore a tired, weathered expression.
“Winner, Kaito!” Daiki announced loudly.
“Next group, Hizashi Hyuga versus Chizawa Motokoshi.
Both students, step forward.”
“Hey, you’re pretty capable.
You completely wore me out.
Can you still get up?
Need a hand?” Kaito walked over to Kakashi, shaking his head and clicking his tongue.
“It was really close.
You were just a tiny bit away from beating me.
How embarrassing.”
Kakashi shot him a glance and ignored him.
Rin ran over with the ‘Cheer Up Kakashi’ squad to help him up.
Among them, the traitor Obito secretly gave Kaito a thumbs-up while supporting Kakashi.
*Beautifully done!*
“Oh my, you really can’t stand?
I only kicked you lightly a couple of times, I didn’t even use full force.
Your sword strikes were so fierce just now.
That must be the legendary Hatake kenjutsu, right?
It even messed up my bangs…
Holy crap, my bangs?!”
Kaito’s eyes widened in horror, his heart aching so much he could barely breathe.
He quickly pulled out a kunai to use as a mirror, then gritted his teeth.
“I kicked him too lightly…”
“Kaito!” Rin glared at him angrily.
“Rin…” Kakashi shook his head.
He raised a hand to wave off their support and looked at Kaito with a serious expression.
“Next time we fight, I will beat you.”
‘Kakashi’s correction progress 91%’
The system prompt softened Kaito’s expression slightly.
*Forget it, Kakashi is a patient right now.
I won’t hold it against him.
Besides, it’s not like my past life.
I’m still young, and my bangs will grow back even if I lose a few strands.
No need to panic.*
“91%.
Kakashi is almost fully corrected.”
Kaito calmed himself down.
As he stepped off the field, he turned his head to glance at the first-year lineup.
Their combat assessments seemed to be wrapping up.
Once the teacher finished their lecture, the holidays would officially begin.
Would Azuki come over to watch Kurenai fight?
Just then, Kaito noticed the Third Hokage waving at him with a gentle expression.
Kaito looked to his left, then to his right, before patting Obito on the shoulder.
“Lord Hokage is calling you.”
Obito blinked in surprise, then eagerly trotted over.
“Grandpa Hokage, what is it?”
The Third Hokage paused.
“…Well, the things you were shouting earlier had a lot of spirit.
But what was that about getting fat first, getting fat later, and…
being poor?”
Obito thought about where he heard the phrase and replied, “Actually, I don’t really understand it either, but that’s exactly how the teacher taught it in class!”
“What class?
Who taught it?”
“Daiki-sensei did.” Obito had clearly forgotten that this was his ‘own answer’.
“It’s in the Introduction to the Land of Fire’s Characteristic Ninja Ideology class.”
*Like hell it is, I wrote the textbook.* The Third Hokage felt a headache coming on.
He waved his hand dismissively.
“I understand.
You can go back now.
Tell Kaito to come here.”
“Oh.” Obito eagerly trotted back.
“Kaito, Grandpa Hokage is calling you.”
Kaito quickly walked over.
Once Kaito stood before him, the Third Hokage stroked his beard and spoke gently.
“You performed very well in that match just now.
But why did you say those things to Kakashi?”
“Uh, because…
he rubs me the wrong way?”
“Tell the truth.”
Kaito gave an awkward smile and answered honestly, “Nothing escapes your eyes, Lord Hokage.
It’s only right for classmates to help each other out.
I was just using a clumsy method to help Kakashi step out of his shadows.”
The Third Hokage felt deeply gratified.
“Good.”
He paused for a moment before continuing.
“Good boy.
I heard that a month ago, you were bullied by a child from the Hyuga clan?
Do you need Grandpa Hokage to stand up for you?”
*Here it comes.
I knew he would ask about this.* Plans could never keep up with changes.
The sudden match against Kakashi had forced Kaito to reveal his ‘full strength’.
The excuse of working hard after being bullied by Hizashi Hyuga a month ago was starting to look a bit flimsy.
No matter how much of a genius someone was, it was impossible to bridge the gap between Obito and Kakashi in just a single month.
Kaito didn’t panic.
Ever since the ‘bullying incident with Hizashi Hyuga’, he had already prepared an explanation in case he was exposed.
Pushing Obito forward just now was also a way to buy himself some time to organize his thoughts.
“I…
suppose so.”
“You suppose so?” the Third Hokage pressed.
“I did get into a fight with Hizashi, but I wasn’t really hurt.
I actually exhausted him until he passed out.”
“Oh?
Didn’t they say you were heavily injured?”
“That was mostly from my training.
It looked terrible on the outside, but I actually recovered in a day.” Kaito looked a bit embarrassed.
“It’s like this, Lord Hokage.
Hizashi Hyuga is from the Hyuga clan, after all, and I’m just a commoner.
After fighting him, I was a little scared, so I pretended he had injured me…”
“I see.
So, you were already capable of beating Hizashi Hyuga a month ago?
Then why were your combat assessment scores always so poor before?”
“I was weak and too skinny.
But this semester, I suddenly grew five or six centimeters taller, and my strength more than doubled.
Beating Hizashi Hyuga a month ago was actually a fluke.
I was afraid he would come back for revenge, so I trained desperately, and I could feel myself getting stronger.”
Kaito added, “If even the dead-last Obito can shout ‘getting fat first isn’t truly fat’, then so can I!”
*This again.* The Third Hokage didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
Was this phrase really that effective?
Should he actually add it to the textbooks to temper the willpower of the academy students?
“Growing taller and gaining strength means you’re hitting a growth spurt.
At only eight years old, that’s quite early.
What about your academic classes?”
“I’ve been studying desperately for my academic classes this semester.
I want to be a ninja, but I’m terrified that another war might break out.
If the academy changes to a three-year system, I won’t be able to graduate and become a ninja…
Ah, wait, I’m sorry, I misspoke, Lord Hokage!”
The Third Hokage looked at Kaito and shook his head slightly.
“It’s fine.”
His gaze grew a bit deeper.
Thinking about the intelligence reports regarding the movements of the various nations—all of them stockpiling supplies and ninja tools on a massive scale—it was highly likely that the Third Great Ninja War would break out in the next two or three years.
Even their ally, the Sand Village, was growing restless.
Half a year ago, they suddenly began conducting top-secret research, which was deeply concerning.
He had sent people to investigate, but they had yet to send back any results.
Thinking of all this, the Third Hokage lost his interest in questioning the boy further.
The people of Komakiyama Village had been thoroughly investigated when they first arrived in Konoha, not to mention that Kaito had only been a four-year-old child at the time.
He waved his hand.
“Go on back.”
Kaito bowed.
“Yes, Lord Hokage.”
The Third Hokage smiled kindly.
He watched as Hizashi Hyuga struggled to defeat his opponent using the Gentle Fist.
Recalling everything he had seen and heard today, he finally just chuckled and muttered, “What an interesting little rascal.”