“Also, you should stop using that technique.
The one you just used appears to concentrate all your power into a single point of attack—it certainly has destructive power and speed, but because you move too fast, you won’t be able to see through an enemy’s counterattack…”
Minato Namikaze accurately pointed out the flaw in Kakashi’s technique.
Kakashi remained silent.
He understood these shortcomings, but they were difficult to resolve.
He was considered a commoner shinobi, one with clan heritage, but not a Kekkei Genkai shinobi.
How could the perceptiveness of a pair of ordinary eyes ever compare to shinobi who possessed Dojutsu?
“Before we part ways, let me say this one last time: for shinobi, ‘teamwork is more important than anything.'”
“Alright, let’s move out.”
With that, Minato Namikaze had the group continue forward.
The sky had already grown dim.
After resting overnight, he would leave.
After setting up the tents, everyone rested in silence.
Only the sound of chewing food echoed continuously.
“So that’s how it is—this Lightning Release ninjutsu needs to be released like this.”
Kiyohara thought to himself.
He was currently communicating with Rogue Ninja Kiyohara, discussing ninjutsu.
Though he appeared to be resting, he was actually working hard on self-improvement.
At this age, with only Chunin-level strength, Kiyohara simply couldn’t bring himself to sleep.
With that in mind, Kiyohara couldn’t help but glance in Obito’s direction.
Minato Namikaze had just privately told Obito about Kakashi’s father, hoping Obito would understand Kakashi and avoid any conflict between the two.
After learning that Kakashi’s father had chosen suicide following a mission failure, Obito finally understood why Kakashi had become so obsessive.
Then…
he went to sleep.
How can you sleep at your age?
Kiyohara shook his head.
He finished the dry rations in his mouth, chose a hidden spot, and prepared to train for a while.
Minato Namikaze’s sensory abilities could extend very far, and this area no longer had any enemies, so Kiyohara felt safe spending chakra on training without fear of being detected.
“Lightning Release: Earth Flash!”
After refining his chakra, Kiyohara formed hand seals, and at a point just above the ground, countless arcs of pale blue electricity appeared.
“Not bad.
Once you’ve fully absorbed my talents, you’ll probably be even stronger.”
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara nodded approvingly.
Kiyohara’s own innate talent, fused with a portion of his abilities, had already gone from utterly ordinary to moderately clever.
Combined with his hands-on guidance, Kiyohara was learning very quickly.
“Why do I feel like you’re becoming more and more transparent?”
Kiyohara looked at Rogue Ninja Kiyohara’s spiritual form, worried about whether he could hold out until Kiyohara earned his Chunin rank and then absorbed the rest of his talents.
“If you’re going to disappear, I hope you disappear slowly.”
“…”
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara shot Kiyohara a glare.
This guy—he really was himself.
When he was alive, after receiving the Testament Book, he had said the exact same thing to other future spiritual forms.
“Don’t worry, I’ll last long enough until that time.”
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara shook his head.
Having died once, he had actually already let go of a great deal.
“Kiyohara, you’re secretly training.”
Kurenai Yuhi walked out from behind, her ruby-like beautiful eyes gazing at Kiyohara.
“Kurenai, have you ever seen Konoha at four in the morning?”
Kiyohara said.
Even though the current time was eight in the evening.
“Four in the morning?”
Hearing this, Kurenai Yuhi covered her mouth with her small hand, incredulous.
So Kiyohara had actually been waking up this early every day to train?
Come to think of it, she had never once gotten up at four in the morning to train.
At most, she’d wake up in the middle of the night only if there was an emergency mission.
“That’s right.”
Kiyohara nodded.
Because he had never seen Konoha at four in the morning either, he was secretly putting in some extra work at eight in the evening.
“Then I’ll train with you for a while too.”
Kurenai Yuhi looked at Kiyohara’s handsome features and felt briefly dazed.
If Kiyohara was working this hard, how could she afford to slack off?
So Kurenai Yuhi also began training in genjutsu beside Kiyohara to hone her shinobi skills.
Kiyohara’s talent in genjutsu wasn’t particularly good, so he continued training in Lightning Release ninjutsu.
“I hope that in the future there will be a Kurama Kiyohara or Uchiha Kiyohara.”
Kiyohara thought to himself.
That way, this shortcoming in genjutsu would also be filled in!
…
The next day.
Just as the sky was beginning to lighten, Minato Namikaze had already packed up his tent.
“Starting today, we split into three groups right here.
Everyone, do your best.”
Then Minato Namikaze continued to add:
“The enemy yesterday just happened to be on solo reconnaissance.
What follows will be group battles, so don’t be careless.”
Minato Namikaze’s expression was somewhat grave.
Kiyohara, Kakashi, and the others nodded.
Seeing this, Minato Namikaze said a word of dismissal.
He himself headed for the front lines of the battlefield.
Kakashi led Rin Nohara and Obito to continue advancing toward Kannabi Bridge.
Kiyohara, on the other hand, took Kurenai Yuhi and Genma Shiranui toward another direction, planning to proactively trigger the Iwagakure shinobi’s alert and thus draw their attention.
…
Afternoon.
“It’s right here.
There are two Chunin and two Genin inside.
This should be the weakest point.”
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara’s spiritual body drifted back from afar.
Kiyohara thus obtained intelligence on what lay ahead.
“This should indeed be the most vulnerable spot.”
Kiyohara nodded, turning to briefly repeat the information to the two behind him.
The Iwagakure shinobi who had been left behind yesterday for interrogation had revealed quite a bit of useful information after all.
But the accounts were all rather vague, and the specifics would still require personal verification.
“Kiyohara, how do you know?”
Kurenai Yuhi wiped the fine sweat from the corner of her forehead and asked.
It was very stuffy and hot in this bamboo forest, and the traveling had made Kurenai Yuhi break a bit of a sweat.
“I sensed it.”
Kiyohara spoke without flushing or his heart racing.
“Sensing, huh…”
That’s quite impressive.
Kurenai Yuhi thought to herself.
To be able to sense the strength of enemies from such a distance, Kiyohara was truly outstanding.
“Alright, this is a small outpost.
Let’s get some practice in first.”
Kiyohara said.
There were also posts nearby where over a dozen shinobi guarded a single stronghold, but Kiyohara planned to start with something of lower difficulty.
“Genma, you lie in ambush along the direction the enemy might flee from.
Kurenai and I will go in to draw their attention.”
Kiyohara said.
If they wanted to attract Iwagakure’s attention, destroying their outpost was the best choice, and Kiyohara could also take the opportunity to scrounge up some spoils.
“Got it.”
Kurenai Yuhi and Genma Shiranui nodded at the same time.
Now that Kiyohara was the captain, they naturally had to listen to him.
The next moment, Kiyohara and Kurenai Yuhi snuck inside.
“Enemy attack!”
The Iwagakure Chunin suddenly detected Kiyohara and the others’ tracks and hastily cast a genjutsu at Kiyohara.
“Kurenai, don’t come over.
Watch me.”
Kiyohara stared straight at the genjutsu, yet his body remained completely unaffected.
He began calling out to Rogue Ninja Kiyohara.
The principle of genjutsu was to interfere with the brain’s nerves.
One had to disrupt the flow of chakra within one’s own body to make the enemy’s genjutsu ineffective.
But…
The Iwagakure Chunin used genjutsu to control Kiyohara’s body—what did that have to do with Rogue Ninja Kiyohara?
Rogue Ninja Kiyohara directly performed a partial possession, ignoring the genjutsu’s paralysis, and manipulated Kiyohara’s body to walk over.
The Iwagakure Chunin was stunned.