Observation Haki didn't depend on the eyes. Sight could be deceived, obstructed, or simply prove too slow against certain enemies.
Kenbunshoku allowed one to sense the presence of other beings, perceive their strength, and even detect their intentions.
When developed to extraordinary levels, that perception could reach something far more absurd: seeing a few moments ahead of the present and observing a future that had yet to happen.
With Kaito's current level of development. He could do it. But only for a few very brief moments.
Kaito breathed slowly.
The wind brushed against his face. A squirrel moved through the branches to his right. Two birds perched on a tree thirty meters away. Farther off, he could sense several presences belonging to shinobi using other training grounds.
He ignored all of that and focused solely on his targets.
They possessed no life, so he couldn't sense them through their presence. That was precisely what made the exercise useful.
He had to remember his surroundings, interpret the sounds, feel the movement of the air, and use his perception to track the projectiles after throwing them.
Then his hand moved.
Four shuriken left his fingers almost simultaneously.
The first struck directly in the center of a target.
The second passed beside a tree, ricocheted off a metal plate Kaito had placed beforehand, and changed trajectory before embedding itself in another target.
The remaining two collided with each other in midair.
One descended.
The other veered left.
Two sharp impacts came almost simultaneously.
Kaito opened his eyes the next moment and looked over the field.
"Decent".
He said, trying to maintain the expression of a shifu stroking his beard.
But then he burst out laughing.
"Just kidding, hahahah, that's impressive".
He picked up another four.
This time he didn't close his eyes.
He threw the first upward.
Then the second.
The third flew at a seemingly absurd angle and the fourth directly toward a tree.
The impacts began several seconds later.
Clang.
Clang.
Clang.
The final shuriken changed direction after striking the third and ended up embedding itself exactly in the center of the target hidden behind the trunk.
Kaito tilted his head slightly.
"It's a damn Sharingan. Itachi, I don't give a shit about your Tsukuyomi". Kaito started spouting nonsense.
Seconds later, he sat down on the grass.
"I think it's time to start my plan". Kaito said while looking at the sky.
But then a voice pulled him from his thoughts.
"That was pretty incredible".
Kaito wasn't startled. He had already sensed the girl watching him train several minutes earlier. He had been wondering when she would come out.
The girl stood near the edge of the field. Her brown hair was tied into two distinctive buns, and she wore training clothes.
Her eyes weren't on Kaito. They were on the targets. More specifically, on the shuriken embedded in them.
Tenten walked onto the field while studying the trajectories.
"I've been watching you for a while".
"That would normally be a concerning confession". Kaito said.
Tenten raised an eyebrow.
Kaito smiled.
"Just kidding. Hi".
"What a relief". She said, greeting him with her characteristic smile as well.
She approached the tree one of the projectiles had ricocheted off and examined the small mark on the metal plate.
"You calculated the ricochet before throwing it".
"Yes".
"And then you used two shuriken to alter each other's trajectories".
"That too".
Tenten looked toward the final target.
"Without having a direct line of sight".
Kaito shrugged.
"I was practicing".
That answer seemed to amuse her.
"Practicing?". Tenten pointed toward the targets. "I'm a ninja tools specialist. I've trained with throwing weapons for years, and that isn't exactly basic practice".
Kaito picked up another shuriken.
"Then I guess I'm pretty good".
Tenten let out a small laugh.
"That's what I was going to say. You're pretty talented with ninja tools. Well, your age probably backs that up. But it's still impressive".
Tenten felt that he was easy to talk to despite probably being over twenty-five, judging by her estimation.
Kaito examined the shuriken between his fingers.
Talented.
It was a curious word.
With sufficient Kenbunshoku, throwing a projectile no longer depended exclusively on coordination and aim. He could perceive movements that would normally go unnoticed, anticipate trajectories, and react to hostile intentions even before an enemy's body finished executing an attack.
But that wasn't what had caught Tenten's attention.
She was observing his technique.
Kaito spun the shuriken between his fingers.
"Do you really like weapons?".
Tenten's expression changed immediately.
"Very much".
The speed of her response made Kaito laugh.
Tenten crossed her arms.
"What?".
"Nothing. You just answered really fast".
"Ninja tools are a fundamental part of combat. Most people treat them as if they're only secondary weapons, but with enough mastery, you can adapt to practically any situation. Different ranges, different enemies, different terrain..." Tenten stopped and looked at him. "Why are you smiling?".
"Because you definitely like weapons".
"I just told you that".
"Now I've confirmed it".
Tenten rolled her eyes.
Kaito set down the shuriken and pulled a kunai from his pouch.
"Then I'm going to show you something interesting".
That immediately caught her attention.
"A throw?".
"Something like that".
Kaito held the kunai in front of him.
Tenten observed his grip. There was nothing special about it.
A normal kunai. Ordinary steel, wrapped handle, and a ring at the end. It didn't even look particularly new.
"Watch".
Kaito let his will flow, and a black color began spreading from Kaito's fingers.
Tenten stopped smiling as she watched the surface of the kunai change.
The steel took on a dark, glossy hue until it was completely blackened. It didn't look painted. Nor was it some substance coating the surface. It was as though the weapon itself had acquired a different degree of hardness.
Tenten stepped forward.
"What did you do to it?".
"I reinforced it".
She frowned.
"With chakra? It doesn't look like it".
"No".
Tenten looked first at the kunai and then at Kaito.
"That's impossible".
"I get that a lot".
Kaito turned toward the forest.
There was a target about forty meters away. Several trees grew beyond it.
Tenten followed his gaze.
"Are you going to throw it at the target?".
"Not exactly".
Kaito drew his arm back and then his fingers released the weapon.
The kunai vanished.
Tenten barely managed to follow it.
A sharp boom shook the field as the projectile tore through the first target without losing speed. The wood exploded backward into splinters, and the kunai continued forward until it blasted through the center of a tree trunk.
A shower of bark flew in every direction.
But it didn't stop, the kunai continued toward the second tree, pierced that one as well, and produced a crack that ran through the trunk almost from its base.
Then it reached the third.
And the fourth.
Tenten's eyes widened.
"What the hell...?".