“Very good.
Keep practicing, and you’ll soon be able to reach my level.” Kazama caught Kurenai as she fell.
By now, both of them were already used to this.
He set her back down and smiled as he encouraged her.
Suddenly— Kazama’s mind blurred for an instant.
Someone was casting a genjutsu on him!
“Who’s there?!” Kazama shouted sharply.
With one hand, he grabbed Kurenai and instantly retreated into the distance, placing her behind him as he stared warily toward the nearby woods.
“Kid, that’s some powerful spiritual strength.” Shinku Yūhi suddenly appeared from among the trees and slowly walked toward them.
“Who taught you that taijutsu technique just now?” “Dad?!” Kurenai stared at Shinku Yūhi in surprise.
Then she immediately planted both hands on her hips and glared at him accusingly.
“Why are you here?” “I came to have a look.” Shinku seemed somewhat puzzled by his daughter’s reaction.
“What if this brat tricks you into running off with him?” Meanwhile, Kazama obediently stepped aside and left the battlefield to the father and daughter.
Damn it.
Shinku Yūhi actually came here?
He was probably already watching when I caught Kurenai earlier, right?
Am I going to get chopped in half?
Kazama felt a little nervous.
Kurenai, however, immediately questioned her father.
“We agreed to keep Geppo secret while I was learning it.” “You saw it just now, didn’t you?” “No.” Shinku denied it without hesitation.
“I had only just arrived when that brat noticed me.
That’s why I said his spiritual strength was impressive.” In reality, Shinku had just used a genjutsu to interfere with Kazama’s mind.
He hadn’t used anything particularly strong.
He had originally assumed Kazama would fall into the illusion immediately.
Instead, Kazama’s spiritual strength was so powerful that the genjutsu had practically no effect at all.
Kazama had instantly detected his presence.
“Oh.
Then it’s fine if you didn’t see it.” Kurenai actually believed him immediately and nodded without saying anything else.
Kazama wiped at his forehead.
There wasn’t actually any sweat there.
It was purely psychological.
“Hello, Uncle.
My name is Kazama.” Kazama greeted Shinku obediently.
“I know who you are.” Shinku nodded as he looked at him.
“Konoha’s little philanthropist.
Young Master Kazama , right?” Then he asked, “Who taught you the taijutsu technique Kurenai was using earlier?” “Hmph!” The moment Shinku finished speaking, Kurenai let out a dissatisfied snort.
He had just claimed he hadn’t seen anything.
And now he was asking about the technique?
Wasn’t he exposing himself?
Shinku simply ignored his daughter and continued looking at Kazama.
Judging from what Kurenai had said earlier, that taijutsu technique seemed to be called Geppo.
A very fitting name.
The only question was— who had created it?
“I created it myself!” Kazama answered confidently.
For a child, acting self-assured at a moment like this was perfectly reasonable.
“Oh?” Shinku looked at him and nodded.
“That’s an impressive taijutsu technique.” “You’re only five years old, aren’t you?
And you’ve already created your own technique?” Kazama could hear it clearly.
Although Shinku was praising him, he obviously didn’t fully believe him.
“Hmph!” Kazama snorted and deliberately put on the proud expression of a little genius.
“I knew you wouldn’t believe me.” “Geppo is only one of the Six Powers I created.” “There’s also Tekkai.
I taught that one to Guy, although he still hasn’t managed to learn it.” Naturally, Kazama had a reason for saying this.
First, it shifted the subject away from the fact that Shinku might have seen him holding Kurenai earlier.
Second— he wanted to establish himself in Shinku’s eyes as a genius.
Even if that genius appeared somewhat arrogant, it was still useful.
It would definitely benefit him later.
At present, the only person who truly knew just how talented Kazama was happened to be Might Duy.
But Might Duy was only a genin.
His social circle didn’t extend anywhere near Konoha’s upper ranks.
Besides, the man was obsessed almost entirely with training.
Shinku Yūhi was completely different.
He was one of Konoha’s veteran elite jōnin.
Kazama was at least fifty percent certain that news of a technique like Geppo would eventually reach the Third Hokage through Shinku.
“The Six Powers?” Shinku nodded thoughtfully.
“Impressive.” This time, he seemed somewhat more convinced.
He could always ask Might Duy later.
“You two keep training.” “Just be careful.” “I still have something to do, so I’ll be leaving now.” Shinku didn’t ask Kazama what all six techniques were.
He merely reminded both children to stay safe while training before turning and leaving.
As for Kazama having caught Kurenai earlier?
To Shinku, they were simply two children.
Kurenai had fallen out of the air.
If Kazama hadn’t caught her, Shinku himself would have rushed over to do it.
In fact, if Kazama had simply stood there and let her crash into the ground, Shinku probably would have given him a hard knock on the head.
So Kazama’s fear that Shinku might come after him for catching Kurenai— was entirely unnecessary.
“Okay.
Let’s keep training.” Once Shinku left, Kazama finally relaxed.
“Sorry.” Kurenai looked at him apologetically.
“It looks like my dad saw Geppo after all.” Kazama waved dismissively.
“It’s fine.” “He’s not the only one who’s seen it anymore.” Kakashi had been secretly learning from him recently anyway.
From tree climbing— to water walking— and today, even Geppo.
It wasn’t as though Kazama hadn’t noticed.
Shinku had noticed Kakashi as well.
But he hadn’t said anything.
After all, these were matters between children.
As an adult, it didn’t feel appropriate for him to interfere.
Still— the whole situation was rather amusing.
At the same time, Shinku had no choice but to admit something.
Kazama truly was a genius.
An exceptionally rare one.
Perhaps a little too confident.
Perhaps a little too proud.
But still— a genius.
Shinku still wasn’t certain whether Geppo had truly been created by Kazama.
But from watching Kazama teach Kurenai the water-walking exercise, he could tell that the boy had come up with at least some of these training ideas himself.
With Shinku’s experience, he naturally understood that water walking was training for chakra control.
That also explained why, several days earlier, Kurenai had returned home with her pants and half her clothes soaked.
She must have been practicing water walking in preparation for learning Geppo.
Walking on water was perfectly normal for experienced shinobi.
But how many people would think of having a child who had only recently begun refining chakra—and hadn’t even graduated from the Ninja Academy yet—practice water walking purely to improve chakra control?