Chapter 9

On Saturday evening, Kakashi pushed open the door to his home.

The ancestral home of the Hatake family was vast, yet it felt unusually empty, with only four or five people living there, making it seem devoid of human presence.

During the Warring States period, someone once said:

"The Hatake family, if not over a hundred, is invincible when it exceeds a hundred."

Of course, this statement contained a certain degree of exaggeration, but it did highlight two facts: the Hatake clan members were exceptionally talented, but their numbers were dwindling.

Kakashi recalled the scene from the day when Yagumo had entered the academy, planning to report his progress to his father later.

At the entrance, Hatake Sakumo, dressed in black, had a chakra short blade named White Fang on his shoulder.

"I'm going on a mission."

"Father, please be careful."

The many joys he had prepared to share in his mind were condensed into these simple eight words, which were his most sincere blessing for his father.

"Oh, by the way... has Yagumo entered the academy?"

Hatake Sakumo suddenly asked, as if he had just remembered something.

"He entered today."

"Very good."

It was unclear whether he was praising Yagumo or Kakashi.

With these words, Hatake Sakumo leaped into the air like a large bird, merging into the night.

Kakashi could see that his father cared about Yagumo, but since his father did not explain, he would not ask.

Could it be that one day his father would bring him home...

"Kakashi, this is your long-lost brother."

"Father, I made a small mistake back then..."

Kakashi quickly shook his head to dispel this absurd thought, as Yagumo's talent was so poor that he didn't seem like a member of the Hatake clan at all.

...

In the desert, there is a plant called the sandthorn grass. This grass blooms with beautiful purple flowers when it reaches five years old, but as it ages, it becomes increasingly fragile and unable to adapt to the desert environment.

Only those sandthorn grasses that are carefully cultivated have a chance to survive for five years and bloom, and the flower is called the Eternal Guardian.

Years ago, Hatake Sakumo found a three-year-old sandthorn grass and, thinking of his wife who loved flowers, decided to personally care for it to grow an Eternal Guardian. However, due to his lack of knowledge about flower care, the sandthorn grass gradually withered. It was then that he met a chunin who was very knowledgeable about flowers... Inoichi.

Hatake Sakumo saw the Eternal Guardian...

But his wife, who loved flowers, died in childbirth...

The knowledgeable friend died on the battlefield.

...

Yagumo calmly walked into the house, gently closing the wooden door. Finally, he could no longer hide his joy and nervously chuckled, covering his mouth.

"Ha ha ha ha ha... hic."

After completing the last 3,000-word reading report, Yagumo submitted the two tasks.

A familiar warm current flowed through his muscles and brain, as if being massaged by thousands of hands simultaneously, bringing a deep sense of comfort that reached his soul. His muscle lines slowly grew, and his mind was filled with new insights about sword techniques and water bullet jutsu.

【Personal Panel】

Name: Ino Yagumo

Age: 7

Constitution: 4.8 (Endurance, Resistance, Recovery)

Strength: 4.0 (Weightlifting, Attack, etc.)

Agility: 4.0 (Nerve Reaction, Running, etc.)

Intelligence: 4.8 (Learning Ability, Mental Resistance)

Chakra: 6.9 (10 points to become a genin)

【Personal Skills】

Passive: Chakra Refinement Method 'Acceleration'

Active: Water Bullet Beginner 50/100 'Acceleration'

Basic Swordsmanship Proficiency 20/200 'Acceleration'

Hatake Secret Techniques Beginner 1/400 'Acceleration'

Gold Coins: 500

The text on the panel showed that the swordsmanship techniques taught by Kakashi were truly the secret techniques of the Hatake family, a significant favor... The 400-point proficiency cap directly proved the extraordinary nature of this swordsmanship.

The remaining gold coins seemed just enough to upgrade the Water Bullet. Although it was called a watering jutsu by Senya, Yagumo could see the extraordinary aspects of the Water Bullet.

At the very least... he wouldn't have to worry about dying of thirst.

With a slight thought, the 500 gold coins flowed away like water, and the number representing the Water Bullet's proficiency quickly increased. Yagumo immersed himself in the understanding of the jutsu.

'Ding.'

'Gold coins deducted, wish you a pleasant game.'

Yagumo opened his eyes, and the Water Bullet's proficiency had successfully entered the proficiency threshold, with a small red dot appearing below it.

Active: Water Bullet Proficiency 0/200

【Proficiency: Water Bullet Power Increase 30%】

When his swordsmanship reached proficiency, Yagumo remembered receiving attribute points as a reward. However, reaching proficiency in a jutsu resulted in a power increase.

A few minutes later, Yagumo calmed his excited heart and began practicing the Hatake swordsmanship in the yard, moving extremely slowly... After two hours, his proficiency did not change at all.

"What kind of genius am I..."

In the bathroom, Yagumo formed the hand seals and used the Water Bullet in just a second. The light blue water ball hit the bathroom wall tiles, making a sharp sound.

When the vibrations subsided, Yagumo looked at the tiles with cracks like a spider web and smiled silently.

This power, if used unexpectedly, could already injure someone. In a short time, it might even... have conventional lethal force.

By "conventional lethal force," it means a single strike that can directly kill a normal genin or render them unable to fight.

That night, Yagumo had a rare good sleep.

The next morning, he got up.

Bathroom, eggs, and warm milk for breakfast.

After eating a nutritious breakfast, Yagumo pushed open the door, breathed in the fresh air, and began his daily training.

Today's tasks were relatively routine, with the exception of the first combat mission.

【Invincible in Battle】

Defeat the opponent, Koyama Kenta, in the in-class test.

Mission Reward: 0.1 Constitution, 50 Gold Coins

To complete the mission, he had to defeat Koyama Kenta, even if it meant revealing some of his cards. On his morning run, Yagumo had already rehearsed the afternoon battle.

He must win in the afternoon.

Yagumo estimated that his various attributes were at an average level in the class, not enough to compete with the major ninja clans, but sufficient to easily defeat the few civilian geniuses in the class.

In the afternoon, at the training ground outside the classroom.

The first round of the duel was still between Kakashi and Asuma Sarutobi. This battle ended even more quickly, and Asuma's performance was even worse than ten days ago.

It felt as if Asuma had not improved at all, but rather regressed. However, everyone understood that this was because Kakashi had become terrifying, predicting Asuma's every move and making preemptive judgments.

It was like a mature adult guiding a child in training. From the first move, Asuma was firmly suppressed, and the end of the battle was entirely determined by Kakashi.

Perhaps sensing the huge gap, Asuma was no longer calm, and his gaze towards Kakashi was complex, filled with envy, jealousy, and anger after feeling embarrassed.

"From now on, the in-class tests will be conducted between Uchiha Eien and Hatake Kakashi. Asuma's future test opponent will be Hyuga Shin川."

At this moment, Shimizu Keisuke spoke, as if throwing a match into a swamp-filled well, instantly igniting a sea of anger.

"Why?" Asuma suddenly stood up, his face flushed, asking, "Am I no longer worthy to be Hatake Kakashi's opponent?"

Shimizu Keisuke did not answer but continued to announce the next group to begin the test.

In Yagumo's view, Shimizu Keisuke was using his actions to provoke the relationship between Kakashi and Asuma.

What was his purpose in doing so?