On the rooftop, the evening breeze caused Kiyoshi's Uchiha robe to flap fiercely. Kiyoshi preferred light gear, only wearing a chain-mail undershirt as his inner layer.
"Let's just use some simple Ninjutsu." Kiyoshi said, taking his ninja blade from the sealing scroll. Powerful Ninjutsu would destroy nearby buildings. This area was a prosperous zone, and the compensation would be astronomical.
Kakashi nodded, slowly drawing the short sword from his back. Since they were using simple Ninjutsu, auxiliary Jutsu like the Body Flicker Jutsu or the Substitution Jutsu would be best.
Kakashi nodded slowly, then instantly refined chakra in the soles of his feet, rushing toward Kiyoshi like an arrow released from a bow.
*Clang!*
The two blades collided violently in the air. The sound of metal impacting exploded over the rooftop, sending sparks flying.
"Your blade is too long." Kakashi said calmly. Kiyoshi's blade was more than twice as long as the short sword in Kakashi's hand.
"I prefer using longer weapons." Kiyoshi smiled slightly, violently twisting his wrist as the ninja blade swept out like a flash of cold light. He didn't use Chakra Flow: Fire Release, instead relying solely on the ninja blade.
The advantage of a long blade was its wide coverage. Although it consumed more physical strength, Kiyoshi's physical talent and continuous training allowed him to sustain it. If other contemporary ninjas tried to imitate Kiyoshi's fighting style, they would be gasping for breath after only a few swings.
Perhaps because Kakashi was focused on developing Lightning Release, he neglected his swordsmanship training, gradually being pushed onto the defensive by Kiyoshi. Kiyoshi's normal vision could clearly track Kakashi's movements.
"He's growing so fast." Kakashi was secretly shocked, his bored eyes widening slightly. He and Kiyoshi had discussed swordsmanship before, but Kiyoshi was nowhere near this strong then. Kakashi felt that Kiyoshi's speed and capture ability had increased significantly, allowing him to quickly anticipate his actions.
*Crack!*
A spark of electricity appeared. However, it came not from Kiyoshi but from Kakashi. While developing his new Jutsu, Kakashi had learned some basic Lightning Release, knowing how to perform rudimentary body activation.
The two blades continuously intersected in the air, sparks flying, the sword light flowing like a continuous stream.
Minato, along with Kurenai, Rin, Asuma Sarutobi, and Obito, arrived and witnessed the fierce offensive of the two.
"As expected of Sakumo-senpai's son." Minato first sighed with emotion, then fixed his gaze on Kiyoshi. Both Kiyoshi's motor skills and reflexes showed great talent.
Rin and Kurenai each focused on Kakashi and Kiyoshi, respectively. Obito and Asuma privately considered how they would resist Kiyoshi's speed if they were in that position.
Before long, Kiyoshi seized a momentary opening in Kakashi's defense, lifting his blade to knock Kakashi's short sword into the air.
"Kakashi, many things Lord Sakumo taught you have become rusty, haven't they?" Kiyoshi stopped swinging his ninja blade. Kakashi had only activated his body slightly with Lightning Release. He hadn't used Chakra Flow or other techniques. The White Fang's short sword could emit a white light. Of course, whether the current Kakashi could do that was another question.
"A bit rusty." Kakashi shook his head, admitting that he had indeed been too focused on Lightning Release and had neglected his swordsmanship. He bent down to pick up his short sword, showing no signs of disappointment. Losing and winning was normal. He had also had wins and losses when sparring with Kiyoshi before. This wasn't a real fight to the death, and both had refrained from using their strongest Ninjutsu.
"You have acquired the Trait: [Art of the Fingertips (White)]."
[Trait: Art of the Fingertips (White)]
[Requirement Achieved: Faster hand speed than the current Kakashi.]
[Progress: (Completed).]
[Effect: Your hand signs are a work of art, possessing an inherent aesthetic quality, and your hand speed is increased by 10% on the original basis.]
[Note: Can be further advanced.]
Hearing the Trait system's notification, Kiyoshi dismissed it. This Trait was probably dropped due to Kakashi's talent in making hand signs. An increase in hand sign speed was useful. For example, with the Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu, which requires forty-four signs, this Trait would allow Kiyoshi to form one or two signs faster than an enemy. A moment's time could be the difference between life and death.
Since this was a percentage increase, and Kiyoshi's own hand sign speed was already fast, this boost likely made him one of the fastest sign-users among all Chūnin.
"Minato-sensei, why did you all come up?" Kakashi asked the newcomers.
"Nothing, just came up to take a look." Minato replied.
Kakashi nodded, then climbed down from the rooftop.
Kiyoshi followed. As he passed Rin, Kiyoshi's right eye twitched. Kakashi was indeed heading down the wrong path, and Kiyoshi was here to help correct Kakashi. It was just that Rin would have to pay a small fee in the process. This was essentially an equivalent exchange.
***
The next day.
The group assembled at the village gate. After taking stock of their provisions, they set off for the Land of Demons. Ninjas mostly traveled on foot because the roads outside the Hidden Leaf were rugged mountain paths, and only ninjas could traverse them by walking on tree trunks.
The Land of Demons was located in an extremely remote area; many ninjas didn't even know where it was.
Since this was their first long-distance mission, both Minato and Yūki were very cautious. This was not just a mission within the Land of Fire; reaching the Land of Demons required crossing the borders of several countries. This was especially sensitive given the increasingly tense situation in the ninja world, with constant friction.
There was a real possibility of being attacked by Rogue Ninjas or wandering ninjas, or even malicious attacks from other Hidden Villages. Every village kept a list of the talented ninjas in other villages. If they encountered one, they would try to eliminate the talent in the cradle. Alternatively, they might seize a Bloodline holder who lacked village protection to bolster their own faction's possession of that Bloodline.
Kiyoshi and his companions were lucky; they encountered no major crises along the way. Only Rin's expression seemed off; she continuously tried to talk to Kakashi.
Kakashi seemed stimulated by Kiyoshi. He barely paid attention to Rin, not only continuing his Lightning Release training but also dedicating time to swordsmanship. Kakashi spent all his time outside of traveling doing these things. The result was that Kakashi was even busier now.
"It's getting dark. Let's rest here for now." Minato glanced at the sky, which was turning the golden hue of dusk. After a day of exhausting travel, continuing through the night would only invite danger.
"Obito, put down your pot quickly." Minato looked at Obito. For regular missions, ninjas carried military ration pills and basic hardtack.
But when there were no enemies, they could light a fire and cook some quick meals. This helped relieve the ninjas' mental fatigue, as continuous missions accumulated psychological stress.
***
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