April 16, Year 39 of Konoha's Founding
Hoshita Shūichi woke at dawn.
After washing up and donning his black training uniform, he set off at a jog.
First, a 10-kilometer lap around the village!
His light footsteps disappeared into the morning light.
Ten minutes later, a familiar voice called out.
It was Might Guy!
Sure enough, Hoshita Shūichi soon spotted Guy rounding a corner—upside-down, as usual.
Might Guy flipped upright upon seeing him, beaming. "Shūichi! You're back!"
Hoshita Shūichi stopped, grinning. "Yeah, got in last night."
"Hey, Guy—wanna race?"
Might Guy's eyes sparkled. "I was about to ask!"
"If I lose, I'll do an extra lap of frog jumps around the village after school!"
Hoshita Shūichi matched his energy. "If I lose, I'll spar with Kakashi as punishment!"
"Then let's go!"
With fiery determination, Might Guy flipped back onto his hands. Hoshita Shūichi mirrored him, and the two shot forward, their arms pumping like pistons as they raced through Konoha's streets. Bathed in golden sunlight, their synchronized handsprings painted a dazzling scene.
Twenty minutes later, they collapsed against a wooden fence at the finish line, gasping.
Hoshita Shūichi had lost—but he felt the progress. His stamina had skyrocketed.
Doubled physical prowess is incredible!
With further training, his chakra reserves wouldn't just double, but increase by at least two-thirds.
As they caught their breath, Hoshita Shūichi chatted with Might Guy. Ten minutes later, Guy left for school, and Shūichi headed home for breakfast.
Morning Training
Post-meal, Hoshita Shūichi returned to his usual training ground.
Today's regimen:
Walking on water while hoisting a boulder.
Scaling cliffs with the same boulder.
This dual drill honed both his endurance and chakra control.
By noon, he staggered back to Konoha's commercial district and gorged on protein-rich meals. His body demanded replenishment.
Afternoon: The Spar
At 2 PM, Hoshita Shūichi returned to the cliffs—and found Kakashi dangling one-handed from the summit.
A grin spread across Shūichi's face.
The[Taijutsu Expert]title hinges on him!
When Kakashi reached the top, Hoshita Shūichi called out, "Kakashi! Spar with me. Let's see if you've slacked off."
Kakashi sighed. "Can I at least catch my breath first?"
"Of course!"
Hoshita Shūichi tossed him a bottle of electrolyte water from his pack. Kakashi gulped it down, and the two sat on the cliff's edge.
"So," Shūichi asked casually, "learned any new jutsu lately?"
"Lightning Release chakra nature transformation," Kakashi replied.
Shūichi blinked. "Wait—so you've already mastered Earth Release's nature transformation?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Yeah."
Hoshita Shūichi gave a thumbs-up.
Kakashi was born with dual chakra natures: Earth and Lightning. This meant he could perform Earth and Lightning jutsu without prior nature transformation training—unlike most shinobi.
For example, Kakashi had used Earth Release: Earth Wall in Academy sparring sessions for years.
But.
The same jutsu's power varied between users. Two factors dictated this:
Chakra volume
Chakra nature mastery
Take the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken—it represented the pinnacle of both Wind nature transformation and shape manipulation.
This was why Hoshita Shūichi, despite not formally training Fire nature transformation, could still use Fire Release jutsu. His innate Fire affinity allowed it.
Of course, mastering five Fire techniques had indirectly polished his Fire nature control.
Wind, however, remained untapped.
The Duel
After a 30-minute break, the two squared off.
Dust swirled as fists and feet blurred. They clashed atop the cliff, then plummeted to the ground, their battle spilling onto the river's surface.
With each exchange, Kakashi grew more alarmed.
I'm being overwhelmed!
Though he specialized in ninjutsu, Kakashi never neglected taijutsu. He'd trained relentlessly, spurred by Might Guy's zeal and Hoshita Shūichi's discipline.
Yet now—
His reflexes...
Shūichi's reaction speed has improved again!
Kakashi redoubled his efforts, fists striking harder, kicks coming faster.
But Hoshita Shūichi parried everything—effortlessly.
Ten minutes later, Kakashi collapsed onto the grass, utterly drained.
Hoshita Shūichi stood victorious, drenched in sweat but standing.
Joy!
This was his first taijutsu win against Kakashi—and a giant leap toward unlocking [Taijutsu Expert].
Evening: Plans and Resolve
That night, Hoshita Shūichi soaked in a steaming bath, mapping his next steps.
[Tool Expert]: Acquired.
[Taijutsu Expert]: Required 50 wins over Kakashi. Today marked one. The road ahead was long—and Kakashi would train harder now.
So, which title to pursue next?
Medical Expert?
Wind Release Expert?
Clone Technique Expert?
Shunshin Expert?
His gaze drifted over the grayed-out titles on his mental "skill tree."
Most ninjutsu-related titles required mastering a set number of techniques.
If he came from a clan, he'd have access to scrolls and tutors.
His current Fire techniques:
Two inherited from his father.
One learned from Uchiha Obito.
Two gifted by Ten'un.
Clone techniques? He knew the Basic Clone and Shadow Clone—three more needed.
His innate Wind affinity meant he could train Wind techniques, but he'd need to develop another chakra nature for additional clone variants.
Shunshin techniques faced similar hurdles.
"Jutsu resources..." Hoshita Shūichi sighed.
"Then Medical Expert it is—with Wind Release Expert as backup."
Medical knowledge was accessible through Yakushi Nonō at the orphanage. Wind techniques? Namikaze Minato could provide those.
Plus, maintaining his squad's "medic" persona was crucial.
Splash!
He rose from the bath, dressed, and headed straight for the orphanage. Tonight, he'd sleep there—and absorb every medical lesson Nonō offered.
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