c2: Kai, My Friend Forever!
"No wonder Kakashi needed the Sharingan to master Chidori…"
Jingyan clenched his fists as he recalled the issue.
"The speed is too fast for the user's own perception."
His newly upgraded Shunshin no Jutsu (Body Flicker Technique) shared a similar issue his reflexes and eyesight couldn't keep up with the momentum his body now produced.
Although not as fatal as Kakashi's Chidori backlash where the tunnel vision effect of high-speed thrust made it impossible to track a counterattack Jingyan's lack of synchronization still reduced the effectiveness of his movements.
"So what are the solutions?"
Only two paths lay before him:
Option one: Enhance perception boost visual acuity, reflexes, and prediction speed. The ideal example was Namikaze Minato, whose reaction time and perception were unparalleled even without a dōjutsu.
Option two: Strengthen physical durability, allowing the body to handle and control the speed generated Might Guy was the embodiment of this method, forging his path with sheer physical training.
Jingyan's eyes lit up with determination.
"Keep practicing!"
With conviction, he began linking Body Flicker movements with close-quarters combat, weaving in basic taijutsu combinations, kunai throws, and substitution setups mid-flicker.
At first
He was blazing fast.
But gradually, his speed lowered. Not from fatigue but from increasing control.
His strikes gained accuracy. His movements began flowing instead of bursting.
---
High in the treetops above, Jiraiya, cloaked in chakra-hiding genjutsu, observed in silence, his posture relaxed as he leaned back against the thick bark.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya didn't need long to grasp what the boy below was doing.
"He's not just trying to be fast… he's trying to control that speed."
Jiraiya's expression sharpened.
It wasn't speed alone that made a ninja dangerous. Reckless velocity could expose blind spots, overshoots, and erratic chakra usage.
But this boy despite no formal guidance was tempering his flicker speed through instinct and repetition.
Even some elite Jōnin couldn't manage that.
And yet, that wasn't what astonished Jiraiya the most.
"He's self-taught… and he's not just throwing techniques out there. He's refining, diagnosing, evolving…"
It was a rare kind of awareness—a fighting mind, forged in solitude.
"Reminds me of Minato..."
This wasn't the first time he'd seen the kid either.
Jingyan regularly ran near the hot springs where Jiraiya happened to conduct certain "research." A few times, he'd nearly been spotted. But instead of being annoyed, Jiraiya had developed an odd fondness for him.
There was another boy too he recalled.
A green jumpsuit. Thick eyebrows. Fierce eyes.
"Might Guy… that one's obsessed with taijutsu."
Two boys. Both young, both fiercely committed.
One relied purely on body and heart, the other added strategy and analysis to match his limitations.
But this boy Jingyan he had focus.
No random jutsu flailing. He trained only Body Flicker, Substitution, and foundational close-quarters forms.
"No teacher, no clan jutsu, no Kekkei Genkai... and yet he's progressing like this?"
Jiraiya let out a breath through his nose.
"Genius…"
He stared down at the sweat-soaked figure in the clearing, eyes flashing with memory.
Back when he'd first trained Minato, the boy had been quiet precise humble. But what set him apart wasn't just talent. It was that same ability to analyze and apply that Jingyan was now showing.
Evening fell.
The treetop shadows stretched, dappling the ground in swaying silhouettes. Below, Jingyan collapsed against the base of a tree, his shirt clinging to him with sweat.
He exhaled.
Looked up at the branches.
Then squinted.
"...Wait."
A certain shadow didn't sway like the others.
Jingyan sat up with a jolt.
"Who's there?"
Whoosh!
A flutter of movement and a faint bird-like shape vanished into the moonlit trees.
Gone.
---
Konoha Ninja Academy.
The newly graduated Genin sat together in a classroom, waiting for their first assignments. Their teacher had yet to arrive.
Several kids clustered at the windows, watching younger students train below. Excitement buzzed in the air.
All except for two.
In the back corner, Might Guy stood on one hand, legs straight up, the other hand clutching a weight. His green jumpsuit and bowl-cut hair made him look more like a caricature than a shinobi. But his muscles trembled from controlled effort, not showmanship.
Across from him sat Jingyan, silently observing.
Their interactions until now had been minimal. Before his transmigration, Jingyan had kept to himself. After reincarnating, he focused solely on training no time or energy for friendships.
They knew each other by name. That was it.
But now…
Guy noticed the stare.
"Kyouhiko-kun, am I… disturbing you?"
His voice was awkward, guarded.
Jingyan shook his head.
"No. I was admiring you."
"Admiring… me?"
Guy stood upright, blinking. He hesitated, then stepped over and sat beside him, disbelief plain on his face.
"You're not… making fun of me?"
He laughed nervously.
"I almost failed the early graduation exam, you know."
Jingyan shrugged.
"But you passed, didn't you?"
Then he looked straight at him.
"Kai I've been watching you."
Guy blinked in confusion.
"Your ninjutsu talent is poor. Your chakra control is barely passable. Your coordination isn't ideal either"
Guy's face fell further with each word.
Then came the pivot
"But you have something few people ever develop: unshakable perseverance. You don't care what others think. You train harder than anyone. That's a kind of talent too."
Jingyan smiled faintly.
"Kai, you are a hardworking genius."
"A… hardworking genius?"
Guy's lips parted slightly.
For the first time, someone other than his father had called him that.
He rubbed the back of his head, face red.
"I… I'm not a genius…"
"Why not?" Jingyan asked softly, tilting his head toward the window.
"Hokage-sama once said that perseverance is the rarest and most powerful talent a shinobi can possess—yet the hardest to maintain."
He nodded subtly toward the classroom.
"Look around you. Aside from you, who else is still training?"
Kai blinked and scanned the room.
He had silently been observing for days now and it was true.
Most of the students were chatting, leaning against windows, daydreaming, or idly watching the Genin trainees below. Among them, only Ryomine Jingyan, who sat calmly nearby, was still twirling a kunai between his fingers while practicing hand seals with his free hand his chakra control and finger dexterity precise.
There was one more exception.
Yuhi Kurenai, who sat quietly at the far end of the classroom. She wasn't training, but she wasn't distracted either. Her sharp crimson eyes reflected deep focus as she observed both the students and the world outside—a trait that would one day shape her into a Genjutsu master.
Kai's gaze drifted back to Jingyan, eyes wide.
"Hokage-sama really said that?"
That was the part he latched onto.
Of course, Sarutobi Hiruzen had never said such a thing
But the future Hokage, Ryomine Kyohiko, had.
Jingyan resisted the urge to smile slyly and suppressed his thoughts.
"Forget trying to farm system rewards too obviously…"
Suddenly
"Jingyan!!"
Might Guy leapt forward, wrapping Jingyan in a powerful hug.
"I'm so grateful! You're the second person who's ever recognized me… since I was a kid!"
His voice cracked.
The first, of course, was his father—Might Duy, the Eternal Genin who had taught Guy the values of persistence and resilience, even as others mocked them both.
Even with all his mental fortitude, Jingyan was caught off guard.
"Huh?! This sudden transformation… I didn't expect this!"
Guy's loud, tearful outburst immediately drew everyone's attention.
Students stopped joking. Heads turned.
Dozens of eyes locked on the bizarre sight of Might Guy clinging to Ryomine Jingyan and sobbing openly.
A few snickers.
Then murmurs.
Then full-on laughter.
Jingyan looked around, his face twitching with helplessness.
"I… I just caused a scene... and worst of all, I didn't even get a system reward out of it!"
Kai was crying.
Jingyan was reflecting.
The two had completely different emotional wavelengths.
Then
A calm but curious female voice sliced through the awkwardness:
"Kai-kun... so, who was the first person?"
It was Kurenai Yuhi.
Immediately, everyone tuned in again.
Kai paused his weeping.
Now surrounded by amused or curious stares, he stood up proudly.
"That's easy!" he declared.
"My eternal rival—Hatake Kakashi!!"
Kakashi.
The moment the name dropped, the room shifted.
First came silence.
Then awe.
Then confusion.
"Wait, you?"
Then
"Pfft—HAHAHAHA!!"
The classroom erupted.
Except for Kurenai and Jingyan, the entire class was rolling with laughter.
"Kakashi's your rival? That's a good one!"
"Right! I can say I'm Kakashi's rival too, then!"
"Count me in! We're all Kakashi's rivals now!"
The mood lightened immediately.
After all, Hatake Kakashi had graduated from the Academy at five, and was already a Chūnin at six. He was considered a once-in-a-generation prodigy, already serving in missions alongside elite Jōnin.
Meanwhile, Might Guy, who had barely scraped through graduation at seven, clearly wasn't in the same league at least not yet.
Kai lowered his head momentarily.
But before he could fall into despair again, Jingyan leaned closer and clapped a hand firmly on his shoulder.
"Kai."
His tone was solemn.
"If you aim for first place, maybe you'll get second. If you only aim for third, you'll never get higher than fifth. Believe in yourself. You really can be Kakashi's eternal rival."
Kai gasped.
"K-Kyouhiko-kun!"
This time, he hugged him again but it was different. There were no tears, just fierce joy.
This was the feeling he'd been waiting for: acknowledgment. Someone who saw him not as a joke, but as a future equal.
"This, this is what a real friend is!"
As he laughed, tears still streamed down his cheeks, but they were pure and bright.
Jingyan exhaled slowly.
"Funny how things work out… Gai dreams of catching up to Kakashi. But my goal… was always to catch up to Gai."
Everyone, it seemed, had a rival they chased through time.
And in that moment
[Psychological fortitude is an essential quality for a Hokage. You have uplifted the will of a fellow Genin and ignited his unwavering fighting spirit.]
[Reward: Your basic Taijutsu skill has improved.]
Jingyan paused.
He felt it.
A surge of refined motion and subtle technique flooded into his mind.
Movements. Angles. Force redirection. Muscle timing. Chakra-assisted strikes most notably kicking techniques optimized for explosive speed and recovery.
"Huh… Taijutsu…"
It made sense.
Yesterday's reward had come from earning someone's total trust improving his Shunshin no Jutsu, his signature skill.
But this time?
Guy's core strength was physical combat.
So the reward followed suit.
"The system isn't random. It tailors its gifts based on the value of my actions and the strength of the person I affect.
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