"Okay, that's all for today's training. Same time tomorrow!"
On the training ground, Tenzō looked at the panting Itsuki and spoke in a calm tone.
But if you listened carefully, you could still hear a slight tremor in his voice.
It was terrifying.
Not to mention seeing it—he had never even heard of something like this in his life.
Tenzō's eyes were a little dazed, his heart in shock.
In just one day, Itsuki had grown from a civilian ninja school graduate who only knew the Three Body Techniques.
Now, he had mastered the nature changes of Earth and Water Release and learned every Earth and Water jutsu below B-rank that Tenzō himself had mastered.
And this was still with Tenzō deliberately holding him back.
Itsuki only needed one morning to learn ninjutsu.
After having a hearty lunch and digesting it, Tenzō began sparring with him. He originally just wanted Itsuki to consolidate what he had learned in the morning.
But during actual combat, Tenzō discovered the true meaning of the word genius—no, monster.
There was no such thing as a novice when it came to Itsuki. Everything he learned, he performed flawlessly and without hesitation.
Of course, that didn't mean the entire afternoon had been wasted.
After all, Itsuki had never truly fought before, so he still needed some time to adapt and understand when to use which tactics.
And in terms of taijutsu, he was only just beginning.
At first, Tenzō was able to suppress his strength to match Itsuki's level during their spar.
But as time went on, he had to increase his power more and more.
By the end, even though he looked calm on the surface, in reality, he had already used his full strength just to barely suppress Itsuki.
In other words—relying solely on Earth and Water Release, plus the taijutsu and combat experience he gained today, Itsuki's strength could already reach the elite level of a Chunin.
With one or two trump cards, it was no exaggeration to say he could stand on par with a Jonin.
Such rapid progress was utterly shocking, perhaps the fastest in the history of the ninja world.
Tenzō didn't dare show it. He simply gave Itsuki a few words of encouragement and quickly sent him away.
He needed to find a quiet place to calm himself.
But before he could, an Anbu came to him and said that the Third Hokage was looking for him.
Of course. The Third must have wanted a report on Itsuki's training.
Sure enough, as soon as Tenzō arrived at the Hokage's office, before he could even greet him, the Third Hokage asked, "How was Itsuki's performance today?"
The old man's tone was calm, as if it were a casual question.
Tenzō pondered for a moment, then replied carefully, "Itsuki's talent is the best I've ever seen. He can now skillfully control the changes in the properties of Water and Earth Release."
"Although he used Shadow Clones to accelerate experience, even without that, he would've reached my current level in only a few days."
For some reason, when Tenzō recalled the scene of Itsuki calling him "Teacher Tenzō," he felt an urge to protect him.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the Third Hokage, but he feared the Hokage's expectations might place too much pressure on Itsuki.
Wouldn't Itsuki practice himself to death just to meet them?
He thought conservatively—it would be fine for Itsuki to take things slower for a few days.
Even so, the Third Hokage was so shocked that he stood up straight.
"He has already mastered two types of nature changes?" The pipe fell from his mouth and nearly burned his robes.
He sighed, "As expected of the Second Hokage's legacy…"
Realizing he almost slipped, the Hokage quickly changed the subject. "In that case, let's start teaching him how to fuse Wood Release tomorrow."
Tenzō froze, then asked anxiously, "Isn't that too soon? Hokage-sama, forgive me, I'm not questioning you, but Itsuki just graduated from the Academy and only started his real training today."
"I understand your concerns." The Hokage waved his hand and sat back down, pipe between his lips, sighing. "But time waits for no one."
"Naruto has passed Kakashi's test today and will officially begin missions tomorrow. Do you understand what that means?"
"Uzumaki… Naruto?" Tenzō fell silent.
The Nine-Tails Jinchuriki—taboo words in Konoha.
The Third Hokage's expression made him recall the tragedy of twelve years ago.
If the Nine-Tails rampaged again, even he wouldn't be able to stop it. That only proved Itsuki's importance.
No one had expected Kakashi to actually let his students pass.
"Itsuki's ability is the strongest weapon against the Nine-Tails. He must grow as fast as possible. This is vital to Konoha."
The Hokage sighed. "Please understand—everything I do is for the village, without selfish intent."
"I understand, Hokage-sama. I'll start teaching Itsuki Wood Release fusion tomorrow." Tenzō answered heavily.
He had wanted to train Itsuki further in Earth and Water Release, raising his foundations to at least A-rank jutsu or even S-rank forbidden techniques, so he'd reach Jonin-level stability before attempting Wood Release.
But the Hokage had spoken. He had no choice.
Now, he could only hope Itsuki's monstrous talent was enough.
On the other side, Itsuki, who had finished his training, wasn't tired at all—he was thrilled.
The visible speed of his growth felt like cheating in a video game—or like having a girlfriend with a motor installed. It was exhilarating.
If possible, he'd practice 24 hours a day and hit the limit in one go.
But as a time traveler, he also knew the importance of rest, so he forced himself to hold back.
Walking down the street, he turned a corner—only to collide with someone.
Instinctively, his body reacted, striking forward. A scream rang out, and four or five people were sent flying.
Itsuki froze. He had held back at the last second, but with his current strength, they could've easily been crippled… or worse.
When he looked closer, his mood shifted.
He recognized them. These were the same punks who'd helped him awaken his Sharingan yesterday. What a coincidence.
Itsuki walked over to the fat boy, who lay groaning on the ground, casting a long shadow over him.
"You're pretty bold, bumping into me like that."
Arms folded, Itsuki sneered. "I was almost killed by your little stunt. Tell me—how are you going to compensate me?"
The fat boy's injuries from yesterday had barely healed, and now, colliding with his own companions, he was in agony—like half his bones had broken.
Hearing Itsuki's words, fury surged in him.
He usually said those exact lines to others. Now someone dared flip them back on him?
"Asshole…! Hiss—it hurts… Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like—"
With the help of his companions, he managed to sit up. But the moment he saw Itsuki's smiling face—its devilish aura—his own went pale.