Chapter 63: Training Progresses Rapidly
Renjiro then looked at his three students and stated firmly,
"I hope you all now understand the critical importance of C-rank jutsu."
Kaito, Hodaka, and Mieko all nodded in agreement. Renjiro continued,
"Regarding ninjutsu training, your next priority will be learning and mastering C-rank techniques. Unless I explicitly state otherwise, none of you are permitted to learn jutsu above B-rank."
He then offered the genin additional guidance before concluding,
"This is your assignment for today. Kaito, you and Mieko will escort Hodaka to the Village Hospital and have a medical ninja treat his wounds. Also, Kaito, meet me back here at 2 PM for your kenjutsu training."
He then vanished in a Body Flicker.
On the way to the Hospital, Hodaka walked with a noticeably awkward, stiff posture.
The brutal morning training combined with multiple wounds covering his body left him extremely fatigued. Kaito noticed him swaying unsteadily and said apologetically,
"I'm sorry about going so hard on you."
Hodaka replied with a weak smile,
"It's fine, don't worry about it."
Mieko said impatiently,
"Yes, they're just superficial cuts. Stop swaying around and walk faster."
Hodaka, however, replied calmly with a hint of sarcasm,
"If I'd been allowed to sleep for over two hours during morning training like someone else, maybe I could walk normally right now."
Hearing this pointed comment, Kaito laughed aloud, while Mieko's face flushed with embarrassment.
Kaito and Mieko accompanied Hodaka to Konoha Hospital. Hodaka was assigned a treatment room.
First, a civilian doctor arrived and thoroughly cleaned all his wounds with antiseptic.
Five minutes after the doctor departed, a medical ninja arrived, healed all his injuries using Mystical Palm Technique, and advised him to rest for one full day.
Kaito observed the entire healing process intently, then glanced at Mieko with obvious jealousy. He sighed internally, thinking,
"If only I possessed a Sharingan. I could just copy Mystical Palm Technique directly by watching."
Subsequently, the three bid each other farewell and departed separately.
That afternoon, Kaito arrived at the training ground, where Renjiro began teaching him the foundational principles of samurai-style kenjutsu.
The next day commenced with the same intensive physical training. At 10 AM, Renjiro announced,
"Today, we'll begin learning your new techniques. Hodaka, you'll start with Earth Release: Earth Spear. Kaito, you'll start with Wind Release: Dragon. Mieko, you'll begin with Fire Release: Flame Finger."
The three genin nodded eagerly.
Renjiro formed hand seals and created three Shadow Clones.
Each Shadow Clone retrieved a technique scroll from the original's pouch, and then each took one genin to a different location.
Hodaka remained at the original position, while Kaito and Mieko were relocated to separate areas of the training ground.
The Shadow Clones then handed the scrolls to the genin and instructed them to read the documentation thoroughly before beginning practical training.
As the students began learning, the Shadow Clones observed them carefully from the sidelines, providing hints and corrections whenever necessary.
Renjiro's training methodology continued in this structured manner.
The morning physical conditioning remained consistently brutal. From 10 AM to noon, Renjiro alternated between team formation drills and individual ninjutsu instruction. In the afternoon, Renjiro personally taught Kaito advanced kenjutsu techniques.
From 6 PM to 8:30 PM, Kaito trained independently.
He either practiced the new techniques he was learning or sparred against his own Shadow Clones.
Kaito found Renjiro's training methodology extremely beneficial.
Although Kaito could already execute certain techniques without hand seals, Renjiro's expert guidance helped him further optimize these jutsu for improved efficiency.
Learning new techniques also became significantly easier due to Renjiro's detailed instruction.
He mastered Wind Release: Dragon in one week, Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm in just two days, Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken in nine days, and Wind Release: Body Flicker in three days.
These C-rank techniques still proved quite challenging for Kaito to master completely.
Wind Release: Dragon and Wind Release: Rotating Shuriken were both particularly difficult to learn properly. As for Wind Release: Beast Wave Palm, after mastering Wind Release: Dragon first, it became remarkably easy to pick up.
Wind Release: Body Flicker operated very similarly to the standard Body Flicker Technique. However, the user couldn't rely on their own physical strength—they had to create and ride a compressed gust of wind to travel. The flickering distance of Wind Release: Body Flicker far exceeded the standard version.
With this technique, Kaito could instantly relocate to a position three hundred meters away.
Another significant advantage was that it left virtually no chakra traces for enemies to track.
Although Kaito could already escape effectively using standard Body Flicker, he recognized that this wind-enhanced version's evasion capability far surpassed the original.
His kenjutsu skills also improved dramatically. After extensive practice and testing with Renjiro, they determined that the optimal blade length for Kaito's fighting style was 57 centimeters.
Three weeks after officially becoming a genin, Kaito received the two custom samurai swords Hiruzen had promised him as his reward.
He and Renjiro were summoned to the Hokage's office and received the blades personally. Kaito also noticed that Hiruzen seized every available opportunity to subtly indoctrinate the young shinobi, fostering deeper loyalty to Konoha.
Back at the training ground, he held both swords experimentally. Although he wasn't yet a master swordsman, he could immediately feel that the quality of these blades far exceeded anything he'd used before.
From that day forward, Renjiro began teaching Kaito proper chakra flow techniques.
Kaito already understood the basic principle, and he remained outwardly calm, acting as though he was encountering this concept for the very first time. He thought carefully,
"I don't know if I can successfully hide my existing skills from him. I think I shouldn't demonstrate what I already know—it's best to follow his instructions methodically step by step."
Fortunately for Kaito, Renjiro's method of creating chakra flow proved significantly different from what he'd self-taught previously, and it was notably more suitable for his personal style.
So he honestly attempted this new approach.
Because the methodology differed substantially, he genuinely struggled initially.
However, once he grasped the fundamental concept, the rest progressed very easily for him.
In just three days, he successfully channeled smooth chakra flow through his new sword. He noticed the difference immediately and marveled internally,
"Wow, it's so much easier with these quality blades!"
Renjiro was genuinely shocked by this rapid progress. He thought with disbelief,
"What the hell? He learned functional chakra flow in only three days? Even assuming he practiced extensively at home, his total training time couldn't have exceeded 15 hours."
He tried to analyze the situation, wondering,
"Did he already know this technique before I taught him?"
He considered it carefully and concluded,
"No, he genuinely struggled during the initial stages. It's just that once he achieved a small breakthrough, everything else became remarkably simple for him. It's like this skill is his natural element."
This analysis shocked him even more profoundly. He finally smiled with satisfaction, thinking,
"Master Mifune, it seems I've discovered a student more naturally talented than any student currently training in the Land of Iron."
Thinking this, he burst out laughing uncontrollably.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
This sudden laughter attracted Kaito's immediate attention. He thought with concern,
"Did he discover something about my hidden abilities? No, it shouldn't be that. I suppose this just demonstrates my natural talent for kenjutsu. Still, he doesn't need to laugh like a complete maniac, does he?"
Renjiro noticed Kaito staring at him with genuine concern, as if wondering whether his instructor required psychiatric evaluation. He said with amusement,
"Don't worry, kid. I just remembered an old man from the Land of Iron who constantly boasted about the exceptional talent in his village. Anyway, since you've already learned basic chakra flow, work diligently to master it completely. The intensity of your training will also increase substantially from this point forward."
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