"Let's take a break."
Sakumo Hatake said, sheathing his sword and stepping back. Kakashi Hatake plopped onto the ground, panting heavily with a complete lack of composure. Every exchange with his father was a hell-level difficulty for him. Even though he was a genius among geniuses, he was facing Konoha's White Fang, a man whose reputation struck fear across the entire ninja world.
"Is that your classmate?" Sakumo asked, looking at the running Hagawa.
"Yeah," Kakashi said, exhaling. "His name is Hagawa. His talent for genjutsu is decent."
"Just genjutsu?" Sakumo countered.
"Did you see something?" Kakashi asked, slightly taken aback. He knew his father possessed a perception beyond that of ordinary people and was an excellent judge of character.
"His stamina is quite good," Sakumo said, stroking his chin. "And he has the same confidence that you do."
"He defeated Asuma before, so it's normal for him to be confident," Kakashi said, not the least bit surprised.
"I see," Sakumo said with a smile. "Perhaps he'll become a great rival for you."
"He won't," Kakashi retorted. He wasn't Asuma Sarutobi; how could he be caught in a genjutsu so easily?
Sakumo didn't press the issue. Geniuses were always proud, and his son was currently invincible among his peers.
An unknown amount of time passed before Hagawa finally stopped. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and mentally calculated the time. With the [Robust Physique] Trait, he had managed to last half an hour longer than before.
At some point, Kakashi and Sakumo had left. Hagawa didn't linger either and headed home.
Time ticked by, and another week came to an end. Over these seven days, Hagawa had only done two things: running at Training Ground 4 and practicing his ninja tool throwing in the small grove outside the house.
On Sunday morning, Hagawa woke up early and jogged to Training Ground 4. He suppressed his anticipation, regulated his breathing, and began running laps. About ten minutes later, the father-son duo with white hair appeared. Kakashi and Sakumo had already gotten used to Hagawa's presence. The three had a tacit understanding, each focusing on their own training.
"Hm?" Sakumo let out a small sound of surprise. He noticed that Hagawa had suddenly accelerated, about ten percent faster than before. Is he sprinting? No, that's not it.
Sakumo's gaze sharpened. Did he just break through? His judgment was based on Hagawa's breathing. Even after increasing his speed, his rhythm was just as steady as before.
"Kakashi," Sakumo said with some amazement, "it seems I was right. He will indeed become a great rival for you." Hagawa's speed was now equivalent to that of a normal Genin. But that wasn't the main point; it was his rate of improvement that was too fast.
"The end-of-term exams are coming up soon. I will defeat Hagawa and apply for early graduation," Kakashi said. He hadn't noticed the change in Hagawa, but his father's repeated comments had stirred his competitive spirit.
"I look forward to it," Sakumo said with great interest. "I'll be sure to be there to watch."
"I won't disappoint you," Kakashi said, drawing his tanto. He didn't think he would lose.
The clash between father and son officially began. An hour later, Hagawa let out a long breath.
[E-Rank Talent Trait: Fleet-footed (Acquired)]
Activation Condition: Reach the maximum speed of an ordinary Genin.
Effect: Increases leg power by 10% from the base level.
He had just verified the effect of the new Trait. The so-called "leg power" wasn't just strength, but also an increase in speed. Although it was only a 10% boost, it was still a major enhancement to his abilities.
With a thought, Hagawa opened the system. He was currently working on three Traits.
E-Rank Trait [Top Student]: Required him to get first place in the theory portion of the final exams.
E-Rank Trait [Seven Ninja Tools]: He had already mastered four types: shuriken, kunai, senbon, and Fūma shuriken.
D-Rank Trait [Medical Ninja]: Compared to the other two, he hadn't even reached the introductory level for this one.
Just looking at the pile of medical books gave Hagawa a headache. He finally understood why medical ninjas were so rare—it was simply too difficult to learn. "There are always more difficulties than solutions," but he still hadn't given up. After all, Tsunade's appeal was significant.
Today's physical training was complete. Hagawa closed the system and headed home. He reached out, opened the door, and his eyes fell upon Kurenai.
Click. The cabinet moved.
Genjutsu: Release! Hagawa disrupted the flow of chakra in his body, breaking the illusion.
"How could this be?" Kurenai said, unwilling to accept her failure.
"A sneak attack is useless," Hagawa said, reaching out to pat her head.
"How did you see through it?" Kurenai asked, ignoring the head pat.
"The world you constructed in your genjutsu wasn't detailed enough," Hagawa explained casually. A genjutsu user was somewhat like a game modeler from his past life; the more detailed the creation, the less likely it was to arouse suspicion. Of course, the Uchiha clan was an exception. As long as their eye power was strong enough, even if you knew you were in a genjutsu, you couldn't break it. Itachi's Tsukuyomi was a prime example.
"I'm going to take a shower," Hagawa said, taking off his shoes. "I'll teach you more genjutsu later."
"Mm," Kurenai replied absentmindedly. She was still trying to figure out where her genjutsu had lacked detail.
Hot steam filled the bathroom. Hagawa let out a long, comfortable sigh. A shower after a workout truly is a fine thing.
"Hagawa, you smell so good," Kurenai said, sniffing the air as he exited the bathroom.
Hagawa almost lost his composure. You'd better be talking about Furret, not Hannibal.
"Hairdryer," Hagawa said, sitting on the sofa.
"Why don't you get it yourself?" Kurenai asked with her hands on her hips. At this rate, forget being the "big sister" boss, she was about to become a little maid. She, Kurenai Yuhi, could not remain sullenly suppressed under another's thumb!
"This is the price for me teaching you genjutsu," Hagawa said with a smile. Now that they were familiar with each other, this level of teasing was commonplace.
"..." Kurenai wanted to speak yet stopped, then stopped yet wanted to speak again. She sullenly grabbed the hairdryer and shoved it into Hagawa's hands.
"Don't even think that I'll dry your hair for you!" Kurenai took a step back, lifted her little head, and said in a tsundere tone.
"I actually didn't have that in mind," Hagawa said with a laugh as he turned on the hairdryer.
"Damn it!" Kurenai glared at him with her ruby-red eyes.
Hagawa slowly dried his hair. He put down the hairdryer, casually took out a lollipop, and said, "For you."
Kurenai's gaze was subconsciously drawn to the lollipop. But then she remembered his earlier behavior, snorted, and said, trying to act tough, "I don't want it!"
"You really don't want it?" Hagawa unwrapped the lollipop and moved it towards his own mouth.
"Hey!" Kurenai cried out in a panic. The next second, she felt a sweetness in her mouth; the lollipop was already there.
"Let's go," Hagawa said, getting up. "I'll teach you genjutsu."
The corners of Kurenai's mouth curled up, and with a light spring in her step, she followed him.
-------
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