Konoha's Hextech Ninja

In an instant, with a single step from Yagami Yoru, two more high-pressure water jets shot out from the remaining puddle on the ground, crisscrossing and sweeping towards Hatake Kakashi.

However, just before the water pillar was about to hit Kakashi Hatake, Yoruichi Yagami deliberately dispersed her chakra, preventing the ninjutsu from actually hitting her opponent.

It's just a friendly spar; there's no need to seriously injure someone.

"I lost again." Kakashi Hatake landed, casually sheathed his short sword, and asked Yoruichi Yagami, "How did you manage to unleash a second stage of the Water Wave ninjutsu?"

"When I release ninjutsu, I release the chakra outside my body, but I only convert a portion of it; the rest is hidden in the puddle at my feet," Yagami Yoruichi explained simply. "However, with this method, I can only delay it for a few seconds now. If I don't convert this chakra into a second attack within those few seconds, this portion of chakra will dissipate and be wasted."

"That's already pretty impressive." Kakashi Hatake nodded slightly and said, "When the enemy dodges your first attack and tries to counterattack, you can unleash the second attack. Caught off guard, they're likely to get hit."

After a pause, Kakashi Hatake added, "Just like I did just now."

“If you choose to block my first attack with Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall, and then attack with ninjutsu at mid-range, my second attack will be useless. At this distance, you can easily react,” Yagami Yoruichi pointed out the problem with Hatake Kakashi’s response.

“I’m not like you, a freak, with that much chakra.” Kakashi Hatake’s face darkened. “After a day of training, I don’t have much chakra left to unleash ninjutsu.”

He knew, of course, that using ninjutsu was the safest and most reliable option, but limited by his chakra reserves, he had no choice but to take a risky approach.

In fact, Kakashi Hatake's chakra reserves are not bad; they are comparable to those of a seasoned Chunin.

She's just a bit weaker than that freak, Yoruichi Yagami.

If he doesn't transplant the Sharingan in the future, given his physical talent, he won't become the unit of chakra measurement in the original work.

Chapter 24 A Special Final Exam

For the past few days, Yoruichi Yagami has been training with Kurenai Yuhi at this training ground every day after school.

Kakashi Hatake would occasionally come here to train.

At first, everyone practiced on their own.

However, after Kakashi Hatake failed to challenge Yoruichi Yagami in the previous monthly exam, he began to actively try to approach Yoruichi Yagami.

Given Kakashi Hatake's arrogance, this can be seen as an acknowledgment of Yoruichi Yagami's performance.

The two often sparred during their spare time.

It's not the kind of rule-bound sparring like in a ninja academy, but a full-on, all-out effort.

However, Kakashi Hatake's physical strength and chakra reserves are far inferior to Yoruichi Yagami's.

Despite having the advantage in swordsmanship, they still lost more often than they won.

This made Kakashi Hatake increasingly acknowledge Yoruichi Yagami as his 'rival,' and the two gradually improved their relationship, becoming good friends.

"Tomorrow is the final exam," Kakashi Hatake suddenly changed the subject, saying, "After this exam, I plan to apply for early graduation."

"You didn't even finish first grade?" Yagami Yoruichi looked at Hatake Kakashi in surprise.

Yoruichi Yagami remembered that in the original work, Kakashi Hatake graduated from the Ninja Academy after only one year, became a Chunin in less than a year, and then became a Jonin at an age that broke the Konoha record a few years later, before his classmates had even graduated.

Now, after only one semester, Kakashi Hatake is saying he wants to apply for graduation?

However, if we calculate it by the calendar year, it's already January, so it wouldn't be wrong to say it's the second year after enrollment.

All I can say is that the original work's timeline is inherently chaotic and difficult to understand.

"The Ninja Academy has nothing more to teach me. I want to graduate early and see the real world of ninjas." Kakashi Hatake looked at Yoruichi Yagami and asked, "You're stronger than me. Aren't you planning to graduate early?"

“I do think there are still things I can learn at the Ninja Academy.” Yagami Yoruichi smiled and said, “Kakashi, unlike you, I don’t have any family-inherited ninjutsu. There are many things that I can only learn at the Ninja Academy. For example, the Three Body Technique. If you hadn’t taught me, I would have had to wait until next year when the Ninja Academy teaches it.”

As a genius of the Hatake clan, Kakashi Hatake has mastered several ninjutsu, and the Three Body Technique is naturally even more beyond his grasp.

After becoming acquainted with Kakashi Hatake, Yoruichi Yagami learned the Three Bodies Technique from him.

Other ninjutsu might be difficult for Kakashi Hatake, but Yoruichi Yagami wouldn't even mention them.

However, since the Three Body Technique is something that ninja schools are supposed to teach, there is no issue of 'teaching it privately'. It doesn't matter whether it's taught early or late, and no one will investigate.

Although the Three-Body Technique is of a low level, it does not fundamentally improve combat power.

However, as a 'smokescreen' tactic, it still has considerable value in enriching tactics.

In this era, before the late-game Gundam-filled version of the story, tactics are still very important.

Even in a battle between Jonin, a well-timed Shadow Clone Jutsu or Substitution Jutsu can often turn the tide of the battle.

As for transformation techniques, they also have extremely high value in areas such as infiltration.

However, in later versions where Gundams start flying everywhere, these three ninjutsu techniques will become completely useless and worthless.

Yoruichi Yagami would absolutely, positively not follow Naruto Uzumaki's example and develop some kind of lewd ninjutsu like the harem technique... right?

"Your strength is already stronger than many Chunin, and you still plan to continue being a Ninja Academy student?" Kakashi Hatake was taken aback, clearly not understanding Yoruichi Yagami's idea.

"You think I'm strong, but I think I'm still too weak." Yagami Yoruichi smiled and said, "So what if you're a Chunin? Even a Jonin can be either killed or crippled if they accidentally fall into an explosive tag trap. The ninja world is too dangerous. I plan to continue improving my strength. I don't plan to graduate until I have enough confidence."

Yoruichi Yagami did not try to dissuade Kakashi Hatake from graduating early, but she did not hide her own thoughts either.

"I see..." Kakashi Hatake nodded without saying anything more.

But in his heart he was wondering if his decision to graduate early was a bit hasty.

After thinking for a while, Kakashi Hatake still didn't get an answer, so he decided to go home and talk to his father about it.

……

Outside the training ground, on a high platform.

Several figures were watching Yagami Yoruichi and Hatake Kakashi from a distance in the training field.

"Both of these children are very talented," a blond boy remarked with a smile.

A red-haired girl looked tenderly at the blond youth and said with a smile, "You're not much different from how you were back then."

These two were none other than Minato Namikaze and Kushina Uzumaki.

At this time, Kushina Uzumaki was not yet the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and was not restricted in her movements. She stayed by Minato Namikaze's side all day long, following him wherever he went.

“That black-haired kid is stronger than I was in my first year,” Minato Namikaze corrected. “As for Kakashi, his overall strength is about the same as mine in my first year. It’s just that the two of them have different strengths than me.”

"Minato," the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, looked at Minato Namikaze and asked, "would you be interested in taking one of these two children as your disciple?"

"Me? Taking on disciples?" Minato Namikaze was stunned. "Hokage-sama, I'm only fifteen years old!"

Even if he is a genius among geniuses, and has already been promoted to Jonin.

But isn't it a bit too outrageous to accept disciples at the age of fifteen?

"We can settle on it first and then collect it in a few years," Hiruzen Sarutobi chuckled, speaking casually.

"Then let's talk about it in a few years." Minato Namikaze neither agreed nor disagreed, and did not mention the matter of 'pre-selecting a disciple'.

He had a good impression of both geniuses.

However, the decision to accept someone as a disciple cannot be made hastily.

"Kosuke, what do you think about that child?" Hiruzen Sarutobi asked, looking at the other person.

The latter was dressed in simple clothes, with a hunched back, carrying a large iron pot on his back, and looked very unremarkable.

However, only a few people in Konoha knew that this old man, who was nominally a genin, actually possessed the ability and status to influence the upper echelons of Konoha.

He was none other than Kosuke Maruboshi, one of the disciples of the Second Hokage, Tobirama Senju.

Because he made a mistake that led to the death of his teammates, he vowed to remain a genin for life, but his strength far surpassed that of a typical jonin.

"This child, is his name Yagami Yoruichi? His Water Release techniques are quite ingenious." Maruboshi Kosuke nodded slightly and said, "I just don't know if he can learn the master's Water Release techniques."

“If you’re interested in teaching, you can give it a try,” Hiruzen Sarutobi said.

He had long intended to find a teacher from the 'Hokage lineage' for Yagami Yoruichi, and to bring Yagami Yoruichi under his wing in advance.

After considering many candidates, Hiruzen Sarutobi decided that Minato Namikaze and Kosuke Maruboshi were the best choices, while the others were somewhat inferior.

If either of these two were willing to take Yagami Yoruichi as their disciple, that would be wonderful.

“During this exam, let’s find an opportunity to get to know him.” Maruhoshi Kosuke did not refuse, but said, “Talent is very important, but whether our personalities are compatible is also crucial. I want to see what kind of person this kid is.”

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded slightly and said, "It seems we need to prepare for a special final exam."

Chapter 25 Wilderness Survival Exercise

A new week begins, and final exams are on.

After this exam, there will be a vacation that lasts for more than a month.

Although the teaching pace at the Ninja Academy is not fast and the intensity is not high.

But having already completed a semester of classes, everyone was looking forward to the winter break.

Even Yagami Yoruichi is the same.

While the ninja academy is good, during holidays you have complete control over your time, which allows you to better plan your training and make the most of every minute.

The first day's theory exam was a breeze.

For Yoruichi Yagami, the theoretical courses in the ninja world were not of a high standard.

It's countless times easier than the extremely difficult college entrance exam of my previous life.

Aside from a few subjects related to the ninja profession that are somewhat difficult, the rest of the basic subjects are practically kindergarten level; you could easily get full marks with your eyes closed.

Those things related to ninjas are crucial to one's survival rate after becoming a ninja, and Yagami Yoruichi studied them diligently enough, so naturally, she mastered them without a doubt.

The next day, everyone gathered at the school and, led by Nobuyuki Imai, went to a training ground.

Outside the training ground stood a sign that read 'Third Survival Training Area'.

"Ahead is the third training ground, which is a valley and jungle terrain, ten kilometers wide and six and a half kilometers long."

Nobuyuki Imai explained briefly: "During this year's wilderness survival training course, you all learned about the environment here. The content of this final exam is to reach the exit at the other end of the training area through the third training area."

"This exam does not restrict the techniques or methods used, but the only thing prohibited is team play."

"One hundred scrolls have been set up in advance in the training ground. Your task is to seize as many scrolls as possible while passing through the training ground. The ranking will be based on the number of scrolls you seize; the more scrolls you seize, the higher your ranking will be."

"In addition, the village has arranged for some genin to enter the training ground, to compete with you for the scrolls, or to block your passage."

"If you suffer a serious injury that prevents you from continuing, the proctors will deem your score 'fail'."

After explaining the rules, Nobuyuki Imai reminded everyone, "For this exam, you are not allowed to bring any additional supplies besides the basic ninja tools. If you need to replenish food, water, or any other resources, you must obtain them yourself within the training grounds. Now, everyone, open your ninja tool bags for the proctors to inspect!"