"No wonder the Chidori needs the Sharingan to unleash its full power."
Kyohiko Yoshimine's current Body Flicker Technique suffered from a similar problem after being used. His eyesight and physical coordination couldn't fully keep up.
Although it wasn't as lethal as the Chidori, it still affected how much of his strength he could bring to bear.
There were only two solutions—
Either strengthen his eyesight so his vision could keep pace with his body,
Or make his body capable of keeping up with his speed.
The former required talent. Minato Namikaze was the prime example.
As for the latter, Might Guy was the best example.
Keep training!
Kyohiko Yoshimine's gaze hardened as he began using the Body Flicker Technique in combination with punches, kicks, and kunai attacks.
At the beginning…
His speed was astonishingly fast.
Later, his speed gradually slowed, but his movements became increasingly sharp and ruthless.
Above him, Jiraiya sat astride a tree branch, concealed among the leaves with ninjutsu. The shock on his face was impossible to hide.
As one of the Legendary Sannin—
He could naturally understand what the young boy beneath the tree was training.
Controlling speed!
The boy's Body Flicker Technique was extremely strong, but speed was not something that became better the faster it was. Once it exceeded one's ability to control it, it could easily become a fatal weakness in battle.
His Body Flicker Technique was impressive.
Some jonin, if judged purely on their Body Flicker Technique, might not even match the boy below.
But that wasn't what truly shocked Jiraiya.
What really astonished him was—
The boy had realized that speed wasn't about being as fast as possible, but about increasing speed only after achieving complete control.
Controlling speed was often more important than increasing it.
This seemingly simple principle was something many ninjas only grasped after experiencing life-and-death battles.
"Truly incredible!"
Another Minato?
Jiraiya's gaze grew complex.
This wasn't the first time he had seen this boy.
In fact, every time Kyohiko trained, he passed by the road near the bathhouse.
Several times before, Kyohiko had nearly caused Jiraiya to expose himself, and it was precisely because of this that Jiraiya had a strong impression of him.
Diligent. Hardworking.
He trained every single day without fail, never stopping for even a moment. What surprised Jiraiya the most, however, was the boy's way of thinking.
Kyohiko wasn't the only one who worked hard.
In Jiraiya's memory, there was another boy dressed flamboyantly in green who was also extremely diligent—but their training paths were completely different.
That one focused solely on taijutsu.
As for the boy in front of him—
From the moment Jiraiya had noticed him, Kyohiko had trained only taijutsu, the Body Flicker Technique, and the Substitution Technique. He trained with clear purpose, not blind effort.
Now, after mastering the Body Flicker Technique without a teacher, he had begun studying it further, researching how to control speed itself.
That level of awareness was something ordinary people simply didn't possess.
A genius!
Just like Minato back then.
Jiraiya sat in the tree, his eyes fixed on the sweat-soaked boy below as thoughts and memories surged through his mind.
As one of the Legendary Sannin, if he wanted to hide, there was no way Kyohiko could detect him at his current level.
It wasn't until dusk that Kyohiko finally collapsed beneath the tree, completely exhausted.
He stared at the swaying shadows of the branches above him, blinked, and then—
Under the moonlight, one patch of shadow seemed… off?
Kyohiko sat up.
"Who's there?"
"Whoosh!"
In the night sky, it seemed as if a bird darted away, vanishing among the tree shadows.
...
Konoha Ninja Academy.
A group of newly graduated ninjas sat inside a classroom.
The instructor hadn't arrived yet.
Most of them leaned against the windows, watching the younger students training hard below, laughing happily.
Except for two people.
One of them was Might Guy.
He was tucked into a corner, doing a one-handed handstand to strengthen his body. Compared to everyone else, his actions carried a strange, almost performance-art-like beauty.
The other was Kyohiko Yoshimine.
He was watching Guy.
Finally, Guy couldn't hold back any longer.
In the past, Kyohiko had been something of an outsider in the class. After transmigrating, his mind had been entirely focused on training and growing stronger, leaving him no time to cultivate relationships. He had remained very low-key.
His relationship with Might Guy could only be described as average. They knew each other's names and faces, nothing more.
So—
"Kyohiko-kun… am I bothering you with my training?"
Guy asked somewhat awkwardly.
Kyohiko shook his head. "No. I just really admire you."
"Admire… me?"
Guy was stunned. Then he quickly flipped back upright, sat down beside Kyohiko, and said with a mix of excitement, disbelief, and faint inferiority, "You're not making fun of me, are you? I almost failed my early graduation exam."
"At least you passed, didn't you?" Kyohiko replied casually.
Then he said seriously, "Guy, I've been observing you. Although your ninjutsu talent isn't great, and your comprehension is average…"
He listed nothing but flaws.
Guy's expression grew increasingly bitter as he listened.
Then—
"But you have a perseverance and a fearlessness of judgment that others don't. That's a talent too. Guy, you are absolutely a genius of hard work!"
"A genius of hard work?"
Might Guy froze.
This was the first time in his life—aside from his father—that someone had called him a genius.
He couldn't help feeling a little shy.
"I… I'm nowhere near a genius."
"Why not?" Kyohiko said. "The Hokage once said that perseverance is the strongest talent—most people just don't possess it. Look around the classroom. Besides you, who else is training?"
Kyohiko lowered his voice.
Guy looked around—
And indeed, there was no one.
Everyone else was relaxed and idle. Meanwhile, Kyohiko's fingers were still deftly manipulating a kunai, while his other hand seemed to be practicing hand seals.
Besides that—
There was also the female ninja named Kurenai Yuhi.
She was sitting in her seat as well, not participating in the noisy crowd.
Guy scanned the room, then looked at Kyohiko with curiosity.
"Did the Hokage really say that?"
Was that really the important part?
Of course Hiruzen Sarutobi had never said it—it was the future Hokage, Kyohiko Yoshimine, who said it!
Kyohiko composed himself, abandoning his idea of quickly farming rewards.
Just then, Might Guy suddenly hugged him.
"But I'm truly grateful to you, Kyohiko! Since I was little, you're the second person—after my father—to truly acknowledge me!"
As he spoke, he burst into tears.
Even Kyohiko, usually calm and composed, was slightly taken aback.
This turn of events—
It was completely unexpected!
Guy's sobbing drew everyone's attention.
Seeing such a scene for the first time was rare. Everyone stopped mocking the younger students below and turned to look.
Kyohiko half-lidded his eyes, feeling utterly mortified.
Even worse—
He had paid the emotional price but received no reward, making him feel like a complete clown.
Guy was crying.
He was reflecting.
Their joys and sorrows were not the same.
A woman's voice broke the strange and awkward atmosphere, drawing everyone's attention.
"Guy-kun. May I ask—who was the first one?"
Right!
Who was the first one?
Everyone was curious.
Guy stopped crying.
All eyes were on them.
He wasn't embarrassed at all. On the contrary, he looked incredibly proud as he declared boldly:
"Of course it's my eternal rival—Hatake Kakashi!"
Kakashi.
At the mention of that name, everyone first showed respect, then doubt—
Huh? You?
Then—
"Hahahahaha!"
Except for Kurenai Yuhi and Kyohiko, the entire classroom burst into laughter.
"Tch, I could say Kakashi is my eternal rival too!"
"Hahaha, same here!"
"Me too!"
The classroom filled with cheerful noise.
Kakashi had graduated at five and become a chunin at six.
And this guy in front of them…
Seven years old, just graduated as a genin—excellent, yes, but clearly not in the same league. How could he dare claim to be Kakashi's "eternal rival"?
Guy fell silent.
Kyohiko patted him on the shoulder, offering sincere comfort and affirmation.
No reward must mean he hadn't been sincere enough.
So—
Increase the dosage!
"If you aim for first place, you might end up second or third. If you aim for second or third, you'll only reach fourth or fifth—or even lower. Guy, believe in yourself. You will always be Kakashi's eternal rival!"
"Kyohiko-kun!"
Might Guy hugged him again—this time without tears, filled instead with excitement and joy.
What is a true friend?
This is it!
Father—someone finally understands me!
Might Guy laughed as tears streamed down his face without the slightest hesitation.
Kyohiko sighed inwardly—
Guy aimed for Kakashi, while he himself had once aimed for the future Guy.
Everyone had a bright future ahead.
As he reflected—
[Ninja psychological fortitude is also a crucial part of a Hokage's duties. You have strengthened a genin's resolve and ignited his boundless fighting spirit.][Reward: Your basic taijutsu skills have improved.]
Basic taijutsu skills?
As Kyohiko pondered this, a flood of knowledge surged into his mind—techniques for applying strength through fists and feet, with a heavy emphasis on leg power.
He became increasingly certain—
Rewards were closely tied to the impact of the event and the recipient's existing abilities.
For example—
Yesterday's reward came from gaining "his own" complete trust, which strengthened his strongest technique: the Body Flicker Technique.
As for Guy, his greatest assets at the moment were his powerful physique and taijutsu.