41 Chapter 41

[Remember +200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter!!]

Kyomu also skipped class today with Kakashi. Finally, Kakashi had some company, but Obito, Rin, and Guy felt empty inside.

It wasn't just about emotions but also worries about the future.

The gap in strength between Kyomu and Kakashi was indeed growing larger...

But regardless, Kyomu wouldn't deliberately slow down to wait for others. He had to race against time.

Not to prove how much of a genius he was, but to gain enough power to protect himself in the Third Great Ninja War.

Survival was Kyomu's ultimate goal, while achieving something better and more exciting was secondary. These goals weren't contradictory.

Huff, huff, huff!

Kyomu breathed heavily, gripping the handle of his sword firmly in his right hand as he practiced lifting it up and down to increase his arm strength.

Clang, clang, clang.

The weights hanging from the blade collided with each other as Kyomu moved, creating a clear and annoying sound, prompting Kakashi to glance over frequently.

"This guy is a monster!"

And today, Kakashi discovered that Kyomu had been carrying weights all along. When Kyomu took them off, Kakashi looked at the large pit left on the ground, genuinely shocked.

"Hey, what have you been eating?" Kakashi couldn't help but shout at Kyomu.

"Simple meals and Uncle Duy's medicinal food."

"Just like me..." Kakashi couldn't help but look at his own arms and legs. "It's really... sigh!"

Sighing, Kakashi stopped paying attention to Kyomu. They walked different paths, and Kakashi couldn't let Kyomu disrupt his mindset.

Out of sight, out of mind, Kakashi walked away, distancing himself from Kyomu even further, emphasizing the saying "birds of a feather flock together."

Gathering his focus, Kakashi turned his attention to honing his Kenjutsu, while one of his shadow clones, created for the purpose of on refining his chakra control. 

It's worth mentioning that Kakashi had mastered this "cheat" method of double training, timing it perfectly to avoid harming himself.

Naturally, Kyomu did the same, with the added bonus of having one more shadow clone than Kakashi.

The division of labor was clear: Kyomu focused on honing his own skills, while one shadow clone refined chakra control, and the other practiced the "Sky Severing Sword Technique" mechanically.

As for the Eight Gates Formation, which Kyomu had just understood the principle of yesterday, he didn't rush to train it. After all, to train in the Eight Gates Formation, one's physical condition had to meet certain standards.

Unfortunately, while Kyomu's physical condition was strong now, he still fell short of the standards for training in the Eight Gates Formation.

So necessary sacrifices had to be made, and Kyomu was clear about that.

With the passive skill "Mastery of Cold Weapons," he naturally focused most of his attention on swordsmanship training. After all, such a useful passive skill only lasted for a month.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

The lifting exercises continued, and Kyomu could clearly feel the strength, endurance, and explosive power of his right arm and back muscles steadily increasing.

A faint sense of achievement lingered in his heart, which was partly why Kyomu was willing to put in the effort to train.

Who could refuse the wonderful experience of constantly surpassing oneself?

After ten thousand lifts, Kyomu put down his ninja sword, shook his sore arms, rested for a moment, and then began training his left arm's strength.

The weights hanging from the blade still maintained a weight of 200 kg. But it wouldn't hurt to increase it after today's training.

The sun moved from the east corner to the center of the sky, and Kyomu finally completed the strength training of his core muscle groups such as arms, back, and abdomen.

Wiping the sweat off his forehead, Kyomu didn't wait for Kakashi but saw Might Guy running over.

"Kyomu, Kakashi!" Guy waved. "Youth should not be wasted, but rest and eating are essential to maintaining youth."

Full of the flavor of "youth" in his speech, Kyomu and Kakashi thanked Guy in unison.

"Haha, no problem. I'm happy to do this myself, as long as you guys don't find me annoying."

Laughing awkwardly, Guy placed the food box on the ground. "You guys eat first, I have other things to do and must leave in a hurry.

Oh, by the way, there's no need to wash the food box and utensils. Just bring them to my place when you come over tonight."

Waving goodbye, Guy hurried over and then hurriedly left.

Kyomu and Kakashi sat cross-legged around the food box on the ground, swiftly opening it and taking out the medicinal food inside.

"Wow, it smells great!" Kyomu took his portion. "Uncle Duy's cooking has improved a lot, and some of the herbs inside have stronger effects."

"That's right." Kakashi stuffed a piece of meat into his mouth, speaking indistinctly. "I just wonder how much money Uncle Duy spent again. We'll have to find a way to repay him."

"Of course, but let's try to avoid being too deliberate about it. Uncle Duy is very sensitive."

"Mm." Kakashi nodded, unable to resist pinching Kyomu's arm. "It feels like you've gained another layer... Even though we eat the same things, why..."

"You should just stick to Master's (Sakumo's) path honestly and not think too much about it." Kyomu advised Kakashi, "Everyone has different strengths. Your current priority is to improve your swordsmanship, chakra control, and mental strength."

Kakashi shook his head helplessly. "I know that, but when I'm with you, I can't help but doubt myself."

"I'm a genius, I know that. Don't repeat it every day, okay?"

"Who isn't a genius!" Kakashi's face turned red. "My talent isn't worse than yours!"

"Then prove it." Kyomu swallowed the last piece of meat. "You know what direction you should be working towards. So... it's okay if you're different from me in some aspects, but if you can't keep up with me in the same areas..."

"Impossible!" Kakashi put down his chopsticks. "I'm going to train now. You clean up here."

Watching Kakashi's gradually disappearing figure, Kyomu couldn't help but shake his head.

Kakashi's path was wide but narrow at the same time, with only a few directions to choose from. Kyomu wasn't sure which path Kakashi should take.

"Alright, it's still early. No rush." Kyomu stood up, patting his buttocks. "Anyway, laying a solid foundation is more important than anything else, whether it's me or Kakashi, being down-to-earth is the most correct way."

Stretching lazily, Kyomu entered a state of training. This time, he practiced the speed of drawing the sword.

Kenjutsu and Battojutsu were essentially the same in the Naruto world, just with different names.

The techniques of Kenjutsu and Battojutsu were composed of nine basic moves: Direct Cut, Diagonal Cut from Right to Left, Reverse Diagonal Cut from Left to Right, Left Horizontal Cut, Right Horizontal Cut, Left Cut Upwards, Right Cut Upwards, Upward Cut, and Thrust.

Some derived techniques might be very exquisite, but they all stemmed from the basics. Moreover, many techniques were not superior to others; the only factors determining superiority were one's strength, speed, and reaction time.

With this analysis in mind, Kyomu's next training became simpler. As long as he mastered the basic moves and imbued them with the fastest speed, strongest power, and highest explosiveness when using them, then...

The basic moves would be his ultimate jutsu!

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

Kyomu practiced the nine basic moves with a very clear goal in mind, striving to give each move the highest speed, power, and explosiveness possible, aiming to do his best each time.

It was evident that what Kyomu was pursuing now was to strike without fail and make every strike deadly.

It seemed somewhat unconventional, but with nine basic moves, Kyomu had nine chances, which didn't amount to putting everything on the same basket.

And haven't you heard: "Speed is power"?

The core of it all was what Aragami Kyomu was practicing now: very basic, but the firm foundation for achieving the highest level, and the best choice for creating miracles.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

The sound of breaking air persisted from noon until it was time for the ninja school to let out. When Kyomu sheathed his sword, he couldn't help but curve his lips upwards.

"With one draw of the sword, I can now unleash seven slashes in an instant, getting closer to the goal of nine strikes with one sword."

Looking at Kakashi in the distance, Kyomu called out, "Stop training, let's go pick up our classmates from the ninja school."

(End of Chapter)