18 Two Months Later
Two months had swiftly passed by.
Since the establishment of Team 8, their missions had been relatively infrequent.
Under Kurenai's leadership, they had completed only seven D-rank tasks. These missions ranged from trivial endeavors like finding lost cats, babysitting, to cleaning up the village streets.
During the remaining time, she divided her attention between giving Hayashi and the others some much-needed rest and providing them with instruction.
However, the truth was that Kurenai had little to offer her team in terms of teaching. Shino excelled in clan secret techniques, while Hinata showed proficiency in physical arts. As for Hayashi, his expertise in swordsmanship left Kurenai with little to impart.
The only skills she could teach were those taught by Kakashi to Team 7 in the original series—tree climbing and water walking. While these techniques proved beneficial for Shino, they held little relevance for him and Hinata.
As a transmigrant, he possessed the advantage of prior knowledge. Although he had forgotten many inconsequential details over the course of seven years, he retained essential information, such as the fundamentals of tree climbing, water walking, Wind Style Chakra Nature Transformation, and Rasengan practice.
His focus was not only on his swordsmanship. He had already trained his chakra nature, which was water, and even come up with techniques using his sword and water style. However, he had yet to delve into the Rasengan. Nevertheless, he had successfully mastered tree climbing and water walking, skills essential for traversing landscapes with ease.
Hinata, too, had honed these techniques under his guidance, having spent much of her time by his side.
Observing Hayashi and Hinata's mastery of tree climbing and water walking, Kurenai understood the dynamics between the two. With little left to teach them, she could only assign independent practice and notify them of any upcoming tasks.
However, Hayashi took the initiative to inquire about the Body Flicker Technique.
In response, Kurenai provided him with a D-rank escape scroll.
He blinked in surprise.
The Instant Body Technique, as it turned out, wasn't exceedingly advanced. Its principle was simply to concentrate chakra on the feet and move swiftly, akin to a gust of wind.
In truth, mastering tree climbing and water walking was the foundation for achieving the Instant Body Technique. Only by refining the Body Flicker Technique could this D-rank escape technique evolve into something more advanced.
Numerous examples existed, such as the Flying Thunder God Technique devised by the Second Hokage and further enhanced by the Fourth Hokage. The Fourth Raikage of the Cloud Village developed the Lightning Style Chakra Mode. Uchiha Shisui, renowned as "Shisui of the Body Flicker," could fragment his Body Flicker Technique. This created a deception that appeared to be an ordinary afterimage.
Armed with this knowledge, Hayashi devoted himself entirely to mastering the Body Flicker Technique.
In just half a month, he achieved mastery, able to seemingly teleport at will.
The key to the technique lay in its sudden burst of speed, demanding precise Chakra Control. At the moment of acceleration, one must harness chakra to firmly anchor oneself to the ground at the intended destination. Otherwise, there's a risk of veering off course or colliding with unintended obstacles.
Yet, three years ago, he had already demonstrated this ability. He stood atop the water while practicing his swordsmanship.
While his Chakra Control might not match Hinata's finesse, he could effortlessly execute instantaneous ground absorption.
Enhanced by Observation Haki, he could execute the Body Flicker Technique even in challenging terrain. This ability rendered his solo tasks of catching cats effortless, as he moved swiftly and silently through the environment, undetected by both feline and foe alike.
The combination of Observation Haki and the teleportation jutsu was more than effective.
While honing his speed, he concurrently focused on enhancing his physicality.
Years of rigorous training—comprising push-ups, leapfrogs, pull-ups, and a daily two-hour leaf-running routine—had sculpted a robust physique beneath his unassuming exterior.
Hinata was intimately acquainted with this transformation. During their shared training sessions, she'd occasionally succumbed to fainting. She was overwhelmed by Hayashi's newfound physique.
Driven by his rigorous regimen, Hayashi's next objective was to master Armament Haki.
The comprehensive mastery of Armament Haki promised a substantial boost in various aspects—weapon mastery, strength, and defense would all experience exponential growth.
Today, Hinata visited his home.
Finding the living room deserted, she ventured into the training ground.
There, she discovered him in a meditative state, engrossed in sword meditation.
"Teacher Kurenai has summoned us," Hinata announced softly.
Hayashi's eyes flickered open, acknowledging her words with a nod.
"Understood."
Picking up the bamboo sword from his lap, he strode towards the nearby sword stand. Removing the tachi from its place, he carefully replaced it with the bamboo sword.
There were numerous classifications for katana swords, ranging from tachi, dadao, wakizashi, to short swords, each distinguished by their shapes and lengths. A samurai sword measuring above three feet and below five feet fell under the category of tachi.
Hayashi's own samurai sword measured three and a half feet, equivalent to 115 centimeters, fitting the criteria for a tachi.
Observing his exchange of weapons, Hinata couldn't suppress her curiosity.
"Hayashi, aren't you bringing Shigure Kintoki this time?"
His response was cryptic.
"For me, the choice of blade doesn't hold much significance at this stage, unless it's an exceptionally valuable weapon."
"Shigure Kintoki, being a generous sword for beginners, deserves to accompany me on the early stage of my journey, fulfilling its intended purpose," he explained.
"Oh..." Hinata murmured, uncertain how to respond.
With the tachi now secured at his waist, Hayashi and Hinata departed from the house. They headed towards the designated meeting point where Kurenai and Shino awaited them.
"Teacher, is this still a D-rank mission?" Hayashi inquired upon arrival.
Kurenai glanced at the tachi hanging from Hayashi's belt before offering a gentle smile.
"No, not this time. Over the past two months, you've all honed your basic teamwork skills and strength. There's no need to confine you to D-rank missions any longer."
"Today, we'll be embarking on a C-rank mission," she declared.
Hinata's eyes sparkled with anticipation upon hearing the news. Hayashi remained composed, driven by his determined mindset. Meanwhile, Shino stayed obscured behind his sunglasses, his demeanor calm and collected.
"Return home, gather your belongings, and meet me at the Hokage Building in fifteen minutes," Kurenai instructed before swiftly departing.
