As Kakashi's mastery of the Sharingan grew stronger, he himself began to sense the immense power it contained. When facing enemies too powerful to defeat head-on, it was undoubtedly a trump card that could turn the tide.
When Kakashi said that, Sasuke's face fell almost immediately. The meaning was clear enough—at least outside of a life-or-death battle, Kakashi was undeniably stronger. But then, what did this say about his own pitiful appearance?
"But I feel like Teacher Mizuki is even harder to deal with."
During his fight with Kakashi, at least he could exchange blows and last for a while. Yet against Mizuki, he had been completely suppressed—treated like a puppet and played around with endlessly. If Mizuki had also struggled or tried harder, Sasuke might have felt somewhat relieved. However, the effortless way his opponent handled him made the gap seem simply too vast.
Facing Sasuke's slightly suspicious gaze, Kakashi seriously explained, "The reason is simple. You're way behind Teacher Mizuki when it comes to real battle experience. Differences in tactical styles left you lost from the very beginning, completely walked right into your enemy's trap. Based on your strength alone, you shouldn't have suffered such a crushing defeat. However, being overwhelmed in intelligence and battlefield awareness meant you hadn't even managed to display much before walking deeper and deeper along a path already set by your enemy, ultimately leading to total defeat."
What Kakashi didn't tell Sasuke was that Mizuki had indeed held back quite a bit. That final move was genuinely impressive—unexpectedly locating Mizuki's true body and finishing off with Chidori Thrust, turning around the disadvantage significantly. But seriously, was Mizuki really out of options? Kakashi believed probably not. It was more likely that, for the sake of maintaining training quality, Mizuki deliberately used only basic techniques to create a scenario where an effective strategy could easily defeat Sasuke even without employing high-level ninjutsu. To increase its persuasiveness, Mizuki had gone to great lengths—indeed, the favor was well worth returning.
"Hmm," Sasuke wasn't stupid; naturally, he understood the implication behind Kakashi's words, though in the past, he would've disregarded similar advice. "In other words, all the battle experience I gained fighting against you, Teacher Kakashi, was completely useless against Teacher Mizuki!"
"There were things I said before that you wouldn't listen to, but now maybe you'll understand just a little better, so I'll share some real secrets about being a ninja."
Kakashi spoke unusually seriously, "The ranks of ninja—Genin, Chunin, and Jonin—signify more than just power differences; many other key elements come into play."
"At the Genin level, even within the Ninja Academy, they're essentially raw talents waiting to be refined. At this point, basics are what teachers like us value most. We don't focus much on Secret Techniques or Ultimate Arts. In a group of rookies who barely know basic taijutsu and throwing shuriken, if you win using your Sharingan alone, how proud would you actually feel?"
Sasuke just shook his head without speaking.
"Right now, your strength is nearly on par with a regular Chunin. It's not impossible for you to pursue powerful Ninjutsu and improve quickly, but don't put the cart before the horse. Without a solid foundation, you won't be able to properly master these techniques. I'm sure this battle with Teacher Mizuki made that clear enough."
Though Sasuke couldn't help but feel dissatisfied, he still nodded in agreement.
"Once you become a Chunin, it's the time when all your foundational training up to now begins to shine through. The stronger your Genin basics are, the shorter your time as a Chunin will be. Once you can discover your own unique style and battle techniques, or grow powerful enough to skillfully command your Kekkei Genkai and Secret Technique, you'll be close to Jonin level."
"Jonin, huh?" Sasuke murmured unconsciously.
"When you reach the Jonin level, I suppose you won't need any guidance anymore. Find your own path—and stick to it without hesitation."
Although slightly impatient, the facts were clear before his eyes—his proud techniques had been effortlessly countered. Just how many techniques had his opponent used? Two? Three? Well, there was the Genjutsu, which counted as one. Simple enough that even he might have used it before—but somehow, he just couldn't break free from it. Then came the Chakra Shield. Alright, that was indeed a powerful original technique, merely an application of chakra shape transformation. Its principle wasn't complicated at all; anyone could try it, though the results varied greatly. That clearly showcased Mizuki's exceptional mastery over chakra. What embarrassed Sasuke further was that the technique was used only twice: once made him fail and get captured, while the other negated his desperate killer move—the Chidori entirely. As for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, he had seen it countless times when used by Naruto, yet when applied by Mizuki, its impact was incomparable. Alongside those precision techniques of chakra control and tactical deception, they left him drained and helpless.
"What do you think about Teacher Mizuki's Shadow Clone, Teacher Kakashi?"
Sasuke asked enthusiastically. He already had ways to counter illusions—he inherited several techniques compatible with the Sharingan, although he hadn't studied them much before. The Chakra Shield carried too obvious a personal touch to suit him. However, Mizuki's refined control over chakra distribution among his shadow clones was truly impressive.
"Well," Kakashi replied helplessly, "many of Teacher Mizuki's techniques are easy to learn but hard to master. Since you're close friends with Sakura, you've probably heard her talk about them as well. Many of them demand an extraordinary level of chakra finesse. In reality, the learning threshold isn't low at all. Plus, I don't even know this particular technique..."
He glanced at the disappointed Sasuke and continued,
"As far as I know, few people surpass Mizuki in their understanding and research of Shadow Clones. Although I personally don't control or distribute chakra among shadow clones, I do have a little trick of my own—I infuse lightning-released chakra into the Shadow Clone. When it's destroyed, it explodes violently using Lightning Release, making for a decent counterattack."
"That sounds pretty good. Can I learn it?"
"First, practice the Chidori and Chidori Current well enough. That'll benefit your learning of this technique too."
Kakashi Hatake, known as the "Konoha Copy Ninja," was not just a copy machine. His original Lightning Release techniques were also incredibly powerful. It wouldn't be a problem at all for him to share a few of his own secret techniques to satisfy Sasuke Uchiha's hunger for learning.
The weather was quite pleasant the next day — perfect for setting out on a journey. Although Mizuki had long known this day would come, he still felt somewhat regretful. Last night, as if planned in advance, several jonin elites remained inside the village. They invited a few more people, including Jiraiya, and had a hearty feast at Q Grilled Meat, one of the most famous and upscale eateries in Konoha. The unusually generous Jiraiya happily paid the bill, then, still slightly tipsy, handed the receipt to Tsunade for reimbursement — only to be punched straight out the door by her. Everyone had a great laugh.
That final night's party before leaving the village also marked a transfer of responsibility. Jiraiya had kept the village safe through its darkest times, and now it was up to the new generation of Jonin to carry the weight of Konoha's reputation.
Mizuki watched with a touch of nostalgia as the white-haired Jiraiya walked Naruto Uzumaki out of Konoha Village. On the distant Hokage Rock, Tsunade's statue was nearly completed.
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