Chapter 7: Kakash
The next morning, Kyosuke was summoned to the Second Elder's residence.
"Little Kyosuke, how has your training been lately?" the Second Elder asked, his face a mask of kindness.
Opposite him, Kyosuke knelt on the tatami mat, unsure how to answer.
Yesterday, as he was about to leave the Military Police headquarters after his training, Fugaku had muttered to himself, "That Hatake boy has graduated from the Academy."
Without another word, Fugaku had turned and left, but Kyosuke understood it was a subtle warning for him.
Now, many in the village would inevitably compare him to Kakashi. The reason was simple: the title of "the most talented prodigy in Uchiha history" had completely spread.
It was a grand title, but he knew his own situation. With strength that barely reached the Genin level, he was still a far cry from Kakashi, who already possessed the skills of a Chunin.
Although neither Kyosuke nor Kakashi liked being constantly compared, as two renowned prodigies of the same age, they couldn't help but feel a sense of rivalry building between them.
So, after hearing Fugaku's reminder, Kyosuke knew a conversation like this was inevitable.
Finally, after a lengthy lecture, he managed to escape.
As it happened, Fugaku was away on a secret mission for the next few days, so Kyosuke had some rare free time. He decided to take a stroll through the village to see if he could trigger any new missions.
This was his first time in the bustling heart of Konoha. Neither he nor his predecessor had ever seen what the main village looked like. After all, the Uchiha compound was located in a very remote area.
As he was wandering, Kyosuke suddenly heard a strange shout from the street ahead.
Though the voice was unfamiliar, the content of the shout made him stop and turn his gaze in that direction.
"Kakashi! Let us begin our seventh duel!"
"...Guy, stop shouting in the middle of the street. It's embarrassing."
As they spoke, two boys about Kyosuke's age walked into view.
One, dressed in a green jumpsuit, was gesturing wildly and shouting. The other, a boy with a mask covering the lower half of his face and a perpetually bored expression, was barely tolerating his companion.
Seeing them, Kyosuke knew exactly who they were.
Might Guy and Hatake Kakashi.
Is this a coincidence? Kyosuke mused silently. He glanced at the busy crowd behind him and said to himself with a self-deprecating smile, "No wonder it was so easy for me to get out today."
After a moment's hesitation, Kyosuke walked straight toward them.
Soon, Kakashi and Guy noticed him approaching. They didn't pay him much mind at first, but when Kakashi saw the Uchiha clan crest—a fan—on Kyosuke's clothes, his pupils contracted slightly.
Though Kyosuke hadn't introduced himself, it was as if an unseen force was at play. Kakashi instantly guessed the identity of the person walking toward them.
"You're Kakashi, right? Hello, I'm Uchiha Kyosuke. A pleasure to meet you," Kyosuke said with a smile, extending his right hand.
Kakashi hesitated for a moment before shaking it.
Before he could speak, Might Guy started shouting again.
"Uchiha Kyosuke? Are you the boy who's supposed to be even more of a genius than Kakashi?" Guy asked dramatically, ignoring Kakashi's darkening expression.
A corner of Kyosuke's mouth turned up in a slight smile, and he nodded in confirmation.
Seeing this, Kakashi's expression shifted slightly, but he remained silent.
After dealing with Might Guy, Kyosuke turned his attention back to Kakashi. He smiled and said, "Congratulations on your graduation. However…"
Seeing him trail off, Guy couldn't help but ask, "However, what?"
"However, I will surpass you very soon. The Uchiha are invincible," Kyosuke declared boldly. He gave the two a nod, then turned and walked away.
Hearing this, Kakashi showed no reaction, but Guy's face lit up with excitement as he roared again, "That's right! Kakashi, I will surpass you soon too! Aaaah! This is the power of youth!!!"
"How boring."
With that, Kakashi turned and left. However, the sharp glint in his eyes suggested that his inner thoughts were far from calm.
"He really said that?" back in the residence, the Second Elder asked the shadowy figure for confirmation.
"Yes. He did indeed issue a challenge to Kakashi," the shadow replied respectfully, kneeling on one knee.
"Haha! Good! That's the spirit of an Uchiha man!" The Second Elder laughed heartily. Then, as if remembering something, he ordered the shadow, "Go and give him the two ninjutsu scrolls we prepared earlier. Tell him to practice diligently. I will be checking on his progress periodically."
"Yes, I understand."
"Go on."
"Yes, sir."
Back home, Kyosuke lay on his bed as usual and pulled the curtain, shutting himself off from prying eyes. He was about to check the dungeons he could attempt.
But just then, there was a knock on his door.
Puzzled, Kyosuke drew back the curtain, got out of bed, and opened the door.
He saw a masked clan ninja he had never met before.
The ninja tossed two scrolls to Kyosuke, left him with the words, "Train well. The Second Elder will be checking on you at any time," and then vanished with a poof.
Kyosuke stood there for a moment, holding the two scrolls, before closing the door, getting back into bed, and drawing the curtain once more.
He lay in bed for a while, calming his racing heart, before slowly unrolling the two scrolls.
They were two C-Rank offensive ninjutsu.
Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique.
Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique.
Both were fire-style ninjutsu with a high appearance rate in the original story. The Uchiha brothers, in particular, had used them from beginning to end. Of course, in their hands, the power of these jutsu was comparable to A-Rank techniques.
Kyosuke was very pleased with the Second Elder's gift. His little performance had been well worth it.
Although Kyosuke's current chakra reserves were insufficient to perform these two jutsu, that didn't stop him from practicing. In his excitement over the new techniques, he completely forgot about checking his dungeons.
He leaped out of bed, spread the scrolls out on his desk, and began his training.
"First... I need to understand the jutsu's chakra pathways... then the hand seals..." And so, with complete focus, Kyosuke began his first ninjutsu practice session.