After leaving the Hokage's office, Kagami teleported directly to the Ministry of Agriculture. The ministry was situated in a vast, fertile landscape. The sun shone down on green rice fields, and a gentle breeze rustled the swaying stalks, creating rolling green waves. It was a peaceful and beautiful pastoral scene. Kagami landed softly on a path between the fields, feeling the soft soil and smelling the fragrant air.
Under the guidance of a staff member, he found Yamato, who was working hard in the rice fields, sweat pouring down his face. Seeing Kagami, Yamato was stunned for a moment before a look of surprise washed over him. He dropped his hoe and ran over, excitedly shaking Kagami's hand. "Sir Kagami, you're finally here! I've been waiting for so long!"
Kagami smiled and patted Yamato's shoulder. "Thank you for your hard work, Yamato. I know it's not easy being responsible for so much land by yourself."
Upon hearing this, Yamato burst into tears. "Sir Kagami, when will you figure out how to practice Wood Style? I really can't handle this alone! I have to work from morning till night on these 100,000 acres. I don't even have time to breathe!" If he hadn't practiced the Chakra Training Method 1.0 that Kagami had developed, he would have died from chakra exhaustion long ago.
Kagami looked at Yamato's face, which was tanned as dark as an African's, and a sense of guilt welled up in him. He had told Yamato he would soon research a method for others to practice Wood Style to help him with the work, but until now, he hadn't succeeded. He understood Yamato's hard work and desperation. "It's almost ready," he said, a bit embarrassed. "It will be figured out soon!"
Yamato rolled his eyes, feeling like crying but having no tears. He had heard that same sentence dozens of times, yet he had never seen a single new Wood Style user. He hated it, hated that he had awakened this accursed Wood Style. If he hadn't, would he have to work so hard?
Seeing his despair, Kagami's face turned serious. "Yamato, don't worry. I came here this time specifically to develop a method to practice Wood Style."
Yamato's eyes widened in disbelief. "Really? Sir Kagami, you're not lying to me?"
Kagami smiled and shook his head. "Of course not. Come on, use your Wood Style to attack me now. I need to feel its power to find the key to practicing it."
Yamato was immediately excited. He took a deep breath, concentrated his chakra, and formed a series of hand seals. "Wood Style: Cutting Technique!" He knew how terrifyingly strong Kagami was, so he didn't hold back, attacking with all his strength. It was also a good way to vent his frustration. Countless sharp wooden spikes erupted from the ground, rushing toward Kagami like thousands of arrows.
Looking at the fierce attack, Kagami thought to himself, 'It seems this kid has a deep grudge against me.' He wasn't angry, though. An attack of this level couldn't possibly hurt him. He simply felt that Yamato's workload still wasn't heavy enough if he had the energy for such a powerful attack. He made a mental note to talk to Shikaku about increasing Yamato's duties.
Yamato shuddered inexplicably but continued to stare at the unmoving Kagami. The other ninja present were shocked and retreated, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire. "Why isn't Lord Kagami moving?" Yamato muttered. "No matter how strong he is, he'll be hurt by an attack like this if he doesn't defend himself." He thought Kagami was being too arrogant.
But just as the wooden spikes were about to hit, Kagami finally moved. He waved his hand casually, and an invisible force spread out from him. The fierce wooden spikes shattered into countless splinters upon contact. Everyone was stunned. They couldn't imagine what level of strength Kagami had reached to so easily nullify Yamato's full-power attack.
"Is this... is this Lord Kagami's strength? It's terrifying!"
"Yamato is an elite Jonin! But his Wood Style was so vulnerable in front of Sir Kagami!"
"Just how powerful is he?"
Yamato was also in shock, staring blankly at Kagami as if he were a monster. "Is the gap... this big?" A feeling of powerlessness washed over him. He knew Kagami was strong, but he never expected him to be this strong. His all-out attack had been useless. His naive thought that he might be able to hurt Kagami now seemed ridiculous.
Kagami walked up to the dejected Yamato and gently patted his shoulder. "Don't be discouraged. It's not that your Wood Style is too weak, it's just that I'm too strong."
Yamato became even more uncomfortable. "Thank you, Sir Kagami," he said speechlessly. "Your comfort makes me feel even worse."
"Hahaha," Kagami laughed, patting his shoulder again. "Your Wood Style is already quite good! Just wait until I figure out how to practice it, and yours will become even more powerful."
Hearing this, Yamato's expression relaxed slightly. He looked at Kagami expectantly. "Sir Kagami, how long will it take you to figure out the method?"
"Well, let me see..." Kagami immediately checked Mahoraga's analysis progress. "Ninety-seven... ninety-eight... ninety-nine... done!"