Chapter 320: Kakashi's Ninja Taijutsu; The Taijutsu Rank Tournament Begins [HN]

Konoha’s mornings always began with the familiar passionate shouts coming from Training Ground Three.

“Youth does not allow laziness! Today’s training goals are five thousand straight punches, three thousand kicks, and five hundred laps of weighted cross country running! After you finish, there is also a special surprise waiting for everyone!”

Might Dai’s voice rang out like a great bell, echoing throughout every corner of the training ground. His green jumpsuit looked especially bright beneath the morning sun.

“Yes, Teacher Dai!”

Dozens of energetic voices answered him in unison.

After a period of adjustment and training, the students of the Taijutsu Class had already become accustomed to this kind of hellish training. They had even begun to taste the sweetness that came from sweat and growth.

Among the group, Koyuki Kazahana gritted her teeth and struggled to keep up with everyone’s pace.

Her fists were already scraped raw, and her slender arms trembled slightly, but her eyes remained unusually bright.

Compared to when she had first arrived, when running ten laps had nearly made her collapse, she could now barely keep up with the basic training pace. Her physical strength had improved tremendously.

Every time she pushed herself after reaching exhaustion, she felt that she was one step closer to her goal of revenge and reclaiming her homeland.

“Pay attention to your breathing, Koyuki! Generate the force from your waist and drive it all the way into your fist!”

“Yes, Teacher Guy!”

Might Guy was extremely pleased to hear himself called Teacher Guy.

He immediately became even more energetic and darted through the formation like a whirlwind, burning with youthful passion as he corrected the students’ movements.

His eyes occasionally fell upon the silver haired figure at the front of the group.

Hatake Kakashi still looked as lazy as ever. He had not even removed his mask, yet the precision of every training movement he performed was flawless.

His body coordination, endurance, and control over his strength were all far beyond those of an ordinary ninja.

However, Kakashi himself knew that he had reached a bottleneck.

His chakra control had already reached the level of a Jonin, and after successfully developing Lightning Release: Chidori, he had gained a signature ninjutsu of his own.

But during the high intensity training of the Taijutsu Class, he vaguely sensed that there was an invisible barrier between pure physical explosiveness and his Lightning Release.

Lightning Release pursued extreme penetration and speed, while Taijutsu emphasized the coordination of the entire body and instantaneous explosive power.

How could he combine the two more perfectly instead of merely relying on speed to use Chidori?

That had become the question he had been thinking about recently.

During a break in training, Kakashi did not immediately rest like the others.

Instead, he walked alone to the edge of the training ground and fell into thought.

“Kakashi, have you run into a problem?”

Might Guy came over, concern shining in his large eyes beneath his thick eyebrows.

Kakashi glanced at him.

For once, he did not hide his face behind Icha Icha Paradise. He simply nodded.

“Yeah. I’m thinking about how to make Lightning Release chakra stimulate the cells throughout my body more evenly, increasing my instantaneous explosive power and reaction speed like the ninjas from Kumogakure, instead of concentrating it only in my hand for a thrust.”

“That’s a good direction!”

“This is youth, Kakashi~! Finding a breakthrough while lost in confusion!”

Guy immediately became fired up.

He flexed the biceps on his arm and displayed them to Kakashi while revealing his trademark clean teeth.

The light of youth seemed to flow across his teeth, making them shine even more brilliantly.

“Do you need me to have a passionate battle with you and help inspire some ideas?”

Kakashi rolled his dead fish eyes.

“…No, thank you.”

Although Kakashi rejected Guy’s offer to fight, Guy’s words still gave him an idea.

He turned his attention back to the students sweating heavily in the training ground.

Watching them perform all kinds of difficult movements by relying purely on physical strength, a vague idea gradually began to take shape.

Perhaps he did not need to use Lightning Release for attacking.

Perhaps he could use it as a form of assistance instead.

Over the next few days, after completing his regular training, Kakashi began his own secret training.

He tried to distribute a small amount of Lightning Release chakra evenly throughout the meridians in his legs. He carefully controlled its intensity. It could not damage his body, but it still had to achieve the effect of stimulation and enhancement.

The process was extremely dangerous.

One mistake could cause muscle spasms or even burn his meridians.

Several times, he fell because he lost control. His legs became numb, leaving him unable to move for half an hour.

“Kakashi, are you okay?”

After Kakashi fell during one attempt, Obito was the first to run over and ask worriedly.

“…I’m fine.”

Kakashi supported himself against the ground and stood up.

He brushed the dust from his clothes, and when he raised his eyes, they were filled with excitement.

Although he had failed, he could feel that he was heading in the right direction!

“Kakashi, are you really okay?”

Obito scratched his head.

Kakashi looked at him.

“I’m fine.”

“I think you should finish your own Taijutsu assignment before worrying about other people’s business!”

After saying that, Kakashi turned around and walked away.

Obito stared at Kakashi, so angry that his mouth nearly twisted.

“Rin, look at him!”

Nohara Rin heard Obito’s voice and glanced in Kakashi’s direction.

After looking away, she gave an awkward smile.

“Obito, Kakashi must have thought of some new technique just now. We should avoid disturbing him at a time like this!~”

“What an ungrateful guy! He’s really annoying!”

Obito snorted and crossed his arms.

However, his eyes still occasionally drifted toward Kakashi in the distance.

Seeing this, Rin shook her head slightly.

She then continued her own Taijutsu training.

After dozens of failures, Kakashi continued until evening.

He finally succeeded in steadily covering both legs with a thin layer of Lightning Release chakra.

Kakashi took a deep breath and applied a little force beneath his feet.

“Zzz!”

A barely audible electrical sound rang out.

Kakashi started running.

His figure seemed to appear instantly at the other end of the training ground. He moved so quickly that he even stirred up a breeze, surprising even himself.

“This is… a success?”

Kakashi looked at his legs and felt an unprecedented sense of lightness and power.

This was not the Body Flicker Technique.

It was pure physical explosiveness reaching its limit through his body.

The Lightning Release chakra played a crucial role in boosting and activating his body.

“Ohhhhh! Kakashi! You did it! This is the fruit of youthful effort!”

Might Guy was the first to rush over after being shocked by Kakashi’s speed. He spoke with extreme excitement.

He looked even happier than if he had broken through himself.

Might Dai also walked over and looked at Kakashi with eyes full of approval.

“Kakashi, you’ve found a Taijutsu path of your own. Combining nature transformed chakra with Taijutsu and digging into the deeper potential of the body, this is one of the limitless possibilities of Taijutsu!”

Kakashi nodded slightly, and a sense of accomplishment also surged through his heart.

He temporarily named this still incomplete new technique “Lightning Release: Living Body Activation.”

Although it was still only a prototype, it had undoubtedly opened a new door for him.

Might Dai looked at the group of energetic young people before him and the flames burning in their eyes.

His chest heaved violently as an indescribable sense of excitement and pride surged through his heart.

He remembered the contempt and ridicule he had suffered when he was known as the “Eternal Genin.”

He remembered the words from Hokage Chiya that had once shaken him to his core.

He remembered the countless days of hard training he had gone through with his son, Guy.

“OH!!!”

A deafening roar suddenly rang across the training ground, startling everyone.

Might Dai suddenly jumped onto a huge rock in the center of the training ground.

His eyes were filled with tears, and he waved both arms as his green jumpsuit seemed to burn beneath the setting sun.

“Everyone! I see it! I see your burning youth! I see your purest love for Taijutsu!”

His voice trembled with excitement, yet it carried a powerful force that moved everyone.

“This is the first cry our Taijutsu Class has sent out to Konoha! Once the flames of youth are ignited, we cannot let them go out so easily!”

The students were infected by his emotions and gathered around him, looking up at the green figure burning like a flame atop the rock.

Uchiha Obito could not help shouting, “Teacher Dai! What are we going to do next? Increase our training even more? I can definitely endure it!”

“No! It isn’t just about training!”

Might Dai shook his head forcefully and swept his gaze across every young face.

“We have to make the passion for Taijutsu a normal part of our lives! We have to make the sweat of hard work bring rewards worth looking forward to! We have to make everyone see that on the path of Taijutsu, every step counts and every drop of sweat can nourish a powerful result!”

He took a deep breath and announced at the top of his voice, “Therefore!! I, Might Dai, in my capacity as a special adviser of Konoha’s Taijutsu Specialization Development and Training Department, officially submit a request to the Hokage!”

He paused for a moment and looked at the students below, who had instantly held their breath.

Then he spoke each word with force.

“I request that a Taijutsu Rank Tournament system be established among Konoha’s ninja!”

“Boom!”

The crowd was silent for a moment before erupting into enormous commotion.

“A Taijutsu Rank Tournament?!”

“Like the Chunin Exams? One specifically established for Taijutsu?”

“My goodness! Is this really possible?!”

“…”

Everyone was stunned by this bold and exciting idea.

Might Dai continued excitedly explaining his vision.

“We will establish Taijutsu ranks from First Dan to Ninth Dan! Ranking tournaments will be held regularly, and ranks will be promoted according to battle records and comprehensive evaluations! We will let the village give the strength of Taijutsu the most practical recognition!”

“This will not merely be a series of competitions. It will be a stage for Taijutsu practitioners to prove themselves and surpass themselves! It will be a measure of the value of our youth!”

“Ohhhhhhh!”

This time, the response was cheers and roars!

“That’s amazing, Teacher Dai!”

“Now that’s youth!”

“I’ll be the first Ninth Dan!”

“Burn, my Taijutsu spirit!”

“…”

Uchiha Obito excitedly jumped straight into the air, nearly knocking Nohara Rin over.

Mitarashi Anko excitedly waved her fist, as if she could already see herself dominating the competition arena.

Even the usually calm Yūhi Kurenai and Shizune had eager light flashing in their eyes.

Koyuki Kazahana tightly clenched her little fists, her body trembling slightly with excitement.

A ranking tournament…

If she could steadily increase her rank and become stronger, would that mean she would also be one step closer to saving the Land of Snow?

This clear goal instantly made her previously uncertain path much clearer.

Hatake Kakashi leaned against a tree trunk in the distance and watched the excited crowd.

The corners of his mouth curved slightly beneath his mask.

“Taijutsu ranks, huh… Sounds like it might not be so boring after all.”

He subconsciously touched his legs.

With a clear ranking goal, he now had even more motivation to perfect his new technique.

Might Guy was even more excited.

He rushed to his father’s side, and the father and son tightly embraced each other, tears streaming down their faces.

“Father! This is the recognition we’ve dreamed of!”

“That’s right, Guy! Let the flame of Taijutsu spread throughout Konoha like a prairie fire! This is our youth!!!”

“…”

The father and son’s roars mixed with everyone’s cheers and echoed over the training ground for a long time.