Kakashi had originally only felt disbelief, but after hearing Hoshiyomi's light, almost careless tone, a surge of anger ignited in his chest.
It wasn't that Kakashi was arrogant or full of himself—Hoshiyomi's attitude was simply too irritating.
What did he mean by, "Is this how your father taught you?"
His swordsmanship was considered top-tier in the entire Konohagakure. Anyone who saw it would sigh in admiration—a prodigy among prodigies.
But to Hoshiyomi, it sounded like Kakashi had instantly been reduced to a worthless amateur.
What Kakashi didn't know was that Hoshiyomi's criticism was simply his genuine impression after observing Kakashi's sword strikes.
His form was far too rigid. At a glance, it looked perfectly textbook, but in practice, it was filled with problems.
At best, it was the level of someone who had just entered the gate of swordsmanship—maybe intermediate level at most.
Clearly, although Kakashi used a sword, he didn't truly understand swordsmanship. His years of domination in the village came mostly from his extraordinary lightning-release chakra mastery.
His speed completely overwhelmed his peers. At first glance, it seemed like he could one-shot anyone. But in a real desperate battle, he would absolutely suffer a heavy loss.
Looking at Hoshiyomi's "you're not even worth my attention" expression, Kakashi took a deep breath and reminded himself over and over:
This is just psychological warfare.
If I let anger cloud my head, that's exactly what he wants.
After repeating it several times, Kakashi stabilized his emotions and once again charged toward the lazily standing Hoshiyomi.
Seeing how quickly Kakashi regained his composure, a faint trace of admiration flickered in Hoshiyomi's eyes. At seventeen—an age full of impulsiveness—being able to remain calm under provocation was truly remarkable.
Among the new generation of Konoha shinobi, aside from Itachi and Shisui, there were probably few who could match Kakashi's steadiness.
As Kakashi rushed in, Hoshiyomi didn't try to provoke him further—he simply let the boy attack.
Lightning crackled along the White Light Chakra Saber. With the boost from his lightning-release chakra, Kakashi's speed increased continuously. His sword left afterimages as every strike flew toward Hoshiyomi's vital points.
But strangely, no matter how Kakashi attacked, Hoshiyomi effortlessly dissolved his offense.
Most of the time, Hoshiyomi didn't even bother drawing fully—occasionally tapping with the back of the blade—yet he could interrupt Kakashi's usually unstoppable assaults with ease.
As Kakashi grew more and more shocked, Hoshiyomi's voice drifted toward him again—light and casual, yet the words struck Kakashi's mind like a thunderclap:
"Your strikes are too stiff. Textbook-perfect movements aren't always a good thing. Before you swing, think: What will you do if the enemy blocks it?
"And stop swinging with full power every time. If you attack at maximum strength every strike, changing your move midway becomes nearly impossible. If your lightning chakra didn't boost your speed so much that normal people can't follow you, you'd have died a hundred times already."
As he said this, Hoshiyomi suddenly counterattacked.
He thrust straight toward Kakashi's face. Kakashi's heart jolted, and he hurriedly raised White Light Chakra Saber to block.
But unexpectedly, mid-thrust, Hoshiyomi's blade suddenly twisted gracefully—then snapped the back of the sword against Kakashi's arm.
Thwack.
The dull impact made Kakashi almost drop his weapon.
"A sword's for killing, yes—but you can't just aim for vital points. Use your brain. Be flexible…"
In just the blink of an eye, the tide of battle reversed completely.
Kakashi was being overwhelmed—one-sidedly pressed down by Hoshiyomi's attacks. Hoshiyomi's sword wasn't even particularly fast, yet its movements were fluid and unpredictable. Kakashi could clearly see the trajectory, but stopping it was nearly impossible.
The repeated thwacks of the sword's back striking his body echoed in Kakashi's ears. He knew very clearly that if this had been a real battle to the death, he would have been chopped into countless pieces by now.
Thud—
Whether it was the soreness from the blows or the collapse of his mental defenses, Kakashi could no longer hold on. His body gave out, and he dropped to his knees on the ground.
Seeing Kakashi barely even able to hold his sword, Hoshiyomi knew it was time to stop. Any further, and Kakashi wouldn't be able to absorb anything.
With that thought, he slowly sheathed his blade and spoke:
"You rely too much on lightning chakra. If you want to improve further, I suggest two options:
Either give up swordsmanship and focus entirely on lightning release, or starting today, pretend lightning chakra doesn't exist—until your swordsmanship reaches the same level.
"If you choose the second option, go find Kuugetsu in the Anbu. I'll arrange for you to receive proper instruction—see for yourself the difference in how we use the sword."
Finishing his words, Hoshiyomi no longer looked at Kakashi and turned to leave with Tsunade.
But before he took more than a couple steps, Kakashi suddenly called out:
"Uncle Hoshiyomi—no… Senior Hoshiyomi!"
Hoshiyomi turned his head. Kakashi was staring at him with solemn determination.
"I have one more request… Please show me your true strength."
Looking at the serious boy behind him, Hoshiyomi hesitated—then smiled:
"Wait until you're stronger. We'll talk about it when you genuinely reach Kage-level."
As that smile formed, Hoshiyomi's aura suddenly surged to an incomparably terrifying degree.
Just looking at Hoshiyomi's expression made Kakashi feel as if a massive mountain had fallen onto his back. The pressure was so enormous he momentarily forgot how to breathe.
Scenes of mountains of corpses and seas of blood flashed before his eyes. Hoshiyomi, standing afar, looked like a demon god from the depths of hell.
Just one glance at that gaze sent a tremor through Kakashi's very soul.
He had only just managed to stand moments ago, but now he collapsed to his knees again, arms trembling as he barely held himself up. If his hands weren't still pressed desperately to the ground, he suspected he would be flattened face-first by sheer pressure.
I'm such a fool… truly…
How could I naively think Uncle Hoshiyomi's strength was merely what he showed…?
I even dared to challenge him…
I really am… a frog at the bottom of a well.
Just when Kakashi felt like he was suffocating, Hoshiyomi suddenly withdrew his aura:
"Work hard. I believe the day will come sooner than you think."
With that, he turned away and walked back to Tsunade's side.
Tsunade glanced at the still–heavily panting Kakashi in the courtyard and poked Hoshiyomi in the waist:
"Is bullying a child fun? What if you traumatized him?"
Hoshiyomi raised an eyebrow and looked at Sakumo:
"I'll leave the psychological recovery to you."
...
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