Chapter 11: Turns Out Kyohiko Is the Real MVP!

Words : 1241 Updated : Sep 12th, 2025

"Are you guys taking missions too? If it’s chopping wood or carrying water, how about we see who finishes first? The loser runs an extra 200 laps in the afternoon!" Gai ran over excitedly. Perhaps because of the previous "wool-pulling" attempt, Might Gai now always included Kyohiko in his challenges... After learning that they had been grinding missions like crazy, Gai started proposing these bizarre bets. Kakashi remained expressionless— He was used to it. Among the two teams, the ones with the most obvious reactions were Kurenai, Ebisu, and Might Gai’s teammates, all of whom looked embarrassed and couldn’t bear to watch. Kyohiko smiled faintly. "Not today." "Why not?" Gai was slightly taken aback. Kakashi said coldly, "We’re heading out of the village for a C-rank mission. We might not be back today." "Huh?" Might Gai and his teammates widened their eyes in disbelief. Out of the village? No way! Even though they were all fresh graduates, and the other team had Kakashi, a chunin, and their sensei was one of the Sannin, Jiraiya... Wait. Now that they thought about it, it made sense. Ebisu and Might Gai’s teammate, Shiranui Genma, pursed their lips, feeling the gap in team strength and leadership for the first time. No matter where you go, one rule is universal— People don’t worry about scarcity, but about inequality. The two of them felt a bit sour. But. Gai’s eyes lit up. "My eternal rival and friend, no wonder you’ve been grinding D-rank missions like crazy. That must be why the village is letting you take on C-rank missions, right?" "Maybe, but it’s also about strength. After all, Kakashi is a chunin." Kyohiko shrugged. Might Guy fell silent for a moment, then rallied. "I’ll remember your words. Soon, our team will catch up!" Aim high and you’ll hit the middle! That was the lesson Kyohiko had taught him. Now, he had a new goal— Their team would be the second group to qualify for C-rank missions! Shiranui Genma and Ebisu were stunned for a moment, then nodded firmly. "You guys are strong, but we won’t fall too far behind!" Everyone had gone through the graduation exam. While they didn’t know what Jiraiya’s test was like, it couldn’t have been easy. The fact that Kyohiko and Kurenai had passed alongside Kakashi showed that their overall strength was exceptional. "I’ve always believed in you!" Kyohiko nodded. Soon, a jonin walked out from inside. "Let’s go." "Yes, sensei." Gai and his team immediately responded, then headed toward the outskirts of the village. On the way. "Don’t take them too seriously. Just focus on yourselves." Their sensei, Mitsui Ryu, said. Ebisu couldn’t help but ask, "Sensei, how big is the gap between us and them?" "Even though they have Kakashi, the other two shouldn’t be that much stronger than us, right?" Shiranui Genma also looked skeptical. Mitsui Ryu shook his head. He looked at the three of them, hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "I didn’t want to discourage you, but from what I’ve heard, the best performer in Jiraiya’s test wasn’t Kakashi—it was Ryoho Kyohiko." "What?" Except for Might Gai, the other two were completely stunned, unable to believe it. As for Might Gai... "Wow! I knew it! Kyohiko is so smart, and he’s strong too. He’s definitely not weak! My blood is boiling! I have to surpass them!" Gai was fired up. Ebisu mentally judged him. But. He still found it hard to believe— If Kakashi had been the standout in the test, they wouldn’t have been too surprised. They might have felt a bit envious, but they could accept that the other team had a top-tier genius like Kakashi, which made the gap between them huge. But. Ryoho Kyohiko was a fellow graduate, and as far as they knew, he hadn’t been considered a genius during their academy days. In their eyes, he was on the same starting line as them. Now, Mitsui Ryu was telling them... That wasn’t the case. In fact, Kyohiko had been the best performer in Jiraiya’s team?! Was he a genius too? Shiranui Genma and Ebisu couldn’t believe it. Mitsui Ryu sighed. "Maybe it’s hard for you to accept, but it’s the truth..." This matter was so shocking that many clan-born ninja already knew about it through their connections, while civilian graduates like them were still in the dark. "It’s not hard to accept. I know how hard Kyohiko and Kakashi work!" Might Gai turned around, unusually serious. "The sweat we shed is the brilliance of youth! Come on, guys, we should take them as role models, not let this discourage us!" "For once, I think you’re making sense. But since when did you become so eloquent?" The other two muttered. Gai grinned. "Of course! That’s what Kyohiko said!" Then, he flashed his signature bright smile. "How about we run 200 laps this afternoon? If you can’t finish, you do 100 laps upside down!" "..." Now that’s the Gai they knew! Shiranui Genma and Ebisu looked pained. ... "Kyohiko, how’s your Water Release training going?" "Some progress. I’m thinking about compressing the water stream to make Water Gun more focused. It should increase its power." Kyohiko replied. Kurenai didn’t know much about ninjutsu training, so she didn’t react much. But— Jiraiya’s expression turned distant, unable to hide his shock. Seeing one of the Sannin so stunned... Kakashi grew curious. "Sensei, what’s wrong?" "You might not know this, but what Kyohiko described—compressing water—is something the Second Hokage already achieved. The A-rank technique Water Release: Water Severing Wave is exactly what you’re talking about." Jiraiya sighed, explaining the technique. Water Severing Wave . A powerful Water Release technique invented by the Second Hokage. Even the hardest materials would be sliced through like tofu. What Kyohiko was describing... Was almost identical to Water Severing Wave. Kyohiko forced a look of surprise and realization. Jiraiya pondered for a moment, then said, "Kyohiko, show me your Water Gun." "Yes!" Kyohiko complied, quickly forming the hand seals. In the next moment, a stream of water gushed out, like a small waterfall. He had truly mastered it! He had instinctively learned how to conserve chakra and had grasped the essence of Water Gun. Could it be that the talent of the Senju clan was awakening in this kid? Jiraiya was dumbfounded. Kakashi blinked, even more shocked than Jiraiya. He vaguely remembered that just a few days ago, Kyohiko hadn’t been this skilled. His progress was too fast! While he himself had been similarly impressive back in the day, Kyohiko had never stood out before. So— This was what it felt like from the other side? Kakashi was stunned. "Not bad. It seems you’ve been practicing hard. But for now, trying to master compression and nature transformation is too early. Even if you succeed, you won’t be able to use it." Jiraiya said seriously. Compression and concentration, whether in training or execution, required a lot of chakra. "Understood." Kyohiko didn’t argue— He hadn’t planned to start training "compression" nature transformation right away. Then, Jiraiya took out two pairs of weighted leg straps and tossed them to Kakashi and Kyohiko. Thud! The two nearly fell over. So heavy! "These are weighted leg straps. One pair each." Jiraiya said. "Kurenai, you don’t need them for now, but I’ll reduce our rest time on the road to help you build stamina. I have plenty of soldier pills." "Yes!" "Alright, let’s move out. To Tanzaku Quarters!"

Chapter 11: Turns Out Kyohiko Is the Real MVP!

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