Chapter 48. A Slash That Shatters Graduation Dreams

Chapter 48 - 48. A Slash That Shatters Graduation Dreams"Rin! I'm here!" Uchiha Obito excitedly dashed to the door of Nohara Rin's house. Today was the first day of the new semester, marking the start of their second year. He had woken up extra early, all to ensure that the first person Rin would see in the new school year was him. For Obito, the first day of school was incredibly significant. The previous year, he had arrived late and missed the registration. But it was also on that day he met Rin, the kind girl who helped him get admitted. "It's you, Obito." The door opened to reveal a young man who bore some resemblance to Rin. It was her father. "Uncle Nohara, is Rin home?" Obito asked eagerly. "She's already left," the man replied with a shake of his head. "Huh?" Obito was stunned. "I remember she usually leaves at 7:30." "She went to Kurenai Yuhi's house," Rin's father explained. "Kurenai?" Obito looked puzzled. Rin and Kurenai weren't particularly close, definitely not best friends. Since when did they become so friendly? Wait! Obito suddenly froze as realization struck him. Hanekawa lives at Kurenai's house. "Thank you, Uncle Nohara!" Obito's expression changed drastically, and he took off running. Before long, he arrived at Kurenai's house. The door was ajar. He rushed inside and saw Rin. She was seated to Hanekawa's left, holding a book and reading intently. Meanwhile, Kurenai was on Hanekawa's right, whispering something to him. "Obito?" Hearing the footsteps, Rin turned her head instinctively and looked surprised. "Rin," Obito exclaimed, hurrying over. "Why are you here?" "I came across a difficult problem, so I came to Hanekawa for help," Rin explained. "You could've asked me!" Obito said confidently. "I studied hard all summer and mastered the textbooks!" "Do you know medical ninjutsu?" Rin asked, turning her book to show the cover: Human Anatomy and Histology. "Huh?" Obito was dumbfounded. "When... when did you start learning medical ninjutsu?" "Just this summer," Rin admitted, glancing at Hanekawa. "It's all thanks to his help." Obito clenched his teeth. Medical ninjutsu? What's the point? Can it fight well? I'm an Uchiha! At that moment, a knock came from the door. A white-haired boy walked in. "I'm here for Hanekawa," Kakashi Hatake said, ignoring the scene in the living room. "Hey, Kakashi, I was here first!" Obito protested. "What do you want?" Hanekawa asked, looking Kakashi over. It had been two months since they last met, and Kakashi's presence felt heavier, evidence of intense training. "A duel," Kakashi said flatly. "If I defeat you, I can apply for early graduation." "What?" Obito exclaimed in shock. "You want to graduate? Why?" Rin also looked incredulous. Graduating at the age of five after just a year at the academy was unprecedented. "There's no one left in the academy who can challenge me, except for Hanekawa," Kakashi said coolly. In short, being invincible was lonely. "You jerk!" Obito felt insulted and shouted, "Let's go outside and fight!" "I need to be in my best condition to face Hanekawa," Kakashi replied calmly. "You!" Obito's face turned red with anger. "Obito." Rin quickly pulled him back. "Shall we start now?" Hanekawa asked, standing up. "Mm." Kakashi nodded. "The sooner we finish, the sooner I graduate. No need to waste time registering." Unlike Obito, Kakashi didn't exaggerate. He was stating a fact. According to Sakumo Hatake, Kakashi's mastery of Hatake swordsmanship had surpassed Hanekawa's level from two months ago. Of course, Hanekawa might have improved too. But the limitations of Konoha swordsmanship meant its ceiling was lower, and progress was limited. Kakashi was brimming with confidence. Hanekawa stepped outside. The challenge had been issued, and the stage was set. Based on Sarutobi Asuma's experience, it seems likely that this time Hanekawa can level up again. After all, Hatake Kakashi looks way too confident! Not to mention, he also has a sharp-eyed father to guide him. But... sorry. Hanekawa drew a katana. This was the chakra metal sword he had commissioned from Amura, costing a whopping ten million ryo. [C-Rank Ninja Tool Entry: Thunderfire Sword.] [Trigger Condition: Possess a chakra metal katana.] [Effect: Chakra conduction speed increased by 10%, durability increased by 100%.] "Let's begin." Hanekawa gestured for Kakashi to make the first move. Hatake Kakashi snorted softly. He felt underestimated! But things were different now. Hatake Kakashi's body flickered, appearing instantly in front of Hanekawa. Gripping his short sword with one hand, he thrust directly forward. "So fast!" Uchiha Obito's expression turned grim. He couldn't keep up! But in the next moment, he froze in shock. Hatake Kakashi flew backward at an even faster speed. "What just happened?" Nohara Rin blinked, confused. How did the fight end so quickly? Two months ago, at least they could exchange blows. Hatake Kakashi lay on the ground, stunned. When he charged forward, his short sword was blocked by Hanekawa. Then, a powerful counterforce sent him flying. "Are you hurt?" Hanekawa walked over and asked, "I can heal you." "My hand," Hatake Kakashi said, realizing his right hand had gone numb. Hanekawa extended both hands, and a faint green chakra glowed. "Is that... medical ninjutsu?!" Nohara Rin's eyes widened in disbelief. Although she was learning medical ninjutsu herself, it was just the basics—far from actual ninja techniques. From what she knew, due to the high difficulty of medical ninjutsu, most ninjas couldn't learn it until years after graduating. [E-Rank Talent Entry 'Swift Thunder Blade' upgraded.] [Lightning Release and Swordsmanship talents increased by 30%.] Hanekawa withdrew his hands, looking satisfied. Hatake Kakashi picked up his short sword and turned to leave. "Wait." Hanekawa smiled and extended an invitation. "Let's head to academy together." Hatake Kakashi paused. He hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. One duel had shattered his hopes of graduating. He had no choice but to continue attending academy, and he wanted to know why Hanekawa's progress was so terrifying. If Hanekawa knew what he was thinking, he'd simply tell him: Kid, this is what having a cheat ability is all about. In just two months, Hanekawa had mastered three medical ninjutsu techniques: Hemostasis Jutsu, Healing Jutsu, and Anesthesia Jutsu. Then, he obtained a new entry: [D-Rank Talent Entry: Medical Ninja.] [Trigger Condition: Possess three medical ninjutsu entries.] [Effect: All medical ninjutsu effects increased by 30%.] The effect was as expected, but Hanekawa was more excited about the synthesized entry. [C-Rank Talent Entry: Innate Strength.] [Trigger Condition: Synthesize D-Rank Entry 'Medical Ninja' and E-Rank Entry 'Fleet-Footed'.] [Effect: Yang Release talent increased by 100%, strength increased by 50%.] [Note: Two synthesis paths are available.] [First Path: Combine C-Rank Entry 'Medical Chunin' and C-Rank Entry 'Robust' to synthesize B-Rank Entry 'Stamina Recovery'.] [Second Path: Combine C-Rank Entry 'Medical Chunin', C-Rank Entry 'Robust', and C-Rank Entry 'Swift as the Wind' to synthesize B-Rank Entry 'Seal-less Healing'.] The boost to Yang Release talent was exactly what Hanekawa had hoped for, with strength enhancement as a bonus. Unlike 'Innate Full Soul,' 'Innate Strength' could be upgraded. seaʀᴄh thё NôvelFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. Without hesitation, Hanekawa knew he'd choose the second path. Now the question was: Could this 'Seal-less Healing' be the same as Senju Hashirama's legendary ability?