6-10

*Chapter 6: Taijutsu Genius*

Since the battle had already fully ignited, Might Guy decided not to stop it any further.

Worst case, he would step in to intervene himself if needed.

However, Might Guy found himself very interested in Touji.

By merely observing with the naked eye, Touji’s chakra levels seemed no different from an ordinary person. But since Kakashi Hatake called him a genius, there must be something extraordinary about him.

And then there was the match against Kakashi.

Although Kakashi had just dodged the fight, Touji was left to stand in for him.

If Neji Hyuga won, he could brag to Kakashi later. But if Touji won, they would just pretend nothing happened.

After all, there was no one else around.

With that thought, a sly grin appeared on Guy’s face.

“You two can spar, but don’t go too far. I don’t want anyone getting hurt!”

Hearing Guy’s approval, Neji’s lips curved into a slight smile.

He had already scanned Touji with his Byakugan and saw that he was completely an ordinary person. In fact, some regular people even had more chakra than Touji.

So what if Guy called him a genius?

If someone hasn’t grown into their potential, they’re not a genius yet.

And monsters like Rock Lee didn’t even come into Neji’s consideration.

After all, monsters like Lee couldn’t possibly be duplicated.

“Go ahead, I’ll let you make the first move. I’m afraid that if I strike first, you won’t get the chance to show what you’ve got,” Neji said with a smirk, gesturing for Touji to attack.

“Well, don’t mind if I do!”

As soon as Touji finished speaking, he vanished.

Before Neji could react, Touji appeared right in front of him.

“What!”

Might Guy looked on in disbelief.

Touji’s speed had reached an astonishing level, not far from Guy’s own.

That kind of speed was something even many Jonin couldn’t achieve, let alone a twelve-year-old.

“So, this is the genius Kakashi spoke of…”

However, instead of attacking Neji, Touji simply tapped Neji’s forehead with his finger.

“There, I’ve made my move. Do you still want to continue?”

Neji’s entire body shuddered, realizing that his back was now drenched in sweat.

In a real battle, that attack would have been fatal.

But Neji still had tricks up his sleeve. He couldn’t just give up now.

He quickly backed off, activating his Byakugan and focusing intently on Touji’s every move.

“I wasn’t ready earlier. Let’s see how you handle me now!”

Tenten rolled her eyes, unable to believe Neji could be so shameless.

Though she had an unspoken fondness for Touji, especially after he gave her such rare ninja tools, she still didn’t want Neji to lose.

After a year of working together, she couldn’t say she didn’t care. Plus, she knew Neji very well.

Proud and unwilling to lose!

If Neji lost to Touji, it would crush him.

“Guy-sensei, who do you think will win?”

Guy’s expression grew serious for a moment, but then he smiled slightly. “I think it’ll be Neji.”

Guy wasn’t just being biased. After a year of training, he knew Neji’s strength well.

If Touji had knocked Neji out with that first strike, the match would already be over.

But Touji hadn’t done that and instead gave Neji another chance.

Since the fall of the Uchiha clan, the Hyuga clan’s Byakugan was considered Konoha’s strongest dojutsu.

With Byakugan’s 360-degree vision, Neji could observe the entire battlefield. No matter from which angle Touji attacked, Neji would be prepared.

Though Neji’s Byakugan had a minor flaw as a member of the branch family, it was negligible for this fight.

And since Touji’s chakra levels were similar to an ordinary person’s, he couldn’t even perform a single ninjutsu. His only means of attack would be hand-to-hand combat.

This narrowed down the possibilities.

“Touji may be a genius, but he’s a genius who hasn’t fully developed yet. And he’s too confident. Losing here might be good for him; better now than in a real battle against an enemy.”

“Guy-sensei, is it really impossible for Touji to beat Neji with just taijutsu?” Rock Lee asked earnestly.

Although he was asking about Touji, Guy could tell Lee was also asking about himself.

Guy wanted to say it was possible, but the Hyuga clan’s Byakugan was a perfect counter to taijutsu. It was nearly impossible for Lee to defeat Neji.

“Lee, as long as you keep working hard, you’ll surpass Neji someday!”

With his Byakugan activated, Neji felt even more confident. He had already prepared his Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms. Once Touji stepped into his range, he would be hit with a barrage of strikes.

Touji stood within Neji’s attack range, appearing calm on the outside, but internally calculating his next move.

The Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms could unleash sixty-four strikes in an instant. As long as Neji hit him even once, the rest of the strikes would be unavoidable.

It would also seal his chakra points.

Getting hit even once would mean defeat.

“I wonder if my speed is fast enough.”

Suddenly, Touji vanished again, reappearing directly behind Neji.

Neji didn’t panic. Instead, his lips curved into a smug smile.

“I’ve got you!”

Neji swiftly turned and struck Touji with a palm.

But the expected impact never came. It felt as though he had struck the air.

“A clone? No, just an afterimage from moving too fast!”

Might Guy stepped forward, his eyes wide with shock.

As much as he didn’t want to admit it, Touji’s speed had reached his level, possibly even surpassing it slightly.

“How is this possible? He’s only twelve! Could he be the next Shisui of the Body Flicker?”

Guy’s clenched fists began to tremble with excitement.

At only twelve years old, Touji already possessed such speed. If he continued to grow, he could become a taijutsu expert of the highest caliber.

He might even become a taijutsu master.

He could elevate taijutsu to unimaginable heights, making Konoha’s leadership take it seriously.

At that moment, Might Guy no longer saw Touji as just a twelve-year-old boy, but as the future of taijutsu in Konoha!

*Ding! Might Guy’s favorability increased by 3! Current favorability: 78 points!*

Touji paused, confused about why Guy’s favorability had suddenly increased, but there was no time to dwell on it now.

Touji appeared beside Neji once more and aimed a kick at his legs.

When Guy saw this move, his entire body shuddered.

The shock on his face was even more pronounced than before.

“How does he know that move?”

*End of Chapter*

Chapter 7: A Single Strike

The Leaf Great Whirlwind is a taijutsu technique developed by Might Guy. Although it's simple, only he and his disciple can perform it.

However, the boy in front of him, whom Guy was meeting for the first time, had just executed the Leaf Great Whirlwind, leaving Might Guy utterly astonished.

“Could it be that this kid developed it on his own?”

The thought made Guy’s eyes widen even more in surprise.

Developing a jutsu and learning a jutsu are two entirely different concepts. The difficulty of creating one far surpasses that of simply learning one.

Learning is like going from one to two, but developing is going from nothing to something!

Anyone capable of creating jutsu must possess a deep understanding of them, along with incredible intelligence.

For Touji to have created his own jutsu, how could Might Guy not be shocked?

Even more surprising, Touji's thought process aligned perfectly with Guy’s.

Still, Guy didn’t think Touji could win.

Despite how talented Touji was, Neji Hyuga had the Rotation technique, which put him in an unbeatable position!

"Losing once might actually be good."

*[Ding! Might Guy’s favorability increased by 2! His favorability is now 80! You can now sign in!]*

Touji’s eyebrow twitched.

In just a few seconds, Might Guy’s favorability had increased twice, directly reaching the next sign-in threshold.

At this rate, it wouldn’t be long before he reached 100 favorability points.

But Touji was in the middle of a fight and had no time to sign in right now.

“Well then, I’ll just have to deal with you first!”

Touji quickened his attack pace, silently focusing his mind.

However, Neji Hyuga didn’t make much of an effort to dodge. Instead, his stance grew more peculiar.

“It’s over,” Might Guy sighed with a wry smile, shaking his head. “As talented as he is, Touji still lacks enough battle experience. It’s only natural for him to lose.”

“But Guy-sensei, isn’t Touji at a great advantage right now?” Rock Lee asked, clenching his fists, clearly viewing Touji as a reflection of himself.

“Lee, have you forgotten Neji’s special technique?” Tenten shrugged as she searched for ointment to treat potential injuries.

“Rotation!”

Rock Lee's heart sank, and a frustrated look appeared on his face.

Neji Hyuga’s Rotation was the nemesis of all close-range fighters. No matter how fast or strong an opponent was, they couldn’t break through it.

For a moment, Rock Lee looked dejected, though he continued to cheer for Touji in his heart.

“I’ve won,” Neji shouted, his body rapidly spinning in place.

Chakra threads began to shoot from his fingertips, forming a massive half-sphere that enveloped both himself and Touji.

“It’s over. Tenten, get ready to treat Touji’s injuries,” Guy instructed.

“Got it, Guy-sensei!”

Meanwhile, Rock Lee clenched his fists, staring at the pale blue sphere. “Does that mean with taijutsu alone, I’ll never be able to surpass Neji?”

“Neji is a genius. If effort were all that mattered, why would we need geniuses?” Might Guy said calmly, watching Rock Lee closely.

Tenten’s words might have been harsh, but they were brutally honest.

Some people are simply born with advantages, like the Hyuga clan’s Byakugan or the Uchiha clan’s Sharingan. Those with such bloodline limits are inherently superior, both in terms of their starting point and their potential ceiling.

And in some ways, Rock Lee was even less gifted than the average ninja.

“Lee, I hope this fight helps you recognize the gap between you and Neji. Use that as your target, and with relentless effort, you’ll catch up to him one day!”

“Guy-sensei, Touji has been inside Neji’s Rotation for a long time. Why hasn’t he been thrown out yet?”

Might Guy froze for a moment. He had been so focused on lecturing Rock Lee that he had completely forgotten the battle was still ongoing.

Normally, the instant someone made contact with Rotation, they’d be sent flying.

But Touji had been inside for nearly 30 seconds without any sign of being expelled.

“Damn it! I don’t know what’s happening, but I need to stop this fight!”

With a low growl, Guy rushed toward the Rotation.

Upon reaching the edge, Might Guy furrowed his brow.

Rotation was known as an absolute defense, and regular attacks were useless. Even Guy himself found it tricky to deal with.

“It looks like brute force is my only option!”

Without hesitation, Guy kicked directly at the Rotation.

However, instead of breaking through, he was deflected and forced to retreat several steps before regaining his balance.

Guy grunted, gathered all his strength, and kicked again.

*Boom!*

A loud explosion echoed, shaking the surrounding trees violently.

Guy's kick had managed to create a hole in the Rotation, but it quickly began to repair itself.

Rock Lee was thrilled.

Just one kick from Guy had almost shattered the Rotation. It proved that taijutsu wasn’t weak—only certain ninjas were!

But before Lee could revel in this realization, he noticed Guy standing frozen in place. He rushed over.

“Guy-sensei, what’s wrong?”

“They’re… still fighting inside!” Guy stammered, swallowing nervously.

In the moment when he had cracked the Rotation, Guy had seen Touji holding a white short sword in front of him.

The Rotation, upon touching the blade, had been sliced clean in two.

“If I use it like this, my chakra will last longer. Alright, since the experiment was successful, it’s time to end this!”

Touji’s voice echoed from inside the Rotation, and as soon as he spoke, a sense of danger washed over Guy.

Guy's pupils shrank to pinpoints, and sweat began to trickle down his face.

“Back up, Lee!”

Rock Lee hesitated, confused. Before he could react, a flash of white light flickered before him, followed by a gentle breeze that cut across his face. The fringe of his hair fluttered to the ground.

It was then that Rock Lee realized: had the wind shifted just a bit more, it wouldn’t have just been his hair—it would’ve been his life.

What shocked Rock Lee even more was the state of Neji’s Rotation. The supposedly absolute defense had been split in half.

Even Guy’s full-power kick had only managed to dent it, and the Rotation had quickly recovered.

But now, there were no signs of it repairing itself. In fact, it was beginning to crumble entirely.

Through the fading blue chakra, Touji could be seen holding a white short sword, its tip resting under Neji’s chin. He casually covered his mouth, yawning.

“Alright, can we agree I’ve won now?”

“I… I lost,” Neji said, his head hanging in defeat, all traces of arrogance gone, replaced by despondency.

Rock Lee looked at Touji in awe, his expression changing completely.

“Touji! Teach me swordsmanship!”

*[Ding! Rock Lee’s favorability increased by 1! His favorability is now 59!]*

*[Ding! Rock Lee’s favorability increased by 1! His favorability is now 60! You can now sign in!]*

*[Ding! Rock Lee’s favorability increased by 1! His favorability is now 61! You can now sign in!]*

*(End of Chapter)*

*Chapter 8: Waking Neji Hyuga*

Might Guy ran over to Touji and began looking him up and down, as if examining some kind of treasure.

“That was the Hatake Swordsmanship just now, wasn’t it? And the blade in your hand... it’s White Fang, right? Kakashi treats White Fang like a prized possession, always carrying it with him. I never thought he’d actually give it to you!”

“That’s right.” Since Might Guy was bound to find out about the Hatake Swordsmanship and White Fang eventually, Touji didn’t bother hiding anything and readily admitted it.

“No wonder you were able to break through Rotation, and no wonder Kakashi said you’re a genius!”

The combination of the Hatake Swordsmanship and White Fang was legendary. With these two, Sakumo Hatake became Konoha’s hero, the White Fang of the Leaf.

Finally, Might Guy found a reason, a reason he could accept everything that had happened.

Rock Lee, meanwhile, ran over and hugged Touji tightly, rubbing his face against Touji’s chest.

“Touji, please teach me the Hatake Swordsmanship, okay?”

Touji chuckled bitterly and, ignoring Rock Lee, opened his sign-in interface.

“Sign in Might Guy and Rock Lee!”

*[Ding! Successfully signed in Might Guy! Received Taijutsu: Lotus! Affection +3! Current Affection: 83!]*

*[Ding! Successfully signed in Rock Lee! Received Instantaneous Body Technique! Affection +4! Current Affection: 65!]*

*[Ding! Since the host already has the Instantaneous Body Technique, the lower-level experience has been added to the higher-level version!]*

Touji’s face lit up with joy.

He had been worried that duplicate techniques might cancel each other out, but now it seemed they only made him stronger.

If this system worked the way he thought, if he collected a few more Sharingan, maybe he could unlock the Rinnegan with Nine Tomoe.

And if he collected a few more Byakugan, perhaps he could awaken the Tenseigan!

Excited by the thought, Touji’s anticipation grew.

At this point, Neji Hyuga was sitting on the ground, a faint, wry smile on his lips, still not fully recovered from the scene he had just witnessed.

“So I’m not a genius after all... I still have a long way to go.”

Seeing this, Touji frowned slightly.

Neji Hyuga, though arrogant, had the talent to back up his pride.

And given his family situation, he had no choice but to be proud.

Now, after losing to Touji, all of Neji’s hope seemed to vanish.

Quickly pushing the clingy Rock Lee away, Touji walked over to Neji Hyuga and slapped him across the face.

*[Ding! Tenten’s Affection -1! Current Affection: 64!]*

“Touji, what are you doing? Neji already lost, there’s no need for this!” Tenten shouted, glaring at Touji as she ran over to comfort Neji.

Ignoring Tenten, Touji smirked at Neji Hyuga.

“You call yourself a genius, and this is how you act after one loss?”

Hearing Touji’s words, Neji’s expression darkened even further. He hugged his knees and buried his head between them.

“That’s enough! Stop provoking him!” Tenten shouted angrily.

*[Ding! Tenten’s Affection -3! Current Affection: 61!]*

*[Ding! Affection for a certain character is dropping continuously. Please be mindful of your actions!]*

Touji paid no attention to either Tenten or the system. He grabbed Neji Hyuga by the collar and lifted him up.

“If you stay this depressed, how are you going to save the branch family?”

“You don’t understand... you understand nothing.” Neji didn’t struggle. He just turned his head away, avoiding Touji’s gaze.

Smack!

Touji slapped him again, leaving a red mark, symmetrical on both sides of Neji’s face like autumn leaves.

“The caged bird may be trapped, but as long as it has the will to escape, it can get out one day. But if it gives up after a single setback, it’ll be stuck in that cage forever!”

Neji suddenly turned to look at Touji in shock.

The secret of the Caged Bird Seal, which the Hyuga branch family was cursed with, wasn’t a widely known fact. Very few people outside of the family knew about it.

Yet this Touji, who Neji had never met before, had spoken his innermost thoughts aloud. How could Neji remain calm?

“You don’t understand. If I’m not a genius, I can’t become Hokage. And if I don’t become Hokage, the branch family’s curse will never be lifted!”

Touji sneered.

Becoming Hokage was never just about strength alone; there was a lot of hidden politics involved. If you weren’t part of the Hokage’s inner circle, your chances were slim to none.

Of course, Touji didn’t say that.

“Hokage isn’t decided by personal strength alone. It’s about the approval of the villagers. If you think power alone will get you the title, you’d better give up now and settle for being the heir of the branch family.”

Neji trembled, his eyes filled with confusion as he looked at Touji.

“That’s right, Neji. To become Hokage, you need the people’s trust above all. You’ve been heading down the wrong path,” Might Guy said, nodding in agreement with Touji.

Neji’s eyes regained their focus, but his gaze flickered uncertainly as he looked at Touji.

“I just have one question... Touji, do you plan to become Hokage?”

This was crucial.

Neji knew that if Touji wanted to be Hokage, he stood no chance at all.

“I don’t intend to become Hokage,” Touji said calmly. After all, becoming Hokage would tie him down with village duties, leaving no time to increase his Affection scores.

However, if he ever maxed out his Affection with the entire village, maybe then he could take the position. So he quickly added, “But even if I do become Hokage, I’ll find a way to deal with your family’s issues.”

Neji trembled, his guarded expression melting into one of surprise and gratitude.

*[Ding! Neji Hyuga’s Affection +20! Current Affection: 65! Alert canceled! Sign-in available!]*

*[Ding! Tenten’s Affection +5! Current Affection: 66!]*

*[Ding! Might Guy’s Affection +2! Current Affection: 85!]*

Touji smiled. He hadn’t expected a few words to increase Affection so much.

No wonder Naruto loved using the “Talk no Jutsu” so much, or why he left behind such a big “harem.”

That was the power of persuasion!

“Sign in Neji Hyuga!”

*[Ding! Successfully signed in Neji Hyuga! Received Taijutsu: Gentle Fist! Affection +5!]*

*[Ding! Successfully signed in Neji Hyuga! Received Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm! Affection +4! Current Affection: 74!]*

Gentle Fist was less powerful without the Byakugan, but it was still a solid close-range combat style. If Touji could sign in and get the Byakugan, his abilities would leap forward.

As for the Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm, while it was part of the Gentle Fist, it didn’t rely heavily on the Byakugan. However, it consumed a lot of chakra.

Chakra, chakra, chakra!

Touji scratched his head in frustration. What he needed most right now was chakra. If he could increase his chakra reserves, his combat ability would skyrocket.

“Sign in Neji Hyuga again!”

*[Ding! Successfully signed in Neji Hyuga! Received Instantaneous Body Technique! Affection +3! Current Affection: 77!]*

*[Ding! Since the host already has the Instantaneous Body Technique, its experience has been upgraded to a higher level!]*

“Again with the Instantaneous Body Technique.”

It was one of the most common ninjutsu, but if its level kept increasing, he might one day reach the level of Shisui Uchiha.

Maybe even surpass him!

---

Chapter 9: The Gentle Man

Neji Hyuga snapped back to reality, his eyes filled with emotion as he looked at Touji.

“Why are you being so kind to me?”

“Of course, it's to raise my favorability rating, and for your eyes!” Touji mocked himself internally, but he didn’t dare say it aloud.

Just as Touji was about to come up with an excuse, Might Guy smiled and said, “Touji genuinely considers you a friend, or perhaps, Touji-kun is just too gentle. He hopes everyone can find their happiness.”

The members of Team 3 trembled in unison.

To make others happy without thinking of himself—such a noble person, yet he wasn’t even planning to run for Hokage.

Neji Hyuga was moved, regretting the challenge he made against Touji out of arrogance. Now, he felt even less confident about running for Hokage. After all, if someone like Touji wasn’t going for the position, who else would be worthy?

Tenten also regretted her earlier judgments. She had thought Touji was just a petty man who kept mocking Neji after defeating him.

It turned out she had been wrong from the start. Touji had always intended to help Neji.

To think she had misunderstood someone like him!

Rock Lee was excited. Touji was surely destined to become Hokage one day. Lee was determined to follow him and learn sword techniques!

[Ding! Might Guy’s favorability has increased by three! Current favorability: 88 points!]

[Ding! Neji Hyuga’s favorability has increased by four! Current favorability: 81 points! You can now check in!]

[Ding! Tenten’s favorability has increased by three! Current favorability: 69 points!]

[Ding! Rock Lee’s favorability has increased by three! Current favorability: 68 points!]

Touji couldn’t help but mentally give Might Guy a thumbs-up.

With that analysis, he had drastically raised the favorability of the entire Team 3.

Especially Might Guy and Neji Hyuga—both of their favorability ratings had exceeded 80 points!

At that moment, a figure leaped into view, with a distinctive silver, wild hairstyle blowing in the wind.

“Am I interrupting something?” Kakashi Hatake asked lazily.

Seeing Kakashi arrive, Might Guy didn’t immediately challenge him to a contest like usual. Instead, he walked over and whispered, “What’s the deal with the ninja tool Touji has? And what exactly were you handling just now?”

Kakashi sighed helplessly before smiling and saying, “It’s nothing. I’m here to take Touji with me.”

“What do you mean, ‘nothing’? That’s... wait, what did you just say? Who are you taking?” Might Guy’s worried expression turned serious and stern.

“Touji. I didn’t expect it to go so smoothly, but it’s time,” Kakashi said, pulling out a card from his pocket and tossing it to Touji. “You’ll be using this identity while you're outside.”

Touji looked at the card in confusion. The name “Hatake Yi” was written on it, followed by some personal details.

It was basically an ID for the village of Konoha!

“I disagree! Touji has to stay with Team 3!” Might Guy declared firmly, giving Kakashi no room to argue.

“But Touji came here under my guidance. It’s my responsibility to keep an eye on him,” Kakashi responded, puzzled by Might Guy’s seriousness.

“To hell with responsibility! Touji is a genius in taijutsu. If you give me time to train him, he could push taijutsu to an incredible new level. So, he has to stay with me!”

Kakashi frowned and shot a sharp glance at Touji.

He had only left for a short while, so what on earth had Touji done to get Might Guy this worked up?

“Touji’s biggest need right now is to strengthen his chakra reserves. If you give him enough time, his future accomplishments will far surpass ours! That’s why I must take him with me!”

“So, there’s no room for negotiation?”

“Exactly, no room at all!”

Touji’s mouth twitched. He hadn’t expected Kakashi and Might Guy to almost come to blows over who would get to train him.

This filled Touji with a bit of secret joy.

Still, he’d much prefer to be fought over by two female ninjas instead.

The dilemma they were facing, though, made Touji think hard.

On one side was Might Guy, who nearly kicked the story to its conclusion. On the other was Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage, who could spar with anyone, even if he couldn’t always win.

Either option was a great choice.

But they led to two entirely different paths—one in taijutsu, and the other in ninjutsu.

While Touji was still contemplating, Kakashi and Might Guy were standing before him, both staring directly at him with their three eyes.

“Kid, what’s your decision?”

Touji was taken aback. He hadn’t expected the final choice to land back in his hands.

“Only kids make choices—I want both!” he declared.

Neither of them had anticipated Touji’s choice, so they turned and started quietly discussing it between themselves.

After about ten minutes, they finally reached an agreement and turned back, looking satisfied.

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll train with Kakashi on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and with me on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Sundays, we’ll hold joint lessons—unless there’s a mission!”

Touji’s mouth twitched again. He hadn’t managed to gain any advantage; instead, his training schedule was now completely packed, leaving no room for rest, not even on Sundays.

However, this also gave him the chance to interact with Team 7’s members.

After all, the three members of Team 7 were all main characters, each harboring countless treasures.

Like Sasuke Uchiha’s Sharingan, Naruto Uzumaki’s Uzumaki bloodline, and the Nine-Tails. These were prime opportunities to rack up favorability.

He also wondered what would happen when the Byakugan and Sharingan clashed—what kind of sparks would fly?

“All right, kid, come with me,” Kakashi said.

As Touji was about to leave, the members of Team 3 rushed forward.

Neji Hyuga said, “Touji-kun, there’s no rush with my situation. You should handle your own matters first.”

Tenten added, “Touji-kun, how about we practice shuriken techniques together sometime?”

Rock Lee said, “I want to go with you! I want to learn sword techniques!”

Just as Lee finished speaking, Might Guy immediately came over and smacked him on the head.

“You little brat! Give me 1,000 push-ups! And 1,000 sit-ups!”

Touji smiled wryly. It seemed he wouldn’t see them again until the day after tomorrow. In the meantime, he would finish his sign-in with Neji Hyuga.

“Sign-in! Neji Hyuga!”

[Ding! Neji Hyuga sign-in successful! You've obtained the taijutsu technique ‘Rotation’! Neji Hyuga’s favorability has increased by three! Current favorability: 84 points!]

Touji’s eyes lit up. He hadn’t expected to obtain Rotation, the technique known as the ultimate defense.

However, Rotation had an enormous chakra requirement.

“Damn it, more chakra issues!” Touji cursed.

Chapter 10: Becoming the Teacher of Team 7?

Early the next morning, Touji was still deep in sleep when he felt someone shaking him relentlessly.

"Ugh, I told you, stop bothering me while I'm sleeping!"

"What does 'Ganlin Niang' even mean? You keep saying it."

Hearing Kakashi Hatake's voice, Touji's heart skipped a beat, and all traces of sleep vanished as he quickly sat up.

"'Ganlin Niang' is a friendly greeting from my hometown."

"Is that so? Well, hurry up. We've got something important to take care of."

Reluctantly, Touji crawled out of bed and followed Kakashi to a small forest clearing.

In the clearing stood three wooden stakes, and beside them were three children.

"Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura Haruno!"

Touji immediately understood what Kakashi meant.

Kakashi had previously been working in the Anbu, but after leaving, he took over Team 7, leading the main squad of the story.

This also signaled the official start of the Naruto series.

However, according to the original plot, Kakashi wasn’t supposed to show up until noon and give them a good lesson. Why was he here so early?

"It seems you know who they are. What do you think of them?"

"A bit troublesome. Naruto's attitude is fine, but he's still clueless, so teaching him will be a bit of a challenge. Sasuke is talented, but his heart is consumed by revenge. If not guided properly, he might go down the wrong path. As for Sakura, although she's good at chakra control, she's pretty average overall. Without the right opportunities, she might not stand out."

Kakashi looked at Touji in surprise.

He had casually asked, but Touji's response was more detailed than even the official reports, and the matter about the Uchiha clan was supposed to be a secret.

"So, how would you teach them?"

Touji forced a bitter smile. He had only recently started learning ninjutsu himself, so how could he teach others?

But since Kakashi asked, he decided to share his thoughts.

"Naruto seems a bit isolated, so our first priority should be helping them understand the bonds between teammates. We can deal with the rest later."

Kakashi's eyes lit up.

Touji’s simple words resonated deeply with Kakashi.

A team must have trust and understanding between members. Otherwise, how could they trust each other in battle?

Especially since Naruto was being left out, which only made Kakashi more displeased.

*[Ding! Kakashi Hatake's favorability has increased by 3! Current favorability is 72 points! You can now sign in!]*

"Your idea is good. We'll wait until it's almost lunchtime before heading down."

Touji was momentarily stunned. So Kakashi's habit of being late was all because of him?

"Sign in with Kakashi Hatake!"

*[Ding! Successfully signed in with Kakashi Hatake! Obtained 'One Thousand Years of Death'! Favorability increased by 3! Current favorability is 75 points!]*

Touji let out a wry smile.

While One Thousand Years of Death was a famous technique, it wasn’t exactly an impressive one.

Anyone could use it.

But Touji was curious—if he had learned it from Kakashi, just how powerful would it be?

By noon, Team 7's three members were already famished, and their stomachs growled loudly.

"Alright, time to head down."

As Team 7 grumbled in frustration, two figures suddenly appeared, standing atop the wooden stakes.

"Yo! Ganlin Niang!"

Touji almost burst out laughing. He hadn’t expected Kakashi to pick up his slang.

Naruto, having been ignored all morning, was fuming. The moment Kakashi appeared, he wanted to rush up and argue.

Although Sakura was also annoyed, she at least retained some sense of reason and tried to stop Naruto.

But with her stomach growling from hunger, she couldn't hold Naruto back.

"Idiot!" Sasuke Uchiha, sitting on a rock nearby, smirked coldly, showing no intention of stopping them.

"Hey! Are you really our teacher? You made us come here early in the morning, but you only show up at noon. What's the big idea?" Naruto yelled angrily.

"Ah, sorry about that. Something came up," Kakashi said, rubbing the back of his head. But then his tone shifted, and his face turned serious. "However, I'm not your teacher—at least not yet."

Sakura looked at Kakashi in confusion, while Sasuke frowned and moved between Naruto and Sakura.

Naruto, even more confused by Kakashi's words, pointed to Touji and blurted out, "If you're not our teacher, is he?"

He shook his head vigorously right after.

"No way, no way! He's the same age as us. How could he be our teacher?"

"Actually, he is your teacher. If he’s satisfied with you, only then will I start teaching you."

"What! Him?"

The four of them looked at Kakashi in shock.

Touji nearly spat out blood. He had come to learn chakra control, not to be sold out by Kakashi as a teacher.

Sasuke frowned and said, "Him? Our teacher? You must be joking."

Kakashi chuckled lightly and nodded.

"No joke. And who knows, the three of you might not even be able to beat him. If you can, you can skip this whole step."

Touji smiled bitterly, sensing the hostility from the three. He mentally cursed Kakashi and his entire family.

*[Ding! Naruto Uzumaki's favorability is 50 points! You can now sign in!]*

*[Favorability of 50 points unlocks: Sexy Jutsu!]*

*[Favorability of 60 points unlocks: Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu!]*

*[Favorability of 70 points unlocks: Rasengan!]*

*[Favorability of 80 points unlocks: Sage Mode!]*

*[Favorability of 90 points unlocks: Nine-Tails!]*

*[Favorability of 100 points unlocks: Uzumaki Bloodline! Receive Sexy Jutsu of your choice! Activate Infinite Sign-In (Cooldown: 7 days!)]*

*[Ding! Sasuke Uchiha's favorability is 49 points! Warning!]*

*[Favorability of 50 points unlocks: Fireball Jutsu!]*

*[Favorability of 60 points unlocks: Lion Combo!]*

*[Favorability of 70 points unlocks: Chidori!]*

*[Favorability of 80 points unlocks: Curse Mark of Heaven!]*

*[Favorability of 90 points unlocks: Kirin!]*

*[Favorability of 100 points unlocks: Sharingan! Receive 'I Love You, Brother!' Activate Infinite Sign-In (Cooldown: 7 days!)]*

*[Ding! Sakura Haruno's favorability is 50 points! You can now sign in!]*

*[Favorability of 50 points unlocks: Substitution Jutsu!]*

*[Favorability of 60 points unlocks: Chakra Scalpel!]*

*[Favorability of 70 points unlocks: Healing Palm!]*

*[Favorability of 80 points unlocks: Superhuman Strength!]*

*[Favorability of 90 points unlocks: Yin Seal!]*

*[Favorability of 100 points unlocks: Creation Rebirth! Receive Sakura's 'Never Give Up!' Activate Infinite Sign-In (Cooldown: 7 days!)]*

"Wow, no wonder they're the main characters! Impressive!"