Chapter 45: Chapter 45: Another Year

A year passed in the blink of an eye, and during that time, Soraki and the others made significant progress in their studies. Not only did they improve their ninjutsu skills, but more importantly, they developed the essential qualities of a ninja.

Taijutsu, ninja tools, battle analysis, stealth, assassination, secret codes, and intelligence gathering. Over the course of the year, Soraki, Obito, and eventually Kakashi, whom Soraki pulled into their group, all made great strides.

That year, Kakashi turned seven, Soraki turned seven, and Obito was just a few days shy of turning eight.

As usual, the three of them trained by the stream, drenched in sweat as they sparred with each other.

"Kakashi, take this!" Obito shouted, quickly forming hand seals. "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" More than a dozen fist-sized fireballs formed at Obito's mouth, spinning and shooting toward Kakashi like shuriken, but they didn't spare Soraki, who was off to the side either.

Both Kakashi and Soraki had anticipated this. They quickly leaped backward, dodging the fireballs, which left several head-sized craters in the ground where they had been standing.

After a year of constant sparring, Soraki, Kakashi, and Obito had grown used to these chaotic free-for-alls. Sometimes Soraki and Obito teamed up to attack Kakashi; other times, Kakashi and Soraki joined forces against Obito; and occasionally, Obito and Kakashi ganged up on Soraki.

In terms of strength, Kakashi was the strongest of the three, while Soraki and Obito were more evenly matched. As a result, Soraki and Obito teamed up more often, but as soon as they managed to push Kakashi back, they would immediately turn on each other.

Over the past year, the three had learned how to maintain control and adjust during fights without panicking, even when others intervened. Their combat skills had become more refined and balanced.

Dodging Obito's Fire Style jutsu, Soraki's hand flashed, and several shuriken appeared in his palm. With a flick of his wrist, he threw them in a curved arc toward Obito, and he didn't forget to send a few shuriken Kakashi's way either.

At the same time, Kakashi made the same move, sending shuriken flying toward both Soraki and Obito.

Soraki spun a kunai in his hand, expertly deflecting the shuriken coming his way. As he deflected the attacks, he quickly formed a hidden hand seal.

Meanwhile, Kakashi pulled out the short blade passed down from his father, the White Fang of Konoha, and with a casual swing of the blade, knocked away the incoming shuriken.

Obito's deflection technique was nearly identical to Soraki's, and none of the shuriken managed to land a hit on him either.

The sound of metal clashing filled the air as the three of them came together, their kunai and Kakashi's short blade crossing in quick exchanges.

A small smile tugged at the corner of Soraki's lips. "Water Style: Water Surge Jutsu," he muttered. As water surged from Soraki's mouth, Kakashi and Obito were caught off guard, and the force of the water pushed them back.

Though they tried to maintain their balance, the powerful water stream from Soraki's mouth made it impossible, and both Kakashi and Obito were sent flying.

Of course, this level of attack couldn't truly harm Kakashi and Obito. The two of them quickly flipped mid-air, regaining their balance. During this moment, Kakashi's short blade and Obito's kunai clashed a couple of times as they continued their fight even amidst the chaos.

"Lightning Style: Shockwave," Soraki called out, forming another set of hand seals. Water combined with lightning jutsu created an electrifying current, and this particular combination was a simple yet effective one, commonly used in tandem.

Over the course of the year, in addition to learning more Fire Style jutsu, Soraki had also picked up several Lightning Style and Water Style techniques. He had even attempted to learn Earth Style jutsu, but with great difficulty.

The simplest of Earth Style jutsu, like the tunneling technique similar to Naruto's digging technique, he could barely manage. More complex jutsu, like the Earth Wall technique, remained beyond his grasp.

Lacking the right chakra nature made Soraki realize how challenging mastering jutsu could be, and it made him respect the Third Hokage, known as the "Professor," even more.

To become such a powerful ninja as an ordinary person, Soraki understood just how much effort the Third Hokage must have put in.

Back in the water, Obito and Kakashi were hit by the lightning's current. Though the shock wasn't too strong, their bodies numbed, and they lost their balance, sent flying back more than ten meters by the force of Soraki's water jutsu.

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu," Soraki pressed his advantage, quickly forming hand seals. A massive fireball, about three to four meters in diameter, formed in front of Soraki, spinning as it shot toward Kakashi and Obito.

A loud explosion echoed through the forest, and fire scattered in all directions.

Who knows how long it was before Soraki, Kakashi, and Obito were lying on the ground, completely exhausted. All three had various scrapes and bruises on their faces.

"Whoo... whoo..." Soraki took a couple of deep breaths.

This day was no different from any other. It marked just over a year since Soraki had come to this world. A year ago, on this very day, he had been taken to the Konoha Anbu, accompanied by Orochimaru, where he spent a night under interrogation by the Torture and Interrogation Force. He wasn't released until the following morning.

He still didn't know what information the Hokage and the others had gleaned from him, as he had been asleep the whole time. He also didn't know if the illusion his father had placed in his mind using the Sharingan had been detected by the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force. If they had, it would only serve to reinforce the accuracy of what Soraki had told them.

However, after that day, Soraki felt the presence of Anbu surveillance for three months. Although his father had long since retired from the life of a ninja, he behaved as if nothing had changed, and their lives went on as usual. Eventually, the Anbu seemed to withdraw, though Soraki couldn't be sure whether they were still monitoring him and his family.

As for Konoha's White Fang, Hatake Sakumo, it was rumored that over the past year, he had dealt with several high-ranking Konoha officials whom he believed might pose a threat to him, including our dear Danzo. This information came from Kakashi, who had quietly shared it with Soraki. As for how those encounters ended, Kakashi simply said that his father hadn't been at a disadvantage.

Soraki believed it too—given White Fang's strength, there weren't many people in Konoha who could make him suffer. Perhaps as a gesture of gratitude for Soraki's earlier nonsense, Kakashi had also casually taught him a few basic sword techniques. Though simple, they were highly practical.