Kapitel 54: Chapter 54: Becoming Someone's Reason to Live
Naruto and Sakura were practicing water-walking on a small stream.
Their task was to stand steadily on the water's surface for at least thirty minutes. Once they accomplished that, it would mean they had successfully mastered water-walking.
Both tree-climbing and water-walking exercises were meant to improve chakra control. Mastering these techniques would significantly enhance their ability to execute any jutsu.
Kakashi observed Sakura, whose chakra flow showed almost no fluctuations.
"Although Sakura has very little chakra, her control over it is exceptional on par with Sasuke's talent, perhaps even more precise in some ways."
"No… strictly speaking, Sasuke's chakra control is still superior, but this level of talent in chakra control is extraordinarily rare."
As for Naruto...
"This kid's control is still as chaotic as ever. But… it's likely because of the Nine-Tails."
"Without the Nine-Tails, Naruto's innate talent would probably be incredible. After all, he's the son of my teacher."
Naruto had inherited both the potential of the Uzumaki clan's physiology and their vast reserves of chakra, something even Kakashi couldn't help but envy.
But speaking of talent, Kakashi glanced back at Sasuke, who was training further away.
Using a kunai as a substitute for a sword, Sasuke was practicing with chakra infused into the blade.
Surprisingly, he had actually managed to learn the Hatake clan's kenjutsu techniques.
In just two days, Sasuke had taken his mastery of swordsmanship to an extraordinary level.
Though he was only using a kunai, Kakashi could already tell how terrifying Sasuke's skill had become.
At this rate, Sasuke's kenjutsu might even surpass his own before long.
Kakashi had encountered many geniuses in his lifetime, but Sasuke was no mere genius he was a prodigy of almost monstrous talent.
Not only had Sasuke mastered the Hatake clan's swordsmanship with ease, but the kunai he was using was already his third one.
The previous two kunai had broken because Sasuke's chakra had damaged their internal structure. When Sasuke inspected them, they snapped with almost no effort.
However, the third kunai had already survived an entire morning of training.
This time, Sasuke seemed to have grasped the right technique, preventing his chakra from damaging the weapon's internal structure.
That said, continuously maintaining chakra flow through the weapon was no easy feat.
Sasuke's current limit was ten seconds of sustained chakra infusion, but even that was astonishing.
Kakashi began to wonder if Sasuke might really succeed in nurturing this kunai into a proper chakra blade over time.
Once it became a chakra blade, the kunai's durability would drastically increase. Additionally, when chakra flowed through it, its hardness and cutting power would amplify even further.
"This is the difference between a prodigy and a genius…"
What Kakashi had thought to be impossible, Sasuke seemed to be on the verge of achieving. It was a feat so improbable that Kakashi wouldn't have believed it if he hadn't witnessed it himself.
Crack!
Suddenly, Sasuke snapped the kunai in his hand.
The moment it broke, Kakashi let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Even for a prodigy like him, things can't always go perfectly."
That thought made him feel somewhat better.
However, Sasuke stared at the broken kunai and muttered to himself:
"I've found the chakra tolerance threshold of the kunai."
"When a weapon is about to reach its limit, it emits a faint humming sound."
"As long as I stop increasing the chakra output the moment I hear the hum, I can maintain the weapon at its maximum capacity."
"With consistent nurturing, I'll be able to forge a proper chakra blade."
Sasuke's voice was quiet, but Kakashi heard every word clearly.
He almost spat out the water he was drinking.
"Humming? A weapon hums?"
"Why didn't I hear anything?"
This kid… had already reached such a terrifying level.
The way Sasuke casually talked about forging a chakra blade made it sound as easy as eating or drinking water!
At this moment, Kakashi finally began to understand how Might Guy must have felt around him in the past.
This was what it was like to be near a true genius.
What seemed utterly impossible for ordinary people was something a prodigy could accomplish with ease.
It wasn't a pleasant feeling for Kakashi.
"No wonder geniuses are so hated sometimes."
"Sensei, I'm covered in sweat. I'm going to wash up real quick," Sasuke said, leaping into the woods.
Kakashi watched him leave, his eyes briefly flickering.
Elsewhere, Sasuke arrived downstream.
Not wanting to disturb Naruto and Sakura's training, he chose a quiet spot to wash up.
Sasuke splashed water on his face, looking down at the calm surface.
"…Still not coming out?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the water instantly froze over.
An ice spike shot up from the frozen surface, aiming straight for Sasuke's forehead.
With a light jump backward, Sasuke avoided the attack.
A dark shadow suddenly lunged out from the frozen surface.
Boom!
A burst of lightning erupted from Sasuke's feet, allowing him to slide one meter to the right.
The moment Sasuke stopped, a massive blade appeared beside him
The Executioner's Blade!
The person wielding the massive blade was none other than Haku!
"You're alive?"
Haku, now dressed in black, stood coldly before Sasuke, wearing a mask.
"You killed Lord Zabuza. I... will avenge him!"
Avenge him?
Sasuke raised a fist and smashed it directly against the Executioner's Blade.
The force sent Haku, along with the blade, flying backward.
Haku slid several meters across the ground before coming to a halt.
Sasuke looked at him and sneered.
"Just you… trying to kill me... Is that even possible?"
"It doesn't matter. Even if I can't kill you… I'll still try!"
Even if he can't kill me, he'll still fight?
Is he throwing his life away?
In the next moment, Haku charged again with the Executioner's Blade. Despite his expertise in Ice Release, he insisted on using the massive blade to attack.
It was clear he had no intention of surviving this fight.
'Lightning Style: Discharge!'
With a flick of his finger, a thin arc of lightning shot forward, striking Haku.
The paralyzing effect of the Lightning Style froze Haku's movements instantly.
In a flash, Sasuke dashed forward, seized the Executioner's Blade, and grabbed Haku by the throat.
"If you want to die, go find some quiet place to do it. Don't come looking for me!"
Hearing this, Haku's eyes widened slightly.
"Lord Zabuza's final wish was to kill you. I will never give up!"
Zabuza's final wish?
Did Zabuza leave him with some last words before dying?
Sasuke frowned slightly.
'I see.'
It seemed Zabuza, anticipating his possible death, had given Haku a reason to keep living revenge.
As Zabuza's "tool," Haku would undoubtedly carry out this command.
It was similar to the way Sasuke's foolish older brother had forced him onto a path of revenge, implanting an unwavering drive within him.
Now, Sasuke had become someone else's reason to live.
"You want to kill me? You're not qualified yet. Get lost!"
"If you fail to assassinate me next time, I'll take the Executioner's Blade for myself. I'll display it in the Leaf Village's museum for everyone to see, so they'll know I killed Zabuza and stole his weapon!"
"I'll make the so-called Demon of the Hidden Mist into nothing more than a stepping stone for me!"
With that, Sasuke tossed Haku aside and dropped the Executioner's Blade where he stood.
Then, he turned and walked away.
Sasuke didn't dislike Haku. His attacks carried no killing intent.
If that's the case, it didn't matter. Haku could continue living with Sasuke as his reason to fight.
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