Frustrated Kakashi
"Hurry up!"
"Did you not eat this morning?"
"If you don't keep up, you won't be eating later!"
Chi Yu strode briskly ahead, calm and unbothered. Behind him, Hatake Kakashi grit his teeth, his body swaying as he forced himself to keep pace.
At this point, Kakashi was relying entirely on willpower. His chakra reserves were depleted, and his body screamed at him to stop.
His thoughts churned with frustration.
> This is inhuman...
The training wasn't even flashy—no sparring, no jutsu drills. But the simplicity masked its cruelty. The mask he wore restricted airflow, thickened to simulate high-altitude breathing. Every breath felt like a fight.
Even walking became a challenge. His vision swam, and his head pounded.
> How is this supposed to help me train?!
Eventually, Chi Yu stopped. His next words were like music to Kakashi's ears.
"Let's take a break."
Kakashi immediately collapsed onto the grass, attempting to breathe deeply—but the mask only made it worse. Each inhale made him feel more suffocated.
Chi Yu's voice remained calm, instructive. "Don't force it. Adjust your breathing—slow, steady, rhythmic. Long breaths. It'll stabilize your body faster."
Kakashi followed the guidance, slowly adapting. The dizziness faded. He finally caught his breath.
Chi Yu asked, "How are you feeling now?"
Kakashi groaned, "I feel terrible."
Chi Yu chuckled. "It's only been a day, but you're already adapting better than yesterday. You can feel it, can't you?"
Kakashi paused. He had to admit—it was true.
Yesterday, he could barely breathe after five minutes. Now, while still uncomfortable, he could at least control it.
Chi Yu elaborated, "You're in the adaptation phase. The body's adjusting to oxygen restriction. Once you can breathe normally with the mask on, your lungs will be conditioned to operate under pressure. You'll be able to saturate your blood with oxygen faster—crucial for endurance and short bursts of power in battle."
Kakashi raised a brow beneath his mask. "It's that simple?"
Chi Yu glanced at him with a slight smirk. "Does it feel simple?"
"Uh…" Kakashi shook his head quickly. "Nope. Not simple at all!"
He blamed the oxygen deprivation. It had to be dulling his brain—making him say dumb things like that.
> Of course it's not simple, he thought bitterly. Just breathing like normal while wearing this mask doesn't mean anything. Chi Yu-sensei expects me to breathe like this even during combat…
That was the real test: to maintain normal breathing while under the stress of battle. And if that became second nature, his cardiopulmonary strength would skyrocket.
Chi Yu stood. "Break's over. Let's move."
Kakashi groaned. "Already? Can't we rest a little longer?"
"No," Chi Yu replied firmly. "This is the time to break you. If we run into Iwa-nin later, I plan to send you in first."
"...Huh?"
Kakashi's eyes widened.
He was going to be thrown into battle like this?
He barely had the strength to stand, let alone fight enemy shinobi.
> Why is the intensity so insane?!
He used to look forward to missions that involved fighting enemy ninja. But right now, Kakashi had never wanted less to encounter opponents.
Naturally, the universe didn't care what Kakashi wanted.
Chi Yu suddenly halted.
"Three shinobi, approaching from the right—about 3 o'clock. This area borders Iwa's infiltration routes. They're almost certainly Iwa-nin."
He looked at Kakashi.
"Go."
"...You're serious?" Kakashi stared in disbelief. "Sensei, you really want me to go like this?"
Chi Yu narrowed his eyes. "Did I sound like I was joking?"
"I told you—I only intervene if you're about to die. I train through real combat."
"But three of them?! Alone?!"
Chi Yu's expression turned cold. "You're talking too much. If we were in the Land of Hot Water, I'd have already issued orders. The only reason I'm tolerating this is because you're my disciple."
"...Okay, okay, I'm going!" Kakashi muttered, defeated.
Reluctantly, Kakashi crept toward the direction Chi Yu indicated.
Sure enough, three enemy shinobi in Iwa flak jackets came into view.
Kakashi frowned.
> I didn't see Chi Yu-sensei use any sensory jutsu… So how did he detect them?
> No time to dwell on that. His condition was poor. Oxygen-deprived, exhausted, and still recovering.
Still, Kakashi had his pride. He didn't expect Chi Yu to step in and save him. As a prodigy, Kakashi had to find a way.
But before he could think further, his heavy, ragged breathing drew attention.
The three Iwa-nin exchanged quick glances and casually shifted their body language—pretending not to notice him.
Kakashi narrowed his eyes.
> Something's off...
He'd been trained by the best. He could hear it in their footfalls—slightly heavier, and subtly angled toward his direction.
They had noticed him.
His pupils shrank.
> I've been made!
His plan to ambush was ruined.
Without hesitation, Kakashi retreated into cover.
The Iwa-nin responded immediately. One of them formed a hand seal.
"Doton: Doryū Taiga! (Earth Release: Earth Flow River!)"
The ground beneath Kakashi shifted violently into a rushing current of mud. Acting on instinct, he dove to the side just in time.
A deep pit formed where he had stood.
Had he hesitated, he'd have been swallowed whole.
But his body was failing him. His legs buckled. He collapsed again, gasping.
The three Iwa-nin quickly surrounded him.
They looked at each other in confusion.
"This Konoha brat... What's wrong with him? He looks like he's already half-dead."
Kakashi glared at them, gritting his teeth.
His limbs trembled, his vision blurred, and his lungs felt like they were on fire.
But he wasn't done yet.
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