"No wonder the Chidori needs the Sharingan to reach its full potential."
Jingyan's current Body Flicker Technique had a similar problem.
His eyes and body just couldn't quite keep up.
While not as fatal a flaw as using the Chidori without enhanced vision, it still limited his combat effectiveness.
There were two solutions.
Either enhance his eyesight to match his body's speed.
Or train his body to adapt to that speed.
The former required a special talent, with Minato Namikaze being a prime example.
For the latter, Might Guy was the best case study.
I have to keep training!
With unwavering determination, Jingyan began to practice again, combining his Body Flicker with punches, kicks, and kunai strikes.
At first...
His speed was blindingly fast.
Gradually, his speed began to decrease, but his movements became increasingly sharp and deadly.
High above, Jiraiya sat perched on a tree branch, concealed among the leaves with a ninjutsu, a look of undisguised shock on his face.
As one of the Sannin, he could, of course, understand what the young boy below was training.
He's mastering his speed!
The boy's Body Flicker was incredibly powerful, but speed wasn't everything. If it exceeded one's ability to control it, it could easily become a weakness in battle.
His Body Flicker was truly impressive.
Some Jonin might not even possess the same level of mastery in that specific jutsu as the boy below.
But that wasn't the main reason for Jiraiya's surprise.
What truly astonished him was that the boy understood.
He understood that it wasn't about being faster, but about raising his speed while maintaining perfect control. Mastering speed was often more important than simply increasing it.
It seemed like a simple principle, but it was a lesson many ninja only learned through the brutal reality of life-or-death combat.
"Truly remarkable!"
Another Minato?
A complex look appeared in Jiraiya's eyes. This wasn't the first time he had seen this boy.
In fact, Jingyan passed by the road near the bathhouse every time he went to train.
On several occasions, Jingyan had almost caused Jiraiya's surveillance spot to be exposed. It was precisely because of this that he had a strong impression of the boy.
Hard-working and diligent.
He trained every single day without fail. But what surprised Jiraiya the most was the boy's mindset.
Jingyan wasn't the only one who worked hard.
Jiraiya recalled another boy in a flamboyant green jumpsuit who was also incredibly dedicated, but their training methods were completely different. That one focused exclusively on taijutsu.
The boy before him, however...
Ever since Jiraiya had first noticed him, the boy had only practiced taijutsu, the Body Flicker Technique, and the Substitution Jutsu. He had an incredibly strong sense of purpose; this wasn't blind training.
And now, after achieving a breakthrough in the Body Flicker on his own, he was already delving into the secrets of mastering that speed.
That kind of awareness was not something an ordinary person possessed.
A genius!
Just like Minato back in the day.
Jiraiya sat on the branch, his gaze fixed on the sweat-drenched boy below as a flood of thoughts and memories washed over him.
As one of the Sannin, when he chose to hide, there was no way the current Jingyan could possibly detect him.
It wasn't until dusk that Jingyan, exhausted, collapsed under a tree.
He stared up at the swaying shadows of the leaves, blinked once, and then—
Under the moonlight, one patch of shadows seemed... off?
Jingyan sat up.
"Who's there?"
Swoosh!
In the night sky, something that looked like a bird darted away, vanishing among the shadows of the trees.
...
Konoha Ninja Academy.
A group of students who had already become Genin were seated in a classroom.
The instructor had not yet arrived.
Most of them were leaning against the windows, laughing and pointing at the younger students training below.
There were two exceptions.
One was Might Guy.
He was in a corner, doing a one-handed handstand to train his physique. Compared to everyone else, his display had a certain beauty, like a piece of performance art.
The other was Jingyan.
He was watching Guy.
Finally, Guy couldn't take the staring anymore.
The original Jingyan had been a loner in the class. After transmigrating, Jingyan's mind was completely focused on training and getting stronger, leaving no time for building relationships. As a result, he kept a very low profile.
His relationship with Might Guy was average at best; they knew each other's names and faces, and that was about it.
Therefore...
"Jingyan-kun, is my training disturbing you?" Guy asked, a little self-consciously.
Jingyan shook his head. "No. I'm just very impressed by you."
"Impressed by me?"
Guy was stunned. He quickly flipped back to his feet and sat down next to Jingyan, his face a mixture of excitement, disbelief, and a hint of insecurity. "You're just making fun of me, right? I barely passed the early graduation exam."
"But you passed, didn't you?" Jingyan said dismissively.
Then, his expression turned serious. "Guy, I've been watching you. While it's true your talent for ninjutsu is poor, and your comprehension is average..."
He was listing nothing but shortcomings.
Guy's face grew more and more bitter as he listened.
Jingyan continued—
"But you possess a perseverance and a resolve to ignore the judgment of others that no one else has. That is a talent in itself. Guy, you are, without a doubt, a genius of hard work!"
"A genius of hard work?"
Might Guy froze.
It was the first time in his life anyone other than his father had called him a genius.
He couldn't help but feel a little shy. "Me? How could I be considered a genius?"
"Why not? Lord Hokage said that perseverance is the strongest talent of all, it's just that most people lack it. Look around the classroom. Besides you, is anyone else training?" Jingyan said in a low voice.
Guy looked around.
It was true. No one else was.
Everyone else was lounging around. In fact, the only other person doing anything was Jingyan himself, who was still deftly manipulating a kunai in his fingers while his other hand seemed to be practicing hand seals.
And then there was one other.
The kunoichi named Kurenai Yuhi.
She was also sitting quietly at her desk, not participating in the noisy crowd.
Guy scanned the room once more, then looked back at Jingyan curiously. "Did Lord Hokage really say that?"
Is that the important part?
Of course, Hiruzen Sarutobi never said that. It was a quote from the future Hokage, Ryohou Jingyan!
Jingyan reined in his thoughts, abandoning the idea of quickly farming a reward.
Just then, Might Guy suddenly threw his arms around Jingyan.
"But thank you so much, Jingyan! Besides my father, you're the second person in my entire life to ever acknowledge me!"
As he spoke, he burst into tears.
Even for the usually calm Jingyan, this was a bit of a shock.
This sudden turn of events...
He was completely unprepared!
Guy's crying drew the attention of the entire class. The rare spectacle made everyone stop mocking the junior students below and turn to stare at them.
Jingyan squinted, feeling like he was experiencing a profound social death.
What was even more painful was that he had paid the price of his dignity but received no reward. It just made him feel like a clown.
While Guy was crying his heart out...
Jingyan was deep in self-reflection.
The two were clearly not sharing the same emotional experience.
A girl's voice broke the strange and awkward silence, simultaneously drawing everyone's attention.
"Guy-kun. Excuse me, but who was the first person?"
Right!
Who was the first one?
Everyone was curious.
Guy stopped crying.
The gazes of everyone in the room were fixed on them. But he wasn't embarrassed at all. On the contrary, he stood with immense pride and declared, "Of course, it was my eternal rival, Kakashi Hatake!"
Kakashi.
Hearing the name, everyone's first reaction was respect, followed immediately by doubt.
Huh? You?
And then...
"Hahahahaha!"
With the exception of Kurenai and Jingyan, the entire class erupted in laughter.
"Tch, I can say Kakashi is my eternal rival too!" "Hahaha, I'm Kakashi's rival too!" "Same here!"
The classroom filled with a cheerful atmosphere.
Kakashi had graduated at age five and become a Chunin at six.
The guy in front of them...
Graduating as a Genin at age seven was impressive, but it was clear they weren't in the same league. How dare he claim to be Kakashi's "eternal rival"?
Guy fell silent.
Jingyan patted his shoulder, his voice filled with sincere comfort and affirmation.
The lack of a reward must mean I wasn't sincere enough.
Therefore...
I need to increase the dosage!
"If you aim to be number one, you might end up second or third. If you aim for second or third, you'll at best reach fourth, fifth, or even lower. Guy, believe in yourself! You are definitely Kakashi's eternal rival!"
"Jingyan-kun!"
Might Guy hugged Jingyan again. This time, he wasn't crying from sadness, but from pure excitement and joy.
What is a soulmate?
This right here is a soulmate!
Father, someone finally understands me!
Might Guy laughed as fresh tears streamed down his face without restraint.
Jingyan sighed internally.
Guy aims to surpass Kakashi, while my original goal was to be like the future Guy. We all have bright futures ahead of us.
As he was feeling sentimental...
[Building a ninja's morale is also a crucial part of a Hokage's job. You have strengthened a Genin's resolve and ignited his fighting spirit.] [Reward: Your fundamental taijutsu techniques have been enhanced.]
Fundamental taijutsu techniques?
As Jingyan pondered this, a wealth of new knowledge once again flooded his mind. It was all information on the mechanics of striking, with a particular focus on techniques for generating power with his legs.
He became even more certain.
The rewards were directly related to the impact of the event and the existing abilities of the person involved.
For example, yesterday's reward. Jingyan had earned the complete trust of "himself," so the System upgraded his strongest skill, the "Body Flicker Technique."
In Guy's case, his greatest assets at the moment were his strong body and his taijutsu.