One month later, deep in a forest in the Land of Waves.
Uchiha Sasuke charged forward from a distance, Chidori blazing in his hand as he accelerated toward Kaede Kitahara.
"Ahhh!"
Sasuke clutched his shoulder with one hand while dragging Chidori with the other, moving at frightening speed.
Even so, it was nowhere near enough in front of Kaede.
Just as the attack was about to land, Kaede calmly reached out and caught Sasuke by the arm, instantly cutting off the Chidori.
Sasuke staggered back, gasping for breath. That single strike had completely drained the chakra in his body.
After awakening his one-tomoe Sharingan, his chakra had grown by leaps and bounds over this period. Still, he was not comparable to Kaede. Kaede did not just possess the Uchiha Clan's bloodline. He had also fused with the Uzumaki Clan's basic Sage Body.
That basic Sage Body was itself a Kekkei Genkai, much like a one-tomoe Sharingan. It was not something every Uzumaki could have.
By Kaede's estimate, Sasuke currently had chakra roughly on par with an elite chunin, not far from tokubetsu jonin level.
It might not sound impressive, but Sasuke had only awakened his one-tomoe Sharingan about two months ago. He had jumped straight from elite genin to elite chunin in that short time.
The all-around enhancement the Sharingan provided to a ninja was undeniable.
And if you talked purely about combat power and combat instincts, ordinary elite chunin were honestly no match for Uchiha Sasuke.
Over the past month, whenever Kaede had time, he guided the three youngsters in their training. Even Hatake Kakashi, who had always been lazy, seemed to have been stimulated by something and suddenly became diligent. He not only put more effort into guiding the three of them, but also trained himself much more seriously.
Of course, Kaede had no idea how much shock his diary had caused Sasuke and Kakashi. For Kakashi especially, learning about the many top-tier powerhouses in the world and the future crises made it impossible for him to keep wallowing in apathy.
Once he vaguely realized that the joint Chunin Exams a few months later might become a life-or-death trial for Konoha, he became even more motivated. He had to raise his strength to another level before then.
"No good," Kaede said after watching Sasuke. "Your dash is too long when you use Chidori, and it's easy to lose focus. You should be using your Sharingan to track my movements, not letting me counter you."
"I can't help it," Sasuke replied. "Chidori numbs my arm. Sometimes I can't even put strength into it."
Ever since Kakashi taught Chidori to Kaede a month ago, he had also passed it on to Sasuke. After that, whenever Kaede had time, he would guide Sasuke's training, especially his work with Chidori.
At this stage, Chidori was the core of Sasuke's combat foundation.
The reason Sasuke could not fully focus was that the Lightning Release chakra from Chidori also caused numbness in his own arm. Otherwise, he would not be clutching it like that.
So even with the Sharingan, he simply could not react in time.
"That means your chakra control isn't fine enough, and your physical strength isn't high enough either," Kaede said. "You'll have to figure out how to strengthen both of those on your own."
Kaede immediately saw the problem. Sasuke's chakra control was clearly lacking, causing Lightning Release chakra to leak instead of perfectly condensing in his palm.
Among the three, Haruno Sakura had the best chakra control. Next was Uchiha Sasuke, and then Uzumaki Naruto.
Naruto actually had the same issue when using Wind Release: Rasenshuriken, but he dealt with it in a much simpler and more brutal way. He relied on his incredible recovery ability to tank the damage caused by the chakra backlash.
As long as he healed fast enough, the price was acceptable.
Sasuke did not talk back or argue. That was just his personality. When faced with someone stronger than him, he accepted it without complaint. The whole idea that the "second pillar" needed discipline existed for a reason.
If he lost his head, a good beating would set him straight.
Suddenly, Kaede glanced into the distance.
Hatake Kakashi had just appeared on top of a nearby rock.
When Kakashi realized that Kaede had instantly sensed him despite his use of the Body Flicker Technique, he felt a jolt of shock.
He knew Kaede had never learned any sensory jutsu. That meant Kaede was relying purely on his own perception to do this, which already surpassed most people who had studied sensory techniques.
What Kakashi did not know was that the Uzumaki Clan bloodline Kaede had fused with naturally possessed this potential. At its peak, it became something like the Mind's Eye of the Kagura, capable of covering dozens of miles.
It could sense lies, locate targets, perceive hostility, track enemy chakra, and more.
This was a Kekkei Genkai unique to the Uzumaki Clan. Not everyone could awaken it. Like the Mangekyo Sharingan in the Uchiha Clan, it was an extremely rare high-level Kekkei Genkai even among the Uzumaki.
In the entire shinobi world, it was arguably the strongest sensory ability known so far. Only Uzumaki Karin had ever awakened it.
"Yo, training hard?" Kakashi said casually.
"Kakashi-senpai, are you here to train too?" Kaede asked.
Lately, Kakashi would occasionally join their sessions. Sometimes he trained himself, sometimes he guided the three youngsters.
"I just came back from the bridge," Kakashi said. "Everything's finished today. We can pack up and head back to Konoha tomorrow."
Kaede nodded.
The bridge in the Land of Waves had already been close to completion. The people of the country had pooled their money to build it. Once it was finished, this tiny nation would finally have a connection to the outside world that did not rely solely on water routes. The economy would improve dramatically.
Then Gato, a major merchant from a neighboring country, set his sights on it. He brought in waves of rogue ninja and gangsters to smash and loot, forcibly halting construction. He even hired a top-tier expert like Momochi Zabuza, trying to completely sever the Land of Waves' hope.
If not for the protagonists showing up, the Land of Waves would have been finished.
This time, however, Kaede dealt with all the enemies himself and even sent shadow clones to control Gato. That prevented the later chain of incidents entirely.
Naturally, the bridge would not end up being renamed Naruto Bridge.
"I want to spar with you today," Kakashi said. "I'd like to test the results of our training. Interested?"
"Perfect timing," Kaede said, excitement stirring. Chances to fight a top-tier elite jonin were rare.
Since gaining the diary system, Kaede's physical stats had skyrocketed. After more than a month, he had fully digested the Uzumaki Clan's Sage Body. His chakra had surged to ten cards' worth, firmly stepping into kage level.
But having massive chakra reserves was only one advantage in battle. Combat experience, decisions made on the edge of life and death, none of that grew just by boosting numbers.
And that was exactly where Hatake Kakashi excelled.
"Want to take a break?" Kakashi asked, glancing at Sasuke slumped on the ground.
"No need. I'm in great shape right now," Kaede replied.
He was not exaggerating. Even after sparring with Sasuke for so long, the stamina and chakra he spent recovered quickly thanks to his basic Uzumaki Sage Body. He was at his peak.
"Then let's do it."
"Alright."
Kakashi leapt into the clearing, facing Kaede from a distance.
Sasuke took a few deep breaths, then quickly climbed into a nearby tree, keeping just the right distance.
He was no rookie. He knew jonin-level battles could alter the terrain itself. Staying too close meant getting caught in the crossfire.
Still, he could not bring himself to miss this chance. Watching a jonin-level fight up close was rare, especially after the Uchiha Clan's destruction.
If the clan were still around, he would never lack opportunities like this. The Uchiha Clan had been full of jonin-level experts. That was the foundation of a great clan.
"I'll make the first move," Kaede said.
As the junior, and only a chunin, it was only proper for him to attack first.
In an instant, as he began to run, figures split off one after another.
Phantom Body Flicker Technique!
"Clones? No, they're all solid. That's not it either."
Kakashi had already lifted his forehead protector, revealing his Sharingan.
This was no ordinary Body Flicker Technique, and it was not a normal shadow clone either.
"That's Shisui's Body Flicker," Kakashi realized instantly.
This was the very technique Uchiha Shisui had used to earn the title Shisui of the Body Flicker.
That technique had belonged to Shisui alone. Even within the Uchiha Clan, no one else had mastered it. After Shisui's death, it was supposed to have been lost.
Yet here it was again.
Kaede knew Rasengan. He knew Phantom Body Flicker Technique. Where had he learned all this? With his background, it should have been impossible.
Could his family have had some connection to Shisui's?
Considering Kaede carried Uchiha blood, the idea seemed increasingly plausible. Maybe Shisui had taught someone in their family back then.
Kakashi had no time to think further.
He drew the short blade from his back and poured chakra into it. In the next instant, it erupted with a dazzling light.