Konoha's Mission Master

Two months have passed in the blink of an eye…

Aokiji and Fujitora have already left, and it can now be confirmed that this sea area is the exit of the Celestial Dragons' small world, because in the past two months, the Celestial Dragons seem to have completely disappeared from the pirate world.

But we still couldn't find a way to get in.

Ten days ago, Yakumo began to sit quietly inside the tree canopy, close to nature, maintaining a sage-like state, and observing the fluctuations in space as much as possible.

The soul energy continued to spread outward, searching for an opportunity.

Day after day, repeating the same thing over and over.

Yakumo's heart became extremely pure, no longer accepting any external influences or signals. He kept trying to harmonize with heaven and earth and space.

Time kept passing by... one day, two days, three days...

Yakumo only wakes up briefly in the early morning each day to check on the changes in everyone and to submit daily tasks to earn coins.

He merged his soul with nature, as if transcending his physical body.

This state made his senses more acute, allowing him to perceive the deep-seated collisions and transformations of many energies.

It turns out that the energy of each element can be transformed into each other in a fixed pattern; for example, wind and water can be transformed into thunder.

All things in heaven and earth are born and thrive through cycles.

But he still couldn't reach... space.

The two world spaces are hidden in a deeper location. With Yakumo's current perception ability, he can only sense a vague boundary, as if he can't see clearly through a layer of mist.

Yakumo ultimately chose to give up. He had exhausted all his abilities over the past ten days, but unfortunately, he still could not find the connection between the two worlds.

That evening, he ate the dinner prepared by You Gu Qianxue, and no longer sat idly on the treetop. He eventually returned to his original point. Now, he could only improve his various attributes to enhance his compatibility with the space and break through the barriers of the world.

That evening, Yakumo dialed a Den Den Mushi, sending Kakashi to the island made of plants. The island's residential area was simply decorated with a few centimeters of lawn, extending outwards to a sea of ​​flowers in various colors.

This place is so beautiful, it's like a princess's garden from a fairy tale.

The following day, Kakashi delivered him to the island.

Yakumo intends to help Yukotsu Chiyuki take the final step by explaining his understanding of swordsmanship as much as possible, hoping to provide Kakashi and Yukotsu Chiyuki with some inspiration.

The three sat around on the grass, with three plates of neatly cut fruit and various nuts and snacks placed in the middle.

Reiko Aoyama sat behind Kakashi, seemingly quite curious about what Yakumo was about to tell her.

"To learn from the strengths and compensate for the weaknesses of a sword, and to manipulate the attributes of heaven and earth and nature, is to achieve a transformation at the level of a master. The level of a grandmaster is nothing more than a continuous process of quantitative change."

Yakumo paused briefly, ate a few cherries, and continued speaking.

"Continue to master more of the power of heaven and earth and nature, and compress it according to your own will, so that it can form new energy and reflect on your weapons."

Yakumo drew the Demon-Subduing Sword from its Glory Sword Case and placed it flat about half a foot in front of him, where it hovered silently in the air.

"It might not be very intuitive to explain in words, so let me demonstrate."

Yukotsu Chiyuki and Kakashi instinctively craned their necks, their eyes intently observing Yakumo's next move.

"This is thunder."

Golden arcs of electricity suddenly leaped from the silver blade.

"Now let the lightning element draw upon the power of nature."

You Gu Qianxue immediately entered immortal mode and continued to observe.

He could sense a certain energy in nature surging towards the blade of the demon-subduing sword, like swallows returning to their nests, swift and light.

The golden light gradually became dazzling, like a blade encasing a raging flame.

"This is the convergence of energy at the Grandmaster level, but it's not just that."

Yakumo exerted force with his right hand and began to spin the Demon-Subduing Blade. The golden arcs of electricity on the blade began to emit a shrill sound, like birdsong, as if countless birds were raising their heads and chirping.

"This means that the energy is somewhat out of control, and some of the energy is conflicting with each other, making a sound like a thousand birds chirping. It seems to be a great show, but it is actually a waste of energy."

Yakumo continued to explain.

"Teacher, should we then focus on improving our skills?"

You Gu Qianxue's eyes grew brighter. In fact, the death power inherent in the Nile Sorrow was an extremely powerful energy.

However, when he uses it now, he always feels that he is wasting some energy, which affects the power of his sword swing.

"Yes."

Yakumo swung his sword with his right hand, producing a soft sound. The originally rapidly flowing golden arcs of electricity suddenly became docile, the screams of the chirping birds gradually disappeared, and the energy on the blade was undergoing some kind of change.

Swish.

Kakashi and Yuuki Chiyuki felt the scorching heat, and then they saw the originally violent lightning energy transformed into burning golden flames, which even swayed with the breeze.

"It's still a mine, just compressed."

"The skill of a master lies in concentration."

"To unite our strength, our energy, and our will."

Yukotsu Chiyuki's eyes grew brighter and brighter. Yakumo's words gave him a kind of inspiration, making him think of a direction to continue improving his skills.

Yakumo's demonstration did not stop. With a burst of power from his right hand, the blade of the Demon-Subduing Sword vibrated again, and the burning golden flames gradually merged into the blade.

The Demon-Subduing Blade changed from silver to gold, like a scorching hot iron, but it did not emit any energy fluctuations. Only when it was within sight could one feel its immense threat.

"This is the second step of solidification, with no more waste, perfect mastery."

Yakumo casually waved his Demon-Subduing Staff, leaving several golden rays in the air. These rays appeared almost tangible and gave off an extremely dangerous feeling.

"The changes in energy and technique encompass all the changes in master-level swordsmanship. Even if the moves change, even if the energy attributes are different, the essence remains the same," Yakumo continued to explain.

After he described the simulation of the lightning attribute change, he dissipated the power of the lightning attribute and began to mobilize the energy of the fire attribute, starting with the increase in the quantity of energy and later changing its quality.

After being compressed twice, the blade of the Demon-Subduing Blade turned crimson.

Next comes the deep cyan of the wind attribute, and the azure of the water attribute.

The two were completely stunned. They hadn't expected that Yakumo had cultivated so many elemental energies to such a level, making them realize the gap between themselves and true geniuses.

As Yakumo explained, Yukotsu Chiyuki's eyes grew brighter and brighter, and he nodded repeatedly. Countless inspirations were bursting forth in his mind, and he was simulating many feasible solutions in his head.

Finally, when the life energy was fully compressed, Yakumo stopped teaching the techniques. Now, only the last bit of master-level swordsmanship remained: each person's own will.

"Willpower is a magical thing. Even an ordinary person with strong willpower can create many miracles, let alone your willpower which has been constantly tempered and honed."

"It's something that can't be explained in detail, but it can be understood as the will governing everything. Its power determines the ceiling of energy compression and swordsmanship skills."

"Let your will guide the blade."

Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts and immediately pressed for an answer.

How can we manipulate will?

"I don't know about that. It might require some kind of stimulus, such as the belief in becoming stronger, the determination not to lose in battle, a slash that risks everything in a life-or-death situation, and finding the meaning of wielding the sword."

Yakumo gave a rather vague answer.

After all, he couldn't be sure when he combined his will with the blade. Perhaps it was when he couldn't break through the Third Raikage's defense, perhaps it was when he was fighting to the death with the Mad Dragon in the subway, or perhaps it was when he was surrounded by many powerful Marines.

"I understand."

Kakashi nodded in response, and began brainstorming again, matching and integrating the knowledge Yakumo had shared with his newly created techniques to arrive at entirely new insights that were unique to him.

Kakashi is going through a process of building something from scratch, re-evaluating himself. He can't get direct help from anyone; he can only rely on himself.

He even abandoned the foundation that his father had spent six years laying for him. Kakashi once thought it was a solid and perfect foundation, but now, looking back, he realized that some parts of that foundation were not suitable for him.

Beside her, You Gu Qianxue's eyes were closed, and her right hand was making irregular strokes in the air, like messy cursive script, or like God sketching an absolutely perfect poem.

Each stroke is perfectly natural.

It seemed to confirm some kind of pattern, as if it represented the cycle of life and death.

You Gu Qianxue manipulated the death energy, but he still couldn't understand how this energy of death could exist. Then he saw water burning like flames after being compressed.

Death is not death; it can also be the continuation of life!

To give death, to rob life.

You Gu Qianxue stood up, casually found an open space, and began to wield the Nile's Sorrow. This weapon, inherited from the Desert Reaper Nasus, seemed to resonate even more with its new master.

Yakumo's lesson ended there. She quietly rose, creating an absolutely silent environment for Kakashi's contemplation.

At the same time, Reiko Aoyama also got up and left.

"So, did you learn anything, sister?"

After the two had walked a dozen meters, Yakumo asked in a low voice.

"Of course there are, after all, it's a master class."

Reiko Aoyama answered with a smile, but did not tell Yakumo about her gains. She was wondering if she could unleash even greater power if she compressed the wind energy she controlled and then used airflow to propel it.

Her biggest goal right now is to defeat Masako Mori.

That evening, Yakumo prepared a barbecue feast, but Kakashi and Yuuki Chiyuki remained immersed in their own world and showed no intention of eating.

After dinner, Yakumo joked that he had driven the two of them crazy by teaching them one class.

The following day, Yukotsu Chiyuki was still wielding her sword with an obsessive passion.

Yakumo had no choice but to do his daily tasks himself, taking out the books from his storage scroll to read and writing a thousand-word reading note.

Missing you, on the first day of the sorrowful snow.

Two days, three days, four days, five days...

Kakashi was the first to emerge from that state. Although his body was somewhat weak, his eyes were very bright, as if they were brimming with an invincible, sharp blade.

On that day, Yakumo met Kakashi's redesigned Hatake Secret Manual.

He simplified the twenty-four moves into three moves.

Gale, Storm, Hurricane, also known as the Three Styles of Gale.

If we remove those unreliable names and get straight to the point...

Kakashi's three newly mastered techniques can be renamed: Rush Thrust, Rush Double Slash, and Rush Thrust into Double Slash.

In his sparring match with Yakumo, he perfectly demonstrated his moves, characterized by speed—unparalleled speed—using extreme movement speed to amplify the power of each attack.