[Name: Hagane Makoto]
[Age: 18]
[Chakra: 8000]
[Skills: Teaching, Fire Release: Searing Migraine, Mystical Palm Technique, Wind Release: Pressure Damage, Earth Release: Earth-Style Wall, Eight Gates…]
[Evaluation: You have mastered seven chakra nature transformations and are proficient in Fire Release and Water Release. If it is simply a contest of ninjutsu power, you can easily overwhelm ordinary jōnin. As long as your chakra continues to grow, becoming a true powerhouse is only a matter of time.]
Compared to the time when the exam had just ended last month, the values on the panel had surged again.
Because of the training missions this month, his chakra growth had been especially noticeable.
When Makoto first transmigrated here in April, his chakra was 4,300. From April to May it increased by 1,000, reaching 5,300. Including the 500 chakra reward from the early May exam, it became 5,800.
But from early May until early June, the increase was even greater.
His chakra jumped directly from 5,800 to 8,000, a total increase of 2,200 chakra.
Back then, Makoto had envied the Root jōnin who possessed 7,000 chakra. Yet in just two months, he had already surpassed that figure. Now he had 1,000 more chakra than a Root jōnin.
However, Makoto knew it would be difficult to maintain such rapid growth between June and July.
The huge increase happened mainly because Obito's training mission had been settled, and no new training mission had appeared yet. Moreover, there were no exams scheduled between June and July—the final exam would only take place in mid-July.
Aside from the chakra increase, Makoto had also gained a series of rewards:
Water Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Mastery)
Fire Release: Searing Migraine (Mastery)
Yin Release Chakra Nature Transformation (Proficient)
These rewards greatly improved his actual combat strength. After all, having a large chakra reserve without powerful techniques to use would be rather awkward.
Among all rewards, what Makoto most wanted was mastery of various chakra nature transformations.
After mastering Water Release and Fire Release, not only had the upper limit of his ninjutsu output increased, but he even felt that if he trained hard for a few years, he might be able to develop the Boil Release kekkei genkai.
If he were to achieve mastery in all seven chakra attributes, he didn't even dare imagine what he might be able to create.
Handcraft Truth-Seeking Balls?
After thinking about it, Makoto felt that was probably still impossible. Mastery clearly wasn't the highest level; there should be an even higher tier above it before such feats would be possible.
Still, even if creating Truth-Seeking Balls was impossible, developing various kekkei genkai should definitely be within reach.
"Obito, Kakashi, you both got first place together. That's wonderful!"
Nohara Rin said with a sweet smile as she congratulated them.
Both were her good friends, so a shared first place was the best possible outcome.
"Hehe, it's also thanks to your cheering from below, Rin," Obito said, his face slightly red with excitement as the scene he had imagined twenty days ago finally came true.
It would've been even better if Kakashi's name wasn't there, he added silently in his heart.
"A tie for first place… so it counts as a draw."
Might Guy fell into deep thought.
So far, all his matches with Kakashi had ended in defeat. He had never achieved either victory or a draw.
Seeing Obito manage to tie Kakashi in ninjutsu, Guy felt inspired and suddenly wanted to challenge Kakashi again.
"Kakashi! To celebrate your first place, let's have a match!" Guy declared energetically.
"I refuse. Who celebrates like that? Getting first place in this kind of competition isn't worth celebrating anyway."
While rejecting Guy, Kakashi casually stepped on Obito with his words as well.
Obito instantly wanted to start a verbal battle with Kakashi, but when he saw Makoto and Asuma approaching, he held himself back.
"Obito, were you secretly holding back during previous exams? Suddenly becoming this strong is suspicious,"
Asuma Sarutobi joked as he jogged over and patted Obito on the shoulder.
"Not at all. It's the result of learning from you, Asuma," Obito replied.
When he was practicing water walking, it was the example Makoto gave about Asuma that helped him endure the training.
"Haha, I should be the one learning from you. Your Fire Release looks pretty impressive," Asuma said, assuming Obito was just flattering him, so he laughed and slung an arm around Obito's neck.
"Makoto-sensei."
Rin, Obito, and Guy greeted Makoto as he approached from behind.
Because Makoto often substituted in Class 2 of the fourth grade, Rin was quite familiar with him.
"Good work," Makoto said with a smile of encouragement. He didn't say much else before leaving with Asuma.
In fact, he had already reminded his three disciples that when other people were around, they should not reveal their true relationship. They only needed to behave like ordinary teacher and student within the academy.
He hadn't explained the reason, letting them imagine it themselves.
Even so, Makoto still felt it was better to minimize contact in public. At this stage of his life, Obito really wasn't the most reliable person.
Before leaving, Makoto used Appraisal on Kakashi.
[Name: Kakashi Hatake]
[Chakra: 2500]
[Potential: S]
[Evaluation: Suitable for training in Lightning Release and Earth Release. Recommended as a disciple.]
Looking at Kakashi's panel, Makoto instantly felt tempted.
At eight years old, Kakashi already had 2,500 chakra—that level was no joke.
He had already used Appraisal on most of the chūnin instructors in the academy, and their chakra generally ranged between 1,500 and 2,500.
In other words, eight-year-old Kakashi already surpassed many chūnin in chakra reserves.
If he accepted Kakashi as a disciple and raised his Trust Level, the chakra rewards would definitely be substantial.
However, Makoto quickly gave up on the tempting idea.
Kakashi wasn't as easy to fool as Obito, and Makoto himself was only a chūnin instructor. Why would Kakashi choose to train under someone like him?
"Kakashi's potential is only S… Does that mean without Six Paths lineage, the highest potential is just S?"
Another question surfaced in Makoto's mind.
After using Appraisal on many people, he had realized that potential wasn't the same as talent. Otherwise, if Obito and Guy both had S potential, how could their academy performance have been so far behind Kakashi?
Rather than talent, Makoto felt that potential represented the possibilities a person could reach.
Clans that possessed Six Paths lineage had far greater possibilities. That was why their potential ratings were higher.
For example, among the Hyūga and Uchiha clans, he had never seen anyone with potential below A.
Even with such high potential, however, the two clans still didn't produce jōnin everywhere. In the original story, even the two gate guards with B- potential were eventually promoted to Special Jōnin.
After Makoto and Asuma left, the four of them discussed for a moment and finally decided to celebrate by eating ramen.
Because they had obtained first place, Obito generously offered to treat everyone, declaring that he would pay for all the ramen.
However, even while eating, Obito and Kakashi couldn't avoid arguing.
"Have you ever taken first place in the entire Ninja Academy?" Kakashi asked calmly.
"When you can maintain first place until graduation, like I have, then you can argue with me about winning and losing."
Obito had no reply.
He had never gotten first place in the grade—he had never even gotten first in his class.
Even Might Guy paused mid-bite.
Kakashi's verbal attack had hit him too, since he had never ranked first either.
Meanwhile, while teaching Asuma, Makoto received another system notification window.
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