This was completely beyond Takeshi's understanding!
Might Guy said indifferently,
"It doesn't matter, it's just part of the process. Kazuki's strength has already surpassed that of a Genin.
If it weren't for the Third Hokage issuing an order prohibiting students from graduating early, I would have taken Kazuki with me on missions outside the village.
But sooner or later, I will officially take Kazuki as my disciple!"
What?! Surpassing Genin level?! Being Lord Guy's chosen disciple?!
At that moment, Takeshi was utterly dumbfounded!
.....
At one of Konoha's training grounds—
"957, 958, 959… 997, 998, 999—1000!"
Ding!
[Congratulations, Host! You have completed the daily task—performing 1,000 sword swings every day for a month!]
System Reward: The blueprint for the Nichirin Blade has been unlocked!
Nichirin Blade?!
Kazuki's eyes lit up in excitement.
The Nichirin Blade was the signature weapon of the Demon Slayer Corps in Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.
Its blade color changed based on the user's attributes, earning it the title of The Color-Changing Sword.
Although there were no demons in the world of Naruto,
if he could forge a Nichirin Blade, it would undoubtedly be a powerful weapon!
"Finally, I've completed these four system tasks!"
Kazuki checked his system inventory and sighed in relief.
For the past six months,
he had been working towards completing three major forging-related tasks, and now all of them were finally done.
His system now contained three blueprints:
Sky Feather Robe, Lightstep Boots, and Nichirin Blade.
[Sky Feather Robe]
Forging Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Required Materials: White Feather, Black Feather, Blue Steel Stone, Lunar Iron
Effect:
Adjusts size according to the user's body.
Helps regulate temperature and self-cleans.
Repairs itself using chakra conduction.
It wasn't armor or a defensive outfit,
but for daily life, it was a perfect convenience.
No more buying clothes or doing laundry—
a dream come true for lazy people!
[Lightstep Boots]
Forging Difficulty: ★★☆☆☆
Required Materials: Crystal Hair, Star Iron, Cold Iron
Effect: Increases movement speed by 5%.
The speed boost alone made Kazuki excited.
[Nichirin Blade]
Forging Difficulty: ★★★☆☆
Required Materials: Refined Iron, Scarlet Iron Sand, Scarlet Ore, Golden Sandstone… (Total: 13 materials)
Effect: Incredibly sharp, grants insight into the Breathing Styles technique.
Kazuki's eyes widened in surprise.
A three-star weapon?! The material requirements were far more complex than two-star weapons, needing thirteen different resources!
He took a deep breath.
Forget whether he could even forge such a weapon—
just gathering all the materials would take a long time.
Compared to the Nichirin Blade,
the Sky Feather Robe and Lightstep Boots would be much easier to craft.
Their required materials were simpler, and he already had most of them at home.
The only exception was the feathers,
which he would need to gather from the forests outside Konoha.
Kazuki closed the system interface,
then picked up his bamboo practice sword and was about to leave the training ground.
Just then, he suddenly sensed a faint presence nearby—
Someone was watching him from the shadows!
"Who's there?" Kazuki frowned, his voice sharp.
"Ah! S-Sorry, Kazuki-kun…" A soft voice stammered.
From behind a large tree in the distance,
a petite figure timidly stepped out.
"Hinata?"
"K-Kazuki kun... I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean to watch your training."
Hinata's voice trembled slightly. It was rare for her to say so much at once, and her face unconsciously showed an expression of nervousness and embarrassment.
Kazuki, who had just lowered his guard, let out a breath of relief. "It's okay. I just thought you were an enemy for a second."
His tone was calm, but his curiosity was piqued. He looked at her and asked, "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be training at home?"
Seeing that Kazuki wasn't angry, Hinata's panic faded slightly. But almost immediately, another emotion rushed in—shyness. Her face grew hotter, and she hurriedly lowered her head, unable to meet Kazuki's gaze.
"I... I... I..."
She stammered, her fingers nervously gripping the hem of her jacket.
"Don't be nervous," Kazuki reassured her gently. "It's just the two of us here. Take your time and say what's on your mind."
So gentle…
Hinata thought, feeling warmth in her heart. She took a deep breath, trying to summon her courage, then spoke in a soft but determined voice.
"I... I heard that Kazuki kun will be taking the final combat assessment tomorrow. And your opponent is... my cousin, Neji Hyuga… so I..."
"So, you're worried about me?" Kazuki asked with a slight smile.
"U-Um..."
Hinata responded in barely a whisper, her head lowering even further. Her cheeks turned bright red, and even breathing felt difficult.
Oh no... I'm so nervous...
What if Kazuki kun thinks I don't believe in him?
Even though Neji was her cousin, deep inside, she wanted Kazuki to win. That was why she had come—to cheer him on. But now, she didn't know what to do or say.
"Hinata."
"Ah… Ah?"
Before she could react, she suddenly felt a gentle touch lifting her chin. Her heart skipped a beat as she looked up—her eyes meeting Kazuki's face, now just inches away from hers.
His sharp yet kind eyes, his perfectly sculpted nose, his lips curled into an encouraging smile… His presence was overwhelming.
Kazuki chuckled softly. "Why do you keep looking down? I can't even see your beautiful face. See? When you look up at me like this, isn't it much better? Be confident, Hinata."
…!!
The air seemed to freeze.
Hinata's face instantly turned as red as a boiled tomato. Her vision blurred, her heart pounded like a drum—
And then, before she even realized it, she felt everything go blank.
She fainted.
"Eh…?"
Kazuki was stunned for a moment before quickly catching her in his arms.
Was that too much?
He had only wanted to encourage her, to help her overcome her shyness. But he hadn't expected her to faint on the spot.
"Well... I guess we'll have to talk about confidence another time."
With a helpless sigh, Kazuki carefully carried Hinata onto his back and started walking toward the Hyuga Clan compound.
When he reached the gate, however, he was immediately surrounded by several Hyuga clan members.
After all, their eldest daughter had just been carried back unconscious—by someone outside their clan.
Naturally, they weren't going to let him leave without some serious questioning.