Naruto: I Traveled with a Max Level Account

Chapter 322: Chapter 322: Even a Genius Needs Reflection



Takuya grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge, took a few sips, and muttered irritably, "Suggest who? Doesn't matter to me who becomes the Fourth Hokage."

"Well, that's a relief," Tsunade said, stretching out on the couch as she turned over, pulling a pillow over her head and drifting off.

"..." Takuya rolled his eyes but let it go.

Two days later, Minato and Nawaki returned to the village with the same results-no sign of the remaining members of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist.

They'd found some tracks along the way, but they were too old to trace effectively. The enemy had already left the Land of Fire, meaning their mission was complete; Orochimaru hadn't ordered them to capture the targets, just to ensure they were out of the country.

Minato, quick as ever, had even flown west of the Land of Fire to pick up Nawaki before heading back to the village together.

"All that for nothing; we spent two days chasing ghosts," Nawaki complained as they met back up.

"Orochimaru-sensei should've assigned this to someone in the Anbu-this was their job, not ours!" he grumbled.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Takuya held back a chuckle, muttering to himself, He's probably worried Anbu would get themselves killed trying to capture the targets. He turned to the two of them. "Since we're back in the village, take two days to rest up before returning to camp. If there's anything you need to take care of, now's the time-Minato, for example, if you want to see your little Uzumaki friend, you've got two days."

"Cough, cough!" Minato's face flushed red, and he averted his eyes, clearly embarrassed.

"Oh, look, he blushes!" Nawaki teased, though he didn't push too far, knowing Minato could easily retaliate if provoked. "Me? I've got nothing to handle. I'm just going to rest for two days; can't stand all the noise from those Uchiha at camp," he muttered as he went off.

The three soon split up-Minato went to handle his "urgent matters," Nawaki returned home for a good rest, and Takuya, having nothing pressing to do, wandered over to the riverbank where he used to train.

But to his surprise, he found it wasn't empty.

In the shadows of the forest, a small figure moved like a swift leopard, bounding from tree to tree and throwing kunai with remarkable precision. Each one struck its hidden target with a sharp, satisfying thud. After landing on the ground, he drew a sword almost as tall as himself and began practicing cuts against a sturdy wooden dummy.

"Is that... Kakashi?" Takuya watched with interest as Kakashi continued his training. From the look of things, he'd been at it for a while; targets and practice dummies were scattered around, riddled with kunai, and the wooden posts were thoroughly worn down from blade strikes.

After an intense burst of activity, Kakashi stopped to catch his breath, exhaling heavily. His face was hidden behind a mask, so Takuya couldn't tell his expression, but the boy looked exhausted.

"Not bad training, but you're holding back too much power," Takuya finally said from the tree where he'd been observing.

"Who's there!?" Kakashi's small frame tensed, his hands going to his sword as he looked up in surprise. The recognition showed in his wide eyes as he saw who it was. "Takuya-senpai!"

Takuya jumped down from the tree, giving Kakashi's silver hair a ruffle. "Not bad, kid. For your age, you've got skills that put others-older ones, too-to shame. But why are you training here, of all places?"

Kakashi looked away, his messy hair now even messier. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes but kept it polite. "I heard from my father that this was where you trained with your teammates. And since the training grounds are too crowded and our backyard is too small... I hope I'm not intruding."

As usual, the kid was all discipline and manners-a reflection of his father, Sakumo Hatake. Takuya chuckled. "The village owns this place, not me. Anyone's welcome to train here, including you."

Kakashi blinked up at him. "Aren't you supposed to be at the front lines? How...?"

"I got pulled back for a special assignment. I'll head back to camp in a couple of days-the fighting's started up again, so I can't stay too long," Takuya replied as he sat cross-legged, gesturing for Kakashi to relax and join him.

Kakashi obeyed, but the usual quiet kid suddenly found his voice. "Takuya-senpai, you said my training style was off?"

Takuya glanced at Kakashi's calloused hands and took a moment to gather his thoughts before responding. "The Hatake clan's kenjutsu style revolves around Iaido, or drawing techniques, right? And your father's practically mastered it. But I noticed you're holding back some of your power. Why is that?"

"I..."

"Don't answer yet; think it over," Takuya advised. "If you want to be a great shinobi like your father, you'll need to learn how to reflect on your actions." He gave Kakashi's head another

affectionate pat.

"Take time after each training session to think back on it, review what went well, and make a few notes. If you stick with it, you'll avoid a lot of wrong turns in the future."

"Yes, sir." Kakashi nodded, looking down thoughtfully.

Takuya laughed. "Don't take it so seriously. I'm not your teacher, just someone who

happened to catch you in training."

But the advice struck a chord with Kakashi. Reflect after every training session? Takuya could see the wheels turning in the young boy's mind.

Kakashi was a natural talent; with the right discipline, he had the potential to follow in his father's footsteps and maybe even surpass him. In the original story, Kakashi's course had taken a turn when he shifted away from his clan's kenjutsu to lean on the Sharingan.

The choice had improved his power but limited his long-term potential, confining his growth.