In the evening, as the setting sun painted a beautiful scene over the sea, the client's cargo ship finally completed loading and departed from the port.
After another hearty meal, Ishikawa gathered enough energy to climb to the top of the cargo ship's cabin, where he enjoyed the sea breeze and replenished his strength.
In his hand, he was fiddling with the chakra blade that had cost him one hundred thousand taels.
"A chakra blade? Using its ability to conduct chakra to reduce the difficulty of Lightning Release training… Ishikawa, you really don't mind spending money!" Suddenly, Kakashi's voice came from behind, startling Ishikawa.
"Tsk, could you not just appear out of nowhere and scare people like that, Kakashi-sensei?" Ishikawa grumbled as he prepared to put the dagger away.
But just as he moved, he saw in a flash that his dagger had appeared in Kakashi's hand.
"Once upon a time, I also had a short sword almost exactly like this one..."
Ishikawa was about to respond when he noticed Kakashi sighing, a trace of regret on his face.
At that very moment, the chakra blade erupted with a brilliant white-and-blue blade of light!
"What is this..." Ishikawa couldn't help but ask, a vague suspicion forming in his mind.
"This is my family sword technique," Kakashi explained. "It converts lightning chakra into the blade along its edge to enhance its attack power. During the Second Shinobi World War, it was famous throughout the lands."
"Ishikawa, I've actually wanted to tell you this for a while—based on your chakra reserves, you're not suited to be a ninjutsu-type ninja."
"Techniques like the Senju's Chakra Enhanced strength, the Lightning Release: Lightning Chakra Mode, and Spirit Transformation Jutsu all demand massive amounts of chakra."
"So, to avoid wasting your potential and straying off course, my suggestion is to focus on training in Lightning Chakra Mode and Spirit Transformation, while using the Lightning Chakra Mode's speed to refine your swordsmanship."
"I can help guide your training. As for the Senju's Chakra Enhanced strength... wait until you become a jonin before attempting that. Don't scatter your focus right now."
Listening to Kakashi's thorough and logical analysis, Ishikawa couldn't help but nod inwardly. It was true—he had too many good options, and his energy was spread thin!
If not for the external "door handle" plug-in, he definitely wouldn't be this relaxed. But even with it, his time and cultivation progress had already been severely delayed!
"Teacher Kakashi, it seems I really do need to make a choice." Taking a deep breath, Ishikawa locked eyes with Kakashi, his gaze firm as he made his decision.
One bite at a time! Although it was tempting to train everything at once, if he wanted to grow quickly and build true combat power, he had to temporarily abandon his Rasengan training and Senju-style Chakra Enhanced strength.
But he could pick those up later, once he reached jonin. One year—learning them after a year wouldn't be too late.
With the help of the door handle plug-in, Ishikawa was confident he could learn the Rasengan and master Chakra Enhanced Strength by the time of the Konoha Crush.
"Very well. I'll begin teaching you swordsmanship after we return to the village. Tch… what a hassle. I never thought I'd take the initiative to do something so dull..." Kakashi nodded with satisfaction, puzzled by his own behavior.
Was this the responsibility of being a teacher? Tsk... to think he would ever be this proactive.
Sigh… In the end, he just didn't want to see Ishikawa's talent wasted. This was also the perfect chance to pass on his father's swordsmanship.
"Teacher Kakashi—no, maybe I should change how I address you. I should call you Sensei!" Looking at Kakashi's lazy, casual expression, Ishikawa stared at him seriously.
Even if he didn't receive the Chidori, Kakashi's offer to pass on White Fang's sword style was more than enough to earn that title.
This was a mentor who truly cared about his future—not just a senior giving casual guidance.
"Call me whatever you want, but I still prefer being called 'Sensei'," Kakashi waved lazily as he turned and walked away.
"Thank you, Kakashi-sensei," Ishikawa said softly, his voice filled with heartfelt gratitude as he watched Kakashi's figure disappear into the distance.
He was definitely lucky to have such a teacher! Without Kakashi, even with the golden finger and the advantage of knowing the plot, he would never have progressed this smoothly.
It was decided—he had to find a way to help Kakashi break free from the limitations imposed by the Sharingan.
"It's almost time. We can start to eliminate the problem." Gazing up at the moonlit sky scattered with sparse stars, Ishikawa placed a pill into his mouth and bit his finger.
"Summoning Jutsu..."
As the hand seals were completed, Ishikawa slapped his palm to the ground, and with a puff of smoke, a black eagle appeared before him.
Glancing at the familiar, slightly idiotic Black Hawk, Ishikawa quickly pulled out a kunai wrapped in an explosive tag and shoved it into the bird's claws.
Then, forming another set of seals, he muttered, "Spiritualisation Jutsu..."
A bluish-white spirit form emerged from Ishikawa's body and entered the black eagle. In an instant, its previously dull and lifeless eyes sharpened with focus, and it flapped its wings, soaring up into the night sky with the wind at its back!
"Is that Ishikawa's reconnaissance eagle? Why is he suddenly using it now?" Kakashi turned his head curiously as he walked toward the cabin, but didn't question it.
After all, it wasn't unusual for Ishikawa to want to fly around for fun or scout for nearby threats on a whim.
Meanwhile—
'Hmm? What's with that boat?' Ishikawa, now controlling the Black Hawk, suddenly noticed a small boat trailing behind them from the southeast and narrowed his eyes in suspicion.
Through his hawk's keen vision, he could clearly make out a tall figure standing on the boat's deck—even in the darkness of night.
He couldn't make out the person's eyes, but there was no doubt they were staring directly at the cargo ship!
"Whatever. Let's handle the main task first—I'll deal with that later." Ishikawa flapped the eagle's wings and veered off, flying straight toward Takumi Village.
Flying at full speed in a straight line, he reached his destination—the ancestral cemetery of Takumi Village's founder, Seimei—in less than twenty minutes.
It was now deep into the night. The villagers who guarded the cemetery had already hidden away in their rooms and were fast asleep…
Taking aim, Ishikawa hurled the kunai with the explosive tag at the corner of the grave—BOOM!
A sudden, thunderous explosion echoed through the entire cemetery, startling the guards and rousing the nearby villagers from their beds.
One minute later, when the nearest guard arrived at the ancestral graveyard, he was greeted with a horrifying scene—Seimei's tomb had been violently blown open.
"Damn it! Who was it? Who stole the ancestor's remains?" Seeing the empty coffin, the guard completely panicked and screamed in terror!
But no matter how loud he shouted on the ground, he couldn't stop the shadow in the clouds from disappearing into the sky once again…
'I'm just taking Seimei's corpse. I don't believe an old guy like you can be resurrected so easily.' Looking at the mummified remains of Seimei clutched in his talons, Ishikawa sneered silently and soared off toward the sea.
Crack...
After flying a kilometer out over the open water, Ishikawa clenched the dried-up corpse in his claws—snapping it apart—and let the fragments fall into the sea below.
Bringing the whole body back would be pointless—it would drain energy, increase risk, and serve no purpose. He had no intention of doing that.
If he only needed it for the Impure World Reincarnation(Edo Tensei), this much was more than enough...