Chapter 71: The Kid Who Jumped Off the Cliff
Kakashi didn't stay lost in thought for long. After taking a brief rest, he stood up once more and resumed sparring with Uchiha Kei.
Kei was more than happy to fight him. These battles were the quickest way for Kei to consolidate everything he'd recently learned. Other than holding back from lethal strikes, they both went all out.
Kei even considered inviting Might Guy to join the sparring—after all, that guy's taijutsu was seriously formidable.
Even though Guy focused on physical combat, his overwhelming speed could still challenge Kei's Sharingan. Kei could see the moves but couldn't always react in time.
But after thinking it over, Kei decided against it for now. With the Mangekyō Sharingan now in his possession, his physical coordination had significantly improved.
The enhancements from the Mangekyō were far beyond imagination. It drastically increased the potency of genjutsu, making them harder to detect. It also boosted dynamic vision, and likely certain ninjutsu too.
These enhancements were mostly technique-based, and there was a catch—they only activated with the Mangekyō open.
As for physical boosts, the original manga never clearly explained them. But Kei remembered Madara hinting at it, and from that, he deduced that the Sharingan might influence the body in different ways depending on the user.
For example, one possible route was enhancing chakra—something Kei suspected was the case with Uchiha Izuna. And it made sense: after transplanting his brother's eyes, Madara became the only one who could match Hashirama Senju in raw chakra.
Using the Sharingan's boosts to ninjutsu, and the immense chakra from the eye transplant, Madara managed to exhaust even the First Hokage in battle. Kei speculated Madara's own eyes might've emphasized agility, much like his own now.
With two sets of complementary abilities, Madara seemed flawless—though he still got thrashed by Hashirama.
As for Kei, his Mangekyō Sharingan clearly enhanced agility. He could see it in his battle stats and felt it during combat.
If his Sharingan boosted chakra instead, he wouldn't have been popping pills like crazy in the final phase of the war. Even now, his chakra growth was relatively slow.
Still, Kei was pretty happy with the agility boost. It suited his combat style—quick, sharp, and always on the move.
"Faster legs mean faster getaways," he joked.
Casually deflecting Kakashi's strike, Kei's Sharingan scanned the surroundings and instantly locked onto the real Kakashi hiding with an Earth Style jutsu. He shattered a shadow clone with one slash and lunged toward Kakashi's actual location.
Kakashi must have realized he was exposed, because he didn't hesitate—bursting from the ground and engaging Kei in close quarters.
But it didn't last. Under the pressure of Kei's Sharingan, Kakashi tried to pull back and ready a Chidori, only for Kei to grab his wrist mid-motion and place a blade at his neck.
"Lost again," Kakashi sighed. "Fighting a real Uchiha with a borrowed Sharingan is still too much."
"You're doing great. Better than plenty of Uchiha," Kei replied with a grin as he withdrew the blade. "Give it some time, and I might not be so confident next round."
Kei knew he had an edge—no need to act cocky.
Besides, future Kakashi would become Kakashi of the Sharingan, capable of standing toe-to-toe with almost anyone. He'd eventually awaken the Mangekyō too. Kei was confident he could still win, but it would take effort—and a cost.
So, why not enjoy his current advantage while it lasted?
"Maybe," Kakashi replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "You might be right. Swordsmanship... could be worth exploring for me. But…"
"You're worried it'd dishonor Obito's eye?" Kei interrupted, giving Kakashi a look like he was being ridiculous. "Sharingan has insane insight. Just because Uchiha favor ninjutsu doesn't mean we suck at taijutsu. Why not push the Sharingan's capabilities further? Combine them with your sword skills and jutsu. Forge a new style—one that blends the Hatake clan's legacy with Obito's eye."
Kakashi fell silent, clearly deep in thought. Kei couldn't help but smile.
It seemed Kakashi was finally taking his words to heart.
Kei knew deep down that in Kakashi's eyes, he might just be a stand-in for Obito. But he didn't care. If there was value to be gained, why not take it?
Truth be told, Kei's push for Kakashi's evolution was selfish too. The path he envisioned for Kakashi was one he had once considered for himself.
He didn't need another Sharingan, not anymore. But refined swordsmanship? That, Kei wanted.
Kakashi was his "test field." If Kakashi succeeded, Kei could draw inspiration and incorporate the best parts.
Of course, he wasn't planning to copy the Hatake style wholesale. But extracting the essence and adding his own spin? Definitely worth it.
Fusing ninjutsu, kenjutsu, and the Sharingan would take time. And Kei had no intention of grinding it all out alone when he could just let Kakashi do the legwork.
Just like when he nudged Kakashi toward developing the Chidori—Kei was planting seeds and waiting to harvest the fruit.
There was another reason, too: Kakashi would probably join the Anbu soon. A stronger Kakashi in that position could serve Kei's long-term plans well.
In fact, if Kei's schemes played out right, Kakashi would become a key player—an indispensable asset.
And when Kei eventually gained more influence, he wouldn't hesitate to help elevate Kakashi to a position that aligned with his own interests.
"I get it. I'll seriously think about it," Kakashi finally said, nodding solemnly. "Thanks, Kei."
"No big deal. Let's head out," Kei replied, waving his hand with a smile. The two of them started making their way out of the forest.
But as they walked, they suddenly noticed a kid standing alone at the edge of a cliff, a few hundred meters away.
Both Kei and Kakashi frowned, confused.
They exchanged glances, then started walking toward the kid—mostly because they noticed the Uchiha crest on his clothes.
"Is that your clan's kid? What's he doing out here?"
"How should I know? I don't even know half the clan," Kei replied.
Before they could say more, the kid suddenly jumped off the cliff.
Both of them froze.
What the hell!?
But their reactions were lightning-fast. In an instant, both of them used Body Flicker and appeared at the cliff's edge, peering down.
As Kei scanned the cliff face, he tried to remember—whose kid would be desperate enough to do something like this?
Then, as he recognized the child using kunai to slow his fall down the cliff wall, Kei's eyes narrowed.
He was debating whether or not to throw a kunai down after him.