Spatial transportation?
It looked like the dōjutsu Sasuke would gain with his Rinnegan in Boruto.
He could use it once, and that was that. No matter how much Kawasaki complained, the system wouldn't respond. He would just have to wait until this stage of the mission was complete to see if any new functions unlocked.
After Fugaku left, only Sasuke and Kawasaki remained, staring at each other.
"Master, what are you planning to teach me today?"
Kawasaki scratched his head. He hadn't really thought about how to teach Sasuke and didn't have a specific plan. Still, Sasuke would be starting at the Academy soon, so it was better for him to learn the fundamentals there. He could, at most, give Sasuke some private lessons to accelerate his growth.
And he had to break that habit of his of always trying to act cool.
Kawasaki cleared his throat. "Sasuke, since you've called me Master, I will officially begin teaching you from this day forward."
"Yes, Master!" Sasuke sat up perfectly straight.
Kawasaki waved his hand dismissively. "I don't like stiff formalities. There's no need to be so formal. Just think of me as a friend."
"Alright, Master." Sasuke's expression relaxed, and his posture became less rigid.
"Now," Kawasaki said, "it's time for a test."
Sasuke replied coolly, "Test me on anything, Master. I'm very strong."
Kawasaki led Sasuke into the spacious courtyard.
"Alright, Sasuke. I want you to attack me now. Use everything you have..."
"Whether it's shuriken, kunai, or Fire Style, you must attack with the intent to kill me."
Sasuke had known a test was coming and had prepared a ninja tool pouch in advance.
"Master, here I come!" Sasuke crouched down, drew several shuriken, and assumed a fighting stance.
Kawasaki waved a hand, signaling for Sasuke to begin.
Sasuke threw two shuriken with decent accuracy.
Kawasaki didn't move from his spot. As the shuriken flew toward him, he tilted his head slightly, letting them graze past his shoulder.
Seeing that the shuriken were ineffective, Sasuke charged forward, unleashing a series of seemingly complex moves—ah, it must be the Uchiha style of taijutsu.
Kawasaki easily blocked the entire assault with a single hand.
The Uchiha's taijutsu often existed more for showmanship than practicality. Paired with the Sharingan, the Uchiha clan possessed excellent coordination. Aided by their perceptive eyes, their fighting style was as elegant as dancing on the edge of a blade.
But Sasuke was still young and weak, and he hadn't awakened his Sharingan yet. To Kawasaki, his movements were no different from basic calisthenics. Many of his flashy kicks and tumbles were full of openings.
A casual punch struck Sasuke in the abdomen.
Sasuke's entire body went rigid. He stumbled back a few steps and knelt on the ground, spitting once before he could catch his breath.
"You're still a long way off, Sasuke," Kawasaki said nonchalantly.
But this only ignited Sasuke's competitive spirit. He began forming hand seals.
Serpent—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger.
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Sasuke took a deep breath and exhaled a roaring torrent of flame.
His vision was filled with crimson, but he wasn't finished exhaling yet. This was the technique even his father had praised... But his thought was cut short.
Kawasaki had already moved around the wall of fire and struck the back of Sasuke's neck with a sharp karate chop.
*Cough, cough, cough...*
Sasuke had been focusing all his effort on the jutsu and was nearly choked by the blow. He coughed for a long time before he recovered.
Kawasaki stood by with his arms crossed, watching.
"Master." Sasuke sounded apprehensive, unsure of what his master would think.
Kawasaki thought for a moment and decided to be strict.
Under Sasuke's anxious gaze, Kawasaki's expression turned cold.
"That was absolutely terrible. Sasuke, is this what you've been learning? What has Itachi been teaching you, how to play ninja?"
"Who taught you to use Fire Style like that? What were you just doing? Setting off fireworks?"
"I'm sorry, Master." Sasuke lowered his head in dismay. He hadn't expected to win against his master, but he had at least hoped for some acknowledgement. He never imagined he would be criticized so harshly.
"Do you know why you failed?" Kawasaki asked.
Sasuke opened his mouth, but in the end, he just lowered his head again.
Kawasaki glanced at Sasuke's expression but didn't rush to explain. Instead, he beckoned with his hand.
In the blink of an eye, a member of the Uchiha clan entered the courtyard.
"Go find one of our Uchiha genin. The younger, the better," Kawasaki ordered.
"Yes, sir."
It didn't take long for a short Uchiha genin to report. By the looks of him, he had just graduated last year.
"What's your name? Have you awakened your Sharingan?" Kawasaki asked.
Though he could easily look up the information in the clan archives, there were too many Uchiha to bother flipping through files.
The newcomer answered calmly, "Lord Kawasaki, my name is Kota, and I have not yet awakened my Sharingan."
Kawasaki nodded slightly. "Now, attack me with everything you've got."
Uchiha Kota didn't waste words, immediately assuming a fighting stance.
"Sasuke, watch closely," Kawasaki said before waving Kota forward.
Kota moved swiftly from side to side, pulling a kunai from his pouch and throwing it. A genin's strength and accuracy were not to be underestimated.
Kawasaki dodged to the side. As he moved, Kota quickly formed hand seals and unleashed a Fire Style: Fireball Technique aimed at Kawasaki's new position.
Kawasaki, nimble on his feet, evaded the fireball again.
Abandoning his ninjutsu, Kota dodged Kawasaki's chop and closed the distance in a single bound. Although Kawasaki blocked his attacks with ease, he allowed Kota to complete a full sequence.
As Kota came at him with a flying kick, Kawasaki sent him flying with a kick of his own.
"That's enough. You're dismissed. Before you awaken your Sharingan, don't use so many flashy moves in your taijutsu," Kawasaki said coolly.
"Yes! Thank you, my lord!" Kota looked thrilled as he retreated without another question.
"Did you understand, Sasuke?"
"Master... are you saying I use too many moves?"
Thump!
Kawasaki flicked Sasuke's forehead again.
"Wrong!"
Sasuke rubbed his head.
"The problem isn't that your taijutsu has too many movements, nor is it that your kunai throw was inaccurate or that your fireball technique was weak."
"It's that you lack control."
"Control?" Sasuke looked up.
"Correct. The Uchiha style of taijutsu incorporates many movements, which isn't a bad thing. More movements mean more diverse methods of attack. Fists, feet, elbows, shoulders, knees—these are all weapons we can use. Our taijutsu can be as beautiful and dazzling as a dance on the edge of a blade."
"But there is one prerequisite: the Sharingan."
"The Sharingan?"
"Without the Sharingan to aid you, you can't keep up with your opponent's speed or adjust your taijutsu in time. All the flashy moves of the Uchiha style become nothing but a liability."
"Oh!" Sasuke's eyes widened in realization. So that was why Itachi had praised him when they practiced—Itachi had his Sharingan. He, on the other hand, was just mimicking the movements without the ability to truly control them.