The sword shadow flashed by like a vast chasm, seemingly attempting to split the courtyard in half.
After several days of experimentation and observing Kakashi's swordsmanship, Tenshin had barely touched the threshold of proper swordsmanship.
However, this level of skill could hardly be called powerful.
But in someone's eyes, it was the most formidable skill in the world!
"Wow, Tenshin-nii, you're amazing!" Kurenai exclaimed, her eyes sparkling like stars.
Tenshin helplessly smiled, feeling as though whenever he was with her, his maturity dropped, making him feel like a child.
"It's getting dark; you should go home," Tenshin said.
Kurenai, looking at the darkening sky, realized the time and reluctantly said, "I'll head back then. I'll come tomorrow."
"Wait, you're coming again tomorrow?" Tenshin exclaimed, staring at her in surprise.
Her eyes suddenly welled up with tears, looking at him with an expression full of sadness. "Tenshin-nii, you don't want to see me anymore?"
Seeing her in such a pitiful state, Tenshin's heart softened, and he scratched his head awkwardly. "Of course not."
"But think about it," he continued. "I'm a low-ranking ninja, and you're still a student."
"You should focus on practicing and graduating as soon as possible, right?"
Listening to Tenshin's reasoning, Kurenai calmed down a bit and blinked. "Tenshin-nii, you make a lot of sense."
Seeing that she understood his point, Tenshin smiled faintly, but just as he thought the conversation had ended, she said:
"Then I'll work hard and come back in a few days."
Tenshin's heart sank, but at least this was the best outcome, so he didn't say anything further.
"Well, Tenshin-nii, I'll go now," Kurenai said with a smile.
Tenshin forced a smile and nodded. "Alright, take care."
Although it was already dark, the safety in Konoha village meant that girls could go out without worry, so Tenshin had no intention of walking her home.
Soon, Kurenai skipped away, clearly in a good mood.
After shutting the door behind him, Tenshin returned to the backyard and stood in the middle of the yard.
Taking a deep breath, his right hand suddenly burst forth with a dark, eerie flame, filling the air with a cold and ominous feeling.
Tenshin observed calmly, then quickly began to move his short sword, leaving behind a series of dark traces in the air.
The sword light flickered continuously, and the black flame twisted like a long serpent, carrying an intense chill.
This was Tenshin's first time fully unleashing the power of the Demon God's Hand, and he felt invigorated, without any sense of sluggishness.
Moreover, he keenly realized that, under the enhancement of the Demon God's power, his sword speed seemed to have increased.
The sword light scattered in all directions, like a relentless downpour, covering everything.
Tenshin felt his cutting motion become incredibly agile, as if the short sword had become an extension of his arm, inseparable from him.
In this state, his heartbeat quickened, and his blood seemed to burn as it rushed through his veins. Without realizing it, his Sharingan activated.
He became increasingly excited, and his aura grew colder, enveloped by an extreme chill.
In the distance, a ghastly figure of a demon god appeared behind him, its sharp fangs sending a chilling sensation.
(TL: Finally his other ability.)
But just as this was happening, the dark flame that clung to the Demon God's Hand suddenly dissipated, and Tenshin collapsed to his knees, drained of energy.
"Ha... ha... ha..."
Tenshin panted heavily, his pupils expanding and contracting, beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
He stared at the short sword in his hand, filled with confusion.
What just happened? The Demon God's power seemed to have altered his state.
Tenshin clearly remembered that under the influence of the Demon God's power, his swordsmanship had undergone a significant improvement.
However, his mental state seemed to have been affected by the Demon God's power as well, and without realizing it, his Sharingan had activated.
It seemed... the Demon God's Hand was not as harmless as the God's Hand. To fully control the Demon God's power, one would have to make tremendous efforts.
If he hadn't been able to withstand the Demon God's power just now, his mind would have been greatly compromised.
The Demon God's power was truly dangerous but powerful.
Tenshin sighed and decided that from now on, he would practice his swordsmanship every night, while also channeling the Demon God's power, increasing his connection with the Demon God's Hand.
In this way, his swordsmanship would improve rapidly, and the power he could endure from the Demon God would grow stronger.
With this decision made, Tenshin washed up and went to bed to rest.
...
Time flew by, and a month passed quickly.
In a dense forest, a cute little cat stood on a branch, vigilantly looking around.
Suddenly, a kunai pierced through the leaves and landed right below its paws.
"Meow!"
The cat leaped in surprise, startled by the sudden attack, and jumped to another branch.
Just then, a shadow darted down, catching the cat as it was mid-air.
"Meow! Meow!!"
The cat struggled fiercely, but after sensing a cold, murderous intent, it immediately froze in place, obediently staying in the hands that had captured it.
Tenshin walked out from the bushes, twirling a kunai in his hand, and said with a smile, "Kakashi, you heartless bastard. Look at how scared it is."
"Tch," Kakashi coldly turned his head, walking ahead with his back to Tenshin.
Tenshin said no more and walked with Kakashi to complete the task.
After finishing everything, both Tenshin and Kakashi sighed in boredom, clearly tired of the tedious mission.
Even the usually silent Kakashi couldn't help but complain, "How much longer do we have to keep doing these kinds of missions?"
"Probably for a while," Tenshin raised an eyebrow and smiled at Kakashi, "Unless you become a Chūnin."
"Well... I feel like my strength is almost there."
Kakashi was stunned, staring at Tenshin in disbelief. "Really... really?"
"Of course, I, Tenshin, never lie."
Kakashi fell silent. He had always prided himself on being a genius, but even when giving his all, he could still feel a gap between himself and the Chūnin level.
But Tenshin... he was already almost there!
Noticing Kakashi's disappointment, Tenshin suddenly felt a bit embarrassed.
In terms of surface-level strength, Tenshin was actually on par with Kakashi.
But who could blame him for cheating? By using the abilities copied through the God's Hand, he could instantly become a powerful Chūnin.
Even though he kept this part of his strength hidden, the abilities in the God's Hand were still his, and they would gradually pave the way for him to become a true powerhouse.
No matter what bottleneck came his way, it wouldn't exist for Tenshin!