"I see. Then it's definitely right to properly thank Iruka-sensei." Sinai was a bit surprised, then smiled as she spoke.
Kaito's chakra reserves were beyond what Sinai had expected, especially given the amount he could extract in one go. Sinai remembered that both she and Kaito's father didn't have particularly large chakra reserves—just about average. She hadn't expected Kaito to be this exceptional.
In fact, it was largely because both of Kaito's parents were ninja that he was born with decent chakra reserves. But what truly made the difference was Kaito's consistent effort over the years, combined with his commitment to ensuring he always had the nutrients needed for his growing body.
"By the way, little Kaito, you must have already looked through the Three Basic Techniques, right? How do you feel about them? If there's anything you don't understand, I can demonstrate for you, though I might not know how to explain them in detail," Sinai said, smiling warmly.
"I've already learned all of them," Kaito responded.
"Mm, mm?" Sinai nodded absentmindedly, then did a double-take as she realized what Kaito was saying. She knew her child's personality well—he wouldn't lie about something like this. But still, it was hard to believe. He learned them all on the first try?
Kaito watched Sinai's astonished expression, then smiled. He quickly formed a hand sign, and a puff of white smoke appeared.
In the next moment, two "Sinai" figures—one big and one small—were staring at each other. Kaito could have used more chakra to make himself the same height as Sinai, but that would have been a waste for just a demonstration.
Sinai looked at the smaller version of herself, a bit dazed. Not only could Kaito use the technique, but his level was not low. Aside from the height difference, the transformation was detailed enough that, without close inspection, it could easily be mistaken for the real thing.
After releasing the Transformation Technique, Kaito also demonstrated the Clone Technique and the Substitution Technique. His speed in forming the seals had noticeably improved. The Clone Technique took him less than two seconds, while the Substitution Technique took just over two seconds—still not quite at Kaito's fastest seal speed.
However, in Sinai's eyes, this was already incredible, considering that even her own speed at using these techniques wasn't as fast as Kaito's.
At that moment, Sinai finally understood her son's talent for becoming a ninja. She had known he was talented, but now she realized he was much more than that—he was truly a genius.
Even so, being a ninja was a dangerous path. Sinai sighed but didn't try to stop Kaito from pursuing his dream. After thinking for a moment, she went to her room.
Kaito watched her walk away, a little puzzled.
Sinai soon returned, holding several scrolls, which she handed to Kaito.
"What's this?" Kaito asked, surprised.
"These are some jutsu I exchanged for in the past—all C-rank. In fact, the Shadow Clone Technique I gave you earlier was originally what your father intended to exchange for a B-rank Wind Release jutsu, the Vacuum Sphere. But he hadn't fully mastered the C-rank jutsu at the time, so he hadn't made the exchange," Sinai explained, though there was no sadness in her voice—she had grown used to it over the years. "Originally, I planned to give these to you after you officially became a ninja, but since you're so talented, there's no reason to delay."
"With your talent, Kaito, you should be able to learn these quite quickly. Though I know my little grown-up doesn't need reminding, I'll still say it: make sure you know your limits and never push yourself too hard."
"Got it, Mom." Kaito solemnly took the scrolls and glanced through them. There were four jutsu in total, all C-rank: Wind Release: Gale Palm, Wind Release: Wind Cutter, Wind Release: Great Breakthrough, and Lightning Release: Earth Walk.
The Wind Release jutsu were clearly his late father's. They were a good combination—a wide-range attack with Great Breakthrough, a focused attack with Wind Cutter, and a close-range attack with Gale Palm. With these, Kaito felt he didn't need to look for any more C-rank Wind Release jutsu.
As for Lightning Release: Earth Walk, it must have been his mother's. However, from what Kaito remembered, it wasn't very practical—most battles occurred on land, and this jutsu needed to be paired with Water Release to be truly effective.
For now, Kaito decided not to learn these jutsu. His current chakra reserves were probably sufficient to use them, but then what? Even using them at minimal power would likely drain most of his chakra, making further practice inefficient.
Instead of learning these now, it made more sense to continue practicing the Substitution Technique, which had a much lower chakra cost. He could also begin learning the Shadow Clone Technique. Though it was a B-rank jutsu, it simply divided his chakra evenly between clones, and the amount of chakra would determine the clone's duration. If the clones weren't using chakra for anything else, they could likely last a while even with his current reserves.
"Alright, Mom, I'm heading out," Kaito said, putting the scrolls away.
"Okay, remember to properly thank Iruka-sensei, alright? If there's a chance, you could take him to the barbecue place where I work. I'll make sure you get the freshest ingredients," Sinai suggested.
"I wish I could, but I don't think Iruka-sensei would be comfortable with that," Kaito replied.
"He really is a good teacher." Sinai nodded, a bit moved. It was a stroke of luck for Kaito to have such a teacher.
...
In front of Ichiraku Ramen, Kaito arrived quite early. Iruka hadn't arrived yet, and Kaito couldn't help but marvel at how busy the ramen shop was.
It wasn't hard to understand why—after all, the taste was really good, and the prices were reasonable. Teuchi, the owner, looked a bit younger than how he appeared in the anime.
"Kaito, you're here so early?" Iruka said, surprised as he spotted Kaito. He had thought he arrived early, but Kaito had beaten him to it.
"Of course, since I'm treating you, it's only right that I come earlier," Kaito replied.
"It would've been fine if you'd come a bit later," Iruka said, scratching his head. Once again, he felt that Kaito didn't act like a typical child.
"Iruka-sensei, let's go inside," Kaito suggested, avoiding Iruka's comment.
"Alright," Iruka said, still feeling like he was speaking to a peer rather than a child, which made the situation feel a bit odd.
"Teuchi-ojisan, two deluxe ramen bowls, please," Kaito called out.
"Got it, Kaito! Is today a special occasion?" Teuchi asked, a little surprised. Kaito usually didn't order the deluxe, though he also didn't skimp—he always made sure to get enough meat, eggs, and milk for a growing body.
"Yes, today has been full of surprises," Kaito said seriously. From the Three Basic Techniques to the Shadow Clone, and even the other jutsu—everything had been a surprise.
"Kaito, you didn't have to go all out like this," Iruka said.
"Iruka-sensei, just call me Kaito. And even if I did this, it still wouldn't be enough, unless sensei also agrees to join me at the barbecue restaurant afterward. You know my mom works there, so we could get a discount," Kaito said earnestly.
"Well, haha, maybe some other time," Iruka replied, scratching his head and declining politely.
Kaito looked at Iruka but didn't press him further. He sat quietly, waiting for the ramen to arrive.
During this time, Iruka watched Kaito, looking a bit hesitant. Lately, he had been dealing with a certain issue. Though it didn't directly involve Kaito, Kaito was close to the person in question, and Iruka was curious.
"Iruka-sensei, if you have something to ask, just go ahead. If I know the answer, I'll tell you," Kaito said, noticing Iruka's hesitation.
"Is it that obvious?" Iruka scratched his head, laughing awkwardly before his face turned serious. "Kaito, I wanted to ask, what do you think about Uzumaki Naruto?"