"Hatake-ryu: Flash Strike!!"
After a fierce exchange of blows, Kakashi was quickly defeated.
He admitted defeat without hesitation, showing his usual straightforwardness. Looking at Renzo with surprise, he said, "I always thought your strength came from your ninjutsu and Sharingan! But now, it seems that your true specialty is Taijutsu!"
Throughout the fight, he had been completely dominated by Renzo's Impact Punch. He barely managed to hold on.
And he was fully aware that Renzo had been holding back.
If Renzo had gone all out, he would've been beaten into the ground already!
The four Sand Shinobi Chunin who had been instantly KO by Renzo's Impact Fist earlier were a clear warning.
"Maybe so!" Uchiha Renzo grinned and shrugged.
Impact Punch was indeed the fighting style he had mastered best at this stage, especially when combined with Body Flicker and Lightning Flash. The results were terrifying.
But that didn't mean his ninjutsu was weak!
It was just that, compared to ninjutsu, Impact Punch was currently more efficient and energy-saving.
Fugaku had granted him access to all Uchiha jutsu below S-rank over half a month ago, allowing him to learn freely. Even for S-rank jutsu, he had been given two choices.
He picked Fire Release: Majestic Destroyer Flame and Fire Release: Great Fire Destruction!
It wasn't that he had a particular preference for Fire Release over Lightning or other elements—it was simply because the Uchiha clan's collection of S-rank jutsu only included Fire Release techniques!
More than a month had passed since Renzo joined the Isshin Dojo.
On the shore of Shimotsuki Village (Frost Moon Village), Zoro, with his distinctive moss-green hair, stood at the edge of the shallow water, shouting loudly, "Hey!! Renzo! Time to eat!"
A few seconds later, bubbles started rising from the water before a figure suddenly burst out of the sea.
Floating on the surface, Renzo shook off the water from his hair and flashed a bright smile at Zoro. "Got it! I'm coming up! Also, you little brat, remember to call me 'senior brother'! Just shouting 'hey'—what's that all about?"
As he spoke, Renzo swam ashore, grabbed his clothes from under a tree, put them on, and then reached out to ruffle Zoro's hair messily before finally letting go.
Zoro struggled hard to escape from Renzo's grip, his face puffed up in annoyance as he glared. "Can you stop messing up my hair?! And you want me to call you 'senior brother'? That'll take a million years!"
Renzo gave him a deadpan look and asked, "Can you beat me? Also, I joined the dojo before you and I'm a few years older. Why shouldn't you call me 'senior brother'?"
"Tch!" Zoro crossed his arms and scoffed. "You only joined three days earlier than me! And you admit you're way older than me? Of course you're stronger—it's normal!"
"You little brat! You always have some twisted logic!"
Renzo was speechless. He hadn't expected Zoro to be so sharp-tongued at such a young age.
And this kid really hated losing.
No matter the situation, he always acted !
Of course, when it came to an official duel, Zoro would at least admit defeat properly.
"Earlier is still earlier! Next time, if you don't call me 'senior brother,' I'll punch you every time I see you! Got it?" Renzo raised his fist as a warning.
Back when he was the top dog among the kids in the nearby villages, he was the one doing the threatening and beating.
How did things turn into this…?
"Am I still too weak…?" Zoro muttered, looking down at his hands.
"Pfft… HAHAHA!" Renzo burst into laughter, lightly patting Zoro's head. Then he took big strides forward. "Come on, let's go! If we're late, there won't be any food left!"
"Oh!" Hearing that, Zoro had no time to dwell on his frustration. He quickly followed behind.
He ate a lot and definitely didn't want to go hungry.
After all, you need to eat well to get stronger!
During dinner, Koshiro asked curiously, "How's your underwater training going?"
When Renzo first mentioned training in the water, Koshiro had been surprised.
He had never done such training himself, nor had he heard of anyone else doing it.
Humans weren't fish—they had limited time underwater.
And practicing swordsmanship or strength training while submerged? It would consume a huge amount of stamina and oxygen. How long could someone even last?
Wouldn't it be too short to be effective?
But Renzo was persistent, so Koshiro had let him try.
At first, Koshiro had supervised him for a couple of days out of curiosity and concern for safety.
To his surprise, Renzo really stuck with it. His diving and swimming abilities improved rapidly, and he could train underwater for longer and longer periods.
Once Koshiro was sure there was no danger, he stopped watching as closely.
Now, half a month had passed since Renzo started underwater training.
Kuina and Zoro also looked over, eager to hear the answer.
"Mmph! Mmph!" Renzo, still stuffing his mouth with food, swallowed before replying, "I think it's pretty effective! I tested it—compared to training on land, it's at least three to five times more efficient!"
"Of course, it might vary from person to person, but it definitely works great!"
With the constant pressure of water training his entire body, the results were bound to be good.
And as for practicing swordsmanship underwater?
Swinging a blade against the heavy resistance of water, only to feel ten times lighter when back on land—it was a huge advantage.
Renzo gave the three of them a quick breakdown of the benefits and his experience.
"I see! That's actually a great method!" Koshiro nodded in approval and turned to Kuina and Zoro. "If you're interested, you can have Renzo guide you starting tomorrow. Just don't push yourselves too hard."
Then he looked at Renzo. "You're okay with that, right?"
"Of course!" Renzo grinned and shot a mischievous look at Kuina and Zoro. "Just don't start crying and begging to quit later, alright? Hehehe!"
Why did that sound so sinister…?
Despite their doubts, both Kuina and Zoro nodded determinedly at Koshiro, then shot defiant glares at Renzo.
"Alright then! Looking forward to tomorrow! Senior brother, please take care of me and junior brother!"
Kuina intentionally emphasized the words "junior brother," with a teasing glint in her eyes.
Zoro, meanwhile, looked annoyed but secretly vowed to surpass both Kuina and Renzo one day. One day, he would be the "senior brother" everyone respected!
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