"Keep up!"
"Did you not eat?"
"If you don't follow me, you won't be eating at all!"
Sora walked at a steady pace ahead, while Kakashi gritted his teeth, staggering as he struggled to keep up.
Right now, Kakashi was moving purely on willpower—he didn't have the energy to speak, let alone complain out loud.
But internally? He was full of grievances.
Does he even see me as human?
How can training be this intense from the start?!
At first glance, the intensity didn't seem that high—but what was the point if he couldn't even breathe properly?!
I can barely walk in this state, my head is spinning—how am I supposed to train like this?
After walking for a while, Sora finally stopped and spoke words that sounded like pure salvation to Kakashi.
"Let's take a break."
Kakashi immediately collapsed onto the ground, desperate for air.
But the moment he tried to take deep breaths, his mask made it worse—he just ended up suffocating even more.
Sora reminded him, "Control your breathing. Take long, slow, and rhythmic breaths—regulate it properly."
Following his instructions, Kakashi gradually adjusted his breathing.
Slowly but surely, his breathing stabilized.
Sora observed him and asked, "How do you feel now?"
Kakashi groaned, "It still feels awful!"
Sora chuckled. "Even though it's only been a day, you're already handling it much better than yesterday. You should be able to feel the difference yourself."
Kakashi thought about it carefully.
It was true.
Yesterday, he truly couldn't breathe at all. But now, while he still felt suffocated, he could at least breathe in a controlled manner.
Sora explained, "You're in the adaptation phase right now. Since it's just the beginning, the changes will feel noticeable.
As long as you continue wearing this thickened mask and breathe normally, you'll eventually succeed.
At that point, you'll be able to absorb a large amount of oxygen in a short time."
Kakashi blinked. "Wait… is it really that simple?"
Sora gave him a long, subtle look, staring at his pale, exhausted face.
"…Do you really think it's that simple?"
"Uh…" Kakashi quickly corrected himself. "No, no, not simple at all!"
He blamed his lack of oxygen for his slow-thinking just now.
It's not simple at all! Okay?!
Breathing normally didn't mean the training was over.
According to Sora's logic, breathing as usual meant that even in battle, his breathing should remain steady and controlled.
Normal breathing and battle breathing were two entirely different things.
But despite the suffering, Kakashi was starting to believe that this breathing method truly worked.
If he could reach the level Sora was talking about, where he could absorb an enormous amount of oxygen instantly—his cardiovascular endurance would be ridiculously strong.
Sora stood up and stretched. "Break time's over. Let's keep moving."
Kakashi let out a bitter laugh. "Already? Can't we rest just a little longer?"
Sora refused mercilessly. "No. Right now, I'm going to push you to your limit. If we run into Iwagakure shinobi later, I plan to let you handle it."
"…Huh?"
Kakashi was dumbfounded.
Did I hear that right?
In this state, he's just going to send me out there?
Wouldn't I be nothing more than a sitting duck, ready to be slaughtered?
Does training really need to be this intense?!
Kakashi had always looked forward to actual combat missions.
But for the first time, he found himself hoping to avoid an encounter.
Unfortunately, the things you fear most tend to come true.
Sora suddenly stopped.
"There are three shinobi at three o'clock. This area is a contested zone between Konoha and Iwagakure, so they're almost certainly Rock Shinobi. Go ahead, Kakashi."
Kakashi stared at him in disbelief. "Sensei… You're really making me fight in this condition?"
Sora glanced at him sideways. "Do I look like I'm joking? As I said, I prefer teaching through real combat. Unless you're about to die, I won't interfere."
Kakashi's eyes widened. "Wait… You want me to fight three of them alone?!"
Sora sighed. "Why am I only realizing now that you have so many complaints?
If this were back in the Land of Hot Water and someone hesitated after receiving my orders, I'd have already dealt with them myself.
The only reason I'm tolerating you is because you're my disciple. But my patience is limited."
"Alright, alright! I'll go!"
With no other choice, Kakashi reluctantly moved forward.
Silently, he approached the three shinobi Sora had sensed.
Sure enough, they were Rock Shinobi.
Kakashi muttered under his breath, Sensei didn't use any sensory jutsu… How did he detect them?
Shaking off the thought, he sighed. Forget it, I need to focus on my own problem first. Right now, I feel like I'm fighting with my hands tied behind my back. How am I supposed to do this?
Despite everything, Kakashi didn't expect Sora to step in and save him.
As a genius, Kakashi was proud.
Even in his current weakened state, he was thinking about how to take down his enemies rather than blindly rushing in and hoping for a rescue.
Just as he was strategizing, his laboured breathing caught the attention of the three Rock Shinobi.
They didn't react immediately. Instead, they exchanged subtle glances before continuing forward as if they hadn't noticed anything.
But Kakashi sensed something was off.
Their footsteps had changed.
On the battlefield, Kakashi was trained to observe first before acting.
Just moments ago, these three Rock Shinobi had been walking casually.
But now, their steps had become heavier, and their bodies were slightly angled toward his position.
Kakashi's pupils shrank.
They've noticed me!
His situation was already bad, and he had been counting on a sneak attack to turn things in his favour.
But now that he had been discovered, he was at an absolute disadvantage.
Without hesitation, Kakashi stepped back.
The three Rock Shinobi immediately realized that Kakashi had caught on.
One of them quickly formed a hand seal.
"Earth Style: Earthquake Core!"
The ground beneath Kakashi suddenly shifted, collapsing downward.
Feeling the tremor, Kakashi leapt to the left just in time.
A deep pit formed where he had been standing. Had he been even a second slower, he would've fallen in.
The sudden movement, combined with his already weakened state, made it even harder to breathe. His ears buzzed, and his vision blurred.
He tried to stand, but his legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground again.
The three Rock Shinobi surrounded him.
Seeing his current condition, they hesitated, exchanging confused looks.
"…Why does this Konoha shinobi look like a sick man?"
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion