Arriving at the Academy's training ground, I looked around, but Gai was nowhere to be seen.
"Where is he...?" I muttered under my breath, scanning the area.
"Kotetsu!" a familiar voice called out from behind.
I turned sharply and saw Kohoshi-sensei standing in the shadow of the trees.
"Kohoshi-sensei?" I asked in surprise.
As I approached, I immediately asked the question that had been on my mind:
"Where have you been these past few days? I haven't seen you at all."
Kohoshi sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.
"I was assigned a mission."
I frowned.
"But teachers aren't required to take on missions, are they?"
"Under normal circumstances, no. But something seems to be brewing. The number of mission requests in the village has suddenly increased, and all shinobi have started receiving additional assignments," he replied, leaning against the tree.
I fell into thought. If even the teachers were being called in, then the situation must be serious.
Kohoshi-sensei shifted his gaze to me, his eyes keen.
"I heard you were placed in my colleague Sawada's class. He was a strong Chūnin… shame he got injured in the war so early."
I said nothing, just nodded. I didn't know anything about Sawada's past, but now his strict and reserved nature made a little more sense.
"But I didn't come here to talk about Sawada," Kohoshi continued. "I have a reason to speak with you."
I noticed how his expression became more serious.
"I feel that changes are coming to the world soon. That's why I want to accelerate your training."
"Accelerate...?" I repeated.
Kohoshi-sensei crossed his arms again, looking at me as if weighing his decision.
"I originally planned to start teaching you techniques in a few months, once you had at least mastered the basics," he said. "But my intuition tells me I should begin earlier."
His gaze flickered downward, stopping on the scroll I was holding. A faint look of surprise crossed his face, as if something clicked for him.
"Looks like you were planning to study something new anyway," he chuckled, taking the scroll from my hands and glancing over its contents.
I remained silent, watching him.
"I don't have much time, but today, I can at least teach you the basics," Kohoshi said, rolling up the scroll and tucking it into his sash. Then, he looked at me directly.
"Which technique do you want to learn first?"
I hesitated. The Academy had taught us several basic techniques, each useful in different situations.
Kawarimi no Jutsu (Substitution Technique) allowed a shinobi to replace themselves with a nearby object at a critical moment, avoiding an attack. Bunshin no Jutsu (Clone Technique) created illusionary copies to distract enemies. Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique) made it possible to change one's appearance, useful for disguise and infiltration.
All of them were important, but if I had to choose…
I had already mastered the basics of shuriken and kunai throwing, so I had some offensive skills. But the ability to blend into the surroundings or take on another identity could be much more valuable right now. Besides, objectively, Henge no Jutsu seemed the easiest to learn—it only required proper chakra control and maintaining the form.
I nodded, making my decision.
"I want to learn Henge no Jutsu," I said firmly, meeting Kohoshi-sensei's gaze.
Kohoshi-sensei stepped closer, crossing his arms.
"Let's break it down step by step. This is a transformation technique that allows you to change your appearance. It's widely used for reconnaissance, stealth, and even deceiving opponents in battle."
He took a few steps to the side, making sure I had a clear view of him, then continued:
"Imagine you want to become someone else—say, a copy of me. Your transformation shouldn't just resemble me; it should be an exact replica, down to posture, voice, and even movement patterns."
I nodded as he formed the hand seals: Dog → Boar → Ram.
In the next instant, his body was enveloped in a thin veil of chakra, and when it dissipated, I was staring at… myself.
"It's not just about copying someone's appearance—you also need to understand how they behave," the 'me' in front of me said in my own voice. Sensei smirked, then formed another seal and returned to his original form.
"How did you do that so fast?" I asked in surprise.
"Experience," Kohoshi chuckled. "Now listen carefully."
He crossed his arms and began explaining:
"The main challenge of Henge no Jutsu is that it's not just an illusion. You create a chakra layer that forms an outer shell, but it's only a facade. If you're tall and transform into someone short, your actual height doesn't change—the illusion just conceals your real proportions. This means that if you don't move correctly, your transformation could give you away."
"What if, for example, I transformed into a rock?" I asked.
"Then someone might try to pick you up… and realize you're too light or too heavy," he smirked. "That's why Henge no Jutsu is mostly used for disguising as people or animals."
He stepped closer and continued:
"The second key factor is chakra control. If you use too little chakra, the transformation will be unstable and distorted. One eye might end up bigger than the other, or your clothes could look like they were drawn on. If you use too much, the illusion might flicker, making the transformation unstable."
"So I need to distribute my chakra perfectly across my entire body?" I clarified.
"Exactly," he nodded. "Now, imagine the person you want to become. Close your eyes and picture them in the finest detail: their face, hair, posture, voice. How do they talk? How do they walk? How do they move?"
I nodded, trying to visualize Kohoshi-sensei's image in my mind.
"Now form the hand seals: Dog → Boar → Ram. Don't rush—focus on your chakra."
I carefully formed the seals, concentrating… but nothing happened.
Kohoshi let out a quiet chuckle.
"Don't worry. It's normal for the first time. The problem is that you just made the hand seals but didn't direct the chakra correctly. Let's try again."
I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and imagined Kohoshi-sensei once more. This time, I focused on directing the chakra throughout my body. Then I made the hand seals...
A light mist rose around me, and judging by the surprised look on the sensei's face, I had done something right.
"Well, it's already better..." he said thoughtfully. "But your hair is still the same, and your clothes look a bit blurry. Keep your concentration!"
I tried to fix the transformation, but within a couple of seconds, it dissipated. I let out a heavy sigh.
"This is harder than I thought..."
"Of course. But once you master it, it will be much easier for you to disguise and hide. Let's do it again!"
I clenched my fists and nodded, forcing myself to focus. The mistake was in the chakra control—I hadn't distributed it evenly across my body, which is why part of the transformation turned out distorted.
"Alright, let's try again."
I closed my eyes, focusing even more on the image of Kohoshi-sensei. This time, I recalled every detail: his black hair, small scars on his face, posture.
"Keep the whole picture in mind, but don't overexert yourself," the sensei reminded me. "The chakra must flow naturally. If you try too hard, the transformation will be jagged."
I took a deep breath and slowly made the seals: Dog → Boar → Ram.
A light surge of chakra ran through my body, enveloping it in a mist. This time, I felt the shell forming more evenly, without trembling. When the mist cleared, Kohoshi-sensei carefully examined me.
"Hmm… It's better now, but..." He stepped closer and flicked my forehead. "You haven't changed your voice. If you speak, you'll immediately give yourself away."
I blinked.
"How do I change my voice?"
"You need to feel like that person, not just copy their appearance. Imagine how I speak, what my tone is like, my rhythm, my manner of expression. If you do it right, the transformation will affect your vocal cords too."
I focused and tried to say something, but I heard my usual voice. The transformation wavered slightly and then collapsed into a cloud of smoke.
I sighed in irritation.
"Calm down, don't get mad at yourself," Kohoshi patted me on the shoulder. "It's normal. Remember: chakra control is not about brute force, but smoothness and precision. The Henge technique requires fine tuning, because you're not just creating an image, you're making it look natural."
I nodded and gathered my thoughts again.
The third time has to be successful.
I closed my eyes and once again imagined Kohoshi-sensei, but this time not just his appearance, but his voice, posture, and facial expression.
Dog → Boar → Ram.
This time, I felt the chakra cover my body evenly. When the mist cleared, Kohoshi-sensei tilted his head, evaluating the result.
"Well, finally."
I took a step forward, trying to feel my new body. Moving felt a bit unfamiliar, like there was an invisible layer over me.
"Try saying something," the sensei ordered.
I cleared my throat and said:
"I am Kohoshi-sensei."
The sensei smiled.
"Well, the voice is closer, but still not perfect. We'll have to work on that."
I smiled, but then I felt a slight pressure in my stomach. The transformation wavered, then dissolved, revealing my true form once again.
"Did something disturb you?" Kohoshi asked.
"I don't think I can maintain the technique for long…" I admitted, rubbing my temples.
"It's a matter of training. As your chakra control improves, you'll be able to maintain Henge for hours. That's enough for today."
I let out a heavy breath, but I was pleased with myself. It wasn't perfect yet, but there had already been progress.
"Good job, Kotetsu. Even though this is a technique of the lowest rank, the fact that you've mastered it in just half an hour is a small achievement," Kohoshi-sensei nodded, crossing his arms over his chest. "I can confidently say that chakra control is your strong point."
I barely held back a smile. It was nice to hear praise from the sensei, but I knew there was still a lot of work ahead.
"In the future, this skill will help you compensate for other weaknesses."
But suddenly, Kohoshi fell silent, his gaze darting to the window of one of the academic buildings. I followed his gaze and noticed the silhouette of a person. Someone was standing in the shadow, barely visible, but clearly watching us.
"Who is that?" I asked, but as soon as I turned back, I found that the sensei had already disappeared.
I blinked.
"Again with these disappearances..." I muttered, clenching my fists.
So he left, but who was that person?
I looked back at the window, but now it was empty. The stranger vanished just as quickly as they appeared.
I shook my head, pushing away unnecessary thoughts. The sensei said to train—so I would train.
But first, I need to find Gai!