"Hmph! Brat, you actually thought about stealing from me."
"I'll let you borrow it, but you have to give it back later."
Kazuyama handed the twin swords to Obito, who was overjoyed. What the heck—he had to experience this for real first.
Just as he was about to swing, Korin's voice rang out.
"Kid, if you dare let lightning strike me, I promise I'll devour you whole."
"Even Kazuyama can't save you, I'm telling you."
The deep, menacing tone and the sound of saliva dripping sent shivers down Obito's spine, while Rin covered her mouth, laughing.
"Hey, hey, hey! I can't even let a little thunder rumble in the sky?"
"I swear it won't hit you! Promise!"
Obito raised the twin blades toward the sky, pouring his chakra into them—suddenly, a bolt of lightning flashed above.
"Ka-chow!"
Thunder roared, and Obito was thrilled.
"Amazing! Lightning really appeared!"
"Ka-chow!"
Obito was having so much fun with the swords that Kazuyama, tempted to join in, quickly interrupted.
"Hey, Obito, let me try."
"Huh? I'm not done playing yet, Sensei."
Kazuyama snatched Lightning Blades: Kiba back, his excitement evident. He wanted to experience the exhilaration of wielding lightning for himself.
"Lightning, come!"
With a loud yell, he infused his chakra into the blades. Instantly, a powerful surge of lightning crackled to life.
What's more, the bolts were much thicker and stronger than the ones Obito had summoned.
Rin couldn't help but laugh.
"Obito, you're still no match for Sensei. Look at the lightning you're wielding, then look at his. They're in completely different leagues."
Obito stared at the massive bolts of lightning, feeling utterly deflated.
Kazuyama was having the time of his life, but soon, doubt flickered across his face. Sheathing the twin blades, he turned to Obito.
"Obito, when you used this sword, did you just channel your chakra into it?"
"Did it take a lot out of you?"
Obito, confused, nodded.
"Isn't it the Lightning Blades? I use chakra to transform it into lightning and inject it, so it's not very energy-intensive. Why, Sensei?"
Kazuyama's brows furrowed slightly before he let out a breath, deep in thought.
Obito and Rin watched his shifting expressions with curiosity.
"Sensei, what's wrong?"
Kazuyama shook his head and explained.
"Even though this is a ninja blade, it still has certain requirements."
"I noticed that directly injecting chakra into it consumes a lot."
"But then I realized why."
"If you use lightning chakra, the cost is low. But if you don't have lightning chakra and use another type, the weapon converts it into lightning, which increases the chakra consumption."
"Rin, since your attributes are water and fire. Try it out."
Rin nodded, took one of the blades, and pointed it at the sky. The moment she swung, a flash of lightning sparked.
Though weaker than before, it still had some momentum.
However, after just a few swings, Rin's face grew serious. Slowly lowering the sword, she breathed heavily, clearly feeling the strain.
"Sensei, you were right. I don't have any Lightning Attribute Chakra."
"I only swung a few times, but my chakra drained rapidly—almost half of it is already gone."
Seeing Rin's somewhat pale face, Kazuyama took back the Lightning Blades: Kiba, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.
Thinking it over, he realized he had been right. He had originally assumed that anyone could use the blades with enough proficiency, but that wasn't the case.
But then again, if these blades could only be used by ninjas with the Lightning attribute, Mangetsu Hōzuki wouldn't have been able to wield them. Yet, he had mastered all seven swords, including Kiba.
Now it seemed that, sure, anyone could use them—but the cost varied greatly.
"Forget it, it's good to have them. If it really doesn't work out, I'll just give one to Kakashi and one to Obito. Let you two make use of them."
"Looks like I'll just have to live without Lightning in the Five Elements."
The moment Obito heard he could have one, his eyes lit up.
Noticing the gleam in his eyes, Kazuyama sighed helplessly.
"Korin, speed up. Let's wrap this up early."
Korin laughed heartily at his resigned tone before accelerating, her massive body moving swiftly.
After receiving Korin's message, Kakashi immediately adjusted his course southeast.
Before long, Kazuyama and his team arrived at their destination.
Unlike the southern region, the eastern side of the Land of Fire was densely forested.
"Korin, do you have an exact location?"
"Yes, there's a waterfall on the southern side of the forest. They're on the other side of it."
Hearing the word waterfall, Kazuyama's brows furrowed slightly.
"Again with the terrain advantage. Waterfalls... how annoying."
"Thanks, Korin. We'll take it from here."
Korin nodded. The forest was ideal for skirmishes, but her large body would be too conspicuous.
With a puff of white smoke, she vanished.
Kazuyama then led Obito and Rin to a concealed spot to rest.
"Kazuyama-sensei, are the Kiri ninja in this forest?"
"Then let's go wipe them out!"
Obito, full of enthusiasm, was ready to charge in—only to be immediately pinned to the ground by Kazuyama.
"You brat, we just fought a battle. I'm tired. Can't we rest for a bit?"
"Go leave a mark. Once Kakashi arrives, we'll move."
With that, Kazuyama released Obito and leaned against a nearby tree to rest.
The moonlight still shone overhead as he closed his eyes, slipping into a light rest.
Obito was clearly annoyed but still obeyed, setting up markers for Kakashi. Rin followed to help.
Noticing his students' actions, Kazuyama's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Chōmei, what do you think of my two disciples?"
"Not bad. The Uchiha is naturally talented, but that little girl—she's promising."
"Good eye. Rin has great potential. When I get back, I'll recommend her to Tsunade for some training."
When it came to Medical Ninjutsu, no one surpassed Tsunade. She was the pinnacle. With her guidance, Rin would undoubtedly improve significantly.
...
(100 Chapters Ahead)
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