After accepting Gouten's challenge, Akashi didn't slack off in the slightest.
He frantically ate all sorts of food, then used his "Life Return" ability to convert it into the energy his body needed, recovering his stamina and healing his internal injuries.
In less than a day, Akashi's injuries were about seventy or eighty percent healed. This astounded both Kakashi and the doctor who came to check on him.
At Kakashi's request, Akashi underwent a full examination. Only after the doctor confirmed that Akashi was mostly healthy and could resume training did Kakashi agree to his discharge.
"However, Uchiha Akashi's cellular strength is clearly much weaker than before, as if he's been pushed past his absolute limit," the doctor added.
Kakashi looked at Akashi, filled with suspicion. His expression seemed to say, "If you don't explain, there's no way I'm letting you leave this hospital."
Akashi was happy to have a good friend like Kakashi who cared so much about him. He explained, "It's a secret technique of mine."
Kakashi didn't press further, but he still asked the doctor for a clear assessment of the situation.
"In a case like Uchiha Akashi's, his cellular strength should gradually recover after a few days of rest."
"But if he uses this secret technique repeatedly, it could very well cause his body to disintegrate!"
Hearing this, Akashi understood the gravity of the situation and promised not to use the technique again unless absolutely necessary.
The two then completed the discharge procedures. Akashi told his friends the news, and everyone, including Oshima-sensei, found it unbelievable.
"What a monstrous healing ability!" Dai said, shocked.
"You've worked hard recently. The academy has decided to give you a seven-day leave," Oshima-sensei said. He didn't mention that he had personally requested this leave from the Third Hokage.
"As long as there are no lasting effects. You should rest well for the next few days," Nara Ryou said, his concern not stopping him from adding a couple of sharp remarks.
After receiving the well-wishes of his teacher and friends, Akashi began his seven-day leave. He and Gouten had agreed to use the first five days for recovery and preparation, with their duel to be held on the sixth day.
During the remaining time, Akashi was at Kakashi's house almost every day, becoming a regular visitor. His main purpose was to receive guidance from Sakumo.
Ever since his duel with Kakashi at the Hatake residence, Sakumo had been away on an A-rank mission (not the one from three years later).
Sakumo had only just returned when Akashi recovered, so Akashi seized the opportunity to constantly ask him for advice. After all, guidance from an elite jonin was a rare and valuable opportunity.
Sakumo was also very fond of the studious and friendly Uchiha boy and instructed Akashi without reservation. The one thing that gave Sakumo a massive headache, however, was that the boy brought a large jar of sword oil every time he visited.
In Akashi's words, "I can't just let Uncle Sakumo teach me for free."
*Who on earth gives the same gift over and over again?* Sakumo thought. *Couldn't you at least bring a scabbard or something?*
During those five days, Akashi trained at the Hatake residence by day and reviewed his progress at home by night.
He absorbed knowledge like a sponge, so much so that even Kakashi came to advise him to get some rest.
But Akashi simply said, "I have a duel with Gouten. Of course I have to prepare properly!"
Kakashi looked puzzled. "But with your strength, beating Uchiha Gouten should be a piece of cake."
Akashi, however, replied seriously, "Gouten has been preparing for this match for months. He's taking it very seriously, so I have to respond with my best effort too."
"I'm sure he's training hard right now as well."
Just as Akashi predicted, Gouten was indeed undergoing grueling training.
His father, Uchiha Niwa, had spent a great deal of money to hire an elite jonin from the Uchiha clan to guide Gouten's training.
When the private tutor reported to Niwa, he said, "The young master is training very hard, always adding extra sessions for himself. I don't know what his goal is, but I know it has instilled in him a great sense of urgency."
Time flew by, and the five days of training quickly came to an end. Akashi had finally learned from Sakumo how to quickly organize a follow-up attack after a failed strike without leaving himself open.
At last, the day of the duel arrived. The appointed location was an abandoned training ground within the Uchiha clan's compound. No one had been here for years. The once-spacious field was overgrown with weeds, and rusty kunai were still stuck in the training posts.
"I have no idea how you guys found this place," Akashi said.
That's right--*you guys*. Gouten had brought all of his lackeys, a bustling crowd of at least twenty or thirty people. Akashi, on the other hand, had come alone.
"I never realized you were so popular. What's this? Are you going to gang up on me?" Akashi joked, though he knew in his heart that Gouten hadn't trained so hard just for a group beatdown.
"They're just here to watch, don't worry," Gouten said calmly, though he felt a slight tension in his heart.
Without another word, the two entered the training ground. The lackeys instinctively formed a circle, watching in silence.
A gentle breeze rustled the weeds on the field. Suddenly, two figures collided and then shot apart. The duel had officially begun!
From that initial exchange, Akashi already had a preliminary understanding of Gouten's strength. Compared to when they had just entered the academy months ago, Gouten's progress was astonishing.
His speed, strength, reflexes, and technique had all improved tremendously.
*This guy really has been working hard,* Akashi remarked to himself.
Gouten reached into his ninja tool pouch and a kunai flew out. He threw it without any hesitation. He then followed up with a fluid motion, continuously throwing more kunai, as if he had practiced these movements thousands of times.
Akashi's eyes spun rapidly, finding the best escape route. With a stomp of his foot, he shot forward, just about to break out of the kunai encirclement.
"Naive," Gouten snorted, throwing his last kunai with force. Its target was one of the previously thrown kunai.
That final kunai triggered a chain reaction. The kunai still in mid-air scattered and ricocheted, suddenly accelerating, and ultimately sealed off all of Akashi's escape routes.
It was the Uchiha Kunai Throwing Art, a technique Akashi had tried so hard to master but failed to acquire.
Just as Akashi was about to be turned into a pincushion by the dense barrage of kunai, he moved. His right hand swiped lightly across his tool pouch, and a kunai appeared smoothly in his grasp.
Then, using both his hands and feet, Akashi continuously deflected the incoming kunai with his own weapon and his kicks.
In the eyes of Gouten's followers, Akashi, who had been trapped in a seemingly inescapable kill zone, cleverly resolved the situation with taijutsu that resembled a whirlwind dance.
"Is this Uchiha Akashi really that strong?"
"I didn't believe it before either. Now I finally understand why the boss has been training so hard."
"Yeah, if that were me, I'd have died eight times over."
Unlike his followers' shock, Gouten was unfazed by Akashi's effortless defense.
He knew that an attack of this level would never trouble Akashi. His true goal was to close the distance while Akashi was busy dealing with the kunai.
Gouten rushed forward and immediately threw a fast, precise, and powerful jab.
Akashi, of course, saw Gouten charging toward him.
"So your punches finally have some bite to them," he mused. He dodged to the side, easily evading Gouten's attack--or so he thought. But to his surprise, Gouten's fist landed squarely on him.
Although Gouten had trained diligently, he was ultimately no match for Akashi, who not only had a cheat ability but also trained just as hard.
Therefore, the punch didn't cause any serious damage to Akashi.
Instead, it piqued his interest.
"I definitely dodged that. How did you hit me?"
"I'll tell you after I win!"
Gouten and Akashi clashed again, but within three moves, Akashi noticed something was off.
He carefully observed Gouten's movements. His attacks weren't wide, sweeping blows.
Rather, he used wide motions as a feint to predict his opponent's dodge, then attacked the spot where they would end up. This created the illusion of a guaranteed hit.
*So, what happens if I dodge in a way he can't predict... or if I don't dodge at all?* A wild look flashed in Akashi's eyes.
In an instant, Gouten's sharp jab came at him again, but Akashi stood frozen in place as if stunned.
"Has that Uchiha Akashi gone stupid?"
"What do you know? He's been beaten so badly by the boss he can't even fight back."
But the next scene stunned everyone. Gouten's fist struck empty air to Akashi's left--the very spot Akashi usually dodged to.
"Looks like I was right! In that case, your little trick isn't interesting anymore!"
"Try this on for size!" Akashi suddenly threw a punch. It was so fast Gouten couldn't even perceive it.
Gouten instinctively dodged, avoiding the fierce blow. But the next second, his face contorted as if it had been hit by a speeding truck, and he flew backward.
"I thought the Uchiha Style Taijutsu would be enough to handle you, but I ended up getting a taste of my own medicine."
"Uchiha Style Taijutsu? I've never heard of it."
"It's a form of taijutsu that relies heavily on the Sharingan. You use the Sharingan to predict the enemy's evasion path and attack that spot in advance. You can also use the Sharingan to cast genjutsu during close combat. It's an extremely powerful taijutsu."
Gouten gave a self-deprecating laugh.
"It's just that I don't have enough talent to use it properly."
Akashi looked Gouten straight in the eye.
"Don't sell yourself short! Remember why you started this. The duel isn't over yet!"