Chapter 52:
The father of Kakashi Hatake, the famous White Fang of Konoha, stood among his peers, wielding his short sword with incredible precision. Even at this young age, Hatake Sakumo was showing signs of the immense power and skill that would one day earn him a place alongside the Sannin in terms of strength and reputation.
Sakumo, being one year older than the Sannin, was already demonstrating the abilities that would soon make him a household name. As he sparred with three others, he moved with such speed that he hardly gave his opponents any time to react, let alone form hand seals.
"What incredible speed... This guy might even be on par with Orochimaru," Jiraiya muttered to himself as he watched, clearly impressed.
The technique Sakumo was using was an advanced body flicker technique, one of the highest forms of taijutsu that allowed for near-instantaneous movement. There were many variations of teleportation techniques, ranging from Flying Thunder God (the fastest space-time technique), to basic body flicker techniques, to those that used elemental chakra to achieve high-speed movement.
Right now, Orochimaru, Tsunade, and Hatake Sakumo were all using a standard body flicker technique, which allowed them to burst forward at incredible speeds by focusing chakra into their legs. This type of movement wasn't continuous, as it required a large amount of chakra control, making it difficult to use repeatedly. However, when executed correctly, it was devastating in close-range combat, as the ninja appeared to vanish and reappear in an instant.
Most ninja could perform some variation of the body flicker, but the speed and precision of the technique varied greatly depending on the user's chakra control and physical condition. As a rule of thumb, jōnin were naturally faster than genin, due to their superior chakra control and experience.
Orochimaru, having enhanced his body through his genetic enhancement and the awakening of the Sharingan, had become as fast as a jōnin, despite being a genin by rank. What surprised him was that Hatake Sakumo, without any apparent modifications or enhancements, was already using the body flicker technique at a level comparable to his own.
"This guy is really strong! But.." Orochimaru said under his breath. However, he trailed off, leaving his next thought unsaid.
Jiraiya, sensing Orochimaru's hesitation, chimed in, "But what? Are you jealous? Do you want to go up there and fight him? Go ahead! I, Jiraiya Sama, will be cheering you on!"