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[NTU] [ARC-03-GENIN] Chapter : 35
🕑 Added 2024-05-24 20:26:52 +0000 UTCSure enough, it's a one-handed seal!
In the middle of the grove, on a large tree thick enough to require several people to embrace it, Satoshi stood on a massive protruding branch. With one hand on the tree trunk and the other stroking the short beard under his jaw, his eyes gleamed as he looked at Toshiro, who had just vanished in an instant.
Initially, Toshiro used smoke bombs as a medium to perform the transformation jutsu using one-handed seals, but he did not catch them. But just now, Toshiro used a one-handed seal to Shunshin away. When Satoshi's speculation was confirmed, he was overjoyed.
The technique of hand seals, a method for ordinary people to harness the power of chakra, was originally invented by Indra, the ancestor of the Uchiha clan. Despite nearly a millennium passing, even among today's Uchiha, few ninjas can perform one-handed seals, and those who can are the clan's mainstays.
Discovering such a talent and the prospect of guiding this promising kid filled him with excitement.
'I knew I shouldn't have aimed for the neck. Instead, I should have focused on capturing the bell! Even then, it probably wouldn't have worked out!' Toshiro thought, chagrined, as he hid behind a large tree after his instant retreat.
"Come out, there's no use hiding now!" Toshiro said, emerging from behind the tree and calling out to his companions as well. Their carefully designed trap had been effortlessly evaded by Satoshi, and hiding any longer would be futile. It was better to confront their opponent head-on and try to snatch the mission objective openly.
'In the face of an invincible opponent, he remains calm!'
'That last slash had good power, decent speed, and perfect timing!'
'Their coordinated offensive was impressive—an average chunin-level ninja would have been taken out!'
Satoshi, observing Toshiro as he emerged with his hand on his sword's hilt, felt increasingly pleased. He could already sense the satisfaction of being a mentor.
"Oh! It's long overdue for a duel like this!" said Kirishima, who had just revealed himself as if he had won. He found trap ambushes troublesome and preferred direct combat.
On another large tree nearby, Asuka also revealed himself, staring intently at Satoshi with eyes full of determination, eager to fight.
The three formed a triangular formation—one above the canopy, one in the middle of a tree, and one on the ground—confronting him.
"Oh! It looks like you've realized those little tricks won't work against me. So, you're ready for a direct confrontation? That's good, but you're still not enough!"
Seeing the three of them in fighting stances, Satoshi sneered, intending to gauge their skill levels.
"Don't underestimate us!"
The most impulsive and high-strung among them, Kirishima, couldn't handle the provocation. Without coordinating with his companions, he charged straight at Satoshi.
Since Kirishima had already initiated the attack, Toshiro had no choice but to follow. Instead of using ninjutsu or other techniques, he opted for the Shunshin, moving a step ahead of Kirishima. As he reached Satoshi's side, he drew his sword and slashed.
The Shunshin is typically used for disengaging from battle or rapid movement. To execute this technique perfectly in combat is extremely challenging due to several factors:
Firstly, there's the brief moment of stiffness following the technique's execution. The sudden burst of chakra and the high-speed movement exert immense pressure on the body. In a ninja battle, this moment can be fatal. An opponent can easily exploit this vulnerability to end the fight.
Even with rigorous training to adapt the body to the chakra bursts and the stress of high-speed movement, appearing instantly at the enemy's side still presents significant risks. Experienced ninjas are always alert. They may not be able to match your speed, but with their experience and keen senses, they only need a single strike to turn the tables. Thus, using the Shunshin to engage an enemy rather than escaping or maneuvering can be highly dangerous.
Mastering this requires exceptional dynamic vision and lightning-fast reflexes. At the very least, you need to be capable of handling an enemy's counterattack immediately after the flicker without being taken out in an instant. This is not something an ordinary ninja can achieve easily.
Additionally, the technique's execution timing and precision are critical. A longer forward swing gives the enemy more time to prepare, increasing the risk after the flicker. Precise execution is even more crucial, as a miscalculation can be deadly.
In the course of ninja warfare, an error of just five to ten centimeters can often lead to fatal mistakes. In the high-tension environment of battle, covering distances of several meters or even more than ten meters with only a few centimeters of error is not uncommon.
Not every teleportation technique is like the Flying Thunder God, which makes the movement trajectory untraceable. Nor does every ninja possess the superhuman reflex speed of Minato Namikaze. The Body Flicker Technique is easy to learn but hard to master, especially in battle. Except for a few exceptionally gifted ninjas, almost no one can use it flawlessly.
Toshiro is diligently working towards mastering this technique. As an Uchiha, his dynamic vision is far superior to that of ordinary ninjas, and his nerve reflex speed has been honed through years of training. Even so, if he didn't trust that Satoshi, his teacher, wouldn't seriously injure or kill him, he wouldn't dare attempt it so readily.
"Clang!"
The metallic clash rang out as Satoshi used a kunai to easily block Toshiro's slash. At the same time, his other hand formed a fist and delivered a heavy punch, striking Kirishima mid-air and sending him flying. In the next moment, while Toshiro was in mid-air, Satoshi raised his foot and delivered a swift kick to his stomach.
Without attempting to resist the momentum, Toshiro leaped back to the ground, reaching for the ninja pouch at his waist with his left hand.
At that moment, a figure appeared above Satoshi.
"Genjutsu: Demonic Illusion!"
The figure was none other than Uchiha Asuka. She clung to a tree trunk above Satoshi, hanging upside down like a bat, and cast the genjutsu on her uncle. However, the significant gap in their strength made her attack almost ineffective.
Satoshi's eyes gleamed with recognition of her effort, but he easily broke the illusion, a testament to his superior skill.
Even a well-prepared genjutsu, timed perfectly, cannot overcome a significant disparity in strength. Asuka now faced Satoshi's counterattack.
"Swish! Swish! Swish!"
Fortunately, Toshiro's shuriken interrupted Satoshi-sensei's follow-up attack, buying Asuka some time.
The battle then became a series of coordinated attacks by the three against Satoshi, with each taking turns and covering for one another. The fight gradually moved from the woods back to the open training ground.
Throughout the battle, they employed various ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu. Toshiro made several attempts to use the Shunshin to seize the bell from Satoshi's waist. Meanwhile, Satoshi skillfully used basic techniques like the substitution jutsu to counter their attacks with apparent ease, hardly showing any strain.
Despite this, after an hour of intense fighting, the three were exhausted. Toshiro managed to stay on his feet, but Kirishima was doubled over, sweating profusely and panting heavily. His legs trembled, barely able to support him. Asuka, being less physically robust, was sitting on the grass, pale and exhausted from the strenuous exercise.
"Am I pushing them too hard?" Satoshi mused.
Reflecting on their initial coordinated attack, he realized they had already passed. He especially noted Asuka, who seemed on the verge of giving up. Regret washed over him as he acknowledged that he might have overdone it.
"Maybe I didn't go easy enough?" he pondered.
He recalled his own experience with the bell test, remembering that they had eventually managed to capture the bell from their teacher. Now, in his first time serving as a mentor, Satoshi realized his inexperience might have led him to push too hard.
Standing opposite Satoshi, Toshirou glanced at his two teammates, both at their limits. He found the situation perplexing.
Although Kirishima had been impulsive at first, they managed to coordinate well in the later stages of the battle. The tactics they had devised, along with the initial traps, should have sufficed to pass the test. So why was Satoshi-sensei still pushing them to their limits? Was he genuinely testing their endurance?
Despite having lived two lives, he couldn’t fathom that Satoshi, being a first-time sensei, might make such a simple mistake due to inexperience. This resulted in an awkward situation with no clear resolution in sight.
The Uchiha clan had long been excluded from the jonin-sensei system. Except for Uchiha Kagami, none had served as a sensei. Consequently, no one in the clan had teaching experience. Satoshi's own teacher was deceased, leaving him without a mentor to consult. Moreover, upon seeing Toshiro's remarkable potential, Satoshi had been overly excited, leading to the current predicament.
"I have a basic understanding of everyone's abilities. Starting tomorrow, we'll take on some simple missions. Once you can coordinate smoothly, we'll begin a round of special training for everyone," Satoshi announced.
"Also, I’ve reserved a table at the clan’s barbecue restaurant. Remember to meet there at 5:30 this evening," he added. Struggling to maintain a serious demeanor, Satoshi quickly performed the Shunshin and vanished from sight.
"It's finally over," Kirishima sighed in relief, collapsing onto the grass. He had remained standing purely out of stubbornness.
"Is it just me, or did it seem like sensei was in a hurry to leave?" Toshiro wondered. Dismissing the thought, he also sat down to rest. Though his stamina was better than Kirishima’s and Asuka’s, the hour-long, high-intensity battle had exhausted him as well.
Meanwhile, in the office of the Chief of the Police Force, Satoshi was reporting to his brother, Uchiha Shigeyama, about the progress of the clan’s young talents.
"Kirishima Uchiha is a bit reckless but highly resilient. His physical skills are impressive, and he can skillfully perform the clan’s fire-style ninjutsu. With some training, he could become an excellent shinobi.
"Uchiha Asuka is quite intelligent. Her chakra control is good, and her illusions are very clever. Although her chakra reserves are currently limited due to her age and her ninjutsu power is somewhat weak, she shows great promise with time.
"As for Uchiha Toshiro, his chakra level is already close to that of a Chunin-level ninja. His proficiency in fire-style techniques is advanced, and his foundation in taijutsu and swordsmanship is solid. He hasn’t yet demonstrated his talent in genjutsu, but he has made significant achievements in ninjutsu, even being able to perform one-handed seals at a young age. His tactics are well thought out, and he is resolute. He is an outstanding genius.
"That’s my assessment of the three of them."
Sitting opposite Uchiha Shigeyama, Satoshi recounted the recent battle and provided his evaluation of each student.
After listening to his younger brother's report, Shigeyama, typically stern and serious, allowed a rare smile to surface. The emergence of a true genius in the family always filled him with pride and optimism, feeling that it brought them closer to the goal of reviving their clan to their previous glory. Ordinary talents were for lesser families to celebrate; for the Uchiha, exceptional abilities were the standard.
"Fugaku, I recall you being the one to meet this child. What is your impression of him?"
Without immediately voicing his own opinion, Uchiha Shigema turned his attention to his son, hoping to hear his perspective.
Standing next to him in the office, with a straight posture and a cold demeanor, Fugaku Uchiha’s deep eyes momentarily flashed with a hint of something unreadable.
