"No mission today."
Kakashi spoke lazily, his voice carrying the exhaustion of someone who hadn't fully woken up.
"Head to the training ground. 2v2 sparring."
He waved the orange-covered book in his hand as a greeting.
"To test the results of your training and get familiar with the new member's fighting style."
His dead-fish eye swept over the four present.
Akashi Sora, codename "Crow."
Yamanaka Kaede, codename "Bird."
Yamato, codename "Armor."
And the newcomer, Uchiha Itachi, codename "Raven."
"So, the teams…" Kakashi deliberately dragged out the words. "Sora, you're with Kaede. Yamato, you're with Raven."
"What about you?" Sora asked instinctively.
"I'll supervise, of course," Kakashi replied matter-of-factly.
Inside, Sora's mind erupted into a violent storm.
2v2.
Him and Kaede.
Against.
Yamato and Uchiha Itachi.
Perfect.
Wood Release on one side, Sharingan on the other.
Two top-tier feasts laid out before him—aroma wafting, yet he was told he could only look, not eat freely.
Even the choice of which to taste first was taken away.
His choice paralysis was forcibly cured.
Because there was no choice.
Fantastic!
Sora laughed maniacally inside, nearly tearing up.
"Sora, we're teamed up. Please guide me."
Kaede walked over to him. Masked as "Bird," her expression was hidden, but her voice was steady.
"Absolutely! Kaede-senpai, let's give it our all and show them what we've got!"
"Mmm." Kaede gave a simple acknowledgment.
On the other side, Yamato and Itachi had already taken position.
Yamato remained masked and silent.
Itachi wore no mask; his calm face showed no emotional fluctuation.
He simply gazed quietly at Sora—those pitch-black eyes deep enough to hold nothing, yet seem to see through everything.
Here it comes.
Every cell in Sora's body cheered.
"Alright, simple rules," Kakashi said, leaning against a tree and opening his book. "Before noon, take the bells from your opponents."
"Any means allowed. Goal: seize the bells or incapacitate the opponents."
"Then…"
"Begin!"
The moment the word fell, the training ground's air froze.
No probing.
No hesitation.
Sora's figure left an afterimage in place—not charging forward, but sharply pulling back, dragging Kaede away from the spot.
"Kaede-senpai!" His voice was urgent and clear, carrying undeniable authority. "Use your technique to disrupt Yamato-senpai's chakra! In three seconds!"
Kaede stumbled slightly from the pull, but she instantly understood Sora's intent.
Disrupt Yamato? Why not the more dangerous Itachi?
The thought flashed and vanished.
She chose to trust.
On the other side, Itachi and Yamato reacted with terrifying speed.
As Sora and Kaede retreated, Yamato's hands slammed the ground.
"Wood Release!"
Four thick wooden pillars erupted, instantly forming a sturdy defensive structure shielding him and Itachi.
In the gap as the pillars rose, Itachi's hands blurred like phantoms—eight shuriken whistling through the air with perfect precision, sealing all possible advance routes for Sora and Kaede.
Seamless coordination.
"Whoa! So fast!" Sora let out an exaggerated cry, pulling Kaede in a clumsy dodge from the shuriken barrage.
His face showed just the right amount of panic.
Inside, calculations ran wild.
[Wood Release ninjutsu detected… Recording initiated…]
Not enough.
This level was mere building material.
He wanted the true power over all creation—the force that birthed life.
"Now!" Sora barked lowly.
Kaede was already prepared, hands forming the Yamanaka clan's unique seal.
"Yamanaka Secret Technique: Mind Derangement Technique!"
An invisible mental shockwave bypassed all physical barriers, slamming precisely into Yamato behind the wooden structure.
Yamato's body stiffened.
Though he shook it off instantly with sheer willpower, his chakra flow disrupted for 0.1 seconds.
Enough.
For Sora, that was enough.
"Kaede-senpai, take cover! Watch this!"
Sora shouted, releasing Kaede as his hands flew through seals.
Not any known Fire Release sequence.
This was his own optimized combination of several C-rank Fire seals, created via the system.
[Great Fireball Technique (Triple Compression)]
He opened his mouth—not a fireball.
But a sea of flame!
A massive fire tornado over five meters wide roared forth, carrying temperatures hot enough to incinerate everything, charging straight at Yamato's wooden structure!
"What?"
Kakashi, lounging against the tree with his book, suddenly sat upright.
This power—where was the Great Fireball?
This was clearly A-rank scale!
Flames instantly engulfed the wooden structure.
Amid crackling burns, Yamato's calm voice emerged.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
BOOM!
A row of massive wooden planks flipped up from the ground, forming a curved, sturdy shield that blocked the inferno dead-on.
Flames and wood shield clashed violently, producing deafening roars as massive smoke and steam billowed, obscuring everyone's vision.
[High-tier Wood Release ninjutsu detected… Recording initiated…]
Good.
The corner of Sora's mouth curled unseen.
Pressuring Yamato was just the appetizer.
The main course was just beginning.
At the peak of steam density, Sora moved.
[Replicate and play: Body Flicker Technique]
His figure vanished.
Not retreating or sidestepping.
But charging straight into the steel-melting inferno and steam!
Madman!
That was the simultaneous thought in Kaede and Kakashi's minds.
Yet the next second.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Three kunai spinning with air currents pierced the steam in a triangular formation, aimed at Itachi—whose vision was completely blocked behind the wood shield!
Timing, angle, speed—all perfect!
A calculated certain-kill!
Itachi's reaction transcended human limits.
In the instant before the kunai emerged, he seemed to have already predicted the attack.
His body merely tilted the minimal amount, evading everything.
But for the first time, gravity appeared on his face.
Steam slowly cleared.
Sora's figure appeared before Itachi—less than five meters apart.
His clothes were singed, hair disheveled—looking utterly battered.
"Haa… haa… Itachi-kun, you're amazing! You dodged that too!" He braced his knees, gasping, face full of survivor's relief.
Yamato had dismissed the Wood Locking Wall and stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Itachi, warily watching Sora.
That instant exchange had been so fast Yamato barely reacted.
Was this boy called Sora really just a Chunin?
Uchiha Itachi said nothing.
He simply gazed at Sora.
Those pitch-black eyes seemed capable of piercing hearts.
That attack wasn't luck.
The boy had charged into the steam, using flames and heat as cover while enhancing kunai with Wind Release for penetration and spin—and predicted both his and Yamato's positions.
This chain required not just talent.
But terrifyingly calm calculation and battlefield control.
This man…
"Hey, Sora, you…" Kaede rushed over from behind, words full of shock.
"Hehe, just lucky, lucky!" Sora turned, giving her a thumbs-up with a goofy grin.
"Next—we're getting serious!"
Sora faced Itachi again, assuming a standard fighting stance.
This time, no tricks.
Pure taijutsu charge.
[Replicate and play: Body Flicker Technique]
[Wind Release: Vacuum Blade]
His figure blurred in high-speed movement as invisible wind blades slashed from all directions toward Itachi.
Seamlessly combining Body Flicker and ninjutsu!
Facing the storm-like assault, Itachi's body moved like a leaf in wind.
No retreat.
Just the simplest, most efficient dodges and blocks.
Every motion precise—as if predicting Sora's attacks in advance.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew from clashing kunai across the field.
The two figures were too fast for the naked eye.
Kaede and Yamato could no longer interfere.
They saw only two shadows crisscrossing wildly, each clash sending violent gusts.
"Too… too strong…" Kaede murmured.
She knew Sora was strong, but never imagined he could go toe-to-toe with the Uchiha clan's greatest prodigy like this!
Kakashi had set his book aside.
His dead-fish eye locked on the fight.
Something's off.
Sora's taijutsu was strange.
Sometimes fierce and wide-open—Iwa style.
Sometimes sneaky, targeting legs—Suna secret arts.
Sometimes fluid and elusive—like a Konoha Flow variant.
He was a monster stitched from countless taijutsu schools!
Just how much had this kid learned?
At the center.
Sora grew more excited with every exchange.
Not enough!
This level still wouldn't force out the Sharingan!
He needed greater pressure!
"Kaede-senpai!" Sora shouted after one clash, leaping back to create distance. "Now—control Yamato-senpai!"
Again?
Yamato braced fully.
But Kaede's target this time wasn't him.
Her seals aimed at Uchiha Itachi!
"Mind Body Switch Technique!"
The mental shock struck silently.
Itachi's body didn't pause even a fraction.
Yamanaka techniques were ineffective against him.
But it was a feint.
As Kaede launched, Sora's real body was already forming seals.
[Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!]
Poof! Poof! Poof!
Ten identical shadow clones appeared across the field.
Then all ten formed seals simultaneously.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Ten massive fireballs roared from every direction—no dead angles—toward the central Uchiha Itachi!
Certain death!
Yamato tried to assist but was too late.
Kaede, suffering backlash from forcing the technique on Itachi, couldn't move temporarily.
Kakashi's hand was already on his blade hilt.
Yet.
Facing the apocalyptic assault, Uchiha Itachi stood motionless.
He slowly raised his head.
The next moment.
Those pitch-black eyes drowned in crimson.
Three black tomoe slowly spun within, radiating ominous, bewitching light.
Sharingan—awakened!
Under Sharingan insight, the world changed.
The ten fireballs' trajectories, casters' chakra flows—even every dust particle in the air—became crystal clear.
He saw it.
Behind one shadow clone, Sora's real body was preparing the true killing blow.
Itachi moved.
He ignored the ten fireballs that could reduce him to ash.
His figure vanished.
When those black eyes turned crimson and three tomoe spun, the world's flow slowed in Itachi's perception.
The ten roaring fireballs became ten slow-moving, clearly trajectoried targets.
He could even see every flickering chakra thread at the flames' edges.
His body moved.
No retreat, no dodge.
He simply threaded an impossible, physics-defying path through the nonexistent gaps between fireballs.
Every motion flawless.
Every sidestep, every duck—perfect.
He passed through the fire net.
Unscathed.
Then appeared before the first shadow clone.
Kunai drawn.
A flash of cold light.
The clone poofed into smoke.
Second.
Third.
His figure left afterimages across the field—each flash accompanied by a clone's dispersion.
Hidden, Sora remained calm inside—even wanting to whistle.
Perfect.
This was the data he wanted.
Sasuke's half-baked awakening was nothing compared to this battle-honed instinct.
These clones were "cameras" gifted to Itachi—"sensors" for data collection.
The more that died, the more he gained.
In moments, only three clones remained.
They stopped attacking, shifting to a triangular formation that loosely surrounded Itachi—harassing, containing.
"Just containment now?"
Yamato murmured beside—completely sidelined by the pace.
"No." Kakashi's voice had grown gravely serious.
His orange book was closed—unknown when.
"It's coming."
What's coming?
Yamato had no time to ask.
Sora's real body moved.
He stepped from behind the tree, forming seals.
Not Fire.
[Earth Release: Swamp of the Underworld!]
The ground beneath Itachi suddenly turned to black mire—massive suction instantly locking his feet.
Fast signless ninjutsu!
No—not signless. Seals so fast they blurred!
Itachi sank slightly but showed no panic—twisting at the waist to leap skyward.
Yet as he rose—
[Water Release: Water Turbulent Wave!]
A massive wave materialized from nowhere, surging upward from below—sealing all footing.
Itachi airborne became a sitting target.
"Not done yet!"
Sora's voice trembled with excitement for the first time.
[Wind Release: Vacuum Serial Waves!]
Dozens of invisible wind blades formed a death net, slashing from all sides at airborne Itachi.
Earth, Water, Wind.
Three different natures chained seamlessly.
This was beyond a Chunin—even beyond an ordinary Jonin!
It required monstrous understanding of nature transformation and oceanic chakra reserves!
Kaede was utterly stunned.
Masked, no one saw her gaping mouth or indescribable shock.
Was this the Akashi Sora she knew?
The boy who silly-grinned over mission success, blamed himself for comrades' injuries, asked her endless dumb questions?
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Itachi twisted forcibly midair, spitting a massive fireball that collided head-on with the wind blades and wave.
BOOM!!!!
A violent explosion.
Massive steam instantly shrouded the entire field.
Vision completely blocked.
But Sora's assault didn't stop.
[Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!]
Dozens of small fireballs mixed with shuriken scattered like flowers into the steam.
Uchiha clan signature technique.
Using an Uchiha move against an Uchiha prodigy.
"He's insane…" Kakashi muttered.
He no longer understood.
Akashi Sora—the boy he'd personally recruited into Anbu—how many secrets was he still hiding?
Dense metallic clashes rang from the steam.
Clearly, Itachi blocked everything with Sharingan.
But it wasn't over.
[Lightning Release: Earth Walk!]
A blue current raced along the damp ground from earlier Water Release, instantly surging into the steam-filled zone!
Five nature releases!
In under a minute, the boy had fluidly used all five elemental ninjutsu!
Each far exceeding its rank's power!
This wasn't genius.
This was a monster!
BOOM!
Steam blasted apart from within by tremendous force.
Uchiha Itachi reappeared—clothes slightly torn but standing straight.
Those three-tomoe Sharingan locked dead on Sora—gravity unprecedented.
"You…"
For the first time, he spoke voluntarily.
But Sora gave him no chance to continue.
Because battle was intelligence exchange.
Dialogue would slow the rhythm.
He wanted extreme pressure! Maximum efficient data collection!
"Itachi-kun! Here it comes!"
Sora shouted, hands forming seals again.
This time, Itachi proactively vanished.
No more passive defense.
The boy's ninjutsu reserves seemed endless.
He had to close in! Interrupt the seals!
Itachi became a black lightning bolt charging straight.
But he lunged at only a shadow clone.
The real Sora had already pulled farther back.
His face still wore that energetic smile.
But inside, he roared madly.
Not enough!
Still not enough!
This level won't force your true power!
Show me!
Show me the limit of those eyes!
[Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!]
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
This time—not ten.
Twenty!
Twenty Akashi Soras surrounded the field impenetrably.
Then all twenty simultaneously.
"Five Elements Release: Grand Chain Bullet Technique!"
A name Sora coined himself.
Chuuni, but fitting.