[Uchiha Sasuke - Great Fireball Technique]
Flashiness: ★★★☆☆ (Looks impressive, big fire)
Practicality: ★★☆☆☆ (Pure straight-line attack—too easy to predict and counter. Still, chakra quality and volume are top-tier among genin.)
Sasuke gripped his kunai, veins bulging on the back of his hand.
The humiliation of being toyed with felt even stronger than when he lost to Karin.
Because this time, the opponent hadn't even used a proper ninjutsu.
"My turn!"
Karin's clear voice rang out.
She took a deep breath, her red eyes showing unprecedented seriousness.
She knew ordinary attacks wouldn't work on Big Brother Sora.
"Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Several golden chakra chains shot out from behind her like living serpents.
But her target wasn't the shadow clone himself—it was the ground beneath his feet and the surrounding trees.
The chains arced gracefully through the air: one plunged deep into the earth, while others wrapped around nearby trunks, attempting to weave an inescapable cage in an instant.
"Oh?"
A hint of approval finally appeared on the shadow clone's face.
"Nice thinking."
He tapped the ground lightly with his toe, his body floating upward like a weightless falling leaf.
Just as he reached mid-air—at the moment when his old force was spent and new force hadn't yet come—
That was the timing Karin had been waiting for!
"Now!"
The chain lurking underground burst from the soil like a golden viper, striking straight at the airborne shadow clone.
Timing, angle, speed—all perfectly grasped.
Yet the shadow clone twisted his body at an impossible angle in mid-air.
His toe precisely tapped the tip of the incoming chain.
Borrowing that single point of force, he flipped in the air and landed lightly outside the cage.
He even gave Karin a thumbs-up.
"Your control has improved again, Karin. Worthy of praise."
Karin's little face instantly fell.
Her proudest attack had been turned into a circus prop by the opponent.
From under the tree, Sora nodded in satisfaction.
[Uzumaki Karin - Adamantine Sealing Chains · Applied Version]
Flashiness: ★★★★☆ (The golden legend never goes out of style, and the tactical design is quite creative)
Practicality: ★★★☆☆ (The core issue is still insufficient precision in control and explosive power, but for a genin, this is already outstanding.)
"Damn it!"
Naruto charged forward again.
"One more time!"
Sasuke refused to show weakness and formed seals once more.
Karin gritted her teeth and reactivated her chains.
The next hour became a nightmare for the three kids.
No matter what they tried—solo attacks or simple two-on-one combos—they couldn't touch even the corner of the shadow clone's clothing.
The shadow clone was like the ultimate sparring partner, always neutralizing their attacks in the simplest, most effective, and most infuriating ways.
He would block Sasuke's kunai with a book.
When Naruto charged, he would suddenly crouch, causing Naruto to trip and eat dirt.
He even balanced on Karin's dancing chains like he was walking a tightrope.
One hour later.
Naruto lay sprawled on the ground in a "大" shape, panting heavily, not wanting to move a single finger.
Sasuke leaned against a tree trunk, sweat soaking his black hair. He kept his head down, bangs hiding his expression, but his tightly clenched fists revealed his unwillingness to accept defeat.
Karin was half-kneeling on the ground; maintaining the Adamantine Sealing Chains had drained her just as much.
And the culprit—the shadow clone—still looked as relaxed as ever, his breathing not even slightly disturbed.
From under the tree, Sora finally set down his book and let out a long yawn.
"What's wrong? Already out of energy?"
He stood up, walked over to the three, and looked down at them.
"I thought you'd at least make me get a little serious."
"D-Don't... underestimate us!" Naruto struggled to prop himself up on his elbows and roared defiantly. "You're... you're just cheating!"
"Cheating?" Sora laughed. "This shadow clone hasn't used a single ninjutsu above C-rank."
"It's you who are too weak."
Those words stabbed deep into the hearts of all three like a knife.
"Why..." Sasuke spoke hoarsely, lifting his head. His dark eyes were filled with confusion and incomprehension. "Why can't we even touch one of your shadow clones?"
Sora crouched down and looked at them.
"Because from the very beginning, you've all misunderstood one thing."
His smile vanished, and his amber eyes calmly met each of theirs.
"I told the three of you to attack my shadow clone together."
"Yet you've been fighting individually the whole time."
Naruto froze.
Sasuke's body stiffened.
Karin lowered her head, deep in thought.
"Naruto, you only know how to brute-force with shadow clones. Sasuke, you only think about winning in one hit with your fire style. Karin, while you use strategy, your eyes are fixed solely on the target."
"Has any of you even glanced at your teammates?"
"Has any of you thought about coordinating with them?"
Silence fell over the training ground.
Only the rustle of wind through the leaves could be heard.
"A ninja team isn't three ninjas added together."
Sora stood up, his voice echoing across the empty field.
"It's one whole."
With that, he turned to leave.
"If you can't figure it out, stay here until you do. Come challenge me again when you understand."
"And of course, there's no lunch."
His utterly irresponsible, slacker attitude finally pushed Sasuke over the edge.
"Stop!"
Sasuke shot to his feet.
He looked at Naruto, then at Karin. For the first time, a trace of struggle appeared on his usually arrogant face.
He wasn't afraid of losing.
But losing like this—without understanding why, without any value—he couldn't accept it.
Gritting his teeth, he barked at Naruto in an almost commanding tone: "Dead-last!"
Naruto, still dejected, instinctively opened his mouth to retort.
But Sasuke cut him off, speaking rapidly: "Use those useless clones of yours and charge straight at him from the front! The more, the better! Draw all his attention!"
Naruto blinked in surprise.
Sasuke turned to Karin: "Karin! Use your chains to seal off his left and right sides—and underground! Don't give him any room to move!"
Karin looked up at Sasuke.
"And you?" Naruto couldn't help asking.
Sasuke took a deep breath, his gaze locked firmly on the shadow clone's turned back.
"The instant he's pinned down by you two..."
"I'll come from above and deliver the final blow!"
Sora, who had been about to walk away, paused.
He turned back, a genuine, interested smile finally appearing on his face.
"Oh? Finally getting it?"
He glanced at his shadow clone, who merely shrugged indifferently.
On the training ground, the three young ninjas stood up once more.
For the first time, their positions formed a solid triangle.
A faint, intangible connection quietly formed between them.