Higashino Shin felt that his team-leading Jonin was doing this on purpose. The moment to test their will of fire had come, though he didn't know if it was on the instructions of some old geezer or the man's own idea.
But it didn't matter. Only fools who don't plan a way out and lack sufficient strength would be reduced to making difficult choices. Higashino Shin's choice was: 'I want it all.jpg'.
Suddenly, from the ground beside Gekkō Hayate and Yūgao Uzuki, a sharp Wind Blade shot out toward each of them.
The Wind Blades were only the width of a palm and were almost transparent and invisible; one could only see a faint, blurry outline through the distorted air.
They were exceptionally sharp and incredibly fast, slicing through Gekko Yun Jian's body in the blink of an eye.
With two 'poof' sounds, Gekko Yun Jian's Shadow Clones were dispelled. Hayate and Yūgao regained their freedom and immediately stood back-to-back with weapons in hand to prevent another sneak attack.
"Sensei, only those without a backup plan face choices. Obviously, just like you, I have a backup plan as well."
Gekko Yun Jian's eyes showed a look of admiration. "So you had two Shadow Clones hidden underground waiting for an opportunity? Your combat talent is indeed excellent."
"Of course, your Chakra capacity also astounds me. Even if Hayate and the others could think of such a backup plan, they wouldn't be able to pull it off. Their Chakra reserves can't support this kind of battle strategy."
It wasn't just them; any Ninja without a large amount of Chakra wouldn't be able to use it.
Although Higashino Shin had a lot of Chakra, he didn't like to waste it. The reason he could do this was his freakishly extreme level of Chakra control and his deep research into the principles of Ninjutsu.
After two years of improvements, his Shadow Clones no longer split the original's Chakra equally; instead, he allocated the appropriate amount based on the need.
For example, the Clones that launched the Wind Blades from underground just now only had the capacity for one strike and automatically dispelled after finishing the job.
Because no matter how much Chakra a Shadow Clone used, the pain transmitted back to the original when it popped wouldn't be any less. He had to minimize the possibility of his Shadow Clones receiving fatal attacks to avoid affecting his main body.
Higashino Shin held a Kunai, but his defensive focus was on his own flank.
"Shall we continue, Yun Jian-sensei?"
"Poof!" The Gekko Yun Jian he was holding hostage exploded into a cloud of white mist; that was also a Shadow Clone.
The original slowly walked out from behind a large tree at the rear of the battlefield. "That's enough. Your strength has already met my requirements."
"Yay, we succeeded!" Hearing this, Yūgao Uzuki lowered her guard and jumped up happily.
Gekkō Hayate was also very happy, though there was a hint of dejection in his joy. His strength was far behind his father's, yet his friend, who was a year younger, could fight his father on equal terms and even prepared a backup plan to rescue them from being hostages.
Gekko Yun Jian looked at the two of them. "You're celebrating too early. The battle plan was good, but your strength is too poor. From now on, you must double your efforts to Cultivate."
"The situation just now is very common in Ninja battles. You wouldn't want to actually become leverage for an enemy to threaten your teammates in the future, would you?"
"We understand, Sensei."
"I will work twice as hard to Cultivate, Sensei."
The two of them promised seriously. Children in the Ninja World are like this; after becoming a Ninja, they often shed their naivety after just one or two battles. Those who can't shed it are all dead.
Hayate felt this more deeply than Yūgao because his former teammate, Amamatsu, was that kind of naive person. Fortunately, his luck was good; he didn't lose his life, only a leg.
Perhaps for a child aspiring to be a Ninja, being crippled is more painful than death and will be a source of suffering for a lifetime.
Gekko Yun Jian looked at Higashino Shin. "The attack you launched from underground just now was a type of Wind Blade, right? It's a bit like the Vacuum Wave, or the Blade of Wind from the Suna Ninjas."
"But the way you used it is more sophisticated. Did you develop it yourself? Of course, Ninjutsu is a Ninja's secret; you can choose not to say."
The Blade of Wind was the signature move of the future Sunagakure elite Jonin, Baki. It was seal-less and instantaneous, and its record included instantly killing a Konoha Tokubetsu Jōnin during the Chunin Exams.
What a coincidence—that Tokubetsu Jōnin's name was also Gekkō Hayate!
Gekkō Hayate: "???"
"There's nothing I can't say, Sensei. It was indeed developed after I practiced the sharp cutting nature of the wind attribute. At the same time, to improve killing efficiency, I spent time developing it into a Seal-less Ninjutsu."
"It has enhanced stealth, increased speed, and can be launched with one hand. Of course, it causes a little damage to the cells in the fingers, so it's best suited for use with a high-quality Ninja sword."
"Have you given it a good name? If not, I could..."
"Wind Release: Shadowless Sword!" Higashino Shin answered quickly, immediately stopping Gekko Yun Jian's attempt to seize the naming rights.
Many of these adult Ninjas in Konoha are dead serious on the surface but actually have quite a bit of chuunibyou thoughts left inside; Minato Namikaze is a prime example of this.
"Shadowless Sword? A very apt and simple name. In terms of Wind Release development, you are already ahead of us adults. The difficulty of practicing this Ninjutsu should be at least A-rank."
Gekko Yun Jian marveled for a while, and then his expression became serious. "Shin, as you know, I need to report the information about the team members truthfully to Hokage-sama. If you don't want to disclose it, I can make an exception and show favoritism for you once."
"You don't have to trouble yourself, Uncle Kumomi. Just report normally."
"Alright." Gekko Yun Jian smiled and looked at the three of them. "That's all for today. At 7 PM, I'll treat you to BBQ. You know the place."
"Now, all of you go back and prepare your personal Ninja tools. Tomorrow, you will start performing missions as official Ninjas. Dismissed."
After saying that, Gekko Yun Jian left with a Body Flicker.
---
"Hey, Shin, was that move the Ninjutsu you've been creating? It's so amazing! It popped Uncle Kumomi's Shadow Clone in an instant, but the name doesn't sound very cool."
As soon as the team-leading Jonin left, Yūgao Uzuki immediately became lively.
"It's just a name; as long as it's apt, it's fine. Why make it so complicated?" As Higashino Shin spoke, he suddenly changed his tune. "If you want it to sound impressive, how about 'Innate Body-Shattering Formless Sword Qi'? Or maybe 'Super Gale Under the Moon Infinite Combo Cold Light Slash Isshiki'?"
"Uh, those sound okay, but aren't they too long? Also, what does it have to do with Hayate? Forget it, let's just call it Shadowless Sword. The point is, I want to learn it. Quick, teach me!"
Ninjutsu is every Ninja's secret and isn't easily taught even to apprentices. However, the three had grown up together, and they were so familiar with each other that they had long since lost such reservations.
"Haven't I already been teaching you guys? As long as you can do this, you've reached the basic requirement." As Higashino Shin spoke, he picked up a small pebble from the ground and held it between his fingers. With a surge of wind-attribute Chakra, the pebble was instantly sliced into powder.
Yūgao Uzuki: "..."
Gekkō Hayate: "Is that the requirement? Don't worry, Shin, I'll work hard to reach it."
"Great, keep it up. Are you two going to restock your Ninja tools?"
Hayate: "I still have some at home; I don't need any for now."
Yūgao: "Me too."
"I used all mine during training, so I need to go buy some. Well then, see you tonight."
It was evening. After the three parted ways, Higashino Shin soon arrived at the Ninja tool shop near his house. This shop was only one street away from his home and had very good quality. Since Shin consumed many Ninja tools during his usual training, he was naturally a regular here.
"Sister Suzu, long time no see. You're in the shop today? Where's Brother Tetsuen?"
During the war, most Ninjas were at the front lines, and Ninja tools were uniformly purchased and distributed by the Village. Thus, there were no customers in the shop, only a young woman holding a baby in her arms.
"Shin, long time no see. Tetsuen? He went to the Forging Workshop. What do you need today?"
"Just these!" Higashino Shin handed her a list and also saw the baby in her arms. It was very small, having just been born a few days ago.
"Is this you and Brother Tetsuen's child? So cute. Is it a boy or a girl? Have you picked a name?"
While getting the items, Suzu replied with a smile, "It's a girl. Her name is Tenten."
"Tenten? Hmm? Tenten?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
"No, nothing. It's a very nice name."
Higashino Shin looked at Suzu's hairstyle, which was tied into two buns. Wasn't this just an upscaled version of Tenten? He hadn't expected to encounter one of the konoha 12 so soon.
It turned out that Tenten was the oldest of the konoha 12, referring to her age.
However, they call them the konoha 12, but is Tenten's skill really that strong?
Nonsense, it's a sad story if you think too much about it.