"Are you finally getting serious?"
Yamato looked at him calmly, but the response he received was—
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique!"
Two Shadow Clones formed hand seals simultaneously, as a water dragon and an earth dragon roared and lunged at Yamato from the left and right sides.
"A feint?"
Yamato's eyes flickered slightly, instantly seeing through Tejima Shinichi's intention. The true killing move would surely be the technique the original body was preparing.
Sure enough, Tejima Shinichi's original body had already finished forming hand seals:
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
The surging water flow was like a torrential flood breaking through a dam, crushing forward from the front!
'A very clever triple pincer attack, but...'
Yamato slammed both hands onto the ground.
"Wood Release: Creation of a Forest!"
In an instant, more than a dozen giant trees rapidly erupted from the ground, forming a small forest in the front and on the flanks!
The water dragon and earth dragon crashed into the woods, their power weakened layer by layer by the dense trunks. Meanwhile, the Great Waterfall attacking from the front was guided and diverted by the trees, its impact greatly reduced.
"He changed the local terrain with minimal Chakra!"
Tejima Shinichi thought to himself, reflecting on the move.
Although these trees didn't form a full forest, they precisely disrupted his combined attack formation... At that moment, the weakened water flow washed across the Training Ground, flowing over the unconscious bodies of Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū, even washing them a short distance away.
The icy sensation stimulated their nerves, and since Yamato had held back his strength—
"Cough... cough cough..."
Kobayashi Takeshi coughed, being the first to prop himself up, looking around in a daze.
"What's going on... this is..."
Satō Yū was also jolted awake by the cold water. She shook her wet hair, looking equally confused.
"Were we... woken up by the water?"
They looked at the small forest and water that had suddenly appeared before them, then at Tejima Shinichi and Teacher Yamato facing off at the other end of the forest, unable to grasp the situation for a moment.
The awakening of the two naturally drew the attention of both Tejima Shinichi and Yamato.
It was in that very instant!
Yamato captured the minute Divided Soul in Tejima Shinichi caused by his teammates waking up!
Swoosh!
His figure merged into the tree shadows, and in the next instant, he flashed out from behind a tree beside Tejima Shinichi like a ghost!
His speed was startlingly fast!
"Wood Release: Silent Killing Bind Technique!"
Vine-like wooden strips rapidly coiled toward Tejima Shinichi's feet!
Danger!
Tejima Shinichi's hair stood on end. He performed a limit leap backward, while a Shadow Clone proactively moved forward and was tightly bound by the wooden strips.
Poof!
The Shadow Clone was dispelled.
"You dodged it? Quick reactions, but..."
Yamato commented, but his offensive didn't stop for a moment as his hands instantly pressed against the ground!
"Earth Release: Earth Spike Technique!"
The moment before Tejima Shinichi's feet hit the ground, the earth beneath him vibrated violently, and several sharp rock spears burst through the soil, stabbing straight up!
Tejima Shinichi's pupils shrank, his face changed drastically, and he had no leverage while in the air... it was a critical moment!
His hands rapidly formed seals in front of his chest, and he spat toward the approaching rock spears below—
"Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!"
A glob of mud gushed from Tejima Shinichi's mouth, instantly condensing and shaping beneath him into a thick, curved earth wall!
Bang! Bang! Bang—!
Almost simultaneously, the sharp rock spears slammed hard into the curved earth wall, producing dull thuds and sending stone fragments flying! The earth wall shook violently, but it ultimately blocked the lethal sneak attack!
Phew—!
Standing atop the earth wall, Tejima Shinichi let out a breath. He looked up at the crack-riddled wall, fine beads of cold sweat seeping from his forehead.
"Teacher Yamato... are you trying to kill me?!"
A series of small killing moves had plunged the inexperienced Tejima Shinichi into a crisis!
Hearing this, Yamato's hands paused, a flash of embarrassment crossing his face before he gave a somewhat sheepish smile:
"Sorry, I got a bit too invested and went a little too hard."
Having said that, Yamato reined in his offensive stance. Looking at Tejima Shinichi standing on the rock pillar, his tone carried sincere praise:
"But Shinichi, the feeling you give me... is very special. My combat instincts told me that you would definitely be able to avoid an attack of this level. Your strength truly opens my eyes time and time again."
"Such rapid reactions, being able to judge the optimal response in an instant... to be this powerful at such an age, among the people I know, you can truly be ranked in the top two."
"Top two... huh?"
Atop the earth wall, Tejima Shinichi repeated the words in a low voice.
A name instantly flashed through his mind—the Copy Ninja who always wore a mask, revealed a single dead-fish eye, and was famous throughout the Ninja World.
Presumably, in Yamato's heart, that undisputed number one must be... Kakashi Hatake!
After all, Yamato was a total fanboy of Kakashi!
Not far away, Kobayashi Takeshi and Satō Yū, who had just been woken by the water, took in the thrilling scene that had just occurred.
The two of them gaped, their dazed expressions long since replaced by extreme shock.
Kobayashi Takeshi swallowed hard and uncontrollably nudged Satō Yū next to him with his elbow:
"Hey... Yū, are we... really taking the same 'Genin' test as that guy? Is this... is this really a battle we can participate in?"
Satō Yū swayed from his nudge but didn't react.
She stared blankly at Tejima Shinichi, who stood proudly atop the earth wall confronting their Jonin teacher. Recalling the hair-raising rock spears and Shinichi's miraculous response, she was currently at a loss for words. Her lips moved, and she finally managed to squeeze out a few words:
"A monster..."
On the field, thoughts raced through Tejima Shinichi's mind.
'The defensive and field control capabilities of Wood Release are indeed troublesome... conventional Ninjutsu combinations are hard to break through, the timing for a close-quarters assault is difficult to capture... and I can't beat him in Taijutsu...'
But... his gaze swept over Yamato's waist—those two Bells remained motionless.
'In that case...'
As if he had thought of something, Tejima Shinichi leaped down from the earth wall and put some distance between himself and Yamato.
"Teacher Yamato," Tejima Shinichi spoke loudly, "whether it's Taijutsu, tactics, or combat experience, I'm not as good as you. Clever tactics are hard to pull off against you, and conventional Ninjutsu combinations can't break through your Wood Release defense."
"However, I've still thought of a way to win."
Upon hearing this, Yamato wasn't anxious; instead, a flash of interest appeared in his eyes. At this moment, as a teacher, what he most enjoyed seeing was his Disciple thinking of ways to break a deadlock during battle.
"Oh?" Yamato raised an eyebrow with interest. "Let's hear it."
The corners of Tejima Shinichi's mouth curled slightly, and his eyes suddenly became sharp.
"Wood Release is indeed very strong, but you have one fatal weakness—" He said emphatically, "Your Chakra reserves are too low!"
"What!?"
Hearing this, Yamato's pupils constricted, and a bad premonition suddenly rose in his heart.
Before he could respond, Tejima Shinichi's hands were already forming seals—
Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof!
Four Shadow Clones appeared and spread out in a fan shape with his original body.
"Next," Tejima Shinichi and his Clones began forming seals simultaneously as a massive amount of Chakra erupted, making the air vibrate, "I will decide the outcome in the most direct way."
Tejima Shinichi's original body and four Shadow Clones began forming seals together. A massive amount of Chakra erupted, and the air vibrated slightly due to the terrifying energy fluctuations.
"Let's settle this with absolute Chakra reserves and Ninjutsu firepower!"
"Teacher Yamato—"
Before his voice faded, the Ninjutsu roared forth—
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet Technique!"
"Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique!"
"Earth Release: Earth Spike Technique!"
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Five Ninjutsu, from five directions, swept toward Yamato with a momentum that could crush anything!
There were no fancy variations or complex tactics, only the most violent firepower coverage!
Facing this simultaneous tide of multiple Ninjutsu, Yamato's expression finally changed.
He could feel that the scale, intensity, and coverage of these five Ninjutsu attacks far exceeded anything from before!
Just how much Chakra did the person in front of him use?!
'This amount of Chakra... he's simply a monster!'
Yamato rapidly formed hand seals, and Chakra surged out.
"Wood Release: Wood Locking Wall!"
A row of wooden pillars curved from the ground to form an arched wall, blocking the front.
"Wood Release: Tree Wall!"
Immediately after, even more thick trees erupted from the ground, intertwining behind the Wood Locking Wall to form a second, even sturdier wooden shield.
Almost the moment the defense was completed, the first wave of Ninjutsu arrived with a crash!
The water dragon and earth dragon slammed hard into the Wood Locking Wall, creating a deafening roar. Wood chips flew, and cracks appeared on the surface of the wall.
The following Great Waterfall impact completely shattered the Wood Locking Wall, but the water flow, its power significantly weakened, was steadily blocked by the Tree Wall behind it.
In that brief interval, Yamato's figure retreated rapidly.
"Body Flicker Technique!"
He instantly put distance between them, narrowly avoiding the Earth Flow Spears stabbing from underground, while simultaneously forming a seal with one hand to manipulate the Tree Wall's form, guiding the final Exploding Water Colliding Wave to the side.
The Training Ground was instantly submerged in the light of Ninjutsu, and the roar was deafening.
With his massive Chakra and the extreme coordination of his Shadow Clones, Tejima Shinichi had single-handedly executed a composite Ninjutsu attack comparable to an entire Ninja squad, forcing an experienced Jonin into a state of total defense!