Chapter 32: Teaching
Beneath the great waterfall.
Rumble!
"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet!"
"Wind Style: Verdant Gale!"
"Earth Style: Quicksand Pit!"
A water dragon burst forth from the surface, lunging toward Tonbo Tobitake under Iruka's control. Togetake Tetusen infused Wind Style chakra into a Fuma Shuriken, flanking Tonbo to form a pincer movement with Iruka. Simultaneously, a quicksand trap several meters wide opened beneath Tonbo's feet, intended to bind him and provide the finishing assist for her teammates.
Facing this coordinated assault, Tonbo smiled slightly.
He wove hand signs. It was incredibly fast—a mere blur of motion.
The attacks connected with a solid thud.
Poof!
A block of wood appeared where Tonbo had been standing.
"Ah, the Substitution Jutsu," Iruka muttered in frustration. The Water Dragon and the Fuma Shuriken had struck nothing but timber.
Huff, puff!
The three teenagers were panting. Using jutsus of this scale took a significant toll on their stamina.
"Is that all you've got?"
Before they knew it, Tonbo was hanging vertically off the side of the waterfall, his hands already in a seal. He pressed his palm against the rock face.
"Small Earth Pillar Rods!"
Thud, thud, thud!
Countless stone rods shot out from beneath the trio like a blooming flower. Tonbo held back his power, however; he merely used the pillars to poke them in the rear, sending them flying into the air before stopping the technique.
"Yeow!"
The three landed, clutching their backsides and jumping around in pain. This was the third day of their special training.
Under Tonbo's guidance, they had used chakra induction paper to discover their elemental affinities:
Iruka: Water and Fire.Tetusen: Wind.Mibu Shinobu: Earth.
Tonbo had taught each of them one B-rank ninjutsu just to let them taste the difficulty of high-level techniques. However, he had underestimated his own teaching ability; within just three days, all three were already able to release their respective jutsus fully.
"Dammit, Captain! Didn't you say you only knew a 'tiny bit' about ninjutsu outside of Genjutsu?" Mibu Shinobu shouted in annoyance.
They had been tricked. They truly thought it was just a "tiny bit," so they had confidently challenged him to a three-on-one match today, under the condition that he couldn't use Genjutsu or Taijutsu. Little did they know that Tonbo's "tiny bit" was a vast understatement. Ninjutsu seemed like an extension of his own limbs; he directed them with effortless precision. Every one of their attacks felt like it had been read from the start.
The other two nodded in fierce agreement. They had believed him too—until this fight.
Tonbo laughed. "It really is just a tiny bit. It's just that your proficiency is too low, not that I'm too strong. Understand?"
"Alright, today's sparring ends here. Next, we review your current weaknesses."
He pointed at Iruka. "Iruka, your control over Shape Transformation is too poor. Whether it's attack power or speed, you're far behind where you should be. Next, you need to focus on mastering the shape of your jutsus."
"Mibu Shinobu, same for you. Your poor Shape Transformation makes your Quicksand Pit form too slowly. As for Genjutsu training, that starts only after your foundations are solid."
"Tetusen, your talent is the strongest among the three. Your attack speed and jutsu formation are both relatively fast. Therefore, you need to dive deep into Nature Transformation for Wind, making your attacks much sharper."
He gave his pointers generously. Concepts like Nature and Shape Transformation—things Naruto didn't even touch until two and a half years into training with Jiraiya—were being hammered into them now. It was difficult, but necessary.
Mastering one's own Nature Transformation, then learning others to handle different types of enemies, was the standard path to becoming a Jonin in Konoha. Except for anomalies like Guy, this was how it worked. And coincidentally, Tonbo knew a "tiny bit" about all of it.
He wanted his students to all become Jonin before the main plot began. Otherwise, it would be a blow to his reputation. In the original story, only Sakura became a Jonin under Kakashi's tutelage (though the rest of the Konoha 11 eventually made it after the war). If he lost to them, that wouldn't do.
Even though Tonbo insisted on being a simple "worker" who went where he was needed, a worker still had pride. Especially since he was getting married in two years—he needed a legacy worth bragging about to his future children.
"But that's enough for today. Come on, I'll take you to a hot spring. I heard there's a very comfortable inn in the nearby town."
A ninja couldn't train 24/7. He understood the balance between work and rest.
"Oh yeah!" the three cheered. Being with the Captain was great—he always treated them to big meals and fun activities. The training was just a bit brutal.
Watching them celebrate, Tonbo pulled out a dragonfly-shaped wallet and counted his funds. He had enough to last until they returned to Konoha. Some of the money had been given to him specifically by Ayame before he left. It's so good to have a wealthy girlfriend!
The Tonbo squad continued this daily routine.
Mornings began with a hearty breakfast in a bustling town, followed by ninja attribute training. They'd return for lunch and gather the latest intel on Asuma's movements. Evenings were dedicated to night travel at Tonbo's request, moving to the next town while honing their stealth and navigation skills.
Without distractions, the trio progressed rapidly. Not very fast, of course—even geniuses like Neji or Sasuke wouldn't see massive gains in a single month. This was a game of accumulation.
Tonbo didn't push more high-level jutsus on them; one was enough for now. He focused on the basics: chakra control, Shape and Nature Transformation, tool throwing, Taijutsu development, and combat drills. He also used various battlefield case studies to teach them how to react to different scenarios. These fundamentals, distilled from the memories of countless ninjas he had absorbed, were the core of his curriculum. If their foundation was solid, they would learn at a blistering pace even when he wasn't around.
In truth, the one who improved the most was Tonbo himself.
Genjutsu aside, my ninjutsu is becoming smoother, and my overall ninja attributes are steadily rising. As expected, teaching others is the fastest way to master the material!
Tonbo hadn't expected that teaching students would act as a catalyst for his already formidable talent. Regarding ninja fundamentals, he could now confidently say that even Jiraiya wasn't his match in terms of theoretical depth—whether it was chakra mechanics or general ninja knowledge.
Perhaps in terms of deep-cover intelligence, he was still far behind, but then again, he wasn't a spy. He was a "worker" from the Analysis Team, and having this level of ability was already more than enough.
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