"Chisuke, it's time. You should take your medicinal bath."
Tasaka Bussei looked up at the moon in the night sky, calling a halt to Chisuke's relentless swordsmanship practice.
Chisuke wiped the sweat from his face and placed his long sword on the rack. Silently, he walked towards the room with the medicinal bath. He was simply too tired to speak.
"You've been training a lot lately. Be careful not to sustain any hidden injuries," Tasaka Bussei cautioned, watching his son enter the large wooden tub with a hint of worry in his eyes.
Chisuke leaned comfortably against the edge. He nodded lazily. "The teacher said I couldn't learn his Blaze Release, so I have to train even harder."
Recently, Chisuke had been training with Pakura, attempting to learn Blaze Release, but he'd made no progress. Since Pakura was a hardworking kunoichi who often went on missions, Chisuke continued his studies at the academy, waiting for her return to the village for further guidance.
Meanwhile, Kyosuke's early graduation application had been approved.
He needed to quickly improve his strength, especially in taijutsu and throwing weapons, which pushed Chisuke and the others to practice their martial arts diligently alongside him.
At the academy, Kyosuke had only learned the Shadow Clone Technique, simple taijutsu, and shurikenjutsu. During the assessment, he could only demonstrate his skills in these specific areas. Because of this, Chisuke also had to put his ninjutsu training on hold for now to help him prepare.
Through their combined efforts, Kyosuke's strength rapidly improved. Finally, the day of the assessment arrived.
Kyosuke had reduced his training load two days in advance to ensure he was in peak condition. On the day of the test, he and Kakashi were taken to a training ground by Takahara Naoyasu.
"I am your examiner, Saito Toshio, a Chunin of Konoha."
An expressionless ninja in his thirties explained the assessment. "Your task is to battle me. In the following combat, you must fight with the intent to kill. I will judge your qualification to graduate based on your performance."
Kyosuke was surprised to hear that a Chunin would be assessing him. He had originally thought the graduation assessment would be conducted by a Genin, and that victory over them would mean success.
Of course, having a Chunin conduct the assessment wasn't a bad thing. Chunin were not only experienced, but they could also provide a more comprehensive assessment of the students' abilities, drastically reducing the risk of accidental, serious injuries.
In other words, we don't have to defeat the opponent; we just need to demonstrate sufficient ability to pass, Kyosuke thought. It seems the focus will be on assessing ninjutsu, taijutsu, combat will, and battle intelligence. I should perform well in these areas.
Kyosuke distilled the useful information from Saito Toshio's words and began to formulate his combat strategy.
Glancing over at Kakashi, Kyosuke noticed his classmate didn't look surprised at all. He remained perfectly calm and composed.
Saito Toshio looked between Kyosuke and Kakashi. "Who's first?"
The two boys exchanged a glance. Kakashi stepped forward first.
"I am Hatake Kakashi. Please guide me."
"Good luck, Kakashi," Kyosuke offered.
Takahara Naoyasu and Kyosuke stood at the edge of the field as Kakashi and Saito Toshio began their battle. Kyosuke watched intently, continuously analyzing their movements.
Saito Toshio's strength was impressive. He had solid taijutsu, sharp ninjutsu skills, and fast hand seals. His foundational skills were rock-solid, and his combat experience was evident in every move.
Kyosuke guessed that Saito Toshio was likely a civilian ninja. Although he had good talent and worked hard, he lacked a clan inheritance, top-tier guidance, and premium resources, capping him at Chunin. With a bit of luck and accumulated merits, he might become a Special Jonin in the future.
This was already considered outstanding, as many ninjas remained Genin for their entire lives.
Takahara Naoyasu watched the battle alongside him and offered Kyosuke some advice.
"Saito Toshio is an experienced ninja. When fighting him, forget your little tricks. The tactics that work on students won't fool him."
Naoyasu paused, his eyes fixed on the exchange. "You have no chance of winning this battle, so your goal is to give it your all. Demonstrate your abilities before you are defeated or exhausted. This way, you should have a chance to pass the assessment."
"I understand," Kyosuke agreed, his eyes glued to the clash.
He noticed that Kakashi was actually holding his own against the older opponent. Kyosuke felt eager to step up and deliver his own best performance.
If Kakashi can do so well, then with the combined efforts of the five of us, why can't we?
The battle on the field was intense and fast-paced. Kakashi wielded his short sword, while Saito Toshio used a kunai. Their weapons clashed repeatedly, sending sparks flying across the training ground.
Perhaps because this was merely a Genin assessment, Saito Toshio only used the Shadow Clone Technique and basic taijutsu. Kakashi, whether he hadn't learned it yet or simply didn't have the chance to use it in the intense melee, solely relied on his swordsmanship.
From Kyosuke's observations, Saito Toshio was clearly stronger in all aspects. Kakashi, exhausted from the high-intensity battle, began to show visible signs of fatigue.
However, knowing Kakashi, Kyosuke was certain he wouldn't give up easily.
Indeed, just as Kakashi seemed about to collapse from exhaustion and defeat, his legs suddenly burst with a surge of lightning-attribute chakra.
His speed skyrocketed. He rushed straight into Saito Toshio's guard, his short sword fiercely slashing towards the Chunin's neck.
"What?!"
Facing Kakashi's sudden burst of speed, Saito Toshio was caught completely off guard, his rhythm entirely disrupted.
With no time to mount a proper defense, he could only thrust his kunai towards Kakashi's neck in a desperate counter.
In the end, Kakashi's blade and Saito Toshio's kunai both stopped a hair's breadth from each other's throats.
"Very good. Your performance was excellent," Saito Toshio said, withdrawing his kunai. "I will report this truthfully."
Kakashi lowered his weapon. "My strength is not as good as yours."
Kakashi was speaking the truth. He had used absolutely everything he had, but Saito Toshio was just going through the motions. Although the Chunin hadn't gone easy on him, he certainly hadn't used his full strength either.
"I didn't expect you to know the chakra stimulation method. That's impressive," Takahara Naoyasu praised him enthusiastically as Kakashi approached the sidelines.
Kakashi modestly acknowledged the compliment, then turned to Kyosuke. "Good luck. You should be fine."
Kyosuke smiled confidently. "Of course. Be ready to treat me to barbecue."
Kakashi's expression darkened. "Why am I treating?"
Kyosuke replied matter-of-factly, "We have to celebrate, and I don't have any money. So, you'll have to treat."
With that, Kyosuke approached Saito Toshio to begin his own test.
Although Saito Toshio had just fought a strenuous battle, his stamina was barely depleted. Kyosuke's assessment began immediately.
Kyosuke opened by throwing two shuriken, then charged straight forward.
"Quite confident in your taijutsu?" Saito Toshio mused.
He deflected the shuriken with ease and, seeing Kyosuke charge, didn't retreat. Instead, he engaged the boy in a direct contest of physical skills.
Such speed and strength. Has he been specifically training his body?
As soon as they clashed, Saito Toshio felt the heavy power behind Kyosuke's attacks. Although the boy used basic taijutsu forms, his movements were incredibly fluid, leaving Saito Toshio almost no openings to counterattack.
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