The Jonin's Test

The test is starting right away? He really is a conscientious teacher.

Shunren could not help recalling the future Kakashi. As a teacher, Inoichi could put Kakashi to shame!

"It's fine to use weapons, too."

"Huh? Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Shizune asked, a little worried.

"Please trust your teacher," Inoichi said confidently.

"Is that so? I understand." Kurenai nodded seriously.

Shunren said calmly, "Use every means at your disposal. If a Genin could hurt a Jonin, then tomorrow's sun would rise in the west."

"That's right." This time, Inoichi did not contradict him, nor was he afraid of discouraging them. Although he was a tolerant teacher, he was meticulous when the situation called for rigor.

"Now then, come on. Team 9's practical combat assessment begins!"

Whoosh! As soon as Inoichi finished speaking, Shunren and the other two scattered and hid without a word, moving in perfect accord.

Everyone in their group was smart. They would not make a spectacle of themselves with all the bizarre antics of the future protagonist trio.

"Hmm, everyone's hidden themselves well." Inoichi swept his gaze around and, finding no obvious flaws, nodded in satisfaction. Of course, that did not mean he was unaware of where Shunren and the others were hiding. He had deliberately suppressed his immense spiritual energy from the start, and he had not used the Yamanaka Clan's Mind Sensing Technique, either.

Shunren, Kurenai, and Shizune were each concealed in different positions.

Although they had not discussed a battle plan, their experience fighting together a year ago had given each of them an understanding of the others' abilities.

Kurenai specialized in Genjutsu, while Shizune specialized in hidden weapons. Neither was a close-combat ninja, leaving Shunren as the only one among them capable of fighting an enemy hand-to-hand.

As such, there was no need to say much about a battle plan. Shunren would face the enemy head-on, while Kurenai and Shizune provided long-range combat support from the rear.

All three were smart, and from the start, they had understood without a word what they needed to do.

Lying in the grass, Kurenai formed the "Ram" seal with both hands and closed her eyes. She concentrated, quickly bringing her control over her spiritual energy to its peak, ready to cast Genjutsu at any moment.

Shizune hid a little farther away. She took Shuriken, Kunai, steel wire, and other items from her ninja tool pouch and set about laying various traps.

Shunren knew exactly what Kurenai and Shizune were doing. After calculating the time, he pulled two bundles of Shuriken from his pocket.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

He hurled more than ten Shuriken at Inoichi all at once, then kicked off the ground and charged after them!

Inoichi turned to take a look and thought, His aim with Shuriken is average. Since he can't guarantee his accuracy, he's trying to improve his chances of hitting me with numbers.

Inoichi then shifted his gaze to Shunren as he ran toward him and continued his analysis. He used the Shuriken as a feint, and only one of them charged out. Just as I expected, the other two are long-range ninja. He's also moving in a zigzag. Looks like Shunren isn't a reckless boy, either.

He saw through the trajectories of every Shuriken Shunren had thrown in an instant. That was also an ability a Jonin possessed, though Inoichi's powerful spiritual will was a factor as well.

He took one step forward, then another to the left, and leaned back slightly.

With those few simple movements, Inoichi dodged every one of Shunren's Shuriken attacks!

What agile movements! Shunren was slightly startled, though he had never expected those Shuriken throws, which had involved no technique at all, to give Inoichi trouble.

"Konoha Whirlwind!" Shunren rushed up to him and sent a savage sweeping kick at his head.

Inoichi raised a hand and easily blocked it.

Shunren followed up with a straight punch to his chest.

Inoichi knocked it aside with his palm, using the same hand. He was now using only one hand to block Shunren's punches and kicks.

"That won't do, Shunren," Inoichi said, shaking his head slightly.

"Is that so? Then how about you try this?" Shunren quickly retreated a few steps and made a gesture with both hands.

"Yin Release: Projection!"

Azure light flashed, and a pair of black-and-white swords appeared in Shunren's hands: Kanshou and Bakuya! By now, Shunren had become proficient at projecting them!

"Hm? This is..." A trace of surprise flashed through Inoichi's eyes.

Thud! Shunren planted his foot heavily and lunged at Inoichi again.

He raised his right hand high and brought the sword down in a powerful chop!

This time, Inoichi did not dare block a blade head-on with his bare palm. He turned his hand around the side of the blade, condensed a thread of Chakra at his fingertip, and gave the flat of the sword a light flick.

He forcibly diverted Shunren's ninety-degree downward chop to a forty-five-degree angle. Inoichi then shifted his body slightly and completely avoided the sword's edge. Yet so far, Inoichi had not moved beyond five steps!

Inoichi had dodged the first sword, but Shunren still had a second. He was a dual-wielder!

He swung the blade in his left hand horizontally, aiming to cut Inoichi in half at the waist.

Faced with Shunren's direct horizontal slash, Inoichi had two options. First, he could step back again and easily avoid it, but that would inevitably let Shunren seize the initiative. Shunren would surely stay on his heels afterward, forcing him to retreat again and again. Inoichi could not allow himself to be driven back more than five steps in succession by a student, so he chose to meet the attack head-on.

Clang! Inoichi turned his palm and somehow produced a Kunai, blocking Shunren's blade.

Screech! The blades rang sharply as they collided.

Inoichi's eyes shifted. He could clearly see that Shunren's blade had cut a third of the way through the Kunai with that strike, nearly severing it!

"What a sharp sword!"

"Hmph!" Shunren turned his right hand, and the keen blade attacked again!

Inoichi pressed down hard with his hand, flinging aside the sword in Shunren's left hand to meet the slash coming from the right.

Clang, clang-crack!

The sharp blade severed Inoichi's Kunai, but he quickly drew a new one to meet the attack.

Shunren swung both swords wildly.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang!

A dense succession of blades clashed. More and more broken Kunai fell to the ground as Inoichi kept drawing new ones to fight back.

Good boy! In terms of basic sword-swinging skills alone, he's already mastered them! With Shunren's advantage in sharpness and Inoichi facing two swords with one hand, he was actually forced onto the defensive for a time.

"Teacher Inoichi, if you don't show some real skill soon, I'm going to cut your Kunai apart one by one!"

With that, Shunren reversed his grip on both swords and slashed forward in a cross!

Clang! The Kunai in Inoichi's hand fell to the ground in three pieces.

"Oh, honestly. It looks like this year's students are all quite good." Inoichi freed his other hand, which he had kept behind his waist from the start.

Shunren's gaze sharpened. Without another word, he immediately slashed at him with both swords, one from the left and one from the right.

Inoichi formed Hand Seals with both hands.