What Do You Call This, Water Style?

That evening, Naruto returned home. Kushina mysteriously pulled him aside and asked, "Naruto, are you familiar with Shino?"

"Shino? Sort of. What's wrong?"

Kushina said troubledly, "I'm Team 8's Sensei Jonin, but there's something strange about that child, Shino. If I'm not careful, I'll just overlook him."

Naruto laughed. "Shino usually has a very low presence. When a few of us get together, we often forget about him. The few times he came along, it seemed like Kiba was the one who dragged him there."

"Why doesn't Kiba overlook him?"

"I don't know. Maybe he finds him by smell?" Naruto guessed.

Kushina raised a finger to her chin. "Does that mean I'll have to use sensory ninjutsu to make sure Shino is there before I say anything important from now on?"

Naruto gave an awkward laugh. It didn't seem impossible. Their family certainly wasn't short on that little bit of Chakra, but he still advised, "It won't come to that, right? Once you get familiar with him and get used to it, you probably won't overlook him so easily..."

Early the Next Day, Naruto headed out with a sandwich in his mouth and arrived at the meeting point right on time at five. It was the Training Grounds with three Wooden Training Posts in the center.

Although he knew Kakashi might be late for a very, very long time, Naruto didn't dare be late. No matter what, Kakashi was their captain now. If the captain ordered them to gather at five, then they had to be there at five. That was a basic rule for ninja.

Sasuke and Sakura had already arrived as well. The three exchanged greetings and waited where they were. Ten minutes later, Naruto called out to Sasuke and Sakura, who was staring dreamily at Sasuke, and said:

"Looks like That guy is going to be late again. How about we make some preparations first?"

As Naruto spoke, he took out Steel Wire, Kunai, and other tools from his Ninja Tool Bag.

Sasuke and Sakura had no objections. The three worked together, busily setting traps throughout the Training Grounds. Tripwires, pitfall traps—everything was there.

Kakashi, who had somehow been hiding in a tree and spying on them, watched the trio working enthusiastically and smiled happily. "Not bad. They know how to work together to set traps."

When Naruto pulled out a stack of Exploding Tags, Kakashi wiped the cold sweat from his brow and muttered, "Is that really necessary? Is this kid trying to blow up the entire Training Grounds?"

Naruto also felt it was unnecessary. He didn't have any deep grudge against old Kakashi, so he put the Exploding Tags away again. After all, he wasn't some kind of demon.

The Three Little Ones kept at it for two or three hours before stopping. Looking at the Training Grounds, where there was practically nowhere to stand, Kakashi gave a devious smile and used the Body Flicker Technique to appear before them.

Sakura jolted in fright. "Ka... Teacher Kakashi!"

Naruto stared at him with a look of displeasure. "You're late."

Kakashi forced out an explanation. "I ran into a black cat on the way here, so..."

Could it have been Bully Ninja Cat Chiaki? Naruto grumbled inwardly.

Seeing the three of them staring at him without a word, Kakashi coughed. "Then, let's begin the exercise."

The three perked up.

Then Kakashi spoke again with a smiling face. "Before that, clean up the traps you set. We're going to another Training Grounds."

Naruto: "Huh?"

Sasuke: "Huh?"

Sakura: "You've got to be kidding! How can you do this?"

"Overall, the traps you set are textbook-standard, but they're only at a textbook level.

Hurry up and clean them up. The exercise ends at noon, and there are only two hours left."

"Yes~" *3

The three gritted their teeth as they cleaned up the traps they had worked so hard to set, then reluctantly followed Kakashi to another Training Grounds, seemingly giving off dark auras.

"Now, I'll explain the rules of the exercise." Kakashi took out two Bells and explained, "Your objective is to take these two Bells from me before noon. Anyone who fails to get a Bell will be considered to have failed the exercise."

"Then why are there only two Bells?" Sakura obligingly set him up.

Kakashi put on a sinister expression. "Because at most, only two people can pass. Those who fail will be sent back to the Academy!

You may use ninja tools. If you don't come at me with the resolve to kill me, you won't be able to take the Bells."

Sakura's heart went cold. This was obviously meant to eliminate her. She had finally graduated and become a ninja, and she had finally been assigned to the same team as Sasuke. Those two happy things had come together and should have brought her even more happiness, but why, why, had it turned out like this...

Naruto casually snapped, "That's going too far. You're playing mind games against a few kids like us?"

Ah, it's a psychological tactic. I can't fall for it. I absolutely can't hold Sasuke-kun back! Sakura came to her senses, and her gaze became firm.

"Who knows?" Kakashi's tone suddenly changed as he said seriously, "The exercise begins!"

Naruto and Sasuke instantly stepped in front of Sakura, while Sakura drew a Kunai and assumed a guarded stance.

Naruto formed the Ram Seal. "Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!"

Naruto had never understood it. Everyone said Shadow Clone required the Ram Seal. Ram was the ninth Heavenly Stem, but all the other seals were from the Earthly Branch series—Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit. They weren't even from the same system, so he had no idea what was going on.

But that didn't affect Naruto's use of Ninjutsu. Twenty Narutos appeared and formed four rows in front of the three of them.

"The Uzumaki Naruto Legion has arrived!" *20

The twenty of them shouted in unison with great momentum, but Naruto's original body slapped his forehead. That's enough, you guys. Can't we keep the chuuni soul inside us properly hidden? Don't air the family's dirty laundry in public!

"Oh? Shadow Clones?" Kakashi was secretly surprised. That number—this child's Chakra reserves were excessive, weren't they? As expected of Master's Wife's child.

Surprised as he was, Kakashi showed no mercy, knocking out one little kid with every punch.

When the first Shadow Clone dispersed, it sent back a thought. Don't hit people in the face! Brothers, get him!

The other nine Clones charged forward indignantly and fearlessly, only to be taken out by Kakashi one after another.

Meanwhile, the ten Clones standing in place took the opportunity to form hand seals:

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique (Passed down by the Second Hokage, painstakingly taught by Kushina version)!" *10

Ten enormous water dragons surged up before the Shadow Clones, then dove down from midair straight at Kakashi. Their attack range covered nearly twenty meters around him.

Sakura stared dumbfounded at the ten massive water dragons. She had long known that Naruto excelled at Water Style, but wasn't this power far too exaggerated?!

Sakura looked toward Sasuke. Then did Sasuke-kun, who was supposedly "evenly matched" with Naruto, possess Fire Release this powerful too?

Sasuke was also somewhat stunned. I'm not, I don't, stop talking nonsense! I know Naruto's Water Style is outrageous. I can deal with a single Water Dragon Bullet.

But I've never seen Shadow Clones coordinate Water Dragon Bullets to directly carpet-bomb the battlefield with ninjutsu! No matter how outrageous this guy's Chakra is, there has to be a limit!

Kakashi's reaction was much more genuine. After dealing with the last Shadow Clone, he widened the one eye exposed outside his mask. Looking at the ten water dragons that had practically sealed off every route of escape, he restrained the urge to curse.

"You call this Water Style?!"

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