Pre-Battle Training

"Water Style: Water Wave!"

"Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"

"Water Style: Water Breaking Rush!"

Wind blades swept in with high-speed waves, the wind whistling like knives and the water like blades. By the time they reached Chiba, the waves had become four upright water blades charging toward him, plowing four furrows through the ground and sending clods of dirt flying. Chiba's pupils contracted slightly, and he sprang up sharply, evading the incoming combined Wind Style and Water Style Ninjutsu.

The water blades tore beneath his feet. Chiba could almost feel the sharp, icy chill they carried. With a hiss, even his pant leg was sliced open by the water's cutting force.

Combined Ninjutsu! So strong! I clearly jumped over it—was that the Wind Style's effect? Is there still a layer of wind blades around the tips of those water blades?

Amazing! Chiba marveled. Gate of Life Mode was already active, enhancing his speed, strength, and Chakra. With this leap, he shot high into the air and charged straight at the two Kushina Uzumakis. At that moment, one Kushina had just finished using Water Style: Water Wave, while the other had just finished using Great Breakthrough. The Water Breaking Rush from before was the combined Water Style and Wind Style Ninjutsu used by those two shadow clones.

Chakra condensed in his hand. Chiba's leap was incredibly fast, and one of the Kushinas seemed unable to react in time.

In midair, Chiba shot forward with a roar and threw a punch.

Chakra erupted! Bang!

The shadow clone exploded. Chiba did not even spare it a glance. The moment he landed, he used the momentum of his crouch to sweep out with a low kick, targeting the other shadow clone.

That shadow clone seemed to have been prepared. With a light jump, she evaded Chiba's sweeping kick. Chiba narrowed his eyes slightly, planted his left hand on the ground, and used his right leg—whose sweeping momentum had run its course—as a pivot. He flipped over and launched a backward rising kick with his left leg, striking the shadow clone in midair. With a bang, the shadow clone dissolved into white smoke.

But after defeating that shadow clone, Chiba suddenly leaped up and spun through the air, delivering a downward side kick.

Bang!

Just as Chiba spun in midair, the ground where he had been standing suddenly burst apart. Kushina Uzumaki shot out with a fierce punch, colliding heavily with Chiba's side kick and producing a dull thud.

Bang!

Kushina Uzumaki then exploded into a cloud of white smoke, while Chiba was sent flying by that punch. He spun wildly through the air and completely lost his balance.

Was that Monster Strength? No, it wasn't!

As he spun, Chiba felt something strange in his leg. A cold, watery sensation unique to Water Style Chakra seeped into it, and his leg began to sting faintly.

Water Style Ninjutsu? With an effect like Monster Strength?

Chiba reasoned inwardly.

"Water Style: Water Dragon Bullet Technique!"

A sharp cry rang out behind him. Chiba's brow furrowed, alarm flashing through his heart. Then he felt a powerful force and an icy watery chill slam into his body. Instantly, immense water pressure crushed in from all sides, especially around the point of impact. The pressure there was so intense that it nearly broke his muscles and bones!

I got hit! Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu really is useful! Chiba thought ruefully. His cheeks were already puffed out, and water surrounded him on all sides. The water pressure forced the air inside him continuously out through his nostrils. Puffing out his cheeks was the only way to keep all the air in his body from being squeezed out. The pressure around him held him completely immobile; he could not even struggle!

To Hirohiko and Yukina, who were watching the battle, a Kushina Uzumaki suddenly appeared behind the spinning Chiba. After forming hand seals, she spat out a water dragon, swallowing the spinning Chiba in midair. At that moment, Chiba was wrapped inside the dragon-shaped current as it rushed forward.

Boom!

The dragon-shaped current slammed into a large tree at the edge of the clearing with a deafening crash, making the tree—so thick it would take three people linking arms to encircle it—shake violently. Chiba was pinned against the trunk by the rushing water. The impact and water pressure made stars burst before his eyes, and he slowly slid down the tree.

Hirohiko and Yukina, watching from afar, both turned pale and swallowed hard.

This was a Jonin's true strength. No—this was their Teacher, Kushina Uzumaki's true strength.

Just by adding Ninjutsu, she had beaten Chiba into this state! It had only been ten minutes! Chiba, who could originally endure two hours of attacks from a single shadow clone of Teacher Kushina, had already been defeated.

This time, Teacher Kushina had personally joined the battle instead of merely using shadow clones one-on-one, and she was using Ninjutsu rather than pure taijutsu... but wasn't this far too fast?

Chiba... how pitiful! Kushina Uzumaki lowered her hands from the seal. The winner had been decided; there was no need to continue. Although Chiba had lost, he had still left Kushina deeply shocked.

With taijutsu alone, this child had destroyed three of my shadow clones! And that entire sequence just now was smooth and swift, without the slightest wasted movement.

Whether it was his reactions, technique, or power, she could not imagine a seven-year-old child being capable of such taijutsu movements.

Every movement seemed tempered through countless repetitions. If she had to use one word to describe them, it would be "standard"! This was the day after Kushina Uzumaki, Minato Namikaze, and the Third Hokage had agreed to hold a qualifying match. The day after tomorrow, Chiba would fight Kakashi to decide whether Kushina Squad or Minato Squad would participate in the Chunin Exams.

Over these past two days, Kushina Uzumaki had truly trained Chiba with extreme strictness. From morning to night, he sparred against her real body, and she placed no restrictions on herself. She did not limit herself to taijutsu, adding elemental techniques as well, while using Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu to its fullest.

As for Hirohiko and Yukina, she had not relaxed their training either. She would split off two shadow clones for their usual hellish training, and she had not paused their training at all.

Chiba gritted his teeth. His body felt as though it were about to fall apart, but he knew this was only because Kushina had held back. If she had used that B-rank Water Dragon Bullet Technique at full power, he really would have fallen apart.

What a shame! I didn't see the hand seals—I can't learn it! Despite the pain coursing through his body, Chiba's mind was entirely focused on learning Ninjutsu.

"That's enough for today. Tomorrow, do some routine training and try to conserve your strength," Kushina Uzumaki said as she walked over and helped Chiba up.

Seeing that the battle was over, Hirohiko and Yukina ran over as well.

Is all this really necessary for the Chunin Exams? Chiba looked at the faint dark circles under Kushina Uzumaki's eyes and smiled bitterly to himself.

Over the past two days, Kushina Uzumaki had not only sparred with Chiba from morning to night, but also added plenty of game meat to the lunchboxes she prepared for the three of them, all of it especially nutritious. She probably had not rested properly after returning home each day either.

Even as he smiled bitterly, Chiba felt somewhat moved. Although he was beaten badly every day, he could tell that Kushina truly cared for them.

Leaving aside everything else, just the lunchboxes alone showed it. She considered not only balanced nutrition, but also all three of their tastes. For example, Yukina could not eat green peppers, so Kushina went to great lengths to hide their flavor and get Yukina to eat them. Hirohiko hated tomatoes, yet she somehow made them taste like something he loved.

Chiba was not picky about meat or vegetables, but he ate as much as three Hirohikos or five Yukinas. Just preparing his lunchbox probably took quite a bit of time.

Kushina Uzumaki probably had not been resting properly after going home each day. Even if she was from the Uzumaki Clan, with enormous Chakra reserves and powerful vitality, her physical strength was still limited.

Looking at Kushina Uzumaki's slightly haggard face, Chiba sighed inwardly. At the same time, he nodded and said, "I understand, Teacher Kushina."

"Mm." Kushina Uzumaki smiled and nodded. Looking at the setting sun, she said, "It's getting late. It's been a while, so let's go have Ichiraku Ramen! Teacher's treating!"

"Yeah!" The three of them beamed and nodded vigorously.

Thus, beneath the lingering glow of the setting sun, Hirohiko supported Chiba as they walked behind Kushina and Yukina toward the village.

Their laughter and chatter carried from afar.

"Teacher Kushina, if I win, treat us to barbecue for a whole week! How about it?" That was Chiba's voice.

"I'm in!" Hirohiko agreed.

"Chiba, you have to win!" Yukina said, full of longing for barbecue.

"One meal! If you win, I'll treat you to one barbecue meal. Teacher's been short on pocket money lately too!" Kushina said as she rummaged through her wallet.

"Eh? So stingy—" The three of them voiced their displeasure.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

That was the sound of the three of them receiving knuckle knocks.

The evening breeze drifted gently by, carrying a trace of warmth as it swept across the grassy clearing, covered in the marks of ninjutsu and taijutsu.