"Okay, time's up!"
The moment the alarm went off, Endo Hiroshi opened his eyes.
He put the alarm away, then faced Mo Chen and the other two, who had already discussed their strategy.
Endo Hiroshi spoke in an indifferent voice. "Next is a practical test: the three of you against me alone. There are no rules. You can use any means you like and attack me however you want."
"Your goal is to defeat me—or be defeated by me. The test ends once there's a winner."
"Whether you stay and become ninjas or get eliminated and sent back to the Ninja Academy to repeat the course will be decided then."
"Now, let the test begin!"
As Endo Hiroshi finished speaking, Mo Chen and the others sprang into action.
During the half hour Endo Hiroshi had given them, the three had already run through several plans and contingencies for the battle ahead.
If Kakashi had been their team's Jonin, he might have already declared that they'd passed.
What Kakashi wanted was subordinates who could work together and cherish their comrades.
But every Jonin had a different way of thinking. Clearly, Endo Hiroshi wasn't interested in seeing them work as a team.
Mo Chen and the others didn't choose to hide right away. That would be pointless against a Jonin.
The three quickly took up positions, surrounding Endo Hiroshi from three directions. Their first move was to throw Shuriken at him from a distance.
In an instant, dozens of Shuriken flew from their hands one after another, sealing off every path around Endo Hiroshi.
"Too green!"
Endo Hiroshi merely glanced at them without even lifting an eyelid.
Never mind their speed and force; many of the Shuriken weren't even aimed properly.
Endo Hiroshi stood still. Only a few Shuriken were actually on course to hit him.
He simply took out a Kunai and gave it a few casual swings, knocking away the Shuriken that might have hit him but lacked any real force. He ignored the rest.
Mo Chen and the others were startled by how cleanly and effortlessly Endo Hiroshi handled the attack, but they didn't lose their composure.
They kept moving and throwing Shuriken, gradually closing in on him.
Watching Endo Hiroshi handle the attack with such ease, Mo Chen narrowed his eyes and slowed his Shuriken throws slightly.
Shuriken could only serve as a distraction. They wouldn't accomplish much on their own.
During their earlier discussion, he'd learned that besides the Three Basic Jutsu and Ninja Tool Throwing taught at the Ninja Academy, none of them had even one decent ninjutsu.
Defeat Endo Hiroshi? That was a pipe dream! They couldn't even hope to give him the slightest trouble!
Mo Chen also knew that the nine Genin spots had practically been decided in advance.
No matter how hard they struggled, they were bound to be eliminated in the end.
Even so, Mo Chen was taking the battle seriously.
He wanted to experience a Jonin's strength firsthand and, while he was at it, test what he could do now that he'd awakened his Sharingan.
Whoosh!
Mo Chen secretly activated his Sharingan, and the entire world before his eyes changed.
But to anyone watching, only a slight wave of spiritual energy passed through him. They couldn't see anything unusual.
After awakening his Sharingan that morning, he'd taken a detour to an optician's shop and bought a pair of colored contact lenses.
He'd bought them for this very moment. Even with his Sharingan active, his eyes still looked black.
With his Sharingan activated, Mo Chen flicked both hands, sending a Kunai from each one toward Endo Hiroshi.
This time, Endo Hiroshi was somewhat surprised by their speed, force, and accuracy.
Unfortunately, the gap between them was overwhelming. Dodging them was effortless for Endo Hiroshi.
But while he was focused on Mo Chen's two Kunai, he overlooked a crooked Shuriken thrown by Ryota. It nearly stabbed him.
Endo Hiroshi was taken aback. Had they planned that?
Still, the gap in strength was simply too great.
As soon as Endo Hiroshi reacted, he leaned back, dodging the Shuriken by a hair's breadth.
The Shuriken didn't have much force behind it. Even if it had hit him, it would have done no more than scrape his skin.
But he was a Jonin. Getting hurt while fighting Genin would be ridiculous.
"Not bad! That's just about good enough for a Genin!" Endo Hiroshi praised them inwardly.
Under normal circumstances, this level of performance would earn his approval.
Of course, he wasn't praising Ryota's crooked Shuriken, but Mo Chen's attack and composure.
Whoosh!
Before he could finish his praise, Mo Chen seized the moment as Endo Hiroshi dodged the Shuriken, darted up beside him, and slammed a kick at his groin.
Endo Hiroshi's expression immediately darkened!
He took back what he'd thought earlier. This kid fought dirty!
Still, there was no way such a straightforward attack would hit Endo Hiroshi.
With a thud, the kick landed—but Endo Hiroshi's body turned into a wooden post.
It was the Substitution Technique!
At the same time, Endo Hiroshi appeared without warning behind Mo Chen.
He reached back, caught a Kunai Ryota had thrown, and brought it toward Mo Chen's neck.
It was over!
But at that moment, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! More than a dozen Kunai flew from Chie Mai's hands, packed with force. She had moved in close.
Her targets were not only Endo Hiroshi, but Mo Chen as well—and she'd chosen a blind spot behind Endo Hiroshi.
At the same time, a hint of menace appeared in the eyes of Ryota, who had seemed timid until now.
He, too, threw more than a dozen Kunai, covering the space around Endo Hiroshi and Mo Chen.
Endo Hiroshi might have been able to dodge them himself, but Mo Chen's body was in the way, preventing him from protecting Mo Chen.
In this situation, he could either abandon Mo Chen and get clear or save him and take the hits himself.
There wasn't enough time to escape with Mo Chen.
Of course, that was only what Chie Mai and Ryota thought.
"You two!" Endo Hiroshi's face darkened at once, anger flashing in his eyes.
Those two had actually included Mo Chen in their plan just to keep him in check?
And from the looks of it, Chie Mai and Ryota had made the deal in private. They'd completely sold Mo Chen out.
Boom!!
A tremendous aura burst from Endo Hiroshi. Blue Chakra flared up around him like a solid mass, blasting away the approaching Kunai.
Endo Hiroshi had meant to seize the opportunity to grab Mo Chen and save him.
But under the force of that aura, Mo Chen's body burst into a wooden post with a thud.
The Substitution Technique?
Endo Hiroshi was stunned.
He'd timed it so perfectly that even Endo Hiroshi hadn't noticed!
The kid was pretty good. What a shame!
The next moment, Mo Chen emerged from behind a large tree some distance away.
But instead of continuing to attack, he glared at Chie Mai and Ryota, his expression grim.
He'd been planning to use the Substitution Technique to catch Endo Hiroshi off guard once more, but he hadn't expected those two to ambush him. He'd been completely unprepared.
Maybe it was because they were minor characters who never appeared in the original story that he'd instinctively overlooked them.
That had sounded a warning bell in Mo Chen's mind. He absolutely couldn't make such a rookie mistake again!
Before you continue