"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique."
The Great Fireball, which had reached a diameter of 2.5 meters, burst from Sora Uchiha's mouth, dyeing the calm lake surface bright crimson. The rose-colored flames crackled the instant they touched the water.
Looking at the Great Fireball, Sora Uchiha was very satisfied. No wonder they said actual combat was the shortcut to improving one's strength.
Ever since joining the Anbu a week ago, he had been saddled with missions nearly every day. In just seven days, he had already killed more than a dozen people.
And the gains had been substantial. The Great Fireball had grown from a diameter of 1.5 meters to 2.5 meters—a truly incredible improvement. If his cheap old man found out, he would probably look up at the sky and shout, "My son has made something of himself!"
Sooner or later, his Fire Style would swallow thousands of people whole, just like Madara's.
On the street,
"Mm... Today seems to be the day Kurenai and the others finish their special training." Sora Uchiha had one hand in his pocket, while the other held a sesame flatbread as large as his face.
This flatbread was no ordinary snack. The Uchiha Jing and Uchiha Tesho who sold it on the street were rare Uchiha with both names and reputations. Their flatbread might not have been the finest in the world, but it was at least on the same level as Ichiraku Ramen.
"Sora, you're up so early? The weather's getting colder, so remember to wear another layer." An Uchiha clansman passing by greeted Sora Uchiha.
"Mm, I'll keep that in mind." Sora Uchiha gave him a friendly smile. It really wasn't bad being cared about.
Only his clansmen and friends cared about him. If people from the other clans of Konoha did not give him hostile looks, that alone was already a blessing.
"Sora, why don't you come to our house for lunch? I stewed a duck today." An Uchiha auntie who had just come out of the market greeted him warmly. Clan elders like her truly treated him as a child, regularly asking after him and making sure he was well.
"No, thank you, Auntie. I have something to do today. I'll definitely come another day." He answered her with great politeness.
"All... right, then. You can't refuse next time." As she spoke, the auntie took a fruit from her bag and stuffed it into Sora Uchiha's arms.
Sora Uchiha was somewhat overwhelmed by such enthusiasm. He hurriedly thanked her several times before fleeing the clan compound.
"Mm, today I'll go see how Kurenai and the others did in their special training."
"That's settled, then."
#
In the dense forest, by the lakeshore,
The slender willow branches drooped over the lake. Swaying in the breeze, they occasionally brushed the water and stirred up ring after ring of ripples. Their glittering reflections recorded the battle between the young men and women on the shore.
Crack—
A willow branch snapped. The young man walked across the lake, the Kunai in his hand wrapped in a pale-blue glow. It sliced through the willow branches as easily as chopping vegetables. As he ran, the branches were soon completely wiped out, drifting across the surface of the lake.
"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death." Kurenai Yuhi, who was ahead, formed Hand Seals and suddenly looked back. A strange, eerie light flashed through her red eyes.
As Asuma Sarutobi pursued her, he faltered for an instant. Then he discovered that a tree had grown beneath his feet, binding him tightly.
Kurenai Yuhi, who had been some distance away, quietly vanished. In the next instant, she emerged from the tree beside him, and a Kunai gleaming with chilling light shot straight toward him!
Asuma's pupils shrank sharply. He instantly realized he had fallen under a genjutsu. He lightly bit the tip of his tongue, tasting the rusty tang of blood. The action successfully broke him free of the illusion.
Faced with the Kunai at point-blank range, he swept up his Chakra Blade with his other hand and knocked the weapon flying in one strike. The Chakra Blade then stopped at Kurenai Yuhi's neck.
"Excellent. Asuma wins." In the distance, the instructor lightly clapped his hands and announced the result of the training.
"Ah!! Damn it! I was so close!" Kurenai Yuhi stamped her foot in frustration, her face filled with unwillingness and her crimson eyes carrying a stubborn glint.
Asuma silently withdrew to the side, afraid that Kurenai Yuhi might beat him up at a time like this.
"All right, Kurenai. Do you know why you lost this time?" The instructor patted Kurenai Yuhi on the head and asked with a smile.
"I would have won if my genjutsu had been stronger," Kurenai Yuhi said.
The instructor nodded, then shook his head. "Indeed, if your genjutsu had been stronger, Asuma couldn't have broken it merely by biting his tongue. But one's attainments in genjutsu can't be improved in a short time. The main reason you lost this time was that your approach to the battle was flawed. After Asuma fell into your trap, you should have fought from a distance instead of using your weakness to challenge his strength."
After lecturing Kurenai Yuhi, the instructor turned to Asuma. "Asuma, do you know where your shortcomings lie?"
"I won." Asuma replied with an arrogant air.
The instructor felt a headache coming on at his refusal to yield to anyone. Putting on a stern expression, he said, "If your offensive had been more ferocious at the start, Kurenai wouldn't have had any chance to cast her genjutsu."
Asuma had a boy's pride, but he was not unreasonable. After thinking it over, he found some truth in the instructor's words and fell silent.
Seeing that he was willing to learn, the instructor nodded in satisfaction.
Pride was not frightening. What was frightening was lacking judgment and refusing to change. On the battlefield, that was fatal.
"All right. Next, Asuma will face Lightning Release."
In the next moment, the warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by a sharp glint. He locked his gaze on a tree in the forest to the side, several Shuriken appearing in his hand as he shouted:
"Who is it?!"
Kurenai Yuhi and the others were startled and hurriedly looked over.
After a moment, a figure leaped down from the tree.
"Haha, I'm one of your own! One of your own! Teacher, don't attack!"
Sora Uchiha walked out with both hands raised, looking somewhat awkward.
After seeing who it was, the instructor let out a sigh of relief and said irritably, "What are you doing here, you little brat?"
"Hehe, I just missed you, Teacher." Sora Uchiha smiled ingratiatingly, flashed in front of the instructor, and lowered the Shuriken in his hand. "Really, Teacher, pointing a Shuriken at me like that? I'm hurt."
Indeed, as mentioned earlier, after graduating from the Ninja Academy, Sora Uchiha had become a student of countless teachers. Basically, every instructor had taught him for a few days, so this instructor knew Sora Uchiha.
"You little..." The instructor smiled helplessly.
"Oh, Sora, what are you doing here?" Kurenai Yuhi's eyes lit up, and she revealed a row of pearly white teeth. The disappointment from her defeat moments ago was swept away.
"Hehe, I figured today was the day you finished your Chunin special training, so I came to take a look." As he spoke, he extended his hand. Kurenai Yuhi understood at once, ran to the tree nearby, and rummaged through a bag. She soon returned with several candies.
Sora Uchiha accepted the candies, tore off the wrappers, and tossed them directly into his mouth.
The instructor stood dumbfounded at the side and looked at Asuma. "What kind of filthy transaction are they conducting?"
After seeing how happy Kurenai Yuhi became the moment she saw Sora Uchiha, Asuma felt inexplicably dejected. His heart sank, and when he heard the question, he simply recounted what had happened with their bet that day.
The instructor stroked his chin, his expression strange as he watched Sora Uchiha chatting leisurely with Kurenai Yuhi. This kid really is something. Who would have thought he was so popular with little girls?
Then he thought of his own female tyrant and glanced at the adorable Kurenai Yuhi. The contrast truly made things painful. For no reason at all, he found Sora Uchiha extremely irritating. Narrowing his eyes, he spoke with ill intent:
"Sora, since you're here, let me measure the results of your recent training."
Sora Uchiha: ╯□╰.
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