36 - Strength Assessment Battle

Of the three members of Third Squad, Higashino Makoto and Uzuki Yugao both had parents whose jobs were similar in nature.

Gekko Hayate's mother had died of an illness.

As for Yugao Gekko, even Hayate had once said he didn't know which department his father worked in at Konoha.

Makoto guessed it had to be the Anbu. That was the only department with stricter secrecy requirements than those imposed on regular Ninjas.

Still, it had to be the Hokage's own Anbu. There was no way it was Root. Danzo wouldn't take in married Ninjas with children, or a hot-blooded green youth who shouted about youth all day—unless you had a charming little hand warmer in your belly.

His guess was right. Yugao Gekko had indeed left the Anbu not long ago. Because of the war, suitable Jonin team leaders were hard to find, so the Third had returned him to the regular Ninja ranks and put him in charge of Third Squad.

After all, all three members of the squad had excellent talent, and their parents knew one another well. He was the best fit for the job.

Yugao Gekko had the unmistakable sharp, decisive manner of someone who had worked in the Anbu. After learning what Makoto could do, he was surprised, then asked without hesitation, "How advanced is your Medical Ninjutsu? How do you compare with Hui?"

Makoto answered, "I lack experience, but my grasp of the techniques and the healing effects of my Chakra have already surpassed my mother's."

"Is that so? What remarkable talent. What about your Sensory Ninjutsu?"

"Within a radius of three kilometers, I can sense anything with a Chakra Signature."

In truth, Makoto's Sensing Ability came as a side effect of the White Natural Energy's changes to his body. Even during the day, when he wasn't absorbing Natural Energy, his body would instinctively harmonize with its surroundings to some degree.

His Perception Range increased with his Chakra. Of course, he also had other remarkable abilities. For instance, he could sense other people, but ordinary Perception Ninjas couldn't detect him unless they used Sage Mode.

He could talk about his abilities, but there was no need to reveal everything. Ninjas were supposed to keep their methods secret. Higashino Jiro had taught him that when he was four.

"You're practically a perfect all-round Ninja," Yugao Gekko praised him. After a brief pause, he continued, "Given your strengths, I originally planned to make Third Squad a combat unit focused on breaking through enemy defenses. But I didn't expect Makoto to be so versatile. It looks like I'll have to adjust my plans for your future missions.

"Now, let's continue the assessment. You have one minute to come up with a battle plan, then attack me."

After speaking, Yugao Gekko used the Body Flicker Technique to leap away. He folded his arms across his chest, closed his eyes halfway, and kept a certain distance from the three of them.

Makoto immediately led the other two behind a large tree and asked, "How much do you know about Sensei's strength?"

Yugao thought for a moment. "He's strong. I'm no match for him."

That went without saying. Makoto stared at her speechlessly. "There are three of us here. Which one can you beat?"

Yugao: "..." Makoto, if you don't tell the truth, we can still be friends.

Hayate kept it brief. "You know the Hayate Clan Combat Style. Father is like me, but stronger now that he's an adult."

"So, he specializes in close combat with a sword. Hayate, you'll attack first. Yugao, support him. I'll stay hidden and look for an opening."

"Okay!" They had always followed Makoto's lead, and this time was no exception.

Their strength and tactical skill were far beyond those of the Genin who would graduate after six years of training in the peaceful years to come.

Once they had settled on a plan, Hayate and Yugao quickly moved in from opposite sides, approaching Yugao Gekko's position in the center of the clearing.

Hayate burst out from behind the tree and flung dozens of dutiful Shuriken at his own father.

In truth, there weren't that many Shuriken, and it wasn't the A-rank Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique developed by the Third. It was just a simple application of Genjutsu, meant to confuse the target.

Yugao Gekko didn't move his feet, but at some point a Kunai had appeared in his right hand. Amid a series of sharp clinks, he knocked away every real Shuriken. The low-level Genjutsu had no effect on him.

While that was happening, Yugao rushed out from the other side and finished forming her Hand Seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!"

It was a simple C-rank Wind Release technique to start with. In the hands of a powerful Ninja like Orochimaru, it could blast through a forest like a typhoon. But Yugao was still a hundred thousand miles from that level.

Fortunately, she hadn't meant to use it against him directly. The technique tore across the ground, kicking up a thick cloud of dirt and dust that swept toward Yugao Gekko.

The moment his vision was blocked, Hayate drew his sword while Yugao readied her Kunai, and they both charged in.

As a seasoned Jonin, Yugao Gekko wouldn't be stumped by such a simple trick. He didn't even draw his sword, using only his Kunai to precisely block Hayate's downward slash through the dust. Then he shoved hard with his arm and sent him flying.

While fending off Hayate, he raised his left leg into just the right position for Yugao to run straight into it.

With a slight push, the girl went flying too.

Their attacks were well coordinated, but the gap between their strengths was too great, and they achieved nothing.

At the same time, Makoto suddenly appeared above him, Kunai in hand, and drove it down.

"Clang!"

Metal struck metal. The Kunai that had blocked Hayate's attack seemed to teleport overhead and stop Makoto's ambush.

Yugao Gekko furrowed his brow, unable to understand why Makoto had chosen such a suicidal attack. A person in midair couldn't move freely. If the attack failed, he'd have no way to adjust and would become a sitting duck.

Even as he wondered, he didn't pause. He adjusted the angle of the Kunai in his right hand and forcefully knocked aside Makoto's descending Kunai, throwing him off balance.

At the same time, he raised his left hand and shot it toward Makoto's neck like lightning.

Once he had captured Makoto, the strongest of the three, the other two would be easy to deal with. His own son and his old friend's daughter wouldn't last three seconds.

But the situation suddenly changed. As Makoto fell toward his hand, his body shifted sideways through the air, and his Kunai slashed toward the back of Yugao Gekko's head.

Yugao Gekko had no idea how Makoto had changed position without anything to push off from, but he had no time to think. His body's battle instincts made him turn and block.

Another clang. He blocked the attack, but at the same time a second Kunai appeared from the blind spot at his side and rested against his neck.

The Makoto who had attacked from behind dissolved into smoke. It had only been a Shadow Clone.

"Sensei, looks like I win."

Yugao Gekko glanced at the ground. The dirt there was undisturbed.

"So you had another Shadow Clone hidden away. You used Earth Release to hide beneath my feet during the fight, then struck a fatal blow at the crucial moment?

"Not bad. What's even more impressive is your training in Earth Release: Nature Transformation. The ground didn't make a sound when you emerged."

Ninjas who moved through the earth used properties like its ability to envelop things. Even the simplest Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique involved that kind of Nature Transformation.

More advanced techniques included Earth Release: Fish Projection in the Earth and Subterranean Voyage. Both worked by temporarily turning dirt and sand into fluid with Chakra, allowing Ninjas to hide or move through them.

The earth nurtured all living things. When their lives ended, it also embraced and broke them down, until dust returned to dust and earth to earth.

"So, Sensei, did we pass your Strength Assessment Battle?"

"You did. But only by sacrificing two teammates. If you faced a situation like this, what would you choose? Ignore them and kill me, or accept the condition I'm about to propose?"

Behind Hayate and Yugao, who had just been sent flying, stood a Yugao Gekko. A Kunai was pressed against each of their necks.

Ninja battles were usually over quickly. The moment the two had been knocked back and Makoto moved in to follow up, they had been captured. It had all happened in an instant.

The two felt a little awkward. If this had happened on a battlefield, they would have become hostages their enemies could use against their teammate—the kind who dragged everyone down.

If the mission came first, Makoto should kill his enemy, even if his teammates might die too. Kakashi gave that idea a thumbs-up.

If his teammates came first, he'd fall into the enemy's rhythm, and the whole squad might be wiped out. Obito pushed aside the huge rock pinning him down and gave that idea a thumbs-up.