Higashino Makoto felt that their Jonin leader was doing this on purpose. The time had come to test their Will of Fire. He had no idea whether some old geezer had put him up to it or if it had been his own idea.
But it didn't matter. Only fools who made no contingency plans and lacked the strength to back them up were forced to choose just one option. Higashino Makoto's choice was: I'll take everything.jpg.
Suddenly, a sharp Wind Blade shot out of the ground on either side of Gekko Hayate and Uzuki Yugao.
The blades were only about a palm's width across, yet nearly transparent and invisible. Only the distortion in the air revealed their faint outlines.
They were extraordinarily sharp and incredibly fast, slicing through Gekko Yun Jian's body in the blink of an eye.
With two pops, Gekko Yun Jian's Shadow Clones vanished. Hayate and Yugao were free, and they immediately drew their weapons and stood back to back to guard against another sneak attack.
"Teacher, only people without backup plans are forced to choose. Clearly, I have a contingency plan too, just like you."
A look of admiration appeared in Gekko Yun Jian's eyes. "So you had two more Shadow Clones hidden underground, waiting for a chance to strike? You really are gifted at combat.
"Your Chakra Amount amazes me, too. Even if Hayate and the others had thought of this plan, they couldn't have carried it out. They don't have enough chakra to support it."
It wasn't just those two. Any ninja with a low Chakra Amount would be unable to do it.
Higashino Makoto had plenty of chakra, but he didn't like wasting it either. The reason he could pull this off was his extraordinary control over chakra and his deep understanding of how ninjutsu worked.
After two years of refinement, his Shadow Clones no longer split his chakra evenly with him. Instead, he could give them just the amount they needed.
For example, the clone that had just attacked from underground with Wind Blades could manage only one strike. Once its job was done, it automatically dispelled itself.
No matter how much chakra a Shadow Clone used, the pain it sent back to its original when destroyed was just as intense. He needed to minimize the chance of his clones taking a fatal hit so that they wouldn't affect him.
Higashino Makoto gripped his Kunai, but he kept his guard up toward his own rear flank.
"Shall we keep going, Teacher Yun Jian?"
"Poof!" The Gekko Yun Jian he was holding hostage burst into a cloud of white smoke. That had been a Shadow Clone, too.
The real one slowly emerged from behind a tree at the edge of the battlefield. "That's enough. You've shown the level of skill I was looking for."
"Yay, we did it!" Uzuki Yugao dropped her guard and jumped up excitedly.
Gekko Hayate was happy too, but a trace of disappointment crept in. His strength was nowhere near his father's, while his friend, who was a year younger, had fought his father to a standstill—and even had a backup plan to save the two of them from being held hostage.
Gekko Yun Jian looked at them both. "You're celebrating too soon. Your plan was good, but you're still far too weak. From now on, you'll train twice as hard.
"What just happened is common in battles between ninjas. You don't want to become a hostage your enemies can use against your teammates someday, do you?"
"Understood, Teacher."
"I'll work twice as hard, Teacher."
They both answered earnestly. That was how children in the Shinobi World were: after becoming ninjas, they often lost their innocence after just one or two battles. Those who didn't lose it died.
Hayate understood this more deeply than Yugao, because his teammate Amatsu had been just such an innocent person. Luckily, he'd been fortunate enough to survive—he'd only lost a leg.
For a child who dreamed of becoming a ninja, perhaps being crippled was even more painful than dying—and the pain would last a lifetime.
Gekko Yun Jian turned to Higashino Makoto. "That attack you launched from underground just now was some kind of Wind Blade, right? It was a bit like Vacuum Wave, or the Wind Blade used by the Sand Ninjas.
"But yours was more sophisticated. Did you develop it yourself? Of course, ninjutsu is a ninja's secret, so you don't have to tell me."
Wind Blade was the signature move of Baki, an elite Jonin from Sunagakure. He could use it instantly without hand seals, and during the Chunin Ninja Exams, he had killed a Konoha Special Jonin in one shot.
What a coincidence: that Special Jonin was also named Gekko Hayate!
Gekko Hayate: "???"
"It's nothing I need to keep secret, Teacher. I developed it while training in the sharp-cutting properties of Wind Release Chakra. I also spent time turning it into a hand-seal-free technique to make it more efficient at killing.
"I made it harder to detect and faster. I can use it with one hand, though it causes a tiny bit of damage to my finger cells. That's why it works best with a well-made ninja sword."
"Have you given it a good name? If not, I could—"
"Wind Release: Shadowless Sword!" Higashino Makoto answered quickly, cutting off Gekko Yun Jian's attempt to claim the naming rights.
Many of Konoha's adult ninjas seemed serious on the outside but still had a fair bit of childish enthusiasm hidden inside. Minato Namikaze was a classic example.
"Shadowless Sword? A simple, fitting name. You've already surpassed us adults in developing Wind Release. This technique must be at least A-rank difficulty to master, right?"
After marveling for a moment, Gekko Yun Jian turned serious. "Makoto, you know I have to report the truth about my squad members to the Hokage. If you don't want to reveal it, I can make an exception and keep it from him."
"You don't have to make things difficult for yourself, Uncle Yun Jian. Just report it as usual."
"All right." Gekko Yun Jian smiled and looked at the three of them. "That's enough for today. I'll treat you to barbecue at seven tonight. You know the place.
"Go home and get your ninja tools ready. Tomorrow, you'll begin taking missions as official ninjas. You're dismissed."
After he finished speaking, Gekko Yun Jian used the Body Flicker Technique and left.
"Hey, Brother Makoto, was that the technique you've been developing all this time? It was amazing! You blew up Uncle Yun Jian's Shadow Clone in an instant. Though the name doesn't sound very impressive."
"It's just a name. As long as it fits, why make a fuss?" As he spoke, Higashino Makoto suddenly changed his mind. "You want it to sound impressive? How about 'Innate Broken Body Formless Sword Qi'? Or maybe 'Super Ultimate Gale Moonlit Infinite Combo Flashing Light Slash: First Form'?"
"Uh, those do sound pretty impressive, but aren't they too long? And what does Big Brother Hayate have to do with it? Never mind. Let's stick with Shadowless Sword. The point is, I want to learn it! Teach me!"
Ninjutsu was every ninja's secret, and even students weren't taught it lightly. But the three of them had grown up together, and they knew one another so well that there was no need for such reservations.
"Haven't I already taught you? Once you can do this, you've met the basic requirement." As he spoke, Higashino Makoto picked up a small pebble and held it between his fingers. He released Wind Release Chakra, and the pebble was instantly reduced to powder.
Uzuki Yugao: "..."
Gekko Hayate: "I see. Don't worry, Makoto. I'll work hard until I can do it."
"Good. Keep at it. Do you need to restock your ninja tools?"
Hayate: "I still have some at home, so I don't need any for now."
Yugao: "Me too."
"I used up mine in training, so I need to buy some. See you tonight."
It was late afternoon. After they parted ways, Higashino Makoto soon arrived at the Ninja Tool Shop near his home. It was just one street away, and the quality was good. Since he went through a lot of ninja tools in training, he was a regular.
"Sister Lingyin, long time no see. You're working today? Where's Brother Tieyan?"
During the war, most ninjas were at the front lines, and the village supplied their ninja tools, so the shop was empty except for a young woman holding a baby.
"Makoto, it's been a while. Tieyan's at the forge. What do you need today?"
"Just these!" Higashino Makoto handed her a list. He also noticed the baby in her arms, who was tiny and only a few days old.
"Is this your baby with Brother Tieyan? She's adorable. Is it a boy or a girl? Have you picked a name yet?"
As Lingyin gathered the items, she replied with a smile, "It's a girl. Her name is Tenten."
"Tenten, huh? Tenten?"
"That's right. Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing. It's a lovely name."
Higashino Makoto glanced at the two buns in Lingyin's hair. Wasn't this baby just a miniature Tenten? He hadn't expected to run into one of the Konoha 11 so soon.
So Tenten was the oldest of the Konoha 11. By oldest, he meant in age.
But still, for one of the Konoha 11, was Tenten really that strong?
Not a chance. Thinking about it only brought tears to his eyes.
Before you continue