Effort! The Ability to Surpass Talent

Training Ground 21.

It had been abandoned for many years, but because Team Asuma was conducting special training here, the area was filled with a lively and joyful atmosphere all day long.

"Poof!"

A smoke bomb burst open, and Shikamaru and Ino quickly retreated.

"Partial Multi-Size Technique!"

A massive hand came crashing down.

It struck the ground with such force that the earth itself trembled!

"Back up!"

Neji warned, and Tenten quickly followed him as they retreated a significant distance.

Clatter, clatter...

Debris scattered across the ground.

"Heh, you've improved again, Choji!"

Asuma, still fighting bare-handed, stood atop a tree trunk after the smoke cleared, looking down at his three students.

"Asuma-sensei is so cunning; he knew the ground was a disadvantage, so he jumped into the trees."

Choji narrowed his eyes and muttered.

Though his eyes were small to begin with, they always looked like they were squinting anyway.

"Heh, is this all you three can do even when attacking together? Your combined efforts aren't even as effective as Tenten's attack from just a moment ago!"

No sooner had Asuma finished speaking than he froze.

"This..."

Beneath his feet, a patch of pitch-black shadow had latched onto him like glue, making it difficult for him to move.

"Shadow Possession Jutsu—success!"

At that moment, the Shikamaru who had leaped out of the smoke bomb earlier turned into a puff of smoke with a "poof."

From behind a tree trunk on the other side of the tree where Asuma stood, Shikamaru poked his head out.

"So, the smoke bomb was just to get close to me? I really can't keep up with you, you brat!" Asuma turned his head with difficulty, smiling bitterly as he saw Shikamaru struggling to maintain the technique.

Shikamaru gritted his teeth and muttered, "As expected, controlling a Jonin is still too taxing. Ino! Hurry up!"

"Got it!"

Ino curled her lips into a smirk. "Asuma-sensei, next time you should look closer at the Clone Technique!"

With that, she quickly finished her hand signs.

"Ninja Art: Mind Transfer Jutsu."

She aimed at Asuma, but...

A moment later, she frowned.

"What's going on? Why didn't the Mind Transfer Jutsu work?"

After she spoke, a burst of laughter echoed.

"Haha, the clone was just a distraction. In a real fight, one wouldn't naturally rely on such low-level Clone Techniques."

Asuma had appeared right behind Ino, his hands tucked into his pockets and a cigarette dangling from his lips.

The cigarette butt bobbed up and down as Asuma spoke.

"That's enough for you three; take a break."

Asuma finished speaking and began to walk away.

Ino, still stunned, remained immersed in the shock of the moment.

Choji blinked his squinty eyes and looked up at the tree, where the original Asuma had turned into a gust of wind.

"Whoosh, whoosh~"

It wasn't just the sound of wind, but a materialized Hurricane that gradually dissipated into the air.

Seeing this, Shikamaru sighed and lowered his head.

"What a drag. Trying to fight a Jonin with just three Genin—there's simply no chance of winning."

Once the basic test training concluded, the group gathered around again while Asuma scribbled on a clipboard.

He paused when he reached a difficult point, pinching the cigarette from his lips.

"In terms of overall level, Shikamaru's ability is the strongest..."

At this, Shikamaru hung his head, showing no signs of happiness.

Ino and Choji also pouted, looking helpless.

"As it stands, the combat IQ of all five of you is above the Genin level, but you might lack some practical experience. Compared to a Chunin, what you lack most is actual training."

"Training?" Tenten asked, puzzled.

Asuma nodded. "Except for Neji, all of you have far too many openings in your movements and footwork. While your fighting spirit is commendable, your technical proficiency is far too amateurish. In this state, there is no way you will become Chunin."

"Right, Neji only sparred with Ino. Next, I will personally test you."

As Asuma spoke, he suddenly put away his pen and paper, setting them down on the grass.

He stood up empty-handed and spread his arms wide.

"We shall exchange a few moves. I need to get a baseline grasp of your physical conditioning. For the first week, we will focus on fundamental physical training, and in the second week, I will teach you more advanced methods of chakra control."

"Neji, you're up."

Tenten glanced at Neji, stunned.

Neji was also momentarily taken aback, but then he stood up indifferently; he seemed to accept this matter readily.

In Tenten's eyes, she was also very focused on this test.

Asuma was different from Guy. Guy only knew how to lead them through amateurish training, and furthermore, Guy was a teacher with severe biases in his teaching. But this teacher Asuma before them was different.

Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, Genjutsu, chakra control, nature transformation, and even the Wind Clone from earlier—that was shape transformation.

"An all-around teacher. Neji, you have to give it your all," Tenten whispered.

"Begin!"

The others cleared the area. From the start, Neji activated his Byakugan and charged at Asuma with full force.

"I don't need to repeat the rules, do I? The goal is to fight me and find a way to restrict my movements—that is your objective! Use your full strength!" Asuma said, lowering his head as he waited for Neji to rush in.

"Understood!"

Neji gave a light shout, and his entire figure suddenly vanished.

"He disappeared?" Asuma was somewhat surprised, but the next moment, he was startled.

He glanced to the right, but Neji was already striking down from behind his left side.

"What is this?" Ino, witnessing this scene, was incredibly astonished.

Asuma was also in shock; he dodged in surprise and retreated forward.

Behind him, Neji moved like a phantom, his palm strikes so fast that the naked eye could barely track them!

"Ha!"

Whoosh—

Although Asuma dodged, the wind from the palm strike blew his clothes up entirely.

The others watching this scene all wore expressions of admiration and shock.

Is this really just a test?

If they didn't know the two people in front of them, they would have thought this was a spar between two Jonin!

Looking solely at the movements, it was not an exaggeration at all; every one of Neji's actions was so logical and swift.

His footwork was equally steady, and throughout his exchange with Asuma, he was not suppressed in the slightest.

"Eight Trigrams Vacuum Palm!"

Neji seized the opportunity and struck out, but Asuma had long since used Wind Style chakra to increase his lightness, making it easy to dodge at close range.

So that's how it is... When he sparred with Neji, he really didn't intend to touch me. The final blow that knocked me back was just the wind from that palm strike.

Realizing this, Ino felt her scalp tingle.

That rumored dead-last? No, now in the minds of Ino—or rather, everyone present—a conclusion had been firmly established.

Neji was a hidden genius ninja!

"Wind Release: Gale Blade!"

Asuma took the opportunity to perform three simple hand seals with one hand, meeting Neji's palm with his own.

Boom— The friction generated by the clash of air currents and the violent impact sent Neji flying back, while Asuma, still in his original spot, simply withdrew his hand and let out a quiet breath.

"Without a doubt, among you, the one with the most excellent footwork—and the one who has left you all far behind—is Neji."

After the practice, Asuma seemed to have finally found a direction, beginning to write and sketch on his paper.

"But, when did Neji suddenly become this strong?" Choji asked, puzzled.

Everyone sitting nearby looked at Neji.

Neji was startled for a moment, then smiled. "I don't know. I just practice every day. Those moves from just now were all learned through practice."

Watching Neji's simple smile, Asuma thought to himself: Talent? No, this child is indeed very talented, but what makes him formidable is not truly his talent.

His greatest ability is his effort. Every movement from the spar just now—even he, as a Jonin, would not dare to say he has done more training than this Genin.

What Neji possesses is an ability that transcends talent.