"Clang!"
"Clang!"
"Clang!"
Six shuriken flew toward Bai Lin, and he deflected them with kunai.
"Shuriken Manipulation Technique!"
Uchiha Mikoto tugged on the thin wires, controlling the six shuriken that had been knocked aside to loop back through the air. They curved precisely toward Bai Lin's back.
Caught off guard, Bai Lin was hit by all six shuriken.
No, it can't be that simple.
Uchiha Mikoto knew Bai Lin wouldn't be taken down so easily, and immediately leaped into the air.
Sure enough, Bai Lin's figure appeared behind her.
"Summoning: Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"
Bai Lin's voice rang out behind her. Several black venomous snakes darted from his sleeves like nimble shadows, coiling straight around Mikoto's ankles.
Suspended in midair, Mikoto's Sharingan instantly caught the snakes' movements, and she understood.
She didn't panic. Instead, she tucked her body in and flipped like a butterfly's wing, tugging on the remaining wires in her hands at the same time. "Shuriken Manipulation Technique—Second Stage!"
The six returning shuriken abruptly changed course. Instead of attacking Bai Lin, they precisely slashed at the incoming snakes, cutting down the ones that had drawn close.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"
Scorching flames surged from her mouth, destroying the remaining snakes.
"You're dead, Mikoto!"
Bai Lin held a kunai to Uchiha Mikoto's neck and smiled warmly.
"No. You let your guard down!"
Another Mikoto appeared behind Bai Lin, holding a kunai to his neck as well. The Mikoto Bai Lin had threatened turned into a cloud of smoke, then became a log that dropped to the ground.
"Haha, not bad! But did you really think everything you saw was real?"
"Genjutsu: Release!"
Snake Sasuke wasn't particularly skilled in genjutsu. He couldn't compare to ninjas who specialized in it, but he could still use it to toy with weaker opponents now and then.
Before Bai Lin had pushed Uchiha Mikoto into awakening her Three-Tomoe Sharingan, she had already possessed a One-Tomoe Sharingan.
She couldn't match geniuses like Itachi Uchiha or Shisui Uchiha, but she was still considered talented among her clan.
The Sharingan's abilities—perception, hypnosis, and copying—varied with each stage. When it awakened, the user's spiritual energy exceeded its limits, increasing the Chakra within their body.
Uchiha Mikoto no longer had to worry about running low on Chakra, but she still lacked practical experience and wasn't proficient enough in using her Sharingan.
Bai Lin gently tapped Uchiha Mikoto on the forehead with his index and middle fingers, smiling as he said, "You did very well. I'll leave my back in your hands from now on."
His fingertips felt warm as they rested lightly against Mikoto's forehead, and his tone was full of undisguised praise.
Mikoto's cheeks flushed at once. The crimson glow of her Sharingan dimmed slightly. She put away her kunai and turned her face away, a little awkwardly. "I... I still need more practice."
"You're good enough." Bai Lin withdrew his hand and turned toward Nawaki, who had been watching with great interest. "Don't just stand there watching. Remember everything you saw. A ninja's theoretical knowledge is important, but so is practical experience.
"You also need to stay alert to every detail on the battlefield. Even an opponent who seems to have been dealt with may still have a deadly trick up their sleeve."
"Especially you, Nawaki."
"Get rid of that careless attitude of yours, and keep your attention on everything around you."
"As your brother-in-law, I don't want to see your sister heartbroken. Do you understand?"
"Answer me!"
"You're not my brother-in-law," Nawaki muttered.
"Yes!" Seeing Bai Lin staring straight at him, Nawaki jumped in surprise and snapped to attention, his voice so loud that the leaves around them rustled.
The playfulness had vanished from his face. His eyes were filled with a seriousness and resolve he'd never shown before, and the veins stood out faintly on his clenched fists. "I'll get rid of my careless habits and stay alert at all times! I'll never make my sister sad, and I won't hold you or Mikoto back!"
"Did you skip dinner? Say your dream again, louder!"
"My dream is to become Hokage!"
"Too quiet!"
"My dream is to become Hokage! To earn the recognition of everyone in the village, and protect my family and Konoha!"
"From now on, I'll train you and Mikoto every day. Don't wait until you're on the battlefield to get killed by some unknown ninja." Bai Lin nodded with satisfaction, approving of their determination.
"Yes!" x2
Three days later, at night.
Bai Lin and the others spent their days traveling and their nights training Uchiha Mikoto and Nawaki.
Mikoto needed no introduction. She was growing rapidly and becoming more adept at using her Three-Tomoe Sharingan.
She could not only track fast-moving targets with precision but also quickly copy her opponents' ninjutsu in battle. Combined with her solid foundation in Fire Release, her combat strength had steadily reached the level of an elite Jonin.
Unfortunately, Mikoto hadn't learned many genjutsu techniques, and Bai Lin didn't know many he could teach her. Otherwise, he could have seen how talented she was at genjutsu.
By comparison, Nawaki's growth was more steady and methodical.
He had neither Mikoto's ocular abilities nor her large Chakra reserves.
Bai Lin didn't make him obsess over complicated ninjutsu. Instead, he focused on honing Nawaki's tactical awareness and teaching him to use Water Release effectively.
After three days of intense training, Nawaki had finally shed his careless habits. He'd learned to study the terrain and anticipate his opponents' moves in battle.
Overall, he seemed like an ordinary background character, without any particularly special talents. Still, his strength had reached the level of a Chunin.
Standing on a branch, Bai Lin surveyed the area as Uchiha Mikoto and Nawaki carefully laid their traps.
As if he'd sensed something, he frowned and looked in one direction.
Uchiha Mikoto and Nawaki noticed nothing, but Bai Lin had already disappeared.
A hundred meters away, more than twenty Amegakure ninjas were camping around a bonfire.
Military Ration Pills couldn't meet every need of the human body. They could keep someone fed for a short time, if all they needed was to stave off hunger.
This group might have been experienced, or perhaps it was simply the usual time for them to set up camp.
They hadn't expected their campsite to be only a hundred meters from the one Bai Lin and the others had chosen.
Bai Lin's figure was like a drop of ink blending into the night. He landed soundlessly in the shadows at the edge of the camp.
He kept his breathing as quiet as possible and secretly activated his Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Only his keen eyes moved through the darkness, keeping track of every target.
"Twenty-three ninjas. Fifteen are wearing flak jackets. I wonder how many are Jonin and how many are Chunin."
"How many Jonin can Snake Sasuke handle at once?"
"Though I still have a trump card, should I test my limits against so many ninjas when I don't know what I'm up against?"
Bai Lin frowned. Apart from his usual combat strength in Fire Release and Lightning Release, he also had his Three-Tomoe Sharingan as a trump card. But the Sasuke within Snake Sasuke had another trump card as well.
He estimated his strength. He should be stronger than Kakashi Hatake in his normal state. With his Sharingan and Lightning Release, he could kill Kakashi Hatake in his normal state. (Don't overhype Sasuke.)
But Kakashi in his normal state was still an elite Jonin. Even if Bai Lin could kill him, it wouldn't be easy—not unless he used that trump card.
Jonin weren't fodder that could be taken out at will. The gap between an elite Jonin and an ordinary Jonin wasn't all that large. (Refer to Kakashi's battles against other Jonin.)
Bai Lin had considerably more Chakra than an ordinary Jonin, but the gap wasn't overwhelming. Unless he awakened the Mangekyō Sharingan and gained a much larger Chakra reserve, he'd have a hard time overpowering numerous Jonin.
"No. With my current strength, I can take on at most five Jonin. If they surround me, escaping will be difficult."
Bai Lin frowned again. He was here to make money, so he couldn't afford to be careless.
For a ninja, intelligence was the most important thing.
Without intel, even Jiraiya couldn't guarantee he'd make it out alive.