Qi Luna's Special Training

Inside the Third Training Ground, Qi Luna stood atop a wooden post, looking down at the three people below who were braced for battle.

"From today on, this will be your special training ground. There is only one goal for this training: survive the actual combat and become stronger!"

"This special training won't be a gradual process; it's going to be hell-level from the very start!"

"Qi..."

Just as Yahiko was about to ask a question, a wave of intense killing intent surged toward them, pressing down so hard they couldn't catch their breath!

A mischievous smirk tugged at the corners of Qi Luna's mouth. Without even forming a single hand seal, her churning chakra erupted from her body, heavy as a mountain, and a pressure filled with violent, savage energy crashed down upon them!

That blood-red chakra was not entirely Qi Luna's own power; it was the killing intent she had accumulated during her four years of service in the Anbu, mixed with a trace of the Nine-Tails' ferocity, creating a dual pressure that was both mental and physical!

"Urgh!"

Yahiko felt as if he were suddenly carrying a thousand-pound weight; even breathing became difficult, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to be collapsing!

Konan's face turned pale. The paper generated by her Dance of the Shikigami lost all control, falling to the ground and clinging to the earth before dissolving into chakra and vanishing.

Nagato's Rinnegan flickered with a purple glow, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead. That pressure caused intense stinging and crushing sensations to his body and mind, which were already struggling under the burden of the Rinnegan.

"Move!"

Qi Luna's voice boomed like thunder, exploding under the heavy pressure.

"If you just stand there, the only result will be getting crushed by my chakra and presence!"

"You must use all your strength, technique, and willpower! Find the rhythm of your breathing under this heavy pressure, overcome the fear in your hearts, and get used to this harsh environment of high-intensity stress!"

"Remember, if you were on a battlefield, you might be facing a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood! The enemy won't give you a single moment to catch your breath!"

"Now, move, and launch a decent attack at me!"

Nagato locked his Rinnegan onto Qi Luna, enduring the immense dual pressure on his mind and body as he quickly formed hand seals:

"Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

However, his attack was not aimed at Qi Luna herself, but rather slammed into the wooden post beneath her feet.

A high-pressure wind sphere erupted from Nagato's mouth, the gale howling as it transformed into a cannonball of wind. While kicking up gravel and dust, it precisely shattered the wooden post, causing Qi Luna to lose her footing and creating an opening for Yahiko to launch a surprise attack!

Konan gritted her teeth and began to change her usual combat style and strategy. No longer seeking precise control over every single sheet of paper, she transformed the paper into countless overlapping, scale-like armor that covered her body, insulating her from the pressure of Qi Luna's chakra and presence.

At the same time, she retreated rapidly, a pair of small paper wings unfolding from her back. With every flap, she launched several Paper Spears!

"Paper Style: Dance of the Shikigami: Thousand Feather Spears!"

These Paper Spears followed tricky trajectories, not seeking to deal significant damage, but merely to distract and delay Qi Luna's movements to buy time for her teammates.

Yahiko let out a roar, his orange hair dancing wildly in the turbulent chakra. He didn't choose to keep resisting head-on; instead, he dropped his body low, darting across the ground like a leopard. Using the smoke and wood chips as cover, he attempted to launch a surprise attack from Qi Luna's blind spot!

"Uzumaki Style: Second Form: Modified: Sheath Breaker!"

Although his movements appeared somewhat distorted under the immense pressure, they possessed an added layer of ruthlessness and resilience born from being pushed to the limit!

Nagato destroyed the footing and provided cover, Konan provided suppression to block any evasion, and Yahiko used the smoke to launch a fatal strike to finish the opponent!

Under the weight of Qi Luna's heavy pressure, the three of them had executed a nearly perfect combination! Power, speed, timing, and angle! At the level of genin or even chunin, there was almost nothing to criticize.

"Omoshiroi~"

A flash of approval crossed Qi Luna's eyes, and a gratified smile appeared on her lips.

Facing their combined assault, she didn't dodge or parry, letting the gale shatter her footing and the Paper Spears pin her to the ground, until Yahiko used the Sheath Breaker—a technique derived from the second form of the Uzumaki Style Taijutsu—to punch through her heart!

Qi Luna's "death" made Nagato's Rinnegan widen in shock!

The Qi Luna who had been struck, blood flowing from her body and spilling from her mouth, suddenly blurred, shimmering like a reflection in water, a faint, all-knowing smile still lingering on her face.

"Poof!"

Immediately after, her body exploded, turning into a puff of white smoke before vanishing entirely!

"Ka... Kage Bunshin?!"

Yahiko remained in his punching stance, his eyes filled with disbelief as he cried out.

The Paper Spears controlled by Konan hung suspended in the air, her amber eyes wide with astonishment.

Nagato was also stunned, his Rinnegan fixed on the dissipating white smoke, clearly unable to understand when Qi Luna had performed the Shadow Clone technique, or if it had been a clone from the very beginning...

"Well done. To be able to react quickly under such circumstances, coordinate with each other, and land a fatal blow on the enemy—you have passed the first part of this special training!"

Qi Luna's calm voice rang out, breaking the heavy silence. The turbulent chakra, the killing intent, and the ferocity of the Nine-Tails' chakra were all retracted by her in an instant.

The three of them whipped their heads around!

Without them noticing, Qi Luna's true body had silently appeared on a tree behind them.

Qi Luna sat lazily on a thick, protruding branch, her hands resting on the wood as she looked down at them with green eyes filled with undisguised approval.

Feeling the pressure vanish, a wave of exhaustion washed over Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato, but it was outweighed by an indescribable sense of excitement and accomplishment!

"Yatta!"

Yahiko punched the air in excitement, and Konan broke into a relieved smile. After the three of them high-fived to celebrate, Nagato felt a warmth bloom in his heart as he looked at Qi Luna's approving gaze.

"However!"

Qi Luna's tone sank, and her gaze turned sharp in an instant. It was clear that she already had a clear and long-term plan for the upcoming special training!

"This is merely the beginning. You have now initially adapted to the pressure of a high-intensity environment, and from here on out, I will be conducting assessments on you at irregular intervals!"

"As for the second lesson, I will be conducting specialized training tailored to your individual characteristics and shortcomings!"

"I will first address your strengths and weaknesses, after which I will formulate a special training plan for you and teach you how to play to your strengths while mitigating your flaws."

"First, it is you, Yahiko."

Qi Luna looked toward Yahiko:

"Yahiko, your chakra reserves are vast and your physique is robust, but your elemental affinity is singular. You have an excess of explosive power but lack sustained versatility. If you encounter an enemy skilled in long-range ninjutsu and cannot close the distance quickly, you will find yourself in a very passive position!"

Yahiko nodded. He was well aware that his only chakra affinity was Water. Although he had learned quite a few Water Style ninjutsu, most of his techniques were mediocre in power and difficult to utilize in environments devoid of water. Furthermore, since Water Style was generally very chakra-intensive, he rarely used it; after all, his Water Style... was fundamentally not up to par.

"Next is you, Konan."

Qi Luna turned her head to look at Konan:

"Konan, your Paper Style is very unique and your talent is high, but dealing with extreme environments and the inherent attack power of the paper itself remain major issues."

Konan lowered her head in silence. She knew it herself—whether it was the cutting power of her Paper Shuriken or the piercing impact of her Paper Spear, both would prove inadequate when facing truly powerful opponents.

"Finally, it is you, Nagato."

At last, Qi Luna looked at Nagato, his gaze appearing exceptionally profound at this moment:

"Although the Rinnegan is powerful, it also places a massive burden upon you, to the point where your physical constitution is weak and the chakra you can utilize on a daily basis is limited. Fortunately, you are naturally gifted with a high affinity for all five chakra natures. Therefore, you only need to make your body more resilient and break the vicious cycle where the Rinnegan drags down your physical strength. If you do that, you can become stronger than the vast majority of people! Perhaps even stronger than me!"

Nagato clenched his fists. He knew this was an unavoidable problem; the Rinnegan required a vast amount of chakra and life force to nurture, and by losing the portion of chakra and life force used to sustain the Rinnegan, his own rate of growth would inevitably slow down.

Furthermore, as time passed and the Rinnegan's seals were gradually undone, the amount of chakra and life force required would only increase, causing his cultivation speed to become even slower!

If this continued for long, his strength would become difficult to improve, perhaps even stagnating entirely...