Qi Luna's Team's Special Training

At the Third Training Ground, Qi Luna stood atop a wooden post, looking down at the three who stood ready below.

"Starting today, this will be your training ground. You have only one goal: survive real combat and grow stronger!"

"This training won't ease you in. It'll be hell from the very start~"

"Qi..."

Yahiko had just started to ask a question when a fierce killing intent slammed into them, crushing the air from their lungs!

A wicked smile curled Qi Luna's lips. Without even forming Hand Seals, chakra surged from her body, heavy as a mountain. An overwhelming pressure, filled with a savage aura, crashed down upon them!

That blood-red chakra wasn't entirely Qi Luna's own power. It was the killing intent she had accumulated during four years of service in the Anbu, mixed with a trace of the Nine-Tails' ferocious aura—a dual assault on their minds and bodies!

"Gah!"

Yahiko felt as if a thousand-pound weight had dropped onto him. Even breathing became difficult, and the ground beneath his feet seemed to be collapsing!

Konan's face turned pale. All the paper created by Dance of the Shikigami lost control and fell to the ground, pressed flat against it, before dissolving into chakra.

Purple light flickered in Nagato's Rinnegan, and sweat beaded at his temples. The pressure caused intense pain and strain, both mental and physical, on his body—which already struggled to bear the burden of the Rinnegan.

"Move!"

Qi Luna's voice boomed like thunder through the crushing pressure.

"If you just stand there, you'll end up crushed by my chakra and presence!"

"You have to use every bit of your strength, skill, and willpower! Find your breathing rhythm under the pressure, overcome your fear, and get used to harsh environments under extreme stress!"

"Remember, on the battlefield, you might find yourselves surrounded by mountains of corpses and seas of blood! Your enemies won't give you even a moment to catch your breath!"

"Now move, and launch a proper attack against me!"

Nagato fixed his Rinnegan on Qi Luna. Enduring the immense strain on his mind and body, he rapidly formed Hand Seals.

"Wind Release: Pressure Damage!"

But he didn't attack Qi Luna herself. Instead, he slammed his attack into the wooden post beneath her feet.

A high-pressure ball of wind burst from Nagato's mouth. The gale roared like a cannonball, kicking up dust and rubble as it precisely pulverized the post, taking away Qi Luna's foothold and creating an opening for Yahiko to attack!

Konan gritted her teeth and changed her usual fighting style and strategy. Instead of trying to control each sheet of paper precisely, she turned the paper into countless interlocking scales that covered her body like armor, shielding her from the pressure of Qi Luna's chakra and presence.

At the same time, she leaped back, unfurling a pair of small paper wings. With every flap, they sent several Paper Spears flying! (Kind of like wing-like kagune, I guess.)

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

The Paper Spears followed unpredictable trajectories. They weren't meant to inflict much damage, only to distract Qi Luna and hinder her movements, buying time for her teammates.

Yahiko let out a roar. His orange hair whipped wildly in the shifting chakra, and instead of continuing to resist head-on, he dropped low and darted along the ground like a leopard. Using the smoke and wood chips for cover, he tried to launch a surprise attack from Qi Luna's blind spot!

"Vortex Style: Second Form: Modified: Shatterstone!"

Under the immense pressure, his movements were somewhat distorted, but they had gained a ferocity and tenacity born of desperation!

Nagato destroyed her foothold and provided cover, Konan unleashed a barrage to restrict her dodging, and Yahiko used the smoke as cover to deliver a lethal blow and finish off their opponent!

Under Qi Luna's crushing pressure, the three of them had managed nearly perfect teamwork! Their strength, speed, timing, and angles were all almost flawless, even by Genin or Chunin standards.

"Oh, interesting~" (Not bad.)

A hint of approval flashed in Qi Luna's eyes, and a pleased smile touched her lips.

She neither dodged nor blocked their attacks. She let the gale shatter her foothold and the Paper Spears pin her to the ground, until Yahiko used Sheath Breaker, a technique developed from the second form of Uzumaki Style Taijutsu, to punch straight through her heart!

Nagato's eyes widened as Qi Luna "died"!

The Qi Luna who had been struck, her body streaming with blood and blood trickling from the corner of her mouth, suddenly blurred and wavered like a reflection in water. A faint smile remained on her face, as if she saw through everything.

"Poof~"

Then her body suddenly burst into a cloud of white smoke and vanished!

"C-Clone Jutsu?!" (A-a Shadow Clone?!)

Yahiko still held his punching stance, but his eyes were full of disbelief as he cried out.

The Paper Spears controlled by Konan hung motionless in the air. Shock filled her amber eyes.

Nagato was stunned, too. He stared at the dissipating smoke with his Rinnegan, clearly unable to tell when Qi Luna had created the Shadow Clone—or whether that had been a clone from the very beginning...

"Well done. You reacted quickly under these circumstances and worked together to land a lethal blow. You've passed the first part of your training!"

Qi Luna's calm voice broke the heavy silence. In an instant, she withdrew the surging chakra curtain, the killing intent, and the ferocity of the Nine-Tails Chakra.

The three of them spun around!

At some point, Qi Luna's real body had silently appeared in a tree behind them and to the side.

Qi Luna sat leisurely on a thick branch, bracing herself with both hands. Her green eyes, brimming with undisguised approval, looked down at them.

As the pressure abruptly vanished, Yahiko, Konan, and Nagato were overcome by exhaustion. But even more than that, they felt an indescribable excitement and sense of achievement!

"Yatta!" (That's great!)

Yahiko pumped his fist excitedly, and Konan smiled with relief. After the three of them exchanged high fives to celebrate, Nagato looked at the approval in Qi Luna's eyes, and warmth welled up inside him.

"But!"

Qi Luna's tone turned serious, and her eyes sharpened. She clearly had a detailed, long-term plan for the training ahead!

"This is only the beginning. You've just started adapting to the pressure of high-stress environments. From now on, I'll test you without warning!"

"For the second lesson, I'll focus on specialized training tailored to each of your strengths and weaknesses!"

"First, I'll tell you what your strengths and weaknesses are. Then I'll draw up a training plan and teach you how to play to your strengths and cover your weaknesses."

"First, you, Yahiko."

Qi Luna looked at Yahiko.

"Yahiko, you have a large chakra reserve and a strong body, but your elemental affinity is limited. You have plenty of explosive power, but not enough sustained variation. If you face an enemy who specializes in long-range ninjutsu and can't close the distance quickly, you'll be at a serious disadvantage!"

Yahiko nodded. He knew his only chakra nature was Water. Although he had learned quite a few Water Release techniques, they were mostly mediocre in places without water and difficult to use effectively. Water Release techniques also consumed a great deal of chakra, so he rarely used them. After all, his Water Release... just wasn't up to much.

"Next, you, Konan."

Qi Luna turned to look at Konan.

"Konan, your Paper Style is unique, and you have a real talent for it. But handling extreme environments and increasing the paper's offensive power are still major problems."

Konan lowered her head in silence. She knew that whether it was the slicing force of Paper Shuriken or the impact of Paper Spears piercing their targets, her techniques were inadequate against truly powerful opponents.

"Finally, you, Nagato."

At last, Qi Luna looked at Nagato, her gaze unusually deep.

"The Rinnegan is powerful, but it also places an enormous burden on you. Your body is weak, and the chakra you can use in everyday combat is limited. Fortunately, you were born with a great talent for all five chakra natures. All you need to do now is make your body stronger and break the vicious cycle in which the Rinnegan weakens your physical condition. Then you can become stronger than almost anyone—even stronger than me!"

Nagato clenched his fists. He knew this problem was unavoidable. The Rinnegan required a great deal of chakra and life force to sustain, and with so much of his chakra and life force devoted to it, he grew stronger more slowly.

And as time went on and the Rinnegan's seal gradually loosened, it would require even more chakra and life force. His training would grow slower still!

If that continued for long enough, his strength would become difficult to improve, and he might even stop progressing altogether...