Teaching Genjutsu

"Anbu Squad One handles emergencies," Hiruzen explained, "as well as patrols, guard duty, and missions like that."

"What! Doesn't that mean no days off all year?" Jin stared at Hiruzen in bewilderment. Hiruzen said calmly, "If there are no missions, you can rest. That's it. Report to the Anbu tomorrow morning."

"Fine, fine." Jin nodded, mentally exhausted. He was just about to leave when he had only taken one step before Hiruzen called him back. "Wait, your Water Style."

"Hm?" Jin turned back in confusion, and the scroll flying straight at him struck him squarely in the face...

"Don't bring shame to your teacher's Water Style. Go on." Hiruzen waved a hand, signaling that he could leave and stop holding up his work.

Jin unceremoniously tucked the scroll away, then swaggered out of the Hokage's office.

Fourth Training Ground

Jin spread the scroll open and studied it carefully. To his relief, there was no theory, only the good stuff...

"Huh, the Second Hokage's Water Style hand seals were all this short?" Jin read with great interest, praising it from time to time. "As expected of a master of ninjutsu development, the man who signed a contract with the sea... clap both hands together, and whatever Water Style you want comes out."

After practicing a few Water Style techniques on his own, Jin felt delighted. From now on, he would also be a man who had signed a contract with the sea... with the great river.

"Brother Jin?"

Just as Jin was immersed in it, a call from behind him broke the quiet of the training ground. Jin turned his head and found Obito, Rin, Kakashi, Kurenai, and Asuma all standing behind him.

"Oh, why did you guys come here?" Jin put away the scroll and asked everyone curiously.

"We came to practice shuriken. Sorry for disturbing you, Brother Jin," Rin said awkwardly.

Jin waved it off without a care. "It's fine. I happened to be bored. You guys practice, and I'll see what level you're at."

"Really? Thank you, Brother Jin!" Obito quickly voiced his agreement. With guidance from a genius like Brother Jin, surpassing Kakashi was only a matter of time.

"No problem. Come on." After Jin said that, he flashed to the side. Obito took the lead and began his demonstration, throwing five shuriken at the wooden posts in one smooth motion.

Obviously... "Obito, are you serious?" Jin could barely bear to look. "Five shuriken, three mopped the floor, and one hit."

"Huh?" Obito asked in confusion. "Then where's the other one?"

Jin silently took the missing shuriken from beside the wooden post he had been leaning against and showed it to everyone. He was starting to suspect the guy had thrown it at him on purpose.

"Pfft, hahahaha, Obito, you really are dead last." Asuma gloated, and Rin and Kurenai's mouths twitched as they tried to hold back their laughter. Only Kakashi remained expressionless.

"What do you mean? Asuma, you think you're any better? Come on, you do it!" Obito looked at Asuma defiantly.

Asuma did not back down either. In order to show off properly in front of the girl he liked, he threw five shuriken with an extremely serious expression.

"Bang—bang bang bang."

"You're no good either, Asuma," Obito said in a strangely sarcastic tone while picking his nose.

"Asuma's still better than you." Jin sighed and looked at Obito. "At least he hit four. But you, Obito, didn't hit a single one."

"Hmph." Asuma looked at Obito proudly, his eyes full of contempt.

Meanwhile, Rin and Kurenai each hit three in a perfectly average showing, which dealt a heavy blow to Obito, who had hit none.

"Come on, let me see yours." Jin raised an eyebrow and looked at Kakashi.

"Mm." Kakashi nodded. When he pulled ninja tools from his pouch, there was a faint, wicked smile at the corner of his mouth.

Kakashi's hand flicked, and five shuriken shot toward Jin in unison.

"Ah!" Seeing this, the two girls hurriedly covered their eyes, not daring to look, afraid that when they opened them they would see a bloody Jin...

Jin did not panic at all. He only shifted lightly to the side, and all the shuriken struck the wooden post behind him.

"Not bad, all five hit." Jin smiled and praised him. "But if you want to take me down, wait until you graduate from the Ninja Academy."

"Hmph!" Kakashi snorted coldly and turned his head, while Jin seemed unwilling to let this chance to mock Kakashi slip by.

He even deliberately leaned in and slung an arm around Kakashi. "Nyah nyah, you can't hit me. Kiddo, you're still ten years too early to beat your Brother Jin."

"You!" Kakashi said through gritted teeth.

"Tsk, why is Brother Jin so childish?" Obito leaned over to Rin and quietly complained.

"You're not much better," Asuma retorted.

Rin ignored the two of them and only gently patted Kurenai, who was staring at Jin in a daze. "What's wrong, Kurenai?"

"Ah... nothing." Kurenai came back to herself and shook her head repeatedly.

"And you still say it's nothing. You saw the person you've been longing for day and night, didn't you?" Rin teased the already shy Kurenai.

"Yo, Jin."

Jin, who had been messing around with Kakashi, suddenly heard someone call him. He raised his head and looked around, then found that the ones calling him were Dan Kato and Tsunade not far ahead.

The others naturally saw the two people not far away as well. Although they did not know who they were, they could be sure they were at least chunin-level ninja.

"You guys play by yourselves." Jin patted Kakashi on the head and said with a smile, then walked toward Dan Kato and Tsunade.

"It's over, Kurenai. Your sweetheart left." Rin could not help joking.

"Rin!"

"How are you still able to play with little brats?" Tsunade still had her arms folded under the Planetary Devastation as she said it.

"Isn't that normal? Jin is a kid too," Dan Kato explained, then habitually rubbed Jin's head. "Not bad. Kid, you've gotten taller again."

"Hehe, Sister Tsunade, Brother Kato, long time no see." Jin greeted them with a cheeky grin.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "You brat, I heard from the old man that you don't really go on missions. How about it, want to come to the Medical Department? It's very easy."

"Hey, forget it." Jin complained, "The old man has already exiled me to the Anbu."

"You're actually strong enough to get into the Anbu, kid? Couldn't tell." Tsunade was slightly shocked, and at the same time a little unable to understand it. "Entering the Anbu at such a young age, what is the old man thinking? Has he really gone senile?"

"Perhaps Lord Hokage has his own ideas," Dan Kato said with a slight smile. "Work hard, Jin. I believe that with your strength, you'll definitely complete every mission safe and sound."

"If you don't want to stay in the Anbu anymore, just tell me. I'll transfer you to the Medical Department," Tsunade also extended an olive branch at this moment.

Jin mm-hmmed twice. He really did not want to be a third wheel, so he made an excuse that he had something to do and slipped away first.

On the road home, Jin strolled along slowly. He had to cherish this hard-earned time off... what if he became a wage slave in the Anbu later? He would not be this relaxed then...

"Wait, Brother Jin."

Jin turned his head and saw Kurenai huffing and puffing as she ran over.

"What is it, Kurenai? Why are you running?" Jin looked curiously at Kurenai, who was covered in sweat... This girl couldn't have chased him all the way here from the training ground, right?

"Brother Jin, last time you said you'd teach me genjutsu." Kurenai looked at Jin pitifully.