Ninjutsu

He used no ninjutsu, relying entirely on taijutsu to respond. Occasionally, he struck back with his palms, but he controlled his strength perfectly, putting Hinata under pressure without hurting her. On the water, the two figures traded moves amid splashing waves, like a pair of graceful swallows dancing.

The shadow clone soon caught several plump fish, skewered them on branches, and built a campfire beside the river. The appetizing aroma of grilled fish gradually filled the air.

"All right, let's take a break." Toru Kujyo stopped with a smile, and Hinata lowered her hands, panting. Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, but her eyes shone with excitement. Sparring with Toru always left her feeling happy and a little stronger.

They sat around the campfire, eating the fragrant grilled fish. The flesh was crisp on the outside and tender within, delicious and juicy. Hinata ate in small bites, occasionally stealing a glance at Toru Kujyo, her heart full of contentment and happiness.

"We'll succeed tomorrow." Toru Kujyo watched the flickering flames, his voice calm and certain.

Hinata nodded firmly, a sweet smile touching her lips. She believed that as long as she was with Toru, there was no difficulty they could not overcome.

Early the next morning, sunlight filtered through the treetops and fell across the training ground. Toru Kujyo, Hinata, and Shino Aburame arrived on time and stood quietly at the agreed meeting place. They exchanged no unnecessary words, each steadying their breathing as they made their final preparations for the coming test.

The air was thick with tension and anticipation. They knew that today's test would determine whether they could truly become qualified ninja.

At precisely nine, a tall, alluring figure appeared at the entrance to the training ground. Kurenai Yuhi approached with graceful steps, dressed in a sultry ninja outfit. Her long burgundy hair danced lightly in the breeze, and a hint of amusement lingered in her narrow eyes.

"Morning, kids." Kurenai Yuhi's lips curved slightly, her voice languid and resonant. "Looks like you're all right on time."

She stopped before the three of them and folded her arms, her gaze sharpening. "Then let's skip the small talk. Today's survival exercise is a battle to seize a target. It's simple: over the next hour, take these three bells from me." She raised a hand, and the three silver bells tied to her waist glittered in the sunlight. "Whatever it takes. Use every method you can think of."

Kurenai Yuhi swept her gaze over them with a faint, challenging smile. "If you fail to take even a single bell within an hour, all of you fail and go back to the Ninja Academy."

As her words fell, Kurenai Yuhi's gaze grew sharper still, and a faint aura of pressure radiated from her.

"The test begins now!"

At Kurenai Yuhi's command, Toru Kujyo, Hinata, and Shino moved almost simultaneously. Their figures blurred where they stood, and like three ghosts, they vanished from her sight in the blink of an eye, leaving no trace.

Kurenai Yuhi paused in mild surprise, then a confident smile curled her lips. She did not pursue them, merely standing leisurely in place as though waiting for her prey to come to her.

"Genin are still genin. Do they think hiding will let them win?" Kurenai Yuhi murmured to herself. She was certain these brats would soon lose patience, reveal themselves, and attack. She was already prepared to handle them easily with genjutsu.

Yet just as Kurenai Yuhi let her guard down, ready for a "boring" game of cat and mouse, something unexpected happened!

"Eight Trigrams: Empty Wall Palm!"

A sharp cry rang out from ahead and to her side, carrying unmistakable force. Immediately afterward, a powerful, visible shock wave erupted from the dense woods like an invisible tsunami, sweeping up fierce wind pressure as it hurtled straight at Kurenai Yuhi!

The shock wave had come from Hinata! She and one of her shadow clones burst from behind the trees at an unusual angle, thrusting their palms forward together and pushing the Gentle Fist's chakra blast to its limit!

"What?!" Kurenai Yuhi's expression changed drastically. She had never imagined that a mere genin could unleash such a powerful taijutsu shock wave! And with such a direct, forceful attack, no less!

The shock wave moved too quickly for her to think. She could only leap backward in a fluster, narrowly avoiding the overwhelming chakra blast. When she landed, the earth beneath her feet cracked from the impact, and disbelief flashed in her eyes.

"Th-this is the Hyuga Clan's Gentle Fist?!" Turmoil surged through Kurenai Yuhi's mind. How was this Gentle Fist? It was clearly a shock wave more destructive than taijutsu! These brats were apparently far more "interesting" than she had imagined!

Shino Aburame crouched on a thick oak tree, his eyes behind his sunglasses fixed on the nearby battlefield. Hinata's unexpectedly powerful strike had surprised him as well.

"Interesting," Shino murmured. "Hinata is much stronger than I expected."

He extended his right hand, palm up. Several tiny beetles crawled from his sleeve and gathered in his palm. Small though they were, these insects were the Aburame Clan's finest chakra-absorbing insects.

"Go. Take the bells as soon as you see an opening."

At his command, the beetles quickly scattered, crawling silently along the ground and tree trunks toward Kurenai Yuhi. Shino knew that these insects were almost impossible to detect when acting individually, unless their opponent was a sensory ninja specifically focused on detecting minute chakra fluctuations.

Having just evaded Hinata's attack, Kurenai Yuhi was now on full alert. She formed hand seals and quickly activated Sensory Mode. As an excellent jonin, her sensory abilities far surpassed those of ordinary ninja.

"There!" Kurenai Yuhi's gaze sharpened as she detected chakra fluctuations in three different locations at once.

Toru Kujyo was hiding in the bushes to the east, Hinata had retreated behind a large tree to the north, and Shino was in the treetops to the southwest. More alarming still, numerous faint chakra fluctuations were approaching her along the ground.

"Insects?" Kurenai Yuhi's lips curved slightly. "A little Aburame Clan trick."

Just as Shino's insects were about to reach Kurenai Yuhi's ankles, her body suddenly dissolved into a cloud of smoke, leaving only a log behind.

"The Substitution Technique!" Shino frowned slightly and quickly recalled his insects.

Meanwhile, Hinata had already activated her Byakugan. Its full 360-degree field of vision allowed her to see everything on the battlefield clearly.

"Shino is in the tree. He hasn't moved," Hinata murmured, the veins around her eyes bulging slightly. "Teacher Kurenai Yuhi has entered the woods and is moving southeast. Toru is moving too. He's closing in on her!"