He had given it everything he had, casting his two strongest offensive ninjutsu in succession, yet he still could not break through a sand wall Lord Cheng had casually thrown up?!
That enormous gulf was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing the faint pride he had felt over his newfound strength.
He stood rooted to the spot, staring at the unmoving sand wall, then at his hands, which trembled slightly from excessive chakra consumption. His lips pressed together until they turned white, and his composure began to crack.
Uchiha Makoto took in his reaction and nodded inwardly.
That was exactly the effect I wanted. Growing stronger was a good thing, but they must never let it make them complacent.
Only by clearly showing them the chasm between themselves and truly powerful opponents could he keep them humble and hungry to improve.
"The power was decent. Your chakra control has improved."
His assessment was matter-of-fact. "But your attacks are too predictable and lack variation, and your chakra output still needs to become more efficient. Keep practicing. When you can punch through this wall in a single strike, you'll have mastered the basics."
"Yes..." Entetsu lowered his head, his voice subdued, but his fists remained tightly clenched.
Shun and Nako were next.
Uchiha Makoto did not use ninjutsu again, choosing instead to spar with them using pure taijutsu.
He suppressed most of his strength and speed, keeping them near the pair's level as he fought them on the slippery rocks beside the waterfall.
Shun had indeed become considerably faster, his figure darting through the trees and along the pool as he tried to create openings with his speed.
But he soon discovered that Lord Cheng's anticipation was terrifyingly precise. Often, the moment he began to move, his opponent was already waiting