"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!"
Izumi's voice rang out as she flicked a single shuriken forward. Her hands blurred through seals in rapid succession, and the lone weapon split into dozens of identical copies. They whistled through the air before embedding themselves deep into the surrounding rocks.
She perched casually on the branch of a nearby tree, tossing another shuriken up and catching it between her fingers with practiced ease. "Hmph. Too easy," she muttered, spinning the weapon once more before slipping it back into her pouch.
Then she sighed, resting her chin on her palm. "Still… this is getting boring. Can't we practice something more exciting?"
A faint smirk crossed her lips as she imagined one of her teammates. "Yamamoto Kawa will probably love this move. Saves him from wasting his precious shuriken, hehehe…"
With a shake of her head, she hopped down from the branch. "Forget it. I'll just keep working on sealing techniques and talisman crafting."
---
The following day, Izumi joined her teammates—Akido Jiro and Yamamoto Kawa—alongside Sarutobi Muraki. They followed Jiraiya out of town, eventually arriving at a wide, open field surrounded by wilderness. The air was crisp, and the distant sound of rushing water hinted at a stream somewhere beyond the trees.
Muraki stepped forward, his voice firm but respectful. "Listen up, everyone. Lord Jiraiya has agreed to give you some personal guidance. This is a rare and valuable opportunity, so make sure you take it seriously."
"Oh! That's great! Guidance from Lord Jiraiya himself!" Yamamoto Kawa could barely contain his excitement. He immediately began stretching, rolling his shoulders, and checking his weapons as if preparing for a mission.
Izumi and Akido Jiro exchanged glances and smiled faintly. They, too, adjusted their gear and prepared themselves.
Jiraiya clapped his hands together. "Alright, you three. Let's see what you can do. Show me your skills, and don't hold back. I'll make sure to give you some real pointers."
The trio moved into formation without hesitation—Akido Jiro taking point, Yamamoto Kawa flanking slightly to the side, and Izumi positioned behind Kawa, ready to support from the rear.
Oh? Interesting formation, Jiraiya thought as he studied their arrangement.
Yamamoto Kawa struck first, flicking several kunai toward Jiraiya before dashing in with another blade in hand. Akido Jiro mirrored the movement from the opposite side, aiming to close the gap quickly.
Jiraiya met their combined assault with ease. A swift punch sent Jiro stumbling back, followed by a sharp kick that knocked Kawa off balance. Both were repelled in seconds.
That was when Izumi moved. Her fingers danced through seals, chakra flaring around her. "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
A blazing sphere of fire roared toward Jiraiya, heat distorting the air around it.
Oh? She can already use a jutsu like this at her age? Not bad. With a light hop to the side, Jiraiya let the flames rush past him, scorching the ground where he'd stood moments earlier.
No sooner had his feet touched the ground than Akido Jiro was upon him again—this time using the Partial Expansion Jutsu. His arms swelled to massive proportions as he lunged forward, attempting to grab hold of the legendary Sannin.
"Human Bullet Tank!" Jiro curled into a spinning ball, charging forward like a rolling boulder.
But Jiraiya was ready. "Earth Release: Earth Tremor!" The ground buckled and rose beneath Jiro, knocking him off his trajectory. Yet instead of crashing awkwardly, Jiro's form dissolved into a puff of smoke—just a shadow clone.
"Not bad," Jiraiya murmured.
Seizing the moment, Izumi and Kawa attacked together.
"Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique!" Izumi's thrown weapons split into dozens, raining down toward their opponent.
"Already mastered this one too, huh?" Jiraiya's hair suddenly expanded and wrapped around him like a living shield. The strands deflected every projectile, clinking against steel before sending the shuriken scattering.
When the last weapon clattered to the ground, Jiraiya spoke in a louder voice. "Your teamwork isn't bad. The combination of tight offense and good coordination doesn't leave much room for an enemy to breathe. But your strength is still limited. Against a true veteran, you'd have trouble breaking through—and your formation is predictable. An experienced ninja could read your plan from the start."
He cracked his knuckles. "Come on. Show me your real skills. Otherwise, I can't give you the advice you need."
The three young ninjas exchanged glances. Then, as if coming to an unspoken agreement, they nodded. This time, they wouldn't hold back.
---
Kawa and Jiro surged forward again, kunai flashing in the sunlight. Jiraiya blocked, parried, and sidestepped effortlessly, his eyes shifting toward the quietest member of the group—Izumi.
Then he froze for a fraction of a second.
Her eyes were no longer their usual dark brown. Instead, a single crimson tomoe spun lazily in each iris.
Sharingan?
Before he could react, the world around him shimmered. He realized he'd been pulled into a genjutsu. "Not good!" Dispel. The moment his vision cleared, both Kawa and Jiro were upon him.
Jiraiya substituted with a log just in time, reappearing several meters away. A thin sheen of sweat beaded his temple. That was close. The Sharingan really is something else.
Izumi didn't give him long to think. She closed the distance quickly, twisting into a high kick aimed at his head. Jiraiya blocked with his forearm, only to feel the surprising force of her strike push him back slightly.
Strong… much stronger than she looks.
The two boys rejoined the fray, forcing Jiraiya to juggle three attackers at once. Though he still controlled the battle, he noticed Izumi withdrawing again. He tensed—she was preparing more ninjutsu.
As predicted, a great fireball burst from her mouth toward his landing spot. He dodged again, feeling the heat lick at his cheek.
These kids have skill… especially this Uchiha girl.
---
Finally deciding to end it, Jiraiya caught Jiro's arm mid-swing, twisted, and tossed him aside. A sweeping leg took Kawa off his feet, leaving Izumi as the last one standing.
She tried the genjutsu again, but Jiraiya refused to be fooled twice. He darted forward, punching her in the stomach with controlled force. To his surprise, instead of crumpling, she latched onto his arm with an iron grip.
His eyes flicked over her shoulder. Several tags ignited in mid-air—exploding tags.
Shadow Clone! In an instant, he dispelled the clone and leapt back as the tags detonated.
"Boom!" The explosion sent smoke and debris into the air.
When Jiraiya emerged unscathed, hair still smoldering slightly, he grinned. "Not bad at all, Uchiha girl. That could've gotten me."
Izumi's expression didn't change. She slapped her palm to the ground, her gaze sharp and cold. "Fire Release: Exploding Flame Array!"
The earth beneath Jiraiya lit up with glowing seals as more tags materialized, crawling toward his feet. His eyes widened.
When did she…? This is…! A memory flashed—training under Hanzō in their youth, seeing this very trap used.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" A chain of explosions rocked the field, sending shockwaves through the air. Muraki flinched, eyes snapping toward the battlefield.
"Lord Jiraiya!"
From within the smoke, a shape leapt clear. His hair had shielded most of the damage, though faint wisps of smoke rose from him.
Phew. That was close.
Izumi narrowed her eyes, trying to track him through the haze with her Sharingan, but her vision blurred against the shifting smoke. Then—movement.
She lunged forward to attack—only to realize too late that the figure was a shadow clone. The real Jiraiya burst from the ground beneath her and drove a punch into her stomach, sending her tumbling.
"Gah! That hurts!" She curled on the ground, clutching her abdomen. He used his true body to bait my eyes, then had a clone ambush me. He knows exactly how to counter the Sharingan.
---
Muraki raised his hand. "Alright, that's enough. You've all done well."
Jiraiya nodded, looking at each of them in turn. "Akido Jiro—your clan's ninjutsu is strong, but you rely on it too much. Your taijutsu hasn't kept pace, making your movements sluggish when you use large-scale techniques."
"Yamamoto Kawa—your taijutsu is solid, clearly from consistent training. But you're too straightforward. You telegraph your attacks, which makes you easy to counter."
Finally, his gaze fell on Izumi. "As for you, Uchiha Izumi… you've clearly learned ninjutsu from the Rain Ninja through your Sharingan. Your skill in ninjutsu, taijutsu, and genjutsu is impressive, and your timing in combining them is excellent. For someone your age, your potential is extraordinary."
The three of them were too exhausted to respond, lying on the ground and nursing their bruises.
Yamamoto Kawa stared at the sky, his thoughts bitter. She's younger than me… and yet she's mastered genjutsu, taijutsu, and countless ninjutsu. All this time I looked down on her, acting proud… but I was just a fool.
Reality hit him hard. I always thought I could surpass those with bloodline abilities through effort alone. But by the time I reach their current level, they'll have already advanced far beyond me.
His hands clenched. If I had been born into a clan… if I had resources, ninjutsu, anything… I could've beaten her. But as a commoner, can I ever become a ninja like Lord Jiraiya?
The doubt lingered long after the training was over.
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