"I won't use an A-rank ninjutsu like the Great Waterfall Technique. I'll just use a D-rank one."
Ninjutsu are categorized into S, A, B, C, D, and E ranks. The rank doesn't solely indicate power; higher ranks signify greater learning difficulty and complexity, while lower ranks are easier to master. The Academy Three—the basic techniques taught at the Ninja Academy—are all E-rank.
Feng An pondered. If he, a genin who had just graduated, were to master an A-rank ninjutsu without a teacher, he would either be hailed as a genius or captured for dissection.
Inuzuka Kiba, seeing Feng An still looking pensive, called out, "Aren't you ready yet, Feng An?"
Feng An glanced at him. "I'm ready. Come on."
Hinata stopped her shuriken training and stepped aside, silently thinking, Go, Feng An…
"Aren't you going to make the first move? Then I will!"
Inuzuka Kiba immediately crouched. "Four Legs Technique!"
His chakra flow gathered in his limbs, which instantly became thick and strong. It was clearly an enhancement-type ninjutsu.
Feng An remained still. This was his first real combat experience, and his estimation of Kiba's abilities relied entirely on memories from his previous life. Now, he was curious to experience it firsthand.
"Feng An, why aren't you moving?" "Inuzuka Kiba," he asked from his crouched position.
Feng An was confused. "You haven't even attacked yet. How should I move?"
"I didn't expect you to be so arrogant," Inuzuka Kiba said coldly.
Enhanced by the Four Legs Technique, Kiba's speed and strength had doubled. He had thought that if he attacked first, Feng An wouldn't have time to react. But Feng An's nonchalant attitude angered him.
Swish!
Using both hands and feet, he launched himself forward. The four shallow pits left behind showed the significant boost the technique provided. His speed was immense, closing the distance to Feng An in an instant.
Inuzuka Kiba swiped a claw at him.
Feng An remained motionless. In Kiba's eyes, he was simply too fast for Feng An to react.
"It's over."
"Feng An…" Hinata couldn't bear to watch and covered her eyes. At such close range, he couldn't possibly dodge!
Bang!
Thud!
What?!
Inuzuka Kiba's pupils constricted as he stared at the wooden stake he had just struck.
"Substitution Technique!"
His nose twitched, and he immediately clawed behind him. Feng An, now behind him, quickly dodged, sighing.
"Trying to sneak attack a sensory-type ninja, even under the illusion of the Substitution Technique, is still difficult."
Inuzuka Kiba crouched, staring at Feng An. If not for his keen sense of smell, he would have lost already.
"It seems I was arrogant."
"Fang Over Fang!"
Inuzuka Kiba suddenly spun rapidly in the air, becoming a small tornado aimed at Feng An.
Feng An immediately leaped backward. While airborne, he quickly formed the six hand signs: Snake, Ram, Monkey, Boar, Horse, and Tiger.
Over the years, he had mastered the Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique to the point of being able to release it with just the final Tiger seal. However, in a spar, there was no need to reveal his full strength.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Puff—
A spherical flame five meters in diameter shot from his mouth, attacking the pursuing Inuzuka Kiba.
Oh no, I only used a tiny bit of chakra.
Even after intentionally controlling his output, the area of effect was still wide. This was the drawback of his potent chakra reserves; it was hard to gauge what a "tiny bit" was.
Inuzuka Kiba, still spinning, saw the massive fireball, and his eyes nearly bulged out.
Didn't he say he only knew very basic ninjutsu?!
How was he supposed to take that head-on? He didn't want to become roast meat. Kiba stopped spinning forcibly and leaped to the side. Even so, when the fireball hit the ground, small bursts of flame splashed onto him.
He quickly dodged further away, rolling on the ground to extinguish the flames.
Seeing this, Feng An and Hinata rushed over to help. After a few kicks, the flames on Inuzuka Kiba were out.
Feng An let out a long breath. Fortunately, Kiba was fine; otherwise, he would have broken the unwritten law of Fire Release not killing people.
Inuzuka Kiba, staggering up, clutched his burnt clothes, revealing pink boxers with a dog's head print. He shouted with a blackened face, "Didn't you say you only knew the most basic ninjutsu?!"
Faced with the question, Feng An awkwardly rubbed his nose. He couldn't help it. After thinking, he couldn't recall any useful D-rank ninjutsu. Although the Great Fireball was C-rank, it was still considered a basic Fire Release technique.
"But how come I never saw you use this during Academy spars? Did you just learn it?" Inuzuka Kiba stared at him incredulously.
At the Academy, Feng An slept every day and slacked off during spars. Most peers regarded him as a loser only slightly stronger than Naruto, who had failed the graduation exam. For such a slacker to suddenly use powerful ninjutsu created a huge disparity.
If Kiba knew Feng An had mastered the Great Fireball Technique when he first learned to walk, he'd probably question his life choices.
"No, I studied it for a long time and only barely mastered it just before graduation," Feng An calmly lied to the emotionally wounded boy.
"So that's it. I almost thought you were some hateful genius. It really is the result of hard work! It seems I'm not working hard enough!" My wish is to become Hokage. I can lose in any area, but not in effort! Inuzuka Kiba clenched his fists, resolving to double his training after seeing Feng An's strength.
"Feng An, you will be my second rival!"
"Why second?" Feng An asked, puzzled.
"My first rival is him." Inuzuka Kiba cast his gaze toward the person silently feeding insects in the corner.
Feng An followed his look. It was a figure dressed distinctly from everyone else, with a high collar covering his mouth and sunglasses—a Konoha trendsetter with an unreadable expression: Shino Aburame.
So it was Shino. He hadn't noticed him earlier and thought he hadn't come to train.
"His name is Shino Aburame. Don't let his lack of presence fool you; he's very strong. If you don't use Fire Release, he'll definitely give you a headache."
Feng An nodded in strong agreement. In his memories, Shino was a man who had never been defeated. Another point he agreed with: Shino was an insect user. It might not seem like much in a 2D world, but his current feeling was no different from reality. Just imagining insects hidden under Shino's clothes—and even inside his body—made his scalp tingle.
Subsequently, the others continued their training—some feeding insects, others feeding dogs. The only one training seriously was Hinata.
Feng An found a good spot to sit nearby, watching her. Whenever Hinata activated her Byakugan, she would notice Feng An watching, making her so nervous she couldn't maintain the dōjutsu.
As long as I can't see him, he's not looking at me!
Holding onto this self-hypnosis, Hinata finally entered a state of training...
As the four trained until noon, a familiar figure approached.
"Kurenai-sensei," they greeted in unison.
Kurenai Yūhi nodded. "I'm back, and I've taken on a mission for you all."
"That's great!" Inuzuka Kiba and the others were thrilled. They had long wanted to prove themselves on missions.
Enjoy it while you can; you won't be smiling when you see the mission details, Feng An thought, looking at them with sympathy.
*****
You can read 30 advanced chapters on my Patreon.
Thank you for your support, and have a great day!
patreon.com/Izanami_no_Mikoto