At two o'clock in the afternoon, Setsuna arrived at the classroom exactly on time, where two people were already waiting.
One of them, Might Guy, was excited to see Setsuna. He stopped only after performing ten backflips in place before cheering, "Awesome! Big Brother Setsuna, we're in the same squad!"
The other was a girl about Guy's age, who shyly greeted him, "Senior Setsuna."
Setsuna, of course, recognized her as Shizune, the girl who would later be taken under Tsunade's wing due to Dan Katō's influence.
"I'll be relying on both of you from now on," Setsuna replied with a smile, then turned to Guy. "I thought you'd be assigned to one of the formal ninja squads."
Shizune quietly pricked up her ears. She found it odd; Guy had graduated two years early, so why was he assigned to the same squad as her?
Guy scratched his hair, looking a little embarrassed. "Like I told you last time, Big Brother Setsuna, my former Jonin leader was killed in battle, and my teammates were severely injured, so the squad was disbanded. The other squads probably weren't too keen on taking on a pure Taijutsu specialist like me."
Perhaps worried that the two might think he'd hold them back, Guy quickly promised, "Even though I'm not as strong as Big Brother Setsuna, my abilities should be decent for a Genin, and I have two years of mission experience. I promise I won't drag anyone down!"
Setsuna certainly didn't think that, while Shizune was more worried about herself. She had watched the entire fight between Setsuna and Asuma and knew how incredibly strong Setsuna was. And although Guy spoke modestly, he was also a genius who had graduated at age seven. Compared to the two of them, she felt incredibly ordinary.
Just then, a solemn-faced young ninja walked in. He had long, loose hair, and his pure white eyes were striking.
His gaze swept over the three of them. He spoke in a formal, measured tone, "I am your Jonin sensei, Hizashi Hyūga. I specialize in Taijutsu. Now, each of you introduce yourselves and state your dreams."
"Huh? Is our sensei a powerful Taijutsu user from the Hyūga Clan?" Guy cheered excitedly. "With me and Big Brother Setsuna, our squad is truly a Taijutsu team!"
He then looked at Shizune, speaking with the zeal of a preacher. "Shizune, why don't you practice Taijutsu with us too?"
"Huh? Me?" Shizune was intrigued. Before entering the Academy, she had always been with Tsunade, who had asked her if she would be willing to train in Medical Ninjutsu and Taijutsu.
At the time, she only wanted to learn Medical Ninjutsu. But now, it seemed if her teammates and sensei were all Taijutsu powerhouses, wouldn't she be out of place if she didn't train in Taijutsu? Would they bully her?
Hizashi's initial command had been ignored, causing the already prominent veins around his eyes to bulge even more. What is wrong with these kids? They have no respect!
Fortunately, Setsuna didn't leave him waiting too long. He spoke up, "My name is Chiaki Setsuna, I specialize in Taijutsu, and my dream is to become a martial artist who spreads Taijutsu throughout the ninja world, making it an existence just like the 'Ninjutsu Way'!"
Hizashi was slightly taken aback. Although it was the first time he had heard the term "Martial Artist," he could roughly guess the meaning from the context. This child wanted to become a figure of legend like the Sage of Six Paths—to found a new discipline and turn Taijutsu into the "Taijutsu Way"?
This dream was boundless! He had thought Setsuna's ambition would, at most, be to become the Hokage.
"Senior Setsuna has such a huge dream?" Shizune was astonished. When the corner of her eye drifted toward Guy, she was shocked by his reaction.
Guy was so moved that snot and tears were streaming down his face, and his eyes were burning with an intensity that frightened her.
Shizune couldn't help but wonder, Does Guy really need to react this strongly?
"This is youth! Youth blooming, forever limitless! Big Brother Setsuna, I can feel the fiery resolve and conviction in your heart! Let us create the era of Taijutsu together!"
Guy waved his arms and howled loudly, startling Hizashi, who muttered under his breath, Why is this kid so jumpy?
"Ahem, it's your turn to introduce yourself," Hizashi said, looking at Guy and trying to pull the conversation back on track.
"My name is Might Guy, I am a Taijutsu ninja, and my dream is to dedicate myself to youth, to burn brightly with youth, and to live every day of my life without regret! If I can build the Taijutsu Way with Big Brother Setsuna, all the better!" Guy finished with a wide grin, giving Hizashi a thumbs-up.
Hizashi nodded slightly and looked at Shizune.
Shizune took a deep breath and clenched her fists. "My name is Shizune. My dream is to become a Medical Ninja like Lady Tsunade... Um, but I don't reject training in Taijutsu. Lady Tsunade once said that a Medical Ninja without the ability to defend themselves isn't a good Medical Ninja. Medical Ninjas can fight, too."
Hizashi nodded and said in a clear voice, "I only have a basic understanding of you three right now. To ensure we can better work together in the future, I will be conducting a test shortly. It will primarily evaluate your strength and teamwork."
Hearing Hizashi mention a strength test, Guy instinctively remembered Jiraiya's miserable state and asked, "Will Big Brother Setsuna be participating?"
Hizashi was confused by Guy's question. "You are members of the same squad. Of course, he will participate."
Guy hesitated, then after careful consideration, said seriously, "Then Sensei, you must be careful for your own safety."
Hizashi found that amusing. "It seems you still don't understand the gap between Genin and Jonin. Focus on the fight, go all out, and don't worry about hurting me."
Guy looked thoughtful. Sensei Hizashi must have heard about Big Brother Setsuna's strength from the Hokage, and he still dares to let him go all out. Maybe he's even stronger than Lord Jiraiya.
With that thought, Guy relaxed, nodding seriously. "We will definitely give it our all!"
"Let's go. We're heading to the forest behind the mountain now."
Hizashi was decisive, quickly leading the three to a quiet part of the forest, where the sounds of birds and cicadas created a peaceful, harmonious atmosphere.
"My test is simple: no matter what methods you use, you must last three minutes against me. If you can't hold out even that long, you should return to the Ninja Academy immediately," Hizashi said with a cold expression. "Now, I'll give you two minutes to discuss your strategy."
With that, he turned and walked away, seemingly indicating he wouldn't eavesdrop on their discussion.
Shizune was nervous. She definitely didn't want to be sent back to the Ninja Academy. "Seniors, Guy, do you have any good ideas?"
"I've got it!" Guy raised his hand. "You and I will be responsible for the feint, drawing Sensei's attention, and Big Brother Setsuna will be the main attacker, seizing the opportunity to strike!"
"Huh? We should actively attack?" Shizune couldn't help but say, "The test is to last three minutes against Sensei Hizashi. Shouldn't we be focusing on hiding and defense?"
Guy grinned. "The best defense is a good offense! If even you didn't think of it, Sensei Hizashi definitely won't expect us to attack first."
Shizune looked at Setsuna with a hopeful gaze, hoping the mature and steady senior would stop Guy's aggressive plan.
However, Setsuna nodded slightly. "I agree with Guy's suggestion."
Seeing Guy's delighted expression, Shizune couldn't help but wonder, "Am I the one who is actually out of line?"