chsdbacks Chapter 24 Encounter
Chapter 24 Encounter
The morning sunlight filtered through the lush foliage, casting dappled shadows on the third training ground of the Konoha Ninja Academy.
The air was filled with the scent of dust and grass, but at this moment, that tranquility had been replaced by a somber atmosphere.
"Watch out, next up is swordsmanship."
Baiyun Yeshan's voice wasn't loud, but it had a metallic quality and clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
He slightly raised the katana in his hand, and the sunlight flowed across the cold blade, reflecting a dazzling light.
The atmosphere on the training field suddenly became tense, as if even the air itself had stopped moving.
Genma felt an invisible pressure instantly envelop him, as if he were being stared at by a cold, venomous snake.
Shirokumo Hayama's aura had firmly locked onto him; clearly, this Chunin instructor considered him the most urgent target to be "dealt with" in this team.
Genma felt a chill run down his spine, but his gaze became even more focused.
"Kai! Ebisu! Cover me! Harass me from a distance!"
Genji gave a low shout, his voice steady and carrying an unquestionable determination.
At the same time, his hands had already reached into the ninja tool pouch behind his waist with lightning speed, his fingertips touching the cold metal.
"Understood! Behold my Leaf Village Whirlwind!"
Might Guy was always full of boundless passion. He roared and his green figure rushed towards White Cloud Leaf Mountain like a whirlwind, trying to suppress his opponent with his violent physical skills and create an opportunity for Genma.
His burning fighting spirit seemed to dispel some of the chill brought by his swordsmanship.
"Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!"
Although Ebisu was sweating and clearly nervous, he mustered his courage upon hearing the instruction and quickly formed hand seals.
He took a deep breath, his chest bulged, and then he exhaled a ball of blazing fire.
The fireball wasn't huge, but its timing and angle were perfect, designed to disrupt Baiyun Yeshan's vision and rhythm of action.
Faced with the combined attack of the two, Baiyun Yeshan's figure moved as elusive as a ghost.
His footwork was light and precise; with just a simple side slide, he deflected Kai's powerful whirlwind kick.
At the same time, with a casual swing of the katana, the wind from the blade cleaved Ebisu's fireball in two, causing it to dissipate into two chaotic flames.
His gaze never left Xuanjian.
The katana sliced through the air with a sharp screech, its cold arc aimed straight at Genma's vitals with astonishing speed.
However, just as the gleaming blade was about to touch his body, Genma moved.
Instead of retreating and dodging as is common among ninjas, he risked his life by turning to the side and twisting his waist, instantly shifting his center of gravity.
At the same time, his hands flew out of his ninja tool pouch like phantoms, the movements so fluid as if they had been honed through countless trials.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—!
The six shuriken did not come straight at all, but shot out at an extremely strange angle and in an arc, as if they had been given life.
They sliced through the air, making different whooshing sounds: some were like eagles swooping down from above, some were like venomous snakes slithering along the ground, and two even collided with incredible precision in the air. With a crisp "ding," they changed their original trajectories and attacked Baiyun Yeshan's throat, heart, wrists, and other vital parts of his body from the blind spots that are hardest for human vision to detect, like deadly ghosts.
This exquisite and masterful technique of throwing hidden weapons, which demonstrates superb calculation and control, has completely surpassed the level of a genin or even an ordinary chunin.
The pupils in Baiyun Yeshan's usually calm eyes suddenly contracted.
This is by no means a simple throwing technique; it is an art, a meticulously calculated killing dance, a unique skill that can only be glimpsed in the elite families who have studied hidden weapons for generations.
"drink!"
In the blink of an eye, he had to abandon his pursuit of Genji.
The katana swung rapidly in front of him, instantly transforming into an impenetrable silver light screen that firmly protected him within it.
Ding ding ding—!
A series of sharp, rapid impacts, like a sudden downpour hitting banana leaves, rang out as the shuriken and katana clashed, sending up a shower of dazzling sparks.
With steady wrist movements, Baiyun Yeshan deflected and deflected all six shuriken with their cunning angles amidst flashes of light.
However, his figure was also slightly sluggish due to the dense and powerful impact, and his originally smooth attack was interrupted for a moment.
Right now.
A glint of light flashed in Genma's eyes as he seized this fleeting opportunity.
Chakra erupted from his feet, and he retreated rapidly, quickly creating distance, while his hands moved in a continuous flurry like butterflies flitting among flowers.
"Hand-sword technique: Swallow Snowfall!"
More ninja tools—shuriken, kunai, and even the most difficult-to-control senbon—were unleashed like an enraged swarm of bees or a blizzard in the dead of winter, pouring out in an overwhelming torrent.
These ninja tools collided and propelled each other in mid-air, their trajectories becoming more complex and unpredictable, as if weaving together a huge, metallic, cold net of death, completely enveloping all possible evasive routes for Shirokumo Hayama.
The relaxed expression on Baiyun Yeshan's face finally disappeared completely, replaced by an unprecedented solemnity.
He realized that simple sword parrying was no longer enough to completely deal with this strange storm of hidden weapons.
With a sudden burst of chakra beneath his feet, he unleashed a masterful Body Flicker Technique, his figure darting and dodging rapidly through the dense storm of ninja tools, each movement swift and precise.
At the same time, the katana in his hand transformed into precise silver lines, accurately deflecting all the attacks that could not be completely avoided.
His movements remained as fluid as a Chunin's, but anyone could see that he was much more serious than before, and had put in considerable effort to deal with Genma's incredible shurikenjutsu.
"Amazing! Genma is incredible!"
Kai watched in stunned silence, his blood boiling, and he couldn't help but wave his fist and shout, almost forgetting that he should also participate in the attack.
Ebisu's mouth dropped open, and he subconsciously pushed up his sunglasses, which had slipped off due to shock, staring at Genma in disbelief.
At this moment, Genma seemed to him like a walking human arsenal. With his superb hidden weapon skills, he forced a senior Chunin teacher to fight with all his might.
Is this really the classmate he knows who is usually a bit lazy?
Genma ignored the reactions around him, focusing all his mental energy on precisely controlling the countless ninja tools.
His chakra perception spread out like a spider web, keenly capturing every subtle muscle tremor and shift of the center of gravity of Shirakumo Hayama, and based on this, he quickly calculated and adjusted the flight angle and speed of the aerial ninja tools in real time.
The extraordinary comprehension and terrifying calculation ability brought about by the completion of the soul were fully demonstrated in this practical test.
For a moment, the scene on the training ground was astonishing: flashing blades like dancing silver snakes, figures darting about like ghosts, and the crisp clanging of metal against metal creating a continuous, stirring battle symphony. Genma had single-handedly dominated the mid-to-long-range combat.
Finally, after taking the brunt of Genma's overwhelming attack, Shirokumo Hayama flicked his wrist, deflecting the last kunai that came from the side with a clang. He used the momentum to gracefully float backward, and at the same time, with a click, he precisely sheathed his katana at his waist.
Stop.
His voice regained its calmness, yet carried an undeniable authority, clearly resounding throughout the entire training ground.
Upon hearing this, Genma immediately dispersed the last shuriken he was about to fire, and his chakra calmed down.
Shiranui Genma looked at Baiyun Yeshan with a complex expression, and slowly spoke, his voice carrying an undisguised astonishment: "Shiranui Genma, I've heard of you, the genius who used no-seal ninjutsu in last year's Ninjutsu Tournament. But I truly didn't expect that your skill in shurikenjutsu would reach such a level."
He paused slightly, as if searching for the right words to describe it: "This level of control skill goes beyond mere 'proficiency.' It has its own 'form,' full of spirituality and calculation. Even in Konoha, among the younger generation, I've only seen comparable skills in a handful of geniuses from the Uchiha clan, renowned for their shurikenjutsu. You are indeed quite impressive."
This is undoubtedly a very high compliment!
Especially in Konoha Village, which values bloodlines and secret techniques, to receive such praise from an elite Chunin teacher is enough to prove the strength Genma has demonstrated.
Genma remained calm inside, but outwardly maintained a high degree of humility.
He steadied his breathing, bowed respectfully, and replied, "Teacher Hayama, you flatter me. This is just a trick, and it still has many shortcomings. I need more practical experience."
Shirakumo Hayama nodded noncommittally, then glanced at the excited Kai and the still somewhat fearful Ebisu beside him, and began his comments as an instructor:
"Might Guy, your physical skills are very solid and you have a strong fighting spirit, which are your strengths. However, your attack style is too straightforward and lacks variation and tactical thinking, making it easy for others to see through your intentions."
"Ebisu, your theoretical knowledge and basic ninjutsu are decent, but you lack courage in real combat and are too nervous. A ninja needs not only technique, but also a calm mind under pressure. You need more real combat experience to hone your will."
Finally, his gaze returned to the three of them, and he concluded: "The three of you have very distinct characteristics. Genma excels at mid-to-long-range control, restraint, and precise surprise attacks; Guy excels at frontal assaults and close-range restraint, making him the team's sharpest spearhead; Ebisu, your chakra control and theoretical knowledge can allow you to play a role in tactical support, assistance, and intelligence analysis."
How to organically combine your individual strengths, leverage your advantages and mitigate your weaknesses, and form an effective teamwork system where one plus one plus one equals more than three is the key direction that Class 10 needs to focus on and refine going forward.
He looked around and officially announced:
"Class 10, preliminary assessment passed."
"Meet here at the same time tomorrow for squad tactical training. Now, dismissed!"
After saying that, Baiyun Yeshan's figure flickered and disappeared from the spot like a wisp of green smoke, leaving only a few chakra fluctuations.
"Yay! We did it! We passed the test!"
As soon as Baiyun Yeshan's figure disappeared, Kai shouted excitedly, rushed forward, and grabbed Genma and Ebisu with his strong arms, almost choking the thin Ebisu so much that he couldn't breathe.
"Our Class 10 is the best! We're so excited!"
Ebisu finally broke free from Kai's "imprisonment," panting heavily, but his face was also filled with the joy and relaxation of passing the test.
He adjusted his glasses, his gaze towards Genma filled with genuine admiration: "Genma, you were absolutely amazing just now! That swordsmanship was simply divine! I've never seen such powerful moves before, to the point that you forced Hayama-sensei to take it seriously, that was so cool!"
Genma looked at his excited teammates and a faint smile appeared on his face. He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
In this practical training exercise, he demonstrated some of his strengths at just the right time, winning the attention and recognition of the instructors and giving the team a better starting point, while not revealing too many of his trump cards or true limits too early.
The balance was handled quite well.
Looking at the azure sky and his energetic teammates, he quietly began to feel a genuine sense of anticipation for his future ninja career.