Coming out of his house, Ryou took a deep breath of the morning air and looked around. The first thing that caught his eye was the massive mountain overlooking Konoha, where the faces of the Hokage from First to Third were carved into the stone.
'The Hokage Rock of Konoha... it's a sight to see it in person.' Ryou thought and strolled the village.
Despite the ongoing war, the streets were already bustling with life. Villagers walked with happy faces, showing bright expressions. The atmosphere felt surprisingly cheerful for wartime, and Ryou knew why.
Minato Namikaze, the Yellow Flash of Konoha!
The village was still buzzing with the recent good news from the war front. Minato and his team had completed a successful mission to destroy the Kannabi Bridge, crippling Iwagakure's[Hidden Stone Village] supply line.
But that wasn't all, Minato and the rest of Konoha troops had taken out nearly 1,000 enemy shinobi from Iwagakure, forcing the enemy troops to withdraw temporarily.
Minato's reputation wasn't just limited to Konoha anymore; it had spread like wildfire across all the hidden villages. The people of Konoha knew what this meant, the war was finally coming to an end, or at least, the war was turning in their favor.
Hearing everyone's chatter along the way, Ryou had to admit Minato's popularity is really sky high, even surpassing the Third Generation.
"If he didn't lose his life in the Nine-Tails incident, Konoha might have developed better in a different way.'
Setting his thoughts aside, Ryou set a clear goal, to strengthen himself. Even though the war would soon come to an end, the most dangerous things were post-war missions, when tensions between the villages would still be high.
---
Ryou made his way to Training Ground 11, taking in the scenery of the Naruto world. After a few minutes, he reached a more secluded, forested area where the training grounds were situated.
When he arrived at the location, two figures were already there. This was his first time meeting them.
One of them was a young boy with short, messy black hair and dark eyes. He wore the standard Uchiha clan attire, a high-collared, dark outfit with a short sword strapped to his back, resting just above his right shoulder.
Even without introductions, Ryou knew exactly who he was—Uchiha Shisui.
Beside him stood another boy, likely a year older than Shisui. He had light blue hair and a relaxed posture, casually twirling a kunai in his hand. This must be Tenga Nawashi, the other member of their team.
Both turned as Ryou approached. Shisui gave a polite nod. "You must be Ryou-san?"
"Yeah," Ryou replied with a small smile. "Nice to meet you, Shisui Uchiha. And you must be Tenga?"
Tenga grinned, spinning the kunai effortlessly in his hand as he spoke in a laid-back tone. "Yup, that's me. Hey, I heard you're older than us, what's your specialty? Since we're gonna be a team from here on out, it's probably a good idea to get to know each other."
"Shisui and I are from the same class, so we pretty much know each other's strengths and weaknesses. I'm good with kunai and Water Style, while Shisui excels in Fire Style and short sword combat," Tenga added.
"I know basic Ninjutsu and good at Taijutsu," Ryou responded, noticing that Shisui remained quiet but was closely observing him.
"I can't wait to meet our Jonin instructor and spar with him. I heard he's really good at Genjutsu," Tenga said eagerly.
Indeed, as Tenga mentioned, their Jonin instructor, Daichi Kurama, comes from the Kurama Clan, known for their expertise in Genjutsu.
At that moment, a figure appeared before them in a blur, using Body Flicker Jutsu. It was their Jonin instructor, clad in the standard Jonin vest with a Konoha forehead protector tied firmly around his head.
He looked to be around thirty, with long black hair pulled back, a goatee without a mustache, and light-colored eyes that swept over them in a sharp, assessing gaze.
Daichi's voice carried a serious tone as he introduced himself. "I'm your Jonin instructor, Daichi Kurama. My specialty is Genjutsu, and this is my first time leading a genin team. You can call me Sensei, Teacher, or Instructor, whatever suits you."
"As shinobi, our ultimate responsibility is to protect the village, never forget that. Everything we do, every mission we take, must serve that purpose. The safety of Konoha comes above all else."
Daichi paused, letting the weight of his words sink in before continuing:
"Before we take on any missions, I need to know how skilled you three are. We'll start with a small test. Based on your abilities, I'll decide which missions we'll tackle before moving on to more challenging ones."
Shisui, Tenga, and Ryou nodded in agreement. Tenga, a curious type, asked, "Daichi-sensei, what's the test?"
Daichi's serious expression softened into a slight smile as he crossed his arms. "The test is simple, attack me with everything you've got. Whoever manages to land a solid hit on me gets a free barbecue meal. If you fail, you'll be paying for everyone. But if all three of you pass, it's on me."
"Nice, Sensei. But..." Tenga began, before suddenly springing into action. Without warning, he threw three kunai into the air, each one flying straight toward Daichi.
However, Daichi effortlessly dodged the kunai with a quick shift of his body, smirking as he said, "Nice try."
"What are you two waiting for? Let's do it!" Tenga urged in excitement.
But before the two of them could make their move, Ryou did as he rushed forward. "You two, take advantage and attack while I engage him up close!" he called out.
In a blink, Ryou closed the gap between himself and Daichi, aiming a powerful punch directly at his stomach.
Daichi sidestepped effortlessly, easily dodging his strike. Ryou pressed on, unleashing a rapid barrage of kicks and punches, but each one met nothing but air as Daichi moved through his attacks with ease.
"Quicker than I thought," Ryou mused and used Total Concentration Breathing to enhance his overall abilities.
With his current physical strength and lung capacity, he may not be able to maintain this state for so long. 'Let's finish this quick!'
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