With Total Concentration Breathing, a familiar power surged through his body, enhancing his strength, speed, and reflexes, far beyond the limit the limits of Genin.
Without wasting time, Ryou's body blurred as he dashed toward Daichi with incredible speed. Before their instructor could fully react, Ryou closed the distance, landing a spinning kick aimed directly at Daichi's side.
Daichi raised his forearm in defense, blocking the blow just in time, but the sheer force behind Ryou's kick caught him off guard.
The short pause gave Ryou the opening he needed. Twisting his body mid-air in an abnormal motion, he delivered a second straight kick to Daichi's stomach. This time, the kick connected, forcing Daichi back two steps.
"Now!" Ryou shouted.
In perfect synchronization, Shisui and Tenga launched their attack. Shisui, with his quick footwork, vanished from sight and reappeared behind Daichi, hurling a set of shuriken toward Daichi's blind spot with impressive speed and accuracy.
At the same time, Tenga rushed from the side with a kunai in each hand. Closing in, he swung his kunai in a wide arc toward Daichi's ribs.
Daichi, caught in the middle of the well-coordinated attack, narrowed his eyes slightly. Without even glancing at Shisui's attack, he moved with lightning speed, dodging Tenga's kunai strike by flashing to the side.
At the same time, his hand shot out, catching the shuriken Shisui had thrown as if they were moving in slow motion.
"Nice teamwork," Daichi remarked, his tone impressed.
Shisui and Tenga's skills didn't surprise Daichi much. They were well-known in their class with top scores and graduated early due to their excellent capabilities, so their performance was more or less expected.
What truly impressed Daichi, however, was Ryou.
According to the academy reports, Ryou had always been average at best. His ninjutsu and Taijutsu were basic, while his shuriken-throwing skills were mediocre.
There was nothing in his file to indicate he could perform anything beyond the standard academy level. Yet here he was, displaying strength and skill that made even a Jonin like him to take seriously.
In fact, it felt like Ryou had transformed into someone completely different from the academy student described in the reports.
"Ryou, you're good, you passed with that solid hit. You can take a break," Daichi said, giving a nod of approval. "As for Shisui and Tenga, I'll give you two another chance."
"As expected of a Jonin-sensei, he's really good," Tenga muttered as Shisui returned to his side. "Shisui, it's time to get serious! No matter what, we've to let sensei pay for the meal."
"Indeed," Shisui replied, his childish eyes filled with seriousness and determination far beyond his age.
"Good luck, you two," Ryou shouted from the sidelines, choosing not to participate further.
He didn't want to expose any more of his strength. With the war still ongoing, people might start to doubt he was hiding his strength deliberately to avoid being sent to the front lines.
Tenga laughed confidently. "Hahaha... watch from the side, Ryou. We've got this!"
With a swift hand seal, Tenga unleashed a torrent of water from his mouth, cascading toward Daichi like a waterfall. Water Style: Raging Waves!
The powerful waves crashed over Daichi, submerging him completely. However, Daichi simply used the 'Body Replacement Technique', leaving a wooden log in his place as the water swept past.
However, Shisui had anticipated this move. The moment Daichi reappeared, Shisui was already above him with his short sword aimed directly at his instructor.
Daichi raised his kunai just in time to block the strike, sparks flew from the impact as the clash of metal rang. With force, Daichi used his superior strength to push Shisui back, sending him spinning through the air.
Mid-air, Shishui swiftly made hand seals, 'Fire Style: Fire Ball Jutsu!' A massive ball of flames roared from his mouth, shooting toward Daichi with scorching heat.
Daichi didn't face the head-on, he used his speed to evade the attack.
At the same time, Tenga, who had recovered from his earlier attack, charged again. But Daichi, with a single hand seal, cast a basic Genjutsu, causing Tenga to freeze in place, his eyes clouded.
But just then, another Tenga emerged from the puddle formed by the earlier Water Style jutsu at Daichi's feet. He pressed a kunai against the back of Daichi's back, "Sensei, did we win?" he asked, a triumphant grin on his face.
Meanwhile, the Tenga who had seemed dazed from the Genjutsu dissolved into a pool of water, a Water Clone all along.
Daichi smiled as he glanced back and nodded. "You guys did well for a Genin!" he complimented.
But, anyone with a brain could tell that he wasn't fighting at full strength. His Body Replacement and Genjutsu were executed at a noticeably slower speed as if he wanted them to know what move he was going to make.
'Those two are really good!' Ryou mused as he watched their fight.
Tenga, in particular, his chakra reserves seemed immense, allowing him to use two Water Style jutsu without any sign of strain. On top of that, his kunai techniques were also good.
As for Shisui, his skills were far beyond the average Genin, even without his Sharingan. But then again, that was to be expected from a Uchiha.
Ryou, Tenga, and Shisui gathered together as Daichi stood before them and spoke, "You three have demonstrated nice teamwork and adaptability in battle, qualities a ninja team must have. As a team, it's important that you cover each other's weaknesses and exploit your opponent's openings.
I was planning to emphasize the importance of teamwork today, but it seems you already understand it well. No matter how strong you are individually, without cooperation, a mission can easily fail."
"Got it, Sensei," Tenga responded with a grin, giving a thumbs up. Shisui remained quiet but absorbed every word Daichi said.
"Alright, that's enough for today. We'll start taking on missions from tomorrow. But for now, let's go and enjoy that barbecue meal I owe you three."
"Yeah!" Tenga shouted enthusiastically.
---
As the smell of burning meat filled the air of the popular Konoha restaurant, Ryou, Tenga, Shisui and Daichi sat around the table, enjoying their barbecue meal.
"Hey, Ryou, I didn't know you were so good at taijutsu," Tenga remarked, shoveling food into his mouth, while Shisui also nodded and said, "Ryou-senpai, you were amazing back there."
"Hey Shisui, no need for honorifics. Just call me Ryou," he said with a smile. "Even though I'm older, we're on the same team."
Even Daichi joined in the conversation, "Yes, Ryou, I've been meaning to ask about that too. Your strength surged suddenly during our spar. Is that some kind of technique you're working on?"
Ryou lied without any change in expression, "Yes, Sensei. It's something I'm developing. It involves expanding the lungs to take in more air, which accelerates blood flow and enhances my physical abilities like strength, speed, and reflexes."
Tenga's eyes widened in amazement. "Whoa, that sounds like genius-level stuff! So that's why you moved so fast!"
"It's not without its drawbacks, though. My body isn't strong enough to handle it. Just using it for a few minutes gives me pain in my lungs. That's why starting tomorrow, I plan to focus on exercising my body and increasing my lung capacity."
Daichi considered Ryou's explanation thoughtfully before sharing his thoughts. "That sounds complex. While it may enhance your strength, I doubt it will be as effective in battles against a Jonin or even a slightly stronger Chunin.
I suggest you also work on improving your chakra control. With better chakra control, you can channel chakra to enhance your physical abilities. It will be more reliable in combat."
"I understand, Sensei," Ryou nodded simply, choosing not to explain further.