"Why is it you two again?"
Three days later, at Konoha's third training ground, in the secluded spot where Tatsuma and Minato frequently honed their skills, Kushina wore a disapproving expression as she observed the duo, who had arrived ahead of schedule and were already in the midst of their warm-up routine.
Tatsuma maintained his silence, recognizing that his role today demanded a certain degree of villainy, sparing him the need to elaborate much to Kushina. Meanwhile, Minato, scratching his head, offered, "It might just be a coincidence. Tatsuma and I simply happened to submit our early graduation applications."
"Hmph, as long as you two don't hinder me from becoming a ninja."
Kushina snorted, and just as Minato was poised to add something, two silhouettes descended. The trio turned their attention to the newcomers, recognizing their sensei, Sarutobi Atoma, and the other figure as Orochimaru, one of Sarutobi Hiruzen's three disciples.
"Sakamoto Tatsuma, Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki."
Orochimaru addressed them with his distinctive tone, prompting the three to immediately straighten up and respond, "Orochimaru-sama."
Orochimaru nodded, his golden eyes scanning the trio before he spoke, "I am the examiner for your graduation assessment, and Chunin Sarutobi Atoma is the witness for this assessment."
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Kushina nodded solemnly. The fiery nature within her erupted once again as she loudly declared, "I will definitely pass the assessment and become a ninja to avenge my people!"
With these resolute words, Kushina, seemingly deriving inspiration from Orochimaru's statement, swung her fist toward him. Tatsuma and Minato exchanged bewildered glances, wondering if they had missed something.
Sarutobi Atoma's usually composed face also displayed surprise. Even Orochimaru, known for his calm demeanor in the squad, was momentarily stunned. However, as Kushina charged towards him, he shook his head and sighed.
"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough."
Confronting Kushina's attack, Orochimaru calmly formed hand seals with one hand and unleashed a gust of wind, propelling Kushina backward.
"Damn it! I'm not just that!"
Kushina got up from the ground, fists clenched, and Chakra surged within her. She was ready to charge at Orochimaru again when he calmly stated, "Attacking the examiner, I can declare your assessment failed at any time."
"What?!"
This time, Kushina was puzzled. Her forward momentum came to a halt. Observing this, Orochimaru explained, "I never said the assessment had started, nor did I imply that facing me in battle was the assessment."
"Then how is the assessment supposed to be?" Kushina inquired as she came to her senses. Orochimaru looked at Tatsuma and Minato, who were prepared but hadn't made any moves, with a smile. Then, he turned to Kushina and said, "First of all, three graduates are too many."
Orochimaru deliberately paused, giving Kushina, who was a bit slow in catching on, a moment to react. As soon as Kushina understood, she cast a glance at Tatsuma and Minato with a hint of hostility.
In her view, if these two hadn't suddenly applied for early graduation, there wouldn't have been the issue of too many graduates.
Observing Kushina's reaction, Tatsuma couldn't resist the urge to mock her. Orochimaru's excuse seemed overly perfunctory. After all, who wouldn't be aware that Konoha currently operates on a three-man per-team model?
Having three graduates is, in fact, the most convenient arrangement. Graduating together and subsequently being assigned to the same squad eliminates the hassle of adjusting the number of team members or searching for teams with vacancies. What's even more astonishing is that Kushina appeared genuinely unsettled.
"It seems you've caught on. Yes, in the first round of the assessment, we need to eliminate at least one of you."
Although the current Orochimaru didn't exude the cold demeanor that Tatsuma remembered, the way he spoke at this moment carried a somewhat villainous quality.
This demeanor might provoke a reaction from Kushina, but for Tatsuma and Minato, who were privy to some inside information, it left them unfazed. The two fixed their gazes on Orochimaru, anticipating his next move.
"Next, you need to engage in one-on-one battles. Each person must achieve at least one victory to proceed to the next round. First up, Kushina versus Tatsuma."
Upon hearing this, Kushina locked eyes with Tatsuma and declared, "Come at me. This time, I absolutely won't lose!"
Instead of immediately making a move, Tatsuma looked at Orochimaru and inquired, "Orochimaru-sama, are there any other rules, or can we start now?"
Orochimaru appreciated Tatsuma's conscientious nature and nodded, stating, "Initiate the Seal of Confrontation, and then you can begin."
Tatsuma nodded and cast a glance at Minato beside him. Minato promptly employed Body Flicker, appearing next to Sarutobi Atoma. The adept execution of this Body Flicker Jutsu even surprised Sarutobi Atoma.
Although Minato only showcased a D-rank Body Flicker Jutsu, it was still remarkably impressive for an eight-year-old academy student. The realization that Minato, his own student, possessed abilities he wasn't fully aware of left Sarutobi Atoma feeling a bit embarrassed, questioning his own adequacy as a sensei.
However, if Minato could utilize Body Flicker Jutsu, Sarutobi Atoma turned his attention to Tatsuma, who had been performing slightly better than Minato. Did Tatsuma also master it?
By now, Tatsuma had already reached Kushina. He raised his right hand in front of his chest, formed the Seal of Confrontation, and remarked, "Just now, I noticed that your speed and strength have improved quite a bit. Indeed, you are a genius with remarkable talent."
"Hmph, always saying hypocritical things. I won't go easy on you!" Despite Uzumaki Mito having vouched for Tatsuma's genuine nature, Kushina couldn't shake off her skepticism, feeling that Tatsuma's praise for others was insincere.
Nevertheless, the two had already initiated the Seal of Confrontation and began refining chakra in unison. Orochimaru nodded and said, "You can start."
"Bang!"
The moment Orochimaru finished speaking, Kushina stepped forward and threw a punch. However, as her fist connected with Tatsuma, he transformed into a puff of smoke, simultaneously a wooden stake that took his place split into fragments.
Observing this scene, Kushina suddenly felt a bit irked—not because Tatsuma used Ninjutsu. After all, she had now mastered some Ninjutsu and Sealing Jutsu herself, and she didn't mind Tatsuma employing Ninjutsu. Except for the Substitution Jutsu.
Because the Substitution Jutsu is a form of Ninjutsu designed for deceptive maneuvers, it's a trick typically employed when the power dynamics significantly favor the user. The principle of the Substitution Jutsu doesn't involve swapping places in the space-time Ninjutsu sense. Instead, it's straightforward: at the moment of impact, replace oneself with something else and slip away.
This implies that the practitioner of the Substitution Jutsu must possess greater speed than the opponent for the technique to be effective. Describing it as a Ninjutsu for playing tricks on opponents is entirely accurate.
"Come out, don't rely on such petty tricks if you have the guts!" Kushina exclaimed indignantly. Behind a large tree, Tatsuma, who still maintained the Seal of Confrontation, emerged and remarked, "Sure, I also want to see how much strength I can unleash when facing others."
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