I slept for a few hours—that much is certain. My sleep lasted at least twenty hours, and even after that, I didn't feel rested. I wanted to sleep a little longer and relax, but I had to get up, pull myself together, grab a bite to eat, wash up… and talk to my parents. That part was important too.
As soon as I got up, I felt an unpleasant pain throughout my entire body. It seemed like it was trying to penetrate every cell. Closing my eyes, I calmed myself and tried to distance from the pain. It would pass once I started moving. In short, this was the result of my intense training for many days without stopping. Now it had caught up to me and was starting to take its toll.
"Suzuki, how are you doing?" my mother asked as soon as I finally emerged from my room.
"Could be better," I replied.
"Oh, what's wrong?" she asked, her concern growing. "You don't look too well."
"Just the aftereffects of training," I said, waving it off. "I just need to rest a little, and then everything will be fine."
"You've been training that hard?" she asked.
"Every day, without breaks for lunch or sleep," I replied. "It was a real marathon, one I don't even want to think about right now."
"I see," she nodded and didn't press further. For that, I was grateful, because I really didn't want to recall the details of my training. I just wanted to let my thoughts rest a little longer. "I've prepared some food for you. Your father will be home late tonight; he has a lot of work. And I'm going to visit a friend. So… you're on your own today."
"Got it," I said, accepting her words without issue.
After that, my mother left, and I sat down with a book about seals, which I hadn't opened in a long time. The information was interesting, of course, but without the chance to practice and test everything described, it didn't mean much. Right now, I didn't have the time or the opportunity to delve into seals, though I felt there was hidden potential in them.
The next sleep was much easier and more refreshing. I didn't feel like an old rusted bucket anymore. Most of the pain in my body had passed. Glancing at the clock, I saw it was six in the morning. Not bad, pretty nice. I wanted to stay in bed a little longer, but it was time to get up and meet my team. I needed to show them I was back.
In the mirror, the reflection of someone who hadn't quite caught up on sleep stared back at me, but at least it wasn't as bad as yesterday. After washing up and getting ready, I prepared a quick snack.
"Oh, Suzuki," my father greeted me when he came into the kitchen. "I didn't even notice you were back."
"Hey, Dad," I nodded. "I got back the day before yesterday. I've just been catching up on sleep."
"Ah," he said, frowning slightly as if trying to remember if he'd seen my shoes or not. "Yeah, I must've been distracted and didn't notice."
"It happens," I said, waving it off. "Anyway, I have to run and meet my team."
"Of course," he replied. "You can tell me about your training tonight."
I just nodded. It wouldn't be hard to tell him, as long as I had the strength and didn't feel like a corpse after training—which was quite likely. Outside, the morning was pleasant but slightly cool. The humidity felt high, but I figured it would pass soon, giving way to a truly beautiful day.
Our training ground was occupied. Well, "occupied" might be too strong a word—only Captain Kiochi was there, sitting in a tree and reading something. There was no sign of Shiko or Ayamane. They probably hadn't arrived for training yet. Jumping into the clearing, I glanced toward the captain, who immediately noticed me.
"Suzuki," he said, closing his book and suddenly appearing beside me. He moved quickly, but I was able to react to his movements—something that was completely new for me. It showed that my skills had improved since before. It's hard to say exactly how much better I've gotten, but based on first impressions, there's definitely been progress.
"You're back from training with Jiraiya-sama already?"
"Yes, sensei," I replied. "I'm back and ready to start training again."
"Excellent," he chuckled. "But first, I want to see what you've achieved."
He bounced lightly on his feet, hinting that this wouldn't be a verbal test but a practical one. I mentally prepared myself for the sparring session ahead. Clenching my fists, I calmly adjusted my body's balance and began slowly absorbing natural energy. It immediately filled my chakra reservoir and spread throughout my body, transitioning me into Sage Mode.
"Nice," the captain said, shaking his head.
"What do you mean, sensei?" I asked, slightly surprised.
"Have you looked at yourself in the mirror?" he asked. "If not, I recommend it."
Strange. I hadn't noticed anything different while training with the Sannin. I had seen my reflection in the water and didn't notice anything unusual. I wasn't sure what he meant, but in any case, I'd check when I got home—or maybe I'd ask the girls for a mirror when they arrived.
"Alright, enough talk," sensei said. "Attack."
With a sharp movement, I closed the distance to the captain and attacked. His face immediately showed surprise; he hadn't expected such speed from me, which felt good—it was nice to catch him off guard, even a little. I landed a strike, but he blocked it solidly. Honestly, I didn't hold back much in terms of strength, knowing full well that Captain Kiochi-sensei was a strong Jonin.
The captain jumped back from my strike, but I didn't stop my assault. Closing in quickly and engaging in taijutsu again, I increased the pressure little by little. The captain's face remained unreadable as he calmly and almost lazily deflected my strikes, not fully blocking them. It seemed like he was trying to trap me somehow, which meant I needed to stay cautious.
At one point, I jumped back, avoiding his attempt to grab my leg for some technique, and then I formed a concentration seal.
"Water Style! Water Bullet!"
I shot a small ball of water from my fingers toward the captain. He dodged it quickly, somersaulting and throwing several kunai at me in return. I dashed to the side, not paying attention to the fact that the water bullet had struck a tree and pierced it clean through. A powerful attack, no doubt—but only if it hit its target.
I jumped aside again, blocking the captain's attack as he shifted to offense. Now he was moving at great speed, at least compared to me. I blocked his sudden blow, then another. It seemed sensei had decided not to hold back too much in this sparring session, and I understood why.
Dashing aside to avoid a powerful punch, I quickly performed another technique.
"Earth Style! Stone Armor!"
Stone rapidly formed around me, protecting me from particularly dangerous hits. I figured I could show the captain even more. With a burst of speed, he closed the distance and delivered a downward kick. I raised my arms to block. The strike was incredibly powerful—so powerful that parts of my stone armor crumbled from my arms. Then, in a swift motion, he pressed me to the ground and struck.
It all happened so fast that I didn't have time to react. I simply lacked the physical speed. Mentally, I could keep up, but physically... not yet. The blow was heavy, like being hit with a multi-ton hammer. My stone armor shattered, fragments scattering everywhere. The captain's strike didn't stop there; it continued, and I took the full brunt of the attack.
The hit was so strong that I was thrown several meters back, rolling across the ground, tasting dust and stones. Each roll felt like a loud drumbeat, echoing in my ears. Pushing myself off the ground with difficulty, I stood ready to continue the fight. The stone armor had crumbled off me, leaving only dust on my clothing.
Seeing that I was still ready to keep going, the captain didn't press further, giving me a chance to catch my breath. I relaxed slightly, feeling Sage Mode slowly fade from my body, leaving behind a light sense of fatigue—and satisfaction.
"What can I say," Captain Kiochi began, rubbing his hands together, "your strikes have gotten much heavier. Your speed has improved too. And the development of your Water Style... now that's interesting."
"Thank you, sensei," I said. "How would you rate me overall?"
"Overall?" he repeated. "I'd say... a lot of Chunin would be in pain fighting you. But if you want to handle them better, you'll need to learn a few more combat techniques. And that's exactly what we'll be working on. Don't worry. Earth Style and Water Style offensive techniques are waiting for you, along with active training in their use."
"Thank you," I replied. "And if I were to face a Jonin, what would my chances be?"
"Only if you manage to surprise them and catch the right moment," Captain Kiochi said honestly. "Otherwise, they'd win. Not immediately, but they would."
"Alright, thanks for the evaluation," I said. "By the way, how's the girls' training going?"
"Not bad," the captain replied. "Their progress isn't as significant, but they're still growing. You'll see for yourself soon."
"Okay."
It didn't take long for the girls to show up. They arrived about an hour later.
"Suzuki!" they both exclaimed together. "You're finally back!"
"Of course, of course," I replied with a smile. "I'm back, so now we can train together."
"Take a seat," the captain said. "Now that the team is all here, we can talk about the future."
We sat down, waiting for the captain to gather his thoughts and tell us what he wanted to discuss. Most likely, it would be about the upcoming Chunin Exam. We didn't have much information about it, so maybe we'd learn something new or interesting.
"The Chunin Exam," the captain began. "Recently, you passed a small personal test successfully. Some of you did so calmly, others... not so much."
At these words, he looked at me, clearly referring to someone specific. I understood. I shouldn't have acted that way during the test with Mizuki. I'll probably need to find him later and apologize. That would be the right thing to do.
"But that's beside the point... and much worse things can happen," Captain Kiochi continued. "In three weeks, we'll be heading to the Chunin Exam, which will be held in our village. The exam will take place in the Land of Rivers, in the Village Hidden in the Valleys."
So, in three weeks, we're heading to the Land of Rivers. It's located between the Land of Fire and the Land of Wind. As a buffer zone, it's an ideal location for the exam—especially if it's planned to be more than just an internal event, but something with political significance.
"What you should know is that Hokage-sama will be meeting with the Kazekage of the Hidden Sand to discuss certain matters," Captain Kiochi said.
My initial thoughts were right. This exam isn't just a test of strength for the Genin, but also carries political weight. It would be interesting to know what kind of discussions our Hokage will have with the Kazekage.
"This means that, in addition to us, there will be Genin from the Hidden Sand, Genin from the Hidden Valleys, and possibly others from various small countries," the captain continued. "Your main opponents will not be other Genin from our village. There will be five teams from our side, along with captains, as well as additional forces like medical-nin and security."
He paused, letting us process the information. It was clear from the start that we wouldn't be going alone, but knowing that other strong shinobi would be with us provided a sense of security. In any case, I'd need to visit the library and look up information on shinobi from the Sand to prepare for potential confrontations.
"Now, about how the exam will be conducted," Captain Kiochi continued. "There will be three stages. Two of them will be team-based, and the third will be individual. Most likely, it will involve duels between participants. Based on the outcome of this stage, it will be decided whether or not you'll be granted the rank of Chunin."
"Captain," Ayamane asked, "what are the criteria for evaluation? How will they decide if we're worthy of becoming Chunin?"
"I don't know yet," he replied. "But it probably won't differ much from previous exams. They'll evaluate teamwork, leadership, and your ability to solve complex tasks in critical situations, as well as your individual skills in combat and survival in unknown environments."
"Understood," she nodded. "And do you know what the stages will be?"
"I don't know exactly," the captain shrugged. "But based on past years, I'd guess there will be some sort of theoretical test, followed by practical trials. Or vice versa. I'm not sure. The individual exam will likely be at the very end. But, anyway."
Captain Kiochi stood up and stretched a little. We followed suit, waiting for his next instruction. He looked us over carefully, then smiled.
"Let's not sit around doing nothing," sensei suggested. "I want you, Shiko, and Ayamane to spar with Suzuki."
The girls looked at me and smiled, as if they were confident in their victory. I observed them closely, trying to gauge how much stronger they had become. What techniques or moves had they mastered over the past two weeks? They had likely learned something new, but the real question was how well they had mastered it.
"Suzuki," Shiko said, "we've been training hard these past two weeks. So don't underestimate us."
"Of course, Shiko," I replied. "I believe you've been training."
And why wouldn't I believe her? The real question was whether I should show them all of my abilities or spare their self-esteem a bit. After all, I already sensed they were no match for me in terms of strength. If they wanted to defeat me, they would need a lot more time to catch up to my current level.
"Don't hold back," sensei said. "If anything, I'll step in to protect you. Begin."
Shiko and Ayamane moved apart and immediately threw kunai at me. I returned fire, deflecting their kunai with my own. Then, with a sharp movement, I dodged several shuriken that came flying at me from the side.
At that moment, Shiko rushed toward me, intending to engage in close combat. Her strike, which she thought was sharp and fast, missed over my head. She followed with a kick, but I easily jumped back. Her speed was far too slow for me. Under these conditions, she definitely couldn't win a one-on-one fight against me.
I stepped forward and struck lightly. Shiko blocked the strike and immediately tried to counterattack with a quick rebound. But I calmly sidestepped and swept her legs out from under her. She didn't have time to react and tripped over my leg, starting to fall. Just then, I noticed Ayamane's shadow linking with Shiko's, and she attempted to connect it with mine. I jumped aside, avoiding the trap, and immediately threw several kunai in Ayamane's direction.
Ayamane quickly jumped aside, breaking the connection between her shadow and Shiko's. Not bad, they had planned it well. Too bad it didn't work. But it seemed like what they'd shown so far was still far from their full potential.
"Not bad, not bad," I said, allowing myself a slight smile. "But now it's my turn. Don't you think?"
"Bring it on, Suzuki," Ayamane smirked.
With a sharp movement, I closed the distance between us. My strike was blocked. Ayamane immediately went on the offensive, trying to draw me away from Shiko. It was likely they were preparing some strategy to break through my defense. Ayamane's light, soft strikes were easily deflected without much effort. Gradually, I increased the speed of my movements, forcing her to match my pace, which deprived her of the chance to activate any technique. At one point, she attempted to land a hit and immediately activated a technique...