Chapter 0011: A Monster or a Genius?
I can't dodge this?!
In that instant, I realized that the fireballs seemed to follow a specific trajectory as they slowly advanced toward me. Their speed wasn't fast, but they had already locked onto me.
Wait…
Looking down, I finally noticed several chakra threads stuck to my arm. The fireballs were moving along these threads, coming straight for me.
So that's it! I had planned this during the taijutsu exchange earlier.
A wave of shock passed through me. Even though there was an element of underestimating the opponent, the fact that I managed to escape the notice of an elite jonin like myself and set such a precise trap was terrifying. This kid's combat talent is simply frightening!
"You really are something else, aren't you?"
I muttered those words to myself, but my hands didn't hesitate. At a speed too fast for the eye to catch, I quickly formed the necessary hand signs. "Wind Release: Wind Blade Flash!"
Opening my mouth, a dark, bluish wind blade shot out.
Splat.
The wind blade, with its incredible force, instantly tore through the fireballs, scattering them into nothing. At the same time, the chakra threads snapped, falling uselessly to the ground.
Whoosh.
The wind blade continued after destroying the fireballs, slicing past the side of my body at an incredible speed. Crack, crack—the blade cleaved through several massive trees behind me, cutting them clean in half before finally dissipating.
This brat… he actually made me use ninjutsu!
From Kurenai's perspective, this was unbelievable.
'To force my father to use ninjutsu?'
'He's only been training my chakra for less than a week!'
'One week! And in that short time, he completely surpassed the efforts I've put in since I was six years old. No, it wasn't just me—at this point, even the third-year students at the Ninja Academy would be crushed by him!' - Kurenai's thoughts.
I didn't know what Kurenai was thinking, and my face remained calm.
Even after seeing the gap between myself and an elite jonin, I didn't feel satisfied. Instead, a deep sense of urgency rose within me.
"I must admit, your performance today has truly surprised me."
Father looked at me with the same calm expression but spoke seriously. "I take back what I said before. You're not just any ordinary genius. In fact, being called a 'monster' wouldn't be an exaggeration. But right now, your chakra reserves must be running low, aren't they?" While he spoke, his hands were already forming seals at lightning speed.
"Today, I'm going to teach you an important lesson: never go all out unless it's absolutely necessary!" This was a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Father had seen too many fallen geniuses in his time, and he didn't want me to become one of them. That's why he decided to give me a taste of the harsh reality of ninja battles.
"Water Release: Water Bullet Technique!"
He finished forming the hand seals, but just as he did, my father, Shinji, spewed out dozens of small, round water bullets from his mouth, each one hurtling towards me.
They weren't strong enough to be lethal, but they'd definitely hurt. Worse, the way they scattered—like shotgun pellets—covered such a wide area that dodging was almost impossible.
Even though I wasn't out of chakra, I had no counter against this Water Release jutsu. All I could do was stand there, watching as the water bullets flew straight towards my face.
[New options generated!]
[Host, choose one of the following options:]
[-> Option one: Release a B-rank jutsu, Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu, and redefine the meaning of "genius" in your father's eyes.]
[-> Option two: Sacrifice five years of your life to unleash Hyorinmaru's Shikai and show your father what a real "monster" is.]
[-> Option three: Sacrifice your soul to summon the "Demon Lord" from the underworld and etch your name into Konoha's memory as a being beyond this dimension.]
What the hell?! What kind of options are these?!
I stood there, frozen, my face twisted in frustration. Not to mention, I don't even know how to use the Great Fire Dragon Jutsu! How am I supposed to release that?
And those last two options… seriously? Aren't they from entirely different universes?! Even the third option—sacrificing my soul?! If I summon the Demon Lord, wouldn't I cease to exist? Who cares about being remembered if my soul's gone?!
Wearing a pained expression, I muttered under my breath, "First option, I choose the first option."
[Congratulations, dear host, you've successfully mastered Fire Release: Great Fire Dragon Jutsu.] - The system's voice echoed like heavenly music in my mind.
Suddenly, an unusual surge of knowledge flooded my brain. Without thinking, I started forming the hand seals. A fiery heat rose in my chest, and I couldn't help but open my mouth.
Boom.
Dark red fire chakra gathered into the shape of a massive dragon head in the center of the training field.
What the—?!
My father, Shinji, and my sister, Kurenai, both stared wide-eyed, frozen in place like they had just witnessed something impossible.
That was… a B-rank Great Fire Dragon Jutsu?!
As expected of an elite jōnin, my father reacted instantly. The dragon head evaporated all the water bullets he shot at me and continued its fiery charge toward him.
Even he couldn't take this lightly. His hands flew through a series of seals, and a grayish-blue light began to swirl in his palms.
"Wind Release: Wind Blade Slash!"
Both of his hands shot out, and with a series of sharp slashes, he sent out blades of wind. Each strike carved away chunks of the dragon's flames, and with the final wind blade, the massive dragon head split in half, disappearing into the air.
Thud.
Just as the dragon vanished, my legs gave out. I collapsed forward, exhausted, hitting the ground face-first.
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