Chapter 55
Around noon, Haneda vaguely remembered being carried back by someone. His head felt a bit dizzy, and his throat was sore. Haneda guessed that he had probably been forced to drink too much by Obito and ended up drunk.
Looking around, he realized he was at Obito's house, and Obito was asleep right next to him. It was likely that Rin had asked someone to bring him back, or perhaps one of the Uchiha clan members who secretly watched over him had carried him back.
Haneda got up and looked out the window. The afternoon sun was bright, and based on the time, he would normally be practicing sword techniques with Uncle Sakumo.
Rubbing his eyes to shake off the remaining grogginess, Haneda changed into a set of clothes from Obito's closet. He kept clothes here because Obito often invited him over for late-night chats, and sometimes they'd end up sleeping over. Naturally, some of Haneda's spare clothes were left behind.
Haneda glanced at the sleeping Obito, who was drooling a little and grinning foolishly in his sleep, probably dreaming about something amusing.
"Better not disturb him. I should head to Uncle Sakumo's place... well, I guess I should call him 'teacher' now."
Walking quietly past Obito, Haneda gently opened the door and closed it softly behind him before hurrying downstairs. As he left the stairwell, Obito's grandmother appeared at the landing, holding a bowl of hangover soup.
"Drink this before you head off to train, Haneda. It'll help you feel better."
"Thank you, Grandma," Haneda replied.
He didn't refuse the offer, knowing from the bowl's warmth that she had likely been preparing it for a while. After finishing the soup, he thanked her and set off.
...
Haneda didn't head straight to Sakumo's house. As per their usual arrangement, sword training typically took place at the training grounds. Even if Haneda couldn't make it, Sakumo would continue with his regular shinobi exercises.
The training ground was located on the outskirts of the Forest of Death, in an area belonging to the Hatake clan. It was quite far, and Haneda took about ten minutes to get there.
By the time he arrived, three people were already at the training ground. Sakumo was talking with Haneda's future teammates, Asuma and Kurenai.
Noticing Haneda approaching, Sakumo said, "Perfect timing, Haneda. I was just discussing the upcoming test with Asuma and Kurenai."
"A test?"
Haneda immediately thought of the tradition of the Seventh Team—the bell test.
Asuma excitedly jumped in, "It's a small test to assess our teamwork. Sakumo-sensei said it would influence how he evaluates us for missions."
He then cheered, "Haneda, we finally get to fight side by side!"
"Oh, I see..."
Haneda, still a bit groggy, hadn't fully processed everything yet. Recalling the "big brother" title, he added, "By the way, didn't I tell you to stop calling me 'big brother'? You're older than me, Asuma."
"Okay, Haneda-nii!" Asuma replied cheerfully.
"..."
'Another one who doesn't learn,' Haneda thought, feeling a bit helpless.
Seeing how well Haneda and Asuma were getting along, Sakumo nodded to himself in approval. Their connection would surely make future teamwork smoother.
"Enough chit-chat. Haneda, you three should start strategizing for the test. Although your individual skills are strong, this test is about teamwork," Sakumo reminded them seriously.
Hearing this, Haneda gripped the hilt of his sword and drew it. The familiar coldness of the blade in his hand helped ease his discomfort a bit.
"Asuma, Kurenai, what are your strengths?"
"Taijutsu and Wind Release," Asuma answered, holding his chakra blades.
Kurenai followed with, "Genjutsu. I'm not that great at anything else."
Haneda didn't waste time and immediately started planning the strategy. Asuma and Kurenai were both future jōnin, so they should have basic shinobi skills. Even if they didn't now, their natural talents would help them figure out how to work together during the battle.
"I can handle a lot of things—genjutsu, taijutsu, and ninjutsu."
"I'll take the lead. Asuma, support me by keeping Sakumo's movements restricted. Kurenai, stay at a distance and use genjutsu at the right moment."
"Got it," Asuma and Kurenai responded.
Then, Haneda turned to face Sakumo, who had drawn his short sword, smiling.
"Ready?" Sakumo asked. Seeing that all three were in their battle stances, he kicked a small rock and said, "We'll start when the stone hits the ground."
He flicked the stone into the air, and it traced a graceful arc across the sky.
As the stone fell, all three of them moved simultaneously.
Kurenai quickly darted away, hiding in the surrounding foliage. Asuma moved to Sakumo's flank, waiting for Haneda's opening.
*Zzzzzz~*
The sound of chirping birds filled the air as Haneda's sword became wrapped in blue lightning.
As the electrical arcs crackled, Haneda dashed forward! He swung his sword, and the lightning on the blade transformed into a coiling serpent, striking toward Sakumo.
At the same time, Haneda activated his Three Tomoe Sharingan, aiming to flank Sakumo in a pincer attack.
"Behind!" Haneda shouted.
He didn't care whether Asuma fully understood his true intentions or not. There was no time for further explanation.
Wind-style chakra quickly gathered in his hands, causing a faint white airflow to swirl around his sword, accelerating his speed.
"Using both wind at close range and lightning at long range. The advice I gave you back then—didn't expect you'd combine them so well. Not bad," Sakumo remarked, his expression slightly more serious. His own blade was now enveloped in wind-style chakra as well.
The sound of whistling air filled the space as tiny gusts of wind swirled around Sakumo's sword, cutting through the atmosphere with precision.
*Ssshhh!*
The sound of cutting air echoed as Sakumo glanced at Asuma, who had positioned himself behind him, ready to strike. Instantly, he understood Haneda's strategy.
Sakumo knew they weren't aiming to cause harm, so he allowed Asuma's attack to come closer. Haneda's flanking attack from both sides, coupled with Kurenai's potential genjutsu from the shadows, put him in a situation where retreat wasn't an option.
Sakumo, undeterred, swung his sword with force. Several wind blades flew from his sword, slicing through the air toward Haneda.
At that moment, Haneda was already too close! Even if he didn't manage to close the gap, just blocking the attack would be challenging enough.
"Don't underestimate me, Uncle Sakumo."
Haneda formed a seal with one hand, and within seconds, his left hand was engulfed in lightning.
Before the thousand birds could fully chirp, the lightning transformed into countless thin senbon needles, launching forward.
The *Chidori Senbon* collided with the wind blades, knocking them down to the ground, instantly cutting through the grass below and leaving the field covered in shredded leaves.
"Chidori's new form? When did you develop this?" Sakumo's eyes flashed with surprise. The technique was similar to his own wind release but modified with lightning by Haneda.
At that moment, the coiled lightning serpent and Haneda's flanking attack closed in, and Asuma followed right behind!
Sakumo was now facing a three-sided pincer attack!
***
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