Dosawa dropped a small scroll onto the ground, then kicked it back up into her hand. Without a word, she tied it to her belt.
"Your test is simple," she said, her tone casual. "Steal this scroll from me within thirty minutes. Work together, or don't your choice. But if you fail…" She tilted her head slightly, her eyes narrowing. "You won't be my students. Begin."
Before anyone could react, Dosawa vanished in a blur of motion, disappearing into the trees.
Ronin's eyes darted around the clearing, his heart racing. "Damn she's fast," he muttered. "Really fast."
Aiko gathered beside Ronin and Daiki "We need a plan, Ron..."
A shadow dropped from above fist aiming toward our huddle. "BOOM" Pieces of the ground flew everywhere Ronin and Aiko managed to jump away in time Daiki wasn't so lucky he got flown back by the impact.
Dust cleared the air Ronin coughed squinting through the haze his heart pounding as Dosawa's silhouette came into focus. Aiko had already moved into a defensive stance beside him, her kunai drawn and ready.
"Daiki!" she called, glancing toward their teammate, who groaned from where he'd landed several feet away, clutching his side.
"Dammit," he muttered Ronin grabbed his tanto from his back and got into a defensive position as soon as he saw Dosawa's shadow he instantly darted toward it Ronin's tanto slashed through empty air, the shadow of Dosawa dispersing like smoke. He skidded to a halt, glancing around frantically.
"Daiki, are you good?" he called, his voice sharp.
The faint groan of his teammate drew his attention. Ronin's eyes darted to the left, spotting Daiki struggling to sit up near the base of a tree. Splinters littered the ground around him, and his green vest was streaked with dirt. Despite the impact, Daiki managed to push himself upright, one hand rubbing the back of his neck.
"Define 'good,'" Daiki muttered, giving Ronin a lazy grin. "If you mean 'still breathing,' then yeah, I'm fantastic."
Ronin jogged over, scanning the area as he moved. Dosawa's presence was everywhere and nowhere at once, her silhouette flitting through the shadows like a specter.
"You don't look fantastic," Ronin shot back, crouching beside him. "Can you still fight?"
Daiki stretched his arms, wincing slightly but giving a thumbs-up. "Oh, sure. I'm great at getting slammed into trees it's a hidden talent. But seriously, I'm fine." He glanced at Ronin, his grin fading. "What's the plan? She's playing with us."
"Well, that's a jonin for you," Ronin said, rubbing his head. Aiko in the distance performed some quick hand seals: "Wind Style: Vacuum Palm." The force of the wind blew away the debris, and they finally could see Dosawa sensei standing in the middle of the field, looking around. Her eyes finally came to a halt.
Her eyes instantly locked on Ronin. She used the body flicker technique to close the distance almost instantly. Ronin reacted as soon as she headed in his direction. "Lighting Style: Static Tanto." Ronin Tanto crackled with lighting. Daiki still lay on the tree in awe of the jutsu.
As soon as Dosawa's kunai clashed with Ronin's crackling tanto, he was sent flying back due to the strength difference, but a sharp jolt surged through her hand and up her arm. It wasn't just pain; it was like her muscles were locked for an instant, frozen by the sudden burst of electricity. The world's details momentarily blurred as the shock disrupted her focus.
"Tch," she muttered under her breath, stepping back instinctively. A faint numbness lingered in her fingers, the kunai trembling slightly in her grip. She flexed her hand once, twice, regaining control, her lips curling into a faint smirk.
"Impressive," she said, her voice calm but tinged with something almost like approval. Ronin managed to flip onto his feet to avoid falling he was pretty used to taking hits like that from Kakashi.
Just as Ronin breathing pretty heavily was about to retaliate he heard a yell "Ronin, fall back!" Aiko suddenly barked, already forming hand seals. "We need to slow her down!" Without waiting for a response, she thrust her palms forward.
"Wind Style: Gale Shuriken!" A bunch of kunai, enhanced with razor-sharp wind chakra, tore through the air toward Dosawa. The Jonin twirled her kunai effortlessly, deflecting most of them, but the force of the wind created a gap, forcing her to reposition.
"Daiki, get up now!" Aiko shouted, her sharp eyes locking on Dosawa's next move.
Daiki groaned, pushing himself to his feet, shaking off the daze from earlier. His eyes flicked to Aiko, then to Ronin, still breathing heavily from his last exchange with Dosawa.
He sighed, rolling his shoulders. "Guess it's my turn."
Instead of charging in, Daiki's hands formed the Yamanaka Clan's signature seal, his fingers shaping the Mind-Body Switch Technique. His voice carried through the battlefield, calmer than expected.
"Mind-Body Switch!"
A faint shimmer of chakra pulsed outward from Daiki as he shot his consciousness toward Dosawa aiming to momentarily hijack her mind and freeze her in place.
Dosawa's instincts flared. At the last second, she sidestepped, forcing Daiki's jutsu to miss. His body wavered slightly as he snapped back into his consciousness, momentarily disoriented.
Dosawa smirked.
"Yeah, yeah," Daiki muttered, rubbing his temple. "Figured you'd dodge."
But that was only the distraction. Aiko was already moving.
"Ronin, go right!" Aiko commanded. "Daiki, track her!"
Daiki exhaled sharply, his fingers shifting into a new seal Mind-Link Sense. Instantly, he expanded his chakra outward, mapping the battlefield in his mind.
"There!" he called out, detecting the faintest shift in Dosawa's movements. "She's shifting left Ronin!"
Ronin reacted instantly, his Tanto still crackling with lightning as he dashed into Dosawa's blind spot.
"Not bad," Dosawa murmured, quickly spinning to block the strike. But before their weapons clashed, a sudden burst of chakra pulsed through her mind a lingering trace of Daiki's mental interference.
Her muscles locked for half a second barely noticeable, but just enough.
Aiko capitalized on the opening, thrusting her palm forward.
"Wind Style: Vacum Palm!"
Dosawa barely flipped backward in time, her cloak billowing as the wind ripped through the clearing, splintering branches behind her. She landed lightly, brushing dust from her shoulder.
"You're trying," Dosawa said, adjusting her grip on her kunai. "But you're still too slow."
Ronin gritted his teeth. They were getting closer, but it still wasn't enough.
From the corner of her eye, Dosawa caught Daiki's fingers shifting subtly.
A second attempt? She smirked
She dodged left, expecting another Mind-Body Switch
Only to feel her belt lighter.
She froze. Her hand reached for the scroll tied to her waist.
It wasn't there.
Her eyes widened.
Her gaze flickered to Ronin, who stood casually a few feet away, brushing dirt off his vest.
Then, with an almost lazy motion, he held up the scroll, letting it catch the sunlight.
Dosawa's stomach dropped.
When…?
Ronin smirked, tossing the scroll into the air and catching it with a flick of his wrist. "While you were too busy showing off, Sensei."