The morning started early for Team 11. The sun had barely risen when I arrived at the training ground. The air was still cool, and the leaves on the trees swayed gently in the breeze.
Sora and Renji were already waiting.
Sora, always impatient, was stretching — flexing her arms and legs energetically.
Renji, on the other hand, sat on a rock in a relaxed posture, but his alert eyes showed he was rely waiting for training to begin.
Our sensei, Tetsu, stood in the center of the field with his arms crossed, watching us with a confident smile. His dark, slightly ssy hair contrasted with the sharp gaze typical of a Hyuuga.
The short sword strapped to his back caught the sunlight, ready to be used at any mont.
"Well, now that we're all here, let's get started with today's training." Tetsu-sensei uncrossed his arms and tapped the hilt of his sword lightly.
Sora's eyes lit up, and she broke into a wide grin.
"The first one to hit you? That sounds easy!"
Renji just raised an eyebrow, saying nothing, but his eyes showed interest.
'He wouldn't give us a challenge like this if it were easy... Besides being a Hyuuga, he seems to be one of the really strong ones.'
Tetsu caught my skeptical look and laughed.
"Think of the challenge as a real combat test. Use any skill you want." He then pointed at .
"That includes you, Riku. You don't need to hide anything anymore."
My body tensed for a mont.
I knew he noticed the Mokuton during that last mission... but is he really going to force to reveal it?
I took a deep breath. If I want to get stronger, I can't keep hiding my Mokuton from my own sensei.
"Understood," I replied simply.
Tetsu took a few steps back and drew a circle around himself with his foot.
"The challenge begins now. The first one to hit wins."
As soon as he finished speaking, Sora dashed forward.
She disappeared in an instant, advancing quickly toward him, her speed truly impressive. She drew a kunai and threw it straight at Tetsu.
Tetsu didn't even flinch.
Suddenly, he tilted his head slightly, and the kunai grazed past his face without even touching him.
Sora appeared a split second later, aiming a spinning kick at him.
Tetsu sidestepped with a minimal movent, as if it required no effort at all.
His eyes tracked her effortlessly, as though he could predict every motion.
'Man, this Byakugan is so unfair. He's reading her moves with his eyes... But I know the weak point of that doujutsu.'
Renji was the next to attack. He drew a kunai and disappeared with a swift movent. His speed was impressive, even compared to Sora's. He appeared behind Tetsu, trying to land a decisive blow to his sensei's shoulder.
Again, Tetsu moved as if he already knew what was going to happen. He blocked the kunai with two fingers and, with a quick movent, pushed Renji back effortlessly.
Sora growled in frustration. "He's playing with us!"
Tetsu smiled. "I told you the challenge wouldn't be easy."
While the two continued to attack him, I remained still, observing.
My eyes followed the sensei's every move, analyzing his pattern of dodging and responding.
'The Byakugan gives him a huge advantage. He can see our chakra flow and anticipate everything before we even act.'
I took a deep breath.
'If I want to catch him off guard, I need to do sothing unexpected.'
I channeled my chakra into the ground and made quick hand seals.
"Mokuton: Growing Roots."
The roots quickly erged from the ground, writhing toward Tetsu.
I knew he would see them coming, but...
The mont he dodged to the side, Sora and Renji launched their attacks simultaneously.
Tetsu jumped back to avoid them, but that was exactly what I had planned.
"Mokuton: Wooden Barrier!"
Wooden plates rose from the ground behind him, preventing him from retreating.
For a split second, I caught a gleam in his eyes.
He spun in the air and cut the roots with his sword before they could catch him. But his landing was clumsier than before.
"I got him..."
With the distractions of the battlefield, I seized the opportunity to attack with a kunai at the only place I knew the Byakugan couldn't see — a specific point on the back of his neck.
The kunai advanced toward the sensei, who had a reaction that surprised even . Just before the blade could hit him, he used his absolute defense.
"Eight Trigrams: Spinning Palm!"
Then suddenly, everything that was heading toward him was blasted backward. The wood I had summoned was destroyed, and my teammates abandoned the attack they had been planning.
After the rotation ended, Tetsu appeared from within the dust that had risen on the training ground.
"Great job, Riku. That was well thought out," he said, smiling.
Sora and Renji looked at , surprised.
"What was that?!" Sora exclaid, pointing to the wooden splinters behind the sensei.
I sighed, realizing that now there were no more secrets.
"That... is Mokuton."
Renji crossed his arms. "Mokuton? The sa power as the First Hokage?"
I nodded. "Yes."
Sora blinked a few tis, still processing the information.
"Wait... That ans you can create trees out of thin air?! Why didn't you tell us before?!"
"Because I had to be sure of when to use it," I replied, without much patience to explain the whole story.
Tetsu laughed again. "Very well. It seems the secret is out." He then pointed at . "And congratulations, Riku. You were the closest to hitting ."
A discreet smile appeared on my face.
Sora crossed her arms, still looking shocked. "That's not fair! I could've used sothing special too if I had known he was hiding a power like that!"
Tetsu just shrugged. "What matters is that you learned sothing today. Combat isn't just about strength or speed. It's about strategy, patience, and adaptation."
He then turned to . "And you, Riku... From now on, you don't need to hide your Mokuton anymore. But that ans more people will be watching you. I had to confirm your ability before any reports."
I nodded. I already knew that, which was why he hadn't said anything during the mission. My na would soon start circulating.
But I couldn't hide anymore.
If I wanted to be strong, I had to accept the consequences.
And this training was just the beginning.
*
[Congratulations! You have reached level 6!]
[EXP: 1230 / 1450 to the next level.]
[New techniques obtained!]
Mokuton: Defensive Sprout (Requirents: Level 6, Stamina 15)
Description: Generates a semicircular wooden shield that blocks physical attacks and protects nearby allies.
Suiton: Water Arrows (Requirents: Level 4, Intelligence 14, Chakra Control 16)
Description: Fires high-speed water arrows with precision, hitting up to three targets simultaneously.
*
I looked at the translucent screen of the system and smiled.
'I can't wait to see how I'll use all these techniques in a real fight.'
...
Did you like my novel and want to help continue writing?
Consider supporting on that other place!
patreon . com / rekaiz
See you in the next chapter!
Oh, and if you have any suggestions or ideas I could follow, feel free to send them to !
Reviews
All reviews (0)