Chapter 5 - Ambition

[B] "I see myself walking down the road of the Second Hokage, and eventually surpassing him..." (New Trait: Crazily Ambitious)

…..

Shinji thought about the answer and in the end, muttered. "I see myself walking down the road of the Second Hokage, and eventually surpassing him..."

His teammates were shocked at such a revelation, and it showed in their faces. Yamato on the other hand, while seeming surprised, had a small smile on his face.

"I know it might sound arrogant for an orphan like me to aim so high," Shinji added, knowing how his dream might sound to the others. "But I want to truly be one of the strongest ninjas to ever walk this earth," he clenched his fist, peering at the burning barbeque flame. "One life, that's all I have, and will ever have. Just one chance to achieve something, and I don't want to settle for something mediocre."

Kota had a strange look in his eyes as he heard Shinji's words, suddenly, a huge grin adorned his face. At first, when Shinji saw this, he frowned, thinking that he was about to be ridiculed.

"Hell yeah!" but instead he was greeted by a cheer from his teammate. "You're right. Shinji, my dream for the future was to be a simple Jonin. But you woke me up, I only have one life, so instead, I will become an S Rank Ninja whose name will be spoken throughout the five nations," he then glanced back at Yamato, who had a face full of smiles. "Sensei, I change my answer, in the next five years I need to be at least a Jonin, or I will never be able to become an S Rank Ninja."

Sayuri was a little meeker, but she still smiled at her teammates. "Yes, and I wi-... will be there to help you both."

"Well, it seems like as your Jonin teacher, I will have to try hard and make sure to pave the road to your dreams," Yamato chuckled, he seemed happier than when they had initially met. He no longer had that smile which was there just to be polite. Now, he seemed genuinely happy. "Then I hope you will do well in tomorrow's final genin test. You'll have to fight me, so come prepared. Be at the twenty-first training ground before seven in the morning."

…

The rest of the dining went extremely well and Shinji was happy to have these teammates. While they might not be the most talented out there, like Sasuke, he would still choose his current teammates over the last Uchiha any day.

When he went back home, Shinji smiled at his clean apartment and he didn't even go to lie down in bed and started going through hand signs, trying to regulate his Chakra flow so he can do the Replacement Jutsu with one less hand seal. By now progress should be at a snail's pace, and it was true, Shinji was feeling the burden of training.

…

Even as night came about, the progress he made was minuscule compared to yesterday.

'Maybe I should just go to bed and try tomorrow.' He thought as he was getting a little tired, and training without progress was disheartening. But then he remembered his goal, and the fire in his eyes blossomed like a flower. "No fucking way! I am not stopping now, if I can't master an E Rank Jutsu, how the hell can I dream of mastering those of A and S Rank!

Even his chakra seemed to respond to his emotions as it burst out explosively, taking a deep breath, he calmed himself and went through the three hand-seals in less than a second. His body had memorized the hand signs for the Replacement Jutsu to its core and could do them in his sleep.

*poof*

He replaced himself with a chair at the corner of the room, and then he did it again, with the same chair. But this time with two hand seals, and only to his hard-headedness, he was able to replace himself with the same chair.

This time, he perfectly did it, but Shinji didn't celebrate as this could have just been a fluke. He went through the hand seals again and this time replaced himself with another chair. Within an instant, he changed positions, and the familiar feeling of initial disorientation from changing places was still there. But by now, he wasn't bothered by it, and a huge smile appeared on his face. "Seems like my efforts paid off. Never rest in the middle of something, rest at the end."

He went and slumped on the bed, and sleep came to him easily as he was tired from another night of training.

…

As morning came about, within training ground twenty-one, Shinji was there early, when he noticed one of his teammates coming.

"Did you sleep well?" asked Kota, with his usual smile, he rushed closer and put an arm around Shinji. "By the way, let's work together today and use me as bait if you have to. Back in the academy, you were better at Taijutsu, but I can take a beating. So we could use that as a chance. I thought of this plan all night, what do you think about it?"

'That was a plan? What about the details? At best that was an idea, and even then not a fully flagged one.' Shinji made sure to keep his thoughts to himself, as he knew saying them out loud would sound condescending. 'How do I say this more nicely?'

"Your idea is good," he started, choosing his next words carefully. "But we need to have a signal or something that only we know about. It doesn't have to be something complicated, a nod will do."

"Yes, that will work. When Yamato -sensei is attacking me, don't save me, but use that moment to attack him."

"What are you guys talking about?" Sayuri's voice sounded out as she arrived early too. She seemed more comfortable than usual.

Kota gave her an excited thumbs up. "We're coming up with some plans. I'm going to be the bait while Shinji will be the main attacker, my taijutsu sucks, but his is pretty good."

While his teammate kept explaining the plan in detail, Shinji knew that his taijutsu wasn't likely to do anything or even match up against an opponent at Yamato's level. The taijutsu style taught in the academy is basic and while it is generally good at defending, attacking, and even dodging, it has no specialty. It's good as a basic exercise that would allow anyone to learn another style after they became a genin. But against even a Chunin, it was bound to be ineffective.

While Shinji didn't have a clear grasp of what a Jonin was able to do, the book written by Tobirama Senju somewhat gave him a hint. Still, he decided to see how the battle would go, and decide then.

That was when Shinji realized something. 'If our chances of winning against a Jonin are almost nonexistent. Then what did Yamato -sensei want to see from us? What're the criteria to pass the test?'

His thoughts were interrupted, as suddenly the wind around them seemed to pick up as in a swirl of leaves, Yamato appeared, with a serious look on his face. Kota waved and went to greet him. "Hey, Ya-"

Fwish!

But he couldn't finish whatever he was about to say, as Yamato's foot sunk into his stomach and Kota's eyes widened, saliva spewed out of his mouth.

Baaam!!

He crashed into a tree and smashed it to pieces due to the force behind the attack. Within the next split second, Sayuri suffered the same, with a kick pushing her into the forest.

Yamato turned and his eyes were cold, emotionless, and it made a cold chill crawl up Shinji's spine. "Everyone has a plan until they get beaten to a pulp," the jonin muttered in an almost whisper-like voice.

Fwish!

The only thing Shinji felt was the wind before the attack came as his eyes couldn't even see the attack, but he was able to instinctively analyze where Yamato had attacked his two teammates previously. Both in the stomach, so he crossed his arms, just barely in time to stop a devastating kick.

Shinji felt his arms creak, as if they were about to be broken, he was pushed back but was able to stop himself from smashing into a tree by digging his feet on the ground and leaving a trail into the earth as he was pushed back.

"Impressive," stated Yamato, simply. "You were able to read my movements, and within a split second came to the conclusion where I am likely to attack."

'Yeah, except you make it sound easy sensei. My body knew what to do before my mind even caught up. Also, this won't work a second time.'

Shinji's arms shook uncontrollably as they slumped to the side, still shaking, a piercing pain ran through them. The hit had been devastating.

"Can you guess where I will attack this time again? Prove to me that it wasn't a fluke."

'But it was a fluke!' Shinji screams internally but keeps his mouth shut. Making his opponent angry wasn't a good idea. "Yamato -sensei, can you go a little easier next time? It feels like my arms are gonna break."

He doubts this will work, but he had to at least try. In response, Yamato smiled, not the usually nice and friendly smile, but a cold and sadistic smile. "I am already going easy on you. Not even using any jonin-level taijutsu style. Trust in yourself as I trust in your abilities, Shinji."

'Oy, oy, oy, that is overconfidence in me. I am just your everyday poor orphan that isn't that special.' Shinji complained in his mind but knew that saying anything from now on would be just a waste of energy. As Yamato got ready to attack, he tried to use the replacement jutsu, but when he brought his arms up, Shinji realized that they were still shaking. The sharp pain caused by the movement wouldn't allow him to make hand seals fast enough.

Fwish!

The sound of cutting wind was the only warning he got that told him Yamato is attacking. Shinji wrecked his brain, trying to figure out when he realized something. That front kick he did at first was something that many Taijutsu styles had, which made predicting the next attack impossible. Shinji didn't know the countless taijutsu styles that were, but something that Yamato had said before stood out in his mind.

'I am already going easy on you. Not even using any jonin-level taijutsu style.'

He repeated those words in his mind and Shinji knew one taijutsu style that also had a front kick in it and also knew all of the movements in it. He was taking a gamble here, but it wasn't like he had a choice. Closing his eyes, since they were only a useless distraction as he couldn't even see his opponent. Using his hearing, the sound of cutting wind and grass being stepped on was the only thing he could rely on. He was betting everything on the taijutsu style Yamato was using being the Academy Basics.

As the sound of cutting wind got closer, Shinji's heartbeat seemed to increase. A split second before being hit, Shinji turned his head, using his forehead protector to block a hit to the head.

Baam!

Clang!

But this cost him, as the power behind the attack rattled his brain, and almost made him pass out. It was a punch to the side of the head, and Shinji had predicted it correctly, but he could feel his vision darkening and he was about to blackout.

'No!' he yelled in his mind, only his willpower kept him awake. But he could feel himself getting drowsier. He slipped to the ground, as his legs gave out.

"I don't think using your head was the best idea," Yamato instructed him as he casually started getting closer. "Using your legs would have been better, though that would have stopped you from running or walking for the rest of the battle. But using your arms would have been better, even though that would have put them out of commission for a time. Still, you would have been able to run away and last a little longer."

"Hehehe," Shinji chuckled, still feeling a little drowsy. "You're giving me too much credit. I didn't even have time to think clearly."

Yamato noticed him waving through some hand seals. "Good, you tried to distract me by talking. Also, when I say that you've done amazing, I mean it. But you should go to sleep now-"

Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!

Suddenly, three kunai shot towards Yamato, stopping the jonin from finishing his speech and approaching Shinji. Of course, he was able to easily dodge the attack. Looking towards where the projectiles came from, he saw a barely-standing Kato, clutching at his stomach, blood dripping down his lips. But he had a huge smile on his face. "C'mon teach, thought you were a jonin? I barely even felt that hit. Hahaha- *cough* *cough*"

Opposite of his grandiose words, Kato was injured heavily. Unlike Shinji, he hadn't been able to block the hit, and that showed.

"Kato, that was a good distraction, and I appreciate the way you want to protect your teammate. But any semi-competent ninja won't be tricked by that." Yamato remarked with a proud look on his face. "Don't worry, after taking care of Shinji, I will come and deal with you."

Just as he said, Yamato went towards Shinji, and this time he casually karate chopped him on the neck, knocking him out. But he felt something strange on the sensation.

*Poof*

'Shinji' was revealed to be a piece of log.

"How? There was no way I gave him enough time to go through all the hand seals," even Yamato was a little confused. But realization soon dawned on him. "Oh… he can use the Replacement Jutsu with less than the needed hand seals. With those wicked arms, he shouldn't have been able to go through more than two hand seals. That's not something a Genin should be able to do."

…

At the same time, Shinji was in one of the countless bushes in the forest. Leaning back, he made sure that his body wasn't visible to Yamato. Feeling the pain running through his body he winced.

'Fuck. I barely made it. Kota saved me there.'

As he glanced towards where Kota and Yamato were, he saw the jonin approaching his teammate. Now he was in a little bit of a dilemma, should he go and help?

Suddenly, Yamato started charging towards Kota and Shinji didn't have a lot of time to choose. Also, his teammate nodded, from the plan they made before the fight, this signaled that Kota was attempting to use himself as bait.

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[Pick one, and write your choice in the comments down below.]

A ○ Stay hidden and don't do anything to expose yourself.

B ○ Try to throw some projectiles. Though Shinji doesn't know how effective this will be with his injured arms. Also, this will likely expose your location.

C ○ Use the clone jutsu and transform the clones into something to distract Yamato. Then try to get Kota away from there.

D ○ Yell out and expose the hiding location. Shinji doesn't think this is smart. But it should help Kota… if he can move away from there.

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Status Updates:

[Crazily Ambitious] (New Trait!)

While you might not be the most talented shinobi out there. There is one thing that you have that trumps all others, and that's your ambition. You can put in hours of work towards your goal. Until you've reached your goal, your willpower will experience a boost. Shinji will now train whenever he can.

Replacement (E Rank) [Mastery 77% -> 80%] (2 hand signs)

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Relationships:

Kota 8/10 (He is inspired by Shinji to be something more.)

Sayuri 8/10 (She hopes Shinji archives his goals)