Guidance and Practice

"Huh?"

  "That kid Yasuke seems to be quite interesting."

  Originally, I thought Yasuke's talent was only in training, and that his actual combat skills would be lacking.

  So when Shikaku offered to guide Yasuke, Tezo's first thought was that Yasuke would surely lose badly. Because of his close relationship with Shikaku, he had already guessed that Shikaku's true intention was to keep Yasuke from getting too arrogant after achieving some success.

  But when Tezo noticed Yasuke glancing at him out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly realized that this kid was not that simple.

  Leaving aside his strength for now, just Yasuke's composure and calmness made Tezo, and even Shikaku, regard him as far surpassing an ordinary genin.

  Strategizing might seem useless, but it's an essential part of ninja battles.

  Think about the original Chunin Exam arc in the story. Naruto Uzumaki used the power of the Nine-Tails, and Sasuke Uchiha had his Chidori, which left their peers far behind, right?

  But who ultimately became a chunin?

  Wasn't it Shikamaru Nara, whose strength was average and who only had the Shadow Imitation Technique to rely on?

  In the original story, it wasn't that Shikamaru's power was greater; it was that he understood how to use his power wisely. This is a fundamental lesson for a genin moving up to chunin.

  At this moment, both Shikaku and Tezo, who were preparing to discipline Yasuke, couldn't help but regard him more highly because of this.

  However, Shikaku and Tezo could never have imagined that the surprises Yasuke would bring them were far from over!

  "Uncle Shikaku, watch out!"

  Suddenly, Yasuke's shout signaled the start of his spar with Shikaku.

  Hearing Yasuke's shout, Shikaku's expression became more serious because he noticed Yasuke's subtle movements, reaching for his ninja tool pouch!

  "Shuriken!"

  "Whoosh!"

  "Whoosh!"

  Reaching stealthily for his ninja tool pouch, Yasuke didn't hesitate and threw three shuriken at Shikaku.

  Perhaps Yasuke hadn't trained extensively in using projectiles, but even so, against a live target like Shikaku, if he missed, his three months of hard training would have been in vain.

  Seeing the three shuriken flying straight at him with no curve and a direct attack, Shikaku smiled slightly and extended his hand.

  "Your aim is good, but unfortunately, the shuriken were thrown without any curve, and their speed is lacking."

  Casually swatting down the three shuriken Yasuke had thrown, Shikaku didn't even use chakra or move his feet, fully showcasing the disparity in their abilities.

  However, Yasuke had already anticipated that the shuriken would pose no threat to Shikaku.

  If a few shuriken could not be avoided, Shikaku would be unworthy of the "Ino–Shika–Cho" name and wouldn't deserve to be a jonin of the Leaf Village.

  So, as the shuriken were swatted down in front of Shikaku, Yasuke suddenly exploded with chakra from his feet, dashing right up to Shikaku.

  This burst of chakra finally made both Shikaku and the observing Tezo slightly moved.

  Unfortunately, merely bursting with chakra wasn't enough to defeat Shikaku!

  Especially since Yasuke's physical fitness wasn't great, even though he completed tree climbing and water walking training, showing excellent chakra control. But as Yasuke charged and punched at Shikaku's face, Shikaku easily deflected his punch with a downward slap, grabbing Yasuke's wrist and slamming him toward the ground.

  Yet just as Shikaku thought Yasuke would be thrown to the ground with a thud, Yasuke suddenly twisted his body mid-air and delivered a roundhouse kick towards Shikaku's head!

  "Hmm, your taijutsu is acceptable."

  "But unfortunately, it's still not enough!"

  With a focused look, Shikaku, facing Yasuke's roundhouse kick, smiled even more. He released Yasuke's wrist and raised his hand to block.

  "Thud!"

  As Yasuke's kick connected with Shikaku's arm, it felt like hitting a steel plate, sending waves of numbness through his leg. Taking advantage of Yasuke's momentary leg numbness, Shikaku grabbed his ankle again, intending to slam him to the ground once more.

  But what surprised Shikaku was that Yasuke seemed to have predicted his move.

  Just as Shikaku's fingers touched Yasuke's ankle, Yasuke's foot burst with blue chakra again, allowing him to stabilize himself on Shikaku's arm!

  "Not bad! Yasuke, I underestimated you!"

  Seeing Yasuke's somewhat skilled taijutsu and precise chakra control, Shikaku couldn't help but take him more seriously, thinking he must be more careful to avoid being taught a lesson by this kid.

  But just as Shikaku was putting on a serious face, ready to explain and regain some face in front of Tezo, he suddenly saw Yasuke forming hand seals, causing Shikaku's pupils to shrink slightly!

  "That's... the Shadow Imitation Technique!"

  "This is bad!"

  Seeing Yasuke forming hand seals, Shikaku felt as though he had fallen into Yasuke's trap, as if everything before had been calculated by Yasuke!

  And just as Shikaku's face showed panic, realizing Yasuke's cunning, he noticed the dark shadow from Yasuke extending towards his feet!

  "Shadow Imitation Technique!"

  "Buzz!"

  "Buzz!"

  Because Yasuke was crouching, the distance between him and Shikaku was just right for the Shadow Imitation Technique. Taking advantage of Shikaku's distraction, Yasuke used the Shadow Imitation Technique. Just as Yasuke's shadow was about to connect with Shikaku's shadow, with a "boom," Shikaku exploded chakra from his feet and jumped away from Yasuke's shadow!

  "Uncle Shikaku, you're cheating!"

  "Uh..."

  Although the rules of the spar weren't explicitly stated, for a jonin to use chakra against a four-year-old, Yasuke's words were like a slap to Shikaku's face, making him feel embarrassed and awkwardly rubbing his nose.

  However, just as Shikaku was about to explain and save face in front of Tezo, he suddenly noticed the sly smile on Yasuke's face, realizing Yasuke's second Shadow Imitation Technique was targeting Tezo's shadow!

  "Little rascal, almost fell for it!"

  Thinking that Yasuke's previous shout was just an act, Shikaku laughed and scolded Yasuke, while inwardly marveling at Yasuke's cleverness!

  Excellent training talent combined with a meticulous mind equals what?

  Isn't that the future of the Nara clan?

  Shikaku might have felt embarrassed by using chakra twice in front of his old friend Tezo, but having Yasuke in the Nara clan meant having a promising future. Despite the loss of face, Shikaku was secretly delighted. After dodging Yasuke's Shadow Imitation Technique again, he prepared to praise Yasuke.

  Unexpectedly, just when Shikaku, Tezo, and the two jonin thought that Yasuke had performed well but ultimately lost, Yasuke's mouth suddenly curved into a bright smile, leaving Shikaku and Tezo dumbfounded!

  "Uncle Shikaku, you lost!"

  "Shadow Imitation Technique, successful!"

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