Chapter 13: Fight With Everything You Got
Feeling the excitement surging within him, Kasai clenched his fists and readied himself for a practice battle against their sensei. Aoki and Yumi appeared equally eager, and the three of them exchanged glances, silently sizing each other up while waiting for someone to make the first move.
Kasai, typically used to Aoki's aggressive nature, noticed that his teammate was hesitating, a rare sight for the usually proactive Hyuga. Aoki had gained a reputation in their class as the "Aggressive Hyuga" for always taking the initiative in sparring and missions. However, at this moment, Aoki remained rooted in place, unsure of how to proceed.
Observing his teammates, Kasai noticed Hina looking at him, clearly apprehensive about taking the first step. Hina was not the type to charge into a battle like Aoki; she usually provided support from the backlines. Though she could hold her own in a taijutsu battle against average students, she preferred to stand back and support.
Seeing his teammates hesitate, Kasai smiled and shook his head slightly. 'Looks like I'll be taking the lead this time,' he thought. 'I've been wanting to test my skills against a jounin. It's a good opportunity.'
With a determined resolve, Kasai decided to make the first move, taking a step forward and addressing Aoki and Hina, "I'll go first. You two back me up and join in whenever you can!"
Kasai began to charge forward, his determination propelling him. As he moved, Hina positioned herself strategically, taking several steps backward to maintain a safe distance, ready to support Kasai whenever the need arose.
Aoki, initially dazed, soon regained his composure and followed Kasai closely. He observed Kasai's movements, his focus shifting between Kasai and their sensei, Gin.
Kasai closed in on Gin, fists clenched and determination in his eyes. His speed might not have been as impressive as Aoki's, but he believed it was sufficient for his abilities. He noticed a smirk on Gin's face as they neared each other.
As they finally crossed paths at the center, Kasai unleashed a punch aimed at Gin's face. Gin, however, effortlessly blocked the attack. "Not bad. Your speed is slightly above average," Gin commented after blocking another of Kasai's strikes. "But your strength is just average."
As Aoki launched his attack, his Byakugan activated, granting him enhanced vision to exploit any weaknesses in his sensei's defense. He swiftly closed in for the ambush, sending a palm strike towards Gin's back. However, Gin sensed the incoming attack and smoothly sidestepped to the left, narrowly avoiding Aoki's palm.
Gin took advantage of the situation. He deftly caught hold of Kasai's arm, giving it a slight twist that caused Kasai to squirm in pain. Gin then pushed Kasai to the side, knocking him off balance and causing him to stumble to the ground.
Aoki, seeing Kasai's predicament, immediately took his place. He lunged forward, attempting a palm strike followed by a kick. But despite his speed and precision, both attacks were deftly blocked by Gin.
Gin, impressed by his students' efforts, grinned and attempted to catch Aoki's leg, but Aoki reacted swiftly. He leaped backward, avoiding Gin's grasp.
Just as Gin was about to taunt Aoki, he suddenly sensed a threat from his left. Reacting quickly, he reached for a kunai and used it to block a Wind Release: Wind Slash attack launched by Hina. Despite her intention to assist her teammates, Gin couldn't help but tease her, "Hey, hey. Are you trying to kill your sensei?" He chuckled, clearly unfazed by the attack.
Hina, who was positioned on the far side of the battlefield, heard her sensei's words and started to feel a bit nervous. "I-I'm sorry, Sensei. But you did say we should give it our all," she stammered, her confidence waning. Despite her nervousness, she began weaving hand seals once more, determined to contribute to the ongoing battle.
Gin acknowledged Hina's response with a nod. "You're right, Hina. I did say that, and you're showing initiative. That's good." He encouraged her with a warm smile before turning his attention back to the ongoing battle.
"I see, so this is the one with the Wind Release affinity, who created her own 3D class ninjutsu," Gin spoke, acknowledging Hina's abilities despite her earlier attack.
"Sensei, you're spacing out," Kasai spoke as he threw a punch towards Gin, hoping to gain the upper hand, but his attack was once again blocked by Gin's swift defense. Kasai couldn't help but realize that he still had a long way to go to become truly strong. "Guess I'm still far from being strong. He completely blocks my punches and kicks," he thought to himself, a hint of frustration welling up inside him.
"Hey, look here, you're spacing out too," Gin sensei taunted Kasai as he delivered a seemingly simple kick towards him. Kasai attempted to block it, but it proved to be a mistake. Despite the lack of overwhelming force, the kick still sent him tumbling to the ground.
Kasai inhaled sharply, feeling a slight pain in his arms. He thought, 'That hurts! How strong is this guy to cause this much damage with a simple kick?' He knelt there, watching as Aoki took his place at the front, facing Gin sensei.
Remaining on his knees, Kasai continued to feel the slight pain but was determined to get back into the fight. As he observed the battle unfolding, he noticed Hina running toward him with a worried expression.
Hina knelt in front of Kasai, concerned for his well-being. "Are you okay? Can you keep going?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.
In response, Kasai nodded his head, showing his determination to continue. He wanted to get up and rejoin the fight but was halted when he heard a loud thud coming from the direction of the battle. Turning his gaze, he witnessed Aoki lying on the ground, clutching his stomach. Gin sensei stood in front of Aoki, a clear indicator of the tough challenge they were facing.
"Alright, that's enough. I've made a rough estimation of your current abilities," Gin sensei announced, and then he gestured for them to follow him back to the seats. Despite the discomfort and pain, both Aoki and Kasai followed their sensei. Hina walked beside Aoki, who was still grunting due to the pain in his stomach.
"Stay still," she spoke to Aoki with a serious expression and performed a hand seal. Both Aoki and Gin sensei watched her, clearly confused by her actions.
Gin sensei couldn't help but ask, "What are you doing?"
"This is a simple medical ninjutsu formulated by Kasai for me. I just perfected it yesterday. It combines my Fire and Wind chakra natures, using them to relax the muscles that got strained or inflamed. The amount of chakra required can vary depending on the extent of muscle damage. I call it the 'Blazing Breeze Technique.' Unfortunately, it's only effective for closed external injuries. Using it on an open wound might worsen the condition," Hina explained as she continued to focus on applying the technique to Aoki's injured stomach.
Gin sensei nodded, seemingly impressed by her explanation. "I see, this is amazing," he remarked, his eyes filled with curiosity. "Do you plan to develop more ninjutsu like this?" He turned his gaze toward Kasai.
Kasai simply shrugged his shoulders in response. "If I have the opportunity, I'd definitely try to develop more," he replied, then glanced at Hina, noticing that she had finished the treatment.
"That's good. I'll look forward to that in the future," Gin said with a nod. "Alright, for now, I'll dismiss the meeting. Meet me tomorrow at the mission posts; the Third Hokage has already prepared a mission for us."
"Yes, Gin Sensei!" the trio replied in unison, bowing respectfully to their sensei.
Gin nodded and said, "Alright, Dismiss."
He watched as his new team members dispersed, their first training session together coming to an end. As Kasai, Aoki, and Hina left the training ground, they couldn't help but feel a mix of excitement and nervousness about the missions that awaited them. Their journey as genin had officially begun, and they were determined to prove themselves as capable shinobi of Konohagakure.