[You have used an Action Point]
The green figure appeared before Isamu as though he had teleported.
Isamu couldn’t even see his movements clearly.
He could only rely on his instincts to defend himself.
A powerful front kick sent Isamu stumbling backward several steps before he managed to regain his balance.
Before he could even catch his breath, another roundhouse kick came at him.
Isamu forcibly shifted his body and barely managed to evade it.
Isamu understood perfectly well that with this level of strength, if his opponent were actually serious, he could defeat Isamu with a single move
Might Dai was simply feeding him attacks to let him practice.
Isamu had originally intended to teach this guy a lesson.
Now he was utterly humiliated.
Might Dai was fighting barehanded against Isamu’s two short blades.
Even so, Isamu couldn’t find the slightest opening to counterattack.
Strength, speed, technique
His opponent surpassed Isamu in every aspect.
There wasn’t even enough room for him to form hand seals and use a jutsu.
This oppressive feeling wasn’t much weaker than what he experienced when fighting Tsunade.
You call this a Genin?
Isamu began giving the fight everything he had, desperately responding to Might Dai’s attacks.
Nawaki, watching from behind, was dumbfounded.
“So this is the result of Might Dai’s training?”
Even Kosuke Maruboshi, who was standing nearby, was somewhat surprised.
How can someone this strong still be a Genin?
Could it be that he’s just like me?
Bang!
In the end, Isamu still went down.
Might Dai landed a left straight that Isamu failed to defend against.
Isamu spun more than a thousand degrees through the air before finally splashing into the water.
“Isamu, are you all right?”
Might Dai’s entire demeanor changed again, returning to his previous harmless appearance.
“I’m fine.”
Isamu climbed out of the water and waved his hand.
What kind of Genin is this?!
In terms of Taijutsu, this was absolutely a powerhouse no weaker than Tsunade.
Were Konoha’s standards really this high?
A shinobi of this caliber could only be a Genin?
Countless thoughts flashed through Isamu’s mind, but he still couldn’t figure out why Might Dai was merely a Genin.
Fine
I acknowledge that Nawaki made the right choice following you for training.
Isamu got to his feet somewhat awkwardly and returned to the campfire, intending to warm his soaked body.
He had completely discarded his previous contempt for Might Dai and began discussing various aspects of Taijutsu with him.
Nawaki joined the conversation as well.
“Isamu, would you like to continue?”
Kosuke Maruboshi asked with a smile.
After all, Isamu had just said that he wanted the two of them to give him some pointers.
Isamu’s gaze shifted repeatedly between Might Dai and Kosuke Maruboshi.
Finally, he spoke.
“Of course.”
If I can’t deal with Might Dai, surely I can at least deal with you.
“Please.”
Three minutes later, the dispirited Isamu returned to the campfire.
His body had only just warmed up before he ended up in the water again.
This time, it was his heart that felt cold.
What had he just seen?
A combination of genjutsu and Kenjutsu.
Taijutsu skills no weaker than Might Dai’s.
Water Release jutsu that could even absorb chakra.
And most ridiculously of all, Kosuke had used only two hand seals to produce a Water Release: Water Wall powerful enough to block Isamu’s Great Fireball Technique.
Genin, huh?
If I ever believe this nonsense again, I’ll be a dog!
Isamu silently roasted himself beside the fire, no longer willing to speak to the other three.
Only after his body had warmed up did a little light return to his eyes.
I understand now.
This is Konoha’s conspiracy!
They deliberately hide insanely powerful shinobi among the Genin so they can catch their enemies off guard
My ass!
Which Jōnin in the village wasn’t drowning in missions and barely had enough time to breathe?
How could there possibly be someone like Might Dai, who had nothing better to do than run hundreds of laps around the village every single day?
Could it really be because Might Dai only specialized in Taijutsu and had therefore never been properly recognized?
Isamu glanced at Kosuke Maruboshi.
Yet he still couldn’t figure out what could possibly explain this guy.
Just then, the system gave Isamu a pleasant surprise.
[Based on your performance during this operation]
[You have received rewards]
[Taijutsu proficiency has increased to Intermediate]
[Kenjutsu proficiency has increased to Intermediate]
[Taijutsu (Intermediate), additional effect: Force]
[Kenjutsu (Intermediate), additional effect: Phantom Blade]
[You have learned the jutsu: Water Release: Water Wall (Basic)]
Three rewards?
Isamu’s heart leaped with joy, and the frustration of being thoroughly beaten moments ago instantly vanished.
Taijutsu and Kenjutsu could be considered the foundation of Isamu’s strength.
Even his Beginner-level Taijutsu and Kenjutsu had already given him proficiency approaching that of a Chūnin.
Naturally, Isamu wasn’t disappointed by his new Intermediate-level skills.
Not to mention that each one came with an additional effect.
Isamu left after that.
Before departing, he asked Nawaki whether he would continue training with the two seniors the following day.
Nawaki froze for a moment before hurriedly answering,
“We come here every day.”
“Good.
I’ll come tomorrow too.”
Isamu had already found himself a new set of sparring partners.
When Isamu returned home, he didn’t find Tsunade there.
Recently, she had been staying at Konoha Hospital until the early hours of every morning.
There were simply too many wounded shinobi returning from the front lines.
Isamu had a feeling that once the graduation assessment was over, Tsunade might be sent to the front lines.
When that happened, he would lose his shelter.
During this assessment, he absolutely had to demonstrate his value to the Hokage.
Whether through his own talent or through his role as a whetstone.
Fortunately, before the assessment began, Konoha’s two Genin had given Isamu another pleasant surprise.
The additional effect of Intermediate Taijutsu was called Force.
It allowed Isamu’s attacks to carry a special kind of force.
If his opponent couldn’t dispel it in time, Isamu could accumulate enough of this force and then detonate it.
Isamu tested it on one of his Shadow Clones.
In reality, this was simply another ingenious application of chakra.
He could forcibly inject his chakra into an opponent’s body.
The so-called detonation of Force didn’t directly inflict damage.
Instead, it forcibly interfered with the target’s chakra circulation, disrupting their movements.
As for Intermediate Kenjutsu, it had gained an effect called Phantom Blade.
Poor Isamu’s Shadow Clone once again became a test subject for its original.
From the images transmitted back by the Shadow Clone, Isamu could see that the short blade in his hand appeared to change length.
The blade looked several inches shorter than it actually was.
In combat, this could interfere with an opponent’s judgment.
Both effects were extremely useful.
With them, Isamu was even more confident about the assessment a few days later.
Isamu looked at the two skills on his system panel and was quite satisfied.
“Sensei, I want some poison.”
It was already the middle of the night when Tsunade finally returned home, dragging her exhausted body through the door.
Isamu brought out the late-night snacks he had prepared in advance and had Tsunade eat something to fill her stomach.
Only after she finished eating did he make his request.
“For the assessment?”
Tsunade naturally assumed that Isamu was preparing for the upcoming assessment.
“Yes.
Nothing lethal.
Just some laxatives or something that can reduce their combat ability.”
Tsunade thought for a moment.
“How are you planning to administer it?”
Isamu was going to face more than a hundred students from the entire graduating class.
Given that, his request for “poison” was hardly unreasonable.
The moment he heard Tsunade’s response, Isamu knew there was a chance.
He immediately began discussing the details of his plan with his teacher