Time flew by.
Before he knew it, the weekend had arrived.
Early that morning, Kuroda Ren couldn’t wait to get to the mission hall.
He wanted to see who had accepted the sparring mission he had posted.
After waiting for a while, a shinobi arrived after receiving the notification.
“Hello.
I’m Umino Ikkaku.
I’m currently a Chūnin, and I specialize in Konoha-Style Taijutsu and shuriken throwing.”
The lean shinobi wearing a Konoha forehead protector smiled at Kuroda Ren.
“You’re the client who posted this mission?”
Umino Ikkaku?
Kuroda Ren froze for a moment.
Isn’t that Iruka’s father?
During the Nine-Tails’ attack, Umino Ikkaku and his wife had already become Jōnin.
They had died while protecting the village and their child from the Nine-Tails’ assault.
Yet at this point in time, Umino Ikkaku was still a Chūnin?
Kuroda Ren was surprised internally, but showed nothing on the surface.
He nodded.
“Senior Umino Ikkaku, I’m Kuroda Ren, a first-year student at the Ninja Academy.”
“For the next three weeks, I’ll be counting on you to guide my training.”
“A first-year student?”
Umino Ikkaku had already guessed Ren’s age when he saw him, but he was still somewhat surprised after having it confirmed.
Are the students at the Ninja Academy really this competitive now?
They’re only first-years and they’re already hiring private tutors for additional training?
However, as a qualified shinobi, he didn’t allow his surprise to show.
Instead, he asked Kuroda Ren:
“Your mission request says you want training in Konoha-Style Taijutsu and shuriken throwing?”
“Do you have a priority between the two, or do you want to divide the training time roughly equally?”
Kuroda Ren answered without hesitation.
“Konoha-Style Taijutsu comes first.”
“Once I’ve exhausted most of my physical strength, I’ll move on to shuriken throwing.”
“In that case, I recommend Training Ground 12.”
“The terrain there is more suitable.”
Umino Ikkaku offered his suggestion at the appropriate moment.
Konoha had a large number of training grounds.
There were even quite a few training grounds specifically reserved for certain clans and departments.
Naturally, different training grounds had different terrain and environments.
Kuroda Ren wasn’t familiar with this aspect, so he naturally followed Umino Ikkaku’s recommendation.
After arriving at the training ground, Umino Ikkaku looked at Kuroda Ren. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
“Shall we start now?”
“Let’s fight directly first.
I need to see your current level before I can design a training plan for you.”
“Don’t worry about hurting me.
Use your full strength.”
“Okay.”
Kuroda Ren knew his own level very well.
Although his physical attributes were outstanding even among Chūnin, physical ability was only one factor determining the outcome of a taijutsu battle.
Proficiency, technique, combat awareness, and many other factors were even more important.
In these areas, an experienced Chūnin who had been through countless battles was vastly superior to Kuroda Ren, a child who had only recently begun learning taijutsu.
Moreover, Umino Ikkaku’s physical attributes might not necessarily be inferior to Kuroda Ren’s.
After all, he was an adult shinobi.
As long as he didn’t suffer from any serious injuries or illnesses, normal training over the years would ensure that his physical abilities were far from weak.
Therefore, when Umino Ikkaku told him to give it everything he had, Kuroda Ren didn’t hold back.
Chakra coated his hands and feet.
Kuroda Ren’s speed and strength instantly surged.
His entire body shot forward like a cannonball, charging toward Umino Ikkaku.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
In the blink of an eye, the two had already exchanged more than a dozen blows.
Just as Kuroda Ren had expected, every one of his attacks was effortlessly blocked by Umino Ikkaku.
From the outside, Ikkaku appeared relaxed, as though he wasn’t exerting much effort at all.
But only Umino Ikkaku himself knew how shocked he was.
What incredible strength!
What incredible speed!
Even with chakra enhancement, a child this age shouldn’t have physical abilities this monstrous!
Umino Ikkaku was secretly astonished.
This physical ability is already stronger than that of most Chūnin.
And this chakra…
Am I imagining things?
Why do I feel like this child’s chakra reserves have already reached the level of a Jōnin?
While surprised, Umino Ikkaku also couldn’t help feeling fortunate.
Fortunately, when he saw how unbelievably fast Kuroda Ren charged forward, he had immediately used his full strength.
Otherwise, he might have embarrassed himself.
If he were actually injured by a child who had only just entered the Ninja Academy, that would be humiliating beyond words.
Even so, Umino Ikkaku had to go all out to maintain his seemingly effortless composure.
After they exchanged blows for a while, Umino Ikkaku used the opportunity of a clash between their fists to leap backward and create some distance.
“Alright!
Let’s stop for a moment!”
After making sure Kuroda Ren had stopped as well, Umino Ikkaku approached him.
“Considering that your mission is only for a short period, I’d first like to confirm something.”
“What is your primary goal for this training?”
“The monthly examination’s practical test.”
Kuroda Ren didn’t hide it.
“I made an agreement with my teacher that I would take first place in this month’s examination.”
“But my foundation is too weak compared with the students from shinobi clans.”
“I’m not confident that I can secure first place.”
“For first-year students, I remember the practical examination mainly consists of Konoha-Style Taijutsu.”
Umino Ikkaku was surprised.
“Is there a genius in your class who can actually threaten you?”
From Umino Ikkaku’s perspective, Kuroda Ren’s proficiency in taijutsu wasn’t particularly high.
His combat awareness and other aspects weren’t especially impressive either.
But his monstrous physical attributes alone were enough to let him sweep through everyone in his grade through sheer brute force.
“Hatake Kakashi.”
Kuroda Ren answered.
“His strength is very high.
I’m not confident that I can beat him.”
So far, Kuroda Ren hadn’t actually fought Hatake Kakashi or Might Guy.
Who was stronger could only be determined through an actual battle.
But based purely on their performances, Kuroda Ren wasn’t confident that he could defeat either of them.
To ensure that he could take first place, Kuroda Ren had painfully taken out most of his savings and hired Umino Ikkaku as a personal sparring partner to create a customized training plan for him.
Imai Nobuyuki was certainly a responsible and capable teacher.
But he had to teach dozens of students in a single class.
Naturally, he couldn’t pay attention to every tiny detail of every student’s training.
A paid, one-on-one sparring partner was different.
All of their attention could be devoted to him, allowing him to maximize his improvement within a short period.
“The son of the White Fang?”
Umino Ikkaku suddenly understood.
“I’ve heard people mention him before.
Apparently, he’s an exceptionally rare genius.”
After thinking for a moment, Umino Ikkaku continued:
“Now that you mention it, your main objective is to improve your taijutsu skills and combat techniques in a short period.”
“Considering your age, I recommend that we don’t use overly aggressive methods.”
“Building a solid foundation is more important.”
“Of course, I’ll design a training plan that takes both your current foundation and your taijutsu development into account.”
“Then I’ll be counting on you, Senior.”
Kuroda Ren smiled.
This was precisely the value of spending money to hire a shinobi to spar with him and provide personal guidance.