Chapter 30: Taking on a Mission
A critical moment arrived. Ishiro's hands formed seals far faster than before. While Kitsuchi was still some distance away, Ishiro used a Substitution Technique to shift several meters to the side – specifically to the spot where he had earlier tossed a piece of wood during Kitsuchi and Shouhara's melee, hoping to exploit a moment when Kitsuchi's attention was drawn to Tanaka and Shouhara.
However, as an experienced veteran of countless battles, Kitsuchi never overlooked any subtle changes in the terrain. He had already spotted that inconspicuous log in the distance.
So barely had Ishiro finished relocating when he realized Kitsuchi had already altered direction and was charging straight for him again.
"Truly worthy of a jōnin," Ishiro thought with a sigh, but he didn't panic. His hands formed seals again, narrowly finishing right as Kitsuchi was about to grab him. Ishiro reappeared back in his original spot.
It turned out Ishiro had imbued that log with two portions of chakra, enabling two consecutive relocations. With a crisp slap, the "Ishiro" in Kitsuchi's grip turned into a piece of wood, which Kitsuchi reflexively smacked away.
Kitsuchi, momentarily surprised – he hadn't foreseen Ishiro's dual setup – lost the initiative, giving Ishiro a chance to escape the danger of Cracking Earth Revolving Palm.
Sure enough, as Kitsuchi battered the substitute wood and rushed at Ishiro once more, Tanaka and Shouhara – who had avoided danger earlier – launched a second wave of attacks. Tanaka's senbon and Shouhara's kunai cut off Kitsuchi's path, forcing him to sidestep and evade.
Ishiro rejoined Shouhara with a long exhale. That was close. Good thing I had a backup plan. He quickly slipped behind Shouhara, forming seals once more.
But at that instant, precisely when Ishiro relaxed, the unexpected occurred: from beneath the earth, a hand burst out, clamping around Ishiro's ankle. A sudden spinning sensation hit him, and by the time he stabilized, he discovered he couldn't move. His entire body was buried in the ground, with only his head exposed to the surface.
Ishiro recognized the jutsu at once – Earth Release: Head-Hunter Technique (Heart-Under Blade Decapitation). Properly applied in an actual fight, it would bury the entire target below the soil. Leaving his head above the ground was just a gesture of restraint in this spar.
Having lost mobility, Ishiro had only a narrow view – he couldn't tell what was happening around him. He heard sounds of collisions and commotion. Before he could figure out the outcome, two heavy thuds rang out in quick succession.
A short while later, Ishiro felt a surge of chakra wrapping around him, and someone pulled him out from underground.
Once free to move, Ishiro saw Tanaka and Shouhara standing nearby, both looking crestfallen. Ishiro wasn't as bothered by defeat, since he considered himself a noncombat specialist – his forte lay in sealing arts.
For Tanaka and Shouhara, it was entirely different. One had been the year's champion of raw power, the other the fastest runner among their peers. Now they realized their greatest strengths had been effortlessly dismantled by Kitsuchi, in a gap of power so large they couldn't even gauge it. Understandably, their self-confidence took a huge hit.
After all, until now, they had believed their specialties to surpass even average chūnin. They knew, of course, they were no match for jōnin – but they hadn't imagined the disparity would be this large.
Standing beside them, Kitsuchi patted each on the head. "Don't let it get to you. You're still young. When I was your age, I wasn't anywhere near as good as you three."
That was obviously intended as encouragement. Ishiro didn't quite believe it – with Kitsuchi's innate gifts and family resources, he'd likely been ahead of the curve from the start. In truth, if you put aside Ishiro's sealing prowess, the three members of Team Five were in the top tier of their year, yet they still fell short of a true genius like Ikura. And Kitsuchi's talent was likely on par with someone like Ikura.
Tanaka and Shouhara, though, found Kitsuchi's words soothing. Seeing them no longer look so dejected, Kitsuchi suggested, "Let's celebrate Team Five's formation with a good meal!"
Ishiro was instantly on board: "Yes, let's get some barbeque!"
Ever since spending his entire savings to post that "coaching mission," Ishiro's finances had gotten tight. Though not utterly destitute, he no longer dared to squander money. Barbeque was a luxury he hadn't tasted in ages.
Tanaka and Shouhara were still shaken by the spar, so they weren't as enthusiastic. Kitsuchi, seeing no objections, simply led them out, proclaiming they'd go for grilled meat.
Ishiro bustled ahead, babbling about what he'd order and how much he would eat, leaving Tanaka and Shouhara rolling their eyes. Meanwhile, Kitsuchi trailed behind, smiling as he recalled his own post-graduation days.
They soon reached the largest yakiniku joint in the village. The lunchtime rush was sparse, but there were quite a few newly-formed squads, each accompanied by a jōnin sensei.
Ishiro glanced around. "Huh, Ikura and Meikō are here, too."
Hearing that, Tanaka automatically followed Ishiro's gaze, while Shouhara shot a wary look at Ishiro, suspecting him of having arranged this on purpose. Noting their reactions, Ishiro chuckled, then trotted off toward Ikura's table.
"Hey, Ikura, Meikō – you guys out for lunch, too?" He greeted his two classmates, then addressed their jōnin sensei: "Greetings, Captain Mizuhara."
Mizuhara nodded and indicated that Ishiro could talk with his friends. He then looked over at Kitsuchi, Tanaka, and Shouhara approaching, exchanging polite greetings with Kitsuchi.
Without seeking permission, Ishiro waved a server over, requesting their two parties combine tables. Once the tables were pushed together, Ishiro forcibly prevented Shouhara from sitting next to Ikura, leaving that seat open for Tanaka. Seeing Tanaka plop down by Ikura's side in awkward silence, Shouhara looked like he wanted to roast Ishiro alive.
Mizuhara and Kitsuchi, both well acquainted with the ups and downs of youth, watched Ishiro's antics with amused grins.
A mild lull followed as they sat together, so Ishiro turned to Meikō: "Hey, Meikō, would you introduce this new teammate of yours?"
Meikō glared at Ishiro. "That's Uzumaki Yumi. She and I literally just met this morning." Then she turned to the red-haired girl and said, "We were all classmates. The speedy kunoichi is Tanaka, the big guy is Shouhara, and the grinning idiot is Ishiro – better stay away from him, or you'll regret it."
Ishiro felt attacked – "Why am I 'the grinning idiot'?!" he thought. Actually, he and Meikō were more alike than either liked to admit: both specialized in ninjutsu, and outside of Ikura they'd been the top two in class. Previously, Meikō had been the second to master the Three Basic Techniques, while Ishiro was the third. But once Ishiro's progress accelerated, he surpassed her. That had left her fuming, feeling like her "runner-up" status was snatched away. She thought of him as a "smug show-off." They frequently clashed over who advanced their ninjutsu faster.
Meanwhile, Ikura's strong parental support had once made him on par with Ishiro for "second place." But after Ishiro received that S-rank mission reward and gorged on top-grade supplements, his training soared, leaving everyone behind. Now Ishiro had learned three C-rank jutsu, whereas Meikō had only mastered one (and needed teammates to set it up, like Ishiro's Earth Spear Gun). She was vexed.
Knowing Meikō was just venting, Ishiro didn't bother her. Instead, he turned to Uzumaki Yumi with a friendly grin: "Hi, Yumi, from Team Two, right? We're Team Five. This here is our jōnin leader, Kitsuchi-senpai."
Before chatting, Ishiro politely introduced his own sensei.
Then he asked, "Yumi, do you know any sealing techniques?"
Uzumaki Yumi shook her head. "I'm of the Uzumaki clan, but I never actually studied fūinjutsu. Captain Mizuhara said he'd start teaching me soon."
Ishiro nodded. "I see. I had hoped we could compare notes… But no worries. Mizuhara-sensei is the village's strongest sealing master. He's even coached me in the past. I'm sure you'll pick up fūinjutsu soon enough, and then we can spar."
"Humph." Meikō made an annoyed noise. Ishiro's speed in picking up ninjutsu was aggravating enough, and on top of that, he excelled at sealing? Whenever Meikō tried to match him, she felt like she was competing in her best subject against Ishiro's worst – yet losing.