Chương 37: Who is the Eldest of the Twelve Genin

Dongye Zhen felt his leading Jonin was doing this on purpose. The moment to test the "Will of Fire" had arrived. He didn't know if this was at the instruction of some old geezer or Yunmi's own idea. But it didn't matter. Only fools who didn't prepare a backup plan and lacked sufficient strength would be forced into making a choice. Zhen's choice was: "I want both." Suddenly, from beneath the ground on either side of Hayate Gekko and Yugao Uzuki, two sharp wind blades shot out.

The blades were only a palm's width across and almost transparent, their blurred outlines visible only through the distortion of the air. They were exceptionally sharp and moved with incredible speed, slicing through Yunmi Gekko's forms in the blink of an eye. With two poofs, Yunmi Gekko's Shadow Clones were dispelled. Hayate and Yugao regained their freedom and immediately gathered back-to-back, weapons in hand, to prevent another sneak attack.

"Sensei, only those without a backup plan face a choice. Clearly, just like you, I have one as well." A look of admiration appeared in Yunmi Gekko's eyes.

"So you had two more Shadow Clones hidden underground, waiting for the right moment? Your combat talent is truly excellent. Of course, your chakra reserves also amaze me. Even if Hayate and the others could think of such a backup, they couldn't pull it off; their chakra levels cannot support such a battle plan." It wasn't just those two; any ninja without large chakra reserves couldn't use it. Although Zhen had a lot of chakra, he didn't like to waste it.

The reason he could do this was his freakishly precise chakra control and his deep research into the principles of ninjutsu. After two years of refinement, his Shadow Clones no longer split the original's chakra equally; instead, he invested the appropriate amount based on the need. For example, the clones that had launched the wind blades from underground only had enough energy for a single strike and dispelled automatically after finishing the task.

Regardless of how much chakra a Shadow Clone used, the pain transmitted back to the original upon being destroyed was not reduced at all. He had to minimize the possibility of a Shadow Clone receiving a fatal blow to avoid affecting his main body. Zhen gripped his kunai, but his defensive focus was actually toward his rear flank.

"Shall we continue, Yunmi-sensei?" Poof! The Yunmi Gekko he was holding hostage exploded into a cloud of white mist. That, too, was a Shadow Clone. The original slowly walked out from behind a tree on the side of the battlefield.

"That's enough. Your strength has met my requirements."

"Yes! We did it!" Upon hearing this, Yugao Uzuki lowered her guard and jumped for joy. Hayate Gekko was also happy, though there was a hint of dejection in his joy. His strength was far behind his father's, yet his friend, who was a year younger, could engage his father in an equal battle and even prepare a backup plan to rescue them from being hostages. Yunmi Gekko looked at the two of them.

"You're celebrating too early. The battle plan was good, but your individual strength is too poor. From now on, you must double your efforts in training. The situation just now is very common in shinobi combat. You wouldn't want to actually become leverage for an enemy to threaten your teammates in the future, would you?"

"We understand, Sensei."

"I will double my training efforts, Sensei." Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The two answered seriously. Such was the nature of children in the shinobi world; after becoming ninja, they usually shed their naivety after one or two battles. Those who couldn't shed it ended up dead. Hayate felt this more deeply than Yugao because his former teammate, Amamatsu, was such a naive person; fortunately, his luck was good, and he didn't lose his life—only a leg.

Perhaps for a child aspiring to be a ninja, being crippled was more painful than death, and that pain would last a lifetime. Yunmi Gekko looked at Zhen.

"The attack you launched from underground just now was a type of wind blade. It's similar to the Vacuum Wave or the Sand Village's Blade of Wind. But yours is more sophisticated. Did you develop it yourself? Of course, ninjutsu is a ninja's secret; you can choose not to say." The Blade of Wind was the signature move of the future Sand Elite Jonin, Baki—a seal-less, instant-cast technique. Its record included killing a Konoha Special Jonin during the Chunin Exams.

Coincidentally, that Special Jonin's name was also Hayate Gekko! Hayate Gekko: "???"

"There's nothing that can't be said, Sensei. It was indeed developed after I practiced the sharp cutting nature transformation of the Wind attribute. To increase killing efficiency, I spent time developing it into a seal-less jutsu. It enhances stealth, increases speed, and can be launched with one hand. Of course, it causes a tiny bit of damage to the finger cells, so it's best paired with a high-quality shinobi blade."

"Have you given it a good name? If not, I can—""Wind Style: Shadowless Sword!" Zhen answered quickly, immediately stopping Yunmi Gekko's attempt to seize the naming rights. Many of the adult ninja in Konoha appeared serious on the surface but harbored "chuunibyou" thoughts deep down. Minato Namikaze was a prime example of this.

"Shadowless Sword? A very fitting and simple name. In terms of Wind Style development, you've already moved ahead of us adults. The difficulty of practicing this jutsu should be at least A-rank." Yunmi Gekko marveled for a moment, then his expression became serious.

"Zhen, you know that I need to report the intel regarding squad members truthfully to the Hokage. If you don't wish to disclose it, I can make an exception for you just this once."

"You don't need to trouble yourself, Uncle Yunmi. Just report normally."

"Alright." Yunmi Gekko smiled and looked at the three of them.

"That's all for today. At 7: 00 PM, I'm treating you to BBQ. You know the place. Now, go back and prepare your personal ninja tools. Tomorrow, you will begin missions as official shinobi. Dismissed!" Yunmi Gekko finished speaking and vanished with a Body Flicker.

"Hey, Zhen-niisan, was that move the jutsu you've been creating? It's so cool! It blew Uncle Yunmi's Shadow Clone apart in an instant. The name just doesn't sound very powerful, though." Once the leading Jonin left, Yugao Uzuki immediately became active.

"It's just a name. As long as it's fitting, it's fine. Why go through all the trouble?" As Zhen spoke, he suddenly changed his tune.

"If you want it to sound powerful... how about 'Xiantian Rupturing Incorporeal Sword Qi'? Or maybe 'Super Flash Gale Moonlit Infinite Combo Cold Light Slash First Form'?"

"Uh, those sound okay, but aren't they too long? And what does it have to do with Hayate-niisan? Forget it, let's just call it Shadowless Sword. The point is, I want to learn it. Teach me, quick!" Ninjutsu is every ninja's secret, and it isn't easily taught even to disciples. However, the three had grown up together, and their familiarity had long since removed such taboos.

"Haven't I already been teaching you? You just need to be able to do this to meet the basic requirement." Zhen spoke as he picked up a small pebble from the ground and held it between his fingers. Wind chakra surged, and the pebble was instantly sliced into powder. Yugao Uzuki: "..." Hayate Gekko: "Is that the requirement? Don't worry, Zhen, I will work hard to reach it."

"Good. Keep at it. Do you two need to restock your ninja tools?" Hayate: "I still have some at home. I don't need any for now." Yugao: "Me too."

"I used mine up during training. I need to go buy some. Well then, see you tonight." It was evening. After the three parted ways, Zhen soon arrived at a ninja tool shop near his home. This shop was only one street away from his house and the quality was excellent. Since Zhen consumed a large number of tools during training, he was a regular here.

"Suzune-san, long time no see. You're in the shop today? Where is Tieyan-san?" During the war, most ninja were at the front lines, and tools were centrally purchased and distributed by the village. Consequently, there were no customers in the shop, only a young woman holding an infant.

"Zhen, long time no see. Tieyan went to the forge. What do you need today?"

"Just these!" Zhen handed her a list. He also saw the infant in her arms—very small, born only a few days ago.

"Is this your and Tieyan-san's child? So cute. Is it a boy or a girl? Have you chosen a name?" Suzune smiled as she gathered the items.

"It's a girl. Her name is Tenten."

"Tenten? Hmm? Tenten?"

"Yes, is there a problem?"

"No, none. It's a very nice name." Zhen looked at Suzune's hair, which was styled into two buns. This was basically a larger version of Tenten. He hadn't expected to encounter one of the "Twelve Genin" so soon. It turned out Tenten was the eldest of the Twelve—at least in terms of age. However, while they were called the "Twelve Genin," was Tenten's skill actually that strong? Forget it. Thinking about it only brings tears.