Naruto: Strength Through Teaching

"Keep a good distance and don't let the opponent's Shadow Secret Technique control you." Rin thought again about her tactics as she approached the battlefield.

Having fought alongside Ensui once, Rin was somewhat aware of the peculiarities of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu. Once controlled, even a short duration could be enough to turn the tide of battle.

Actually, Rin was curious about how long Ensui could control someone under normal circumstances. If it was only a couple of seconds longer than when he faced Akutami Hideyuki, it wouldn't necessarily end the fight in a one-on-one battle, but could at most provide some advantage.

After all, when using Shadow Imitation Jutsu, Ensui couldn't directly attack the controlled person; he could only find ways to use the environment to inflict damage on them.

If Ensui's control time is confirmed to be short, Rin can be a bit more aggressive, especially since she knows Medical Ninjutsu and won't be heavily affected by some injuries.

This highlights the importance of intelligence; even though Rin knows there's a possibility, she doesn't dare to take the risk, as losing the bet would mean direct elimination.

While Rin was speculating about Ensui's intelligence, Ensui was also reviewing Rin's information in his mind.

"The kind of strength that can even push back Hoshigaki Kisame head-on; getting hit by that punch would not be good."

Although Ensui wished for Rin to approach him and be caught by the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, real combat situations are ever-changing, and there may be times when he won't have the chance to use it; he would definitely need to find a way to avoid that move.

As they reached the arena, both Rin and Ensui used Chakra to walk on the water's surface.

Once they were positioned, Hiruko quickly announced the start of the second exam.

At the moment Hiruko shouted, Rin entered the Water Breathing state, quickly retreating to create distance from Ensui while throwing Shuriken at him.

She didn't know what the maximum distance of Ensui's Shadow Imitation Jutsu was, so she could only stay as far back as possible.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!

Ensui neither pursued nor retreated; he threw Shuriken in place.

While their Shuriken were decent, they didn't reach a level of flair and didn't inflict any effective damage on each other.

Ensui moved forward leisurely.

In his fight against the Mist Ninja, Rin hadn't demonstrated effective long-range attack methods, so he just needed to gradually reduce her dodging space to below the maximum range of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

What Ensui didn't expect was that as he approached, Rin immediately performed hand signs and used Water Release Ninjutsu, causing a large amount of water to swirl around her and ultimately forming a water dragon.

"She can actually use Water Release Ninjutsu!" Ensui's expression changed drastically, and he immediately used Body Flicker Jutsu to dash toward a small cluster of trees behind him.

He guessed that this was a new Ninjutsu Rin had learned during the month-long downtime; otherwise, she would have used Water Release Ninjutsu during the previous crisis against the Mist Ninja.

This was definitely bad news for Ensui.

Because Kisame had directly changed the terrain in the last battle, turning it into a large pond, using Water Release in a water-rich environment not only consumes less chakra but also increases its power.

"Of all things, it had to be Water Release..." Even the calm Ensui found it hard to keep his composure; his opponent entered the arena fully buffed, which is frustrating for anyone.

Ensui didn't have any defensive Ninjutsu; he could only maneuver using the environment to reduce damage, but he still inevitably got injured and looked disheveled.

"Rin-chan, that's how you fight!" In the waiting room, Obito exclaimed excitedly as he saw Rin gaining the upper hand.

Kakashi nodded, feeling that Rin had essentially secured the win, as Ensui was fundamentally a support-type Ninja, and solo combat was not his strong suit.

"It's over; it looks like the responsibility of advancing to Chunin can only be handed to Midori." Inuzuka Midori also felt that her teammate was close to losing.

Although she supported Ensui mentally in achieving victory, he was currently at a significant disadvantage and couldn't even fight back.

"Haah, haah." Ensui wiped the water droplets from his face and panted slightly as he looked at Rin, his mind racing as he desperately thought of a way to turn the situation around.

But no matter how hard Ensui thought, he couldn't come up with a chance for victory.

Without any defensive Ninjutsu, he could only rely on positioning and the environment to cope with Rin's Water Release attacks, yet Ensui couldn't reach Rin due to the distance of the Ninjutsu, making it incredibly difficult to fight against a long-range attack with his short-range capabilities.

At that moment, a small shadow suddenly appeared on the water's surface. He looked up to see a bird circling in the sky above.

Ensui's mind suddenly sparked with an idea that could turn the tide of battle.

"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"

Ensui quickly formed hand seals to use the Ninjutsu, sending his black shadow racing toward Rin.

As Rin was forming her own hand seals, she thought she had entered the attack range of the Shadow Imitation Jutsu and immediately dodged backward.

But to her surprise, Ensui's shadow didn't even come close to touching her; it was still three meters away from her previous position.

"Is he feigning weakness?" Rin didn't think it was a matter of Ensui not understanding the maximum range of his Ninjutsu.

Cautious, Rin didn't advance, believing this was part of Ensui's strategy to make her misjudge the attack range of Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

Seeing that Shadow Imitation Jutsu had missed, Ensui regretfully retracted his shadow and then hid behind a tree.

"Water Release: Water Clone Jutsu!" Concerned that Ensui might have some unknown plan, Rin created a Water Clone to hide nearby.

Rin's speed in learning Water Release was decent, so Mutsuki casually taught her the Water Clone technique. This technique was simpler than the regular Shadow Clone and overall less effective, especially in places without water.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Jutsu!"

Rin wanted to continue using Water Release Ninjutsu to attack Ensui. The trees in the battlefield weren't as thick as those in the Southern Forest, so while they could block Ensui's figure, they clearly couldn't withstand Ninjutsu.

"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!"

Ensui suddenly leaped out again to use the Shadow Secret Technique.

Seeing the shadow rushing toward her, Rin immediately stopped forming hand seals and retreated, but the shadow still halted at its previous position, and then Ensui canceled the Ninjutsu.

"He's stalling for time, trying to wait for the water to drain out!" Rin noticed the diminishing water on the battlefield and suddenly guessed Ensui's strategy.

Thinking of this, Rin walked back to her previous position to continue using Ninjutsu. She was now standing at the maximum range for the Water Dragon Bullet; if she went any further, she wouldn't be able to control it well.

Ensui didn't just stand by and watch Rin use her Ninjutsu. While the water was gathering, he didn't use any Ninjutsu himself but continuously threw several Kunai, though none managed to hit Rin.

Boom!

The water dragon crashed through the tree where Ensui was hiding, directly sending him into the water.

Ensui quickly climbed up and spat out the water from his mouth, smiling as he looked at the small shadow on the water's surface.

"Water Release..." Rin prepared to continue using Ninjutsu.

"Shadow Imitation Jutsu!" Ensui once again used the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, and the black shadow charged straight at Rin.

This time, Rin didn't stop but continued to gather Chakra to use Water Dragon Bullet. Given Ensui's state, taking another Water Dragon Bullet would definitely leave him without the strength to fight back.

Moreover, the distance between her and Ensui was already quite far. If Ensui could hit her with Shadow Imitation Jutsu at this distance, then he could have controlled her the moment she first used Water Release Ninjutsu.

As Rin expected, Ensui's shadow stopped at its previous position; that was his maximum range.

However, something unexpected happened: a small shadow floated onto Ensui's shadow.

Whoosh!

Ensui's shadow immediately extended rapidly and shot directly into Rin's shadow.

Rin looked at this scene in shock, her eyes glancing upward to see a Kunai floating in the air, tied with a simple parachute device. This was what provided Ensui's shadow with a foothold, allowing it to extend.

"You have the advantage of water, while I have the fortune of the wind," Ensui couldn't help but smile.

He had just been hiding behind the tree to tear his clothes and make a simple parachute. Then, while focusing on Rin using Ninjutsu, he used an ordinary Kunai to attract her attention and ultimately threw the decisive Kunai into the sky.

It could be said that if the wind had been slightly stronger or had veered off course, Ensui's attack would have failed. However, it seemed that fate compensated for the unfavorable terrain he faced, and the final outcome was exactly as he had envisioned, without any deviation.

Ordinary people wouldn't have understood Ensui's actions; only Ninjas would know what kind of maneuver he had executed.

"Not a bad prospect, but it's a pity the opponent is too cautious," Nara Shikaku shook his head and said.

"But hasn't he already controlled her? Shouldn't the outcome already be decided?" Akimichi Choza had some understanding of Shadow Imitation Jutsu.

"If it were Shikaku, it would definitely be over by now, but Ensui should only have grasped the basics of Shadow Imitation Jutsu. Plus, Rin still..." Before Yamanaka Inoichi could finish explaining, the situation on the field changed rapidly again.

As the shadows merged, the water that Rin had gathered scattered, and Ensui began to control Rin's body to walk toward the wall, intending to make her crash into it and lose consciousness.

Due to the positioning, his action of crashing into the wall would only collide with air, while Rin would hit solid stone.

But at that moment, Rin's hidden Water Clone emerged.

"Water Prison Jutsu!" The Water Clone formed a circular Water Prison to restrain her original body.

Ensui furrowed his brow. When he was hiding behind the tree, Rin lost his line of sight, and he also lost sight of Rin, so he didn't know that she had created a Clone.

Logically, Rin should have been at a great advantage at that time and had no reason to waste Chakra.

Ensui exerted all his effort to control Rin's body to strike against the water prison, trying to break the Water Prison technique.

However, Rin's strength came from Enhanced Strength Ninjutsu, not her own physical power, and it was clear that Ensui could not use Enhanced Strength. Thus, using Rin's body to hit the Water Prison didn't even create a ripple in the water barrier.

Cold sweat dripped down Ensui's forehead as he had no choice but to cancel the Shadow Imitation Jutsu; otherwise, the Water Clone's attack would have hit him.

The moment Ensui canceled the Shadow Imitation Jutsu, the Water Clone also released the Water Prison technique, and Rin unleashed her Chakra, charging toward Ensui from different directions alongside her Water Clone.

"I surrender." Injured and with most of his Chakra depleted, Ensui felt he had completely lost any chance of victory and directly gave up.

"The outcome has been decided; Nohara Rin wins!" Hiruko announced the victor of the match to the entire arena.

Many Ninjas in the audience applauded for Rin and Ensui.

If the first match was a display of overwhelming strength, the second match was undoubtedly a contest of caution and wisdom. Had Rin not used that Water Clone, it could have easily reversed, leading her from a great advantage to elimination.

"You see, Rin-chan won!" A middle-aged couple smiled excitedly as they watched Rin's victory.

"I really fall short compared to Mutsuki in teaching," Minato sighed as he watched Rin win.

He was also Rin's sensei and knew what her abilities were before participating in the Chunin exams; mastering Water Release to this extent in just a month was truly challenging.

"Oh, was it Mutsuki who helped Rin train during the Chunin exams?" Hiruzen turned to Minato, who was standing behind him, and asked.

Today, Minato was there as a bodyguard, watching the match alongside the Elders.

Jiraiya was supposed to come, but he didn't want to watch with them and went over to the ordinary audience instead, so Minato was effectively covering for his sensei.

"Yeah, after all, I'm not very familiar with Water Release," Minato replied with a nod.

Although Obito, Kakashi, and Rin chose to have Mutsuki assist with their special training instead of Minato, he didn't think there was anything wrong with that.

He had been interacting with Kakashi and the others for several months, was aware of their training content, and had also discussed the training of the three with Mutsuki.

The core training content couldn't provide any guidance because that was Ninjutsu developed by Mutsuki himself, and Minato couldn't just give random advice.

Minato could only teach them what he knew, such as Wind Release, Fire Release, and Sealing Jutsu, as well as help Obito and the others with some Ninja training.

Hiruzen didn't ask any further. Although Rin performed well, she was still far behind Kakashi and the others.

If it weren't for Kisame's Water Release directly changing the battlefield, winning would have been even more difficult for Rin.

"See, Rin-chan? I told you you'd be fine!" Obito said excitedly as Rin walked into the lounge.

"Yeah, thanks to your encouragement, I felt more confident," Rin replied with a smile. After giving it her all and achieving victory, she was truly happy now.

"The third match is about to begin, Noguchi Nobuhide vs. Might Guy. Please enter the arena quickly and prepare for battle."

At that moment, Hiruko's voice echoed into the lounge.

"It's time to unleash youth!" Guy said excitedly as he rubbed his fists together.

With his father watching from the stands, Guy definitely wanted to show his best performance.

In contrast to Guy's enthusiasm, Noguchi Nobuhide seemed a bit withdrawn.

As a teammate of Terumi Mei, he had participated in the battle in the Forest of Death and knew just how terrifying Guy's strength was; even Kisame had been kicked until he spat blood.

But Noguchi Nobuhide couldn't surrender; if he dared to do so, someone would come to teach him how to write the character for "blood" in Blood Mist.

"My friend, don't lose before you meet me," Guy said with a grin to Kakashi before stepping out of the lounge.

What Guy looked forward to the most was another chance to fight Kakashi. If he could defeat Kakashi and take first place, it would be the epitome of youth for him.

"Then you should just wait to be defeated by me," Kakashi replied nonchalantly.

"Haha, as expected of my friend! I acknowledge that confidence!" Guy gave Kakashi a thumbs-up and laughed as he walked toward the battlefield.

"Just talking big, watch me eliminate you in the top four!" Obito said, looking displeased.

Since he unlocked his Sharingan, Kakashi had never won against him again, although they had only fought that once.

Kakashi ignored Obito's words; the battle was about to start.

Terumi Mei focused intently on the battlefield, hoping her teammate could show some strength, as Guy was indeed a formidable opponent.

"Hahaha, everyone, do you see that? That's my son, Guy! He's amazing!" Duy exclaimed excitedly as he saw Guy enter the arena.

The spectators next to him couldn't help but smile awkwardly; in a sense, they could tell even without Duy saying it. With that deathly green spandex and matching thick eyebrows, it was hard not to notice.

"Is he really going to become a Chunin at just nine years old? Guy, your youth is already burning brighter than mine!" Just the thought of Guy potentially becoming a Chunin before reaching ten made Duy shed tears of excitement; he was so happy for Guy.

"Why do you look like you've already won before the battle has even started? Our Mist Ninja aren't that easy to deal with," a Mist Ninja said, displeased.

Duy didn't engage in an argument with the Mist Ninja; he simply sat down quietly, his face filled with excitement as he watched the battlefield.

Seeing that Duy had settled down, the Mist Ninja didn't pursue the matter further, but he felt that Duy was underestimating their Mist Village.

"The battle begins!" Hiruko shouted before stepping back to the edge.

At this point, most of the water on the battlefield had receded, returning to its previous state, though there were still some puddles on the ground.

"Eight Inner Gates, first gate open, open! Gate of Rest, open! Gate of Life, open!"

"Stone Breathing, Total Concentration!"

In order to showcase his strength to his father, even though the enemy was of average ability, Guy chose to go all out, unleashing all his power.

This sudden burst of terrifying strength generated a gust of wind that scattered the puddles around Guy.

In the face of Guy's overwhelming presence, Noguchi Nobuhide couldn't muster a single desire to fight back; the gap was just too great.

Noguchi Nobuhide could only forcefully suppress his fear and form the seals to use Water Release Ninjutsu.

"Extreme: Konoha Strong Whirlwind!"

Guy channeled most of his strength into his thigh and executed an incredibly fast whirlwind kick toward Noguchi Nobuhide.

Boom!

Noguchi Nobuhide's Water Release was directly shattered by Guy's kick, and he was sent flying without even having a chance to react to the powerful strike.

Puff! Bang!

Noguchi Nobuhide spat out a mouthful of blood and slammed against the wall at the edge of the arena, becoming embedded in it.

Silence...

At this moment, the venue was utterly silent; not only were the spectators taken aback, but even Hiruko hadn't expected Guy to defeat his opponent so quickly. Had it even been half a minute? It might have even been less than twenty seconds since they entered the arena!

"Might Guy wins!" Hiruko, regaining his composure, quickly announced Guy's victory.

The Mist Ninja who had previously claimed their strength was not to be underestimated bowed his head deeply in embarrassment. This was just too humiliating—one move, and it was over, with no suspense at all.

Duy, however, didn't say anything to the Mist Ninja; he was just excitedly celebrating his child's victory.

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