The following days became calm and boring again. Aoba took a few new genin to perform various miscellaneous missions, allowing these rookies to learn how to properly complete a ninja's work in the shortest time.
After that, Aoba spoke less and less, only answering questions when the children had problems and came to ask him.
Judging by the detailed and straightforward answers Aoba gave, and how he explained key parts that were easy to misunderstand, he had a very rich and thorough grasp of ninjutsu knowledge.
Furthermore, the missions he chose, though seemingly random, effectively trained the genin in various aspects. As long as they honestly persisted in doing these missions, they could unconsciously hone their basic ninja skills.
Tasks like searching for missing pets, harvesting crops, running errands such as delivering letters and buying items in nearby towns, driving away beasts that damaged farmland, and cleaning trash from rivers. By constantly doing these inconspicuous small missions and using the ninjutsu techniques they had learned, skills like tree climbing and water walking could be mastered naturally, without the need for specific training.
As for more advanced ninjutsu, although Katsuki and Yui both wanted to learn them, Aoba never actively taught any.
After a period of such peaceful days, Aoba finished a day's work with the rookie genin and kept Ethan behind alone.
He subtly gave Ethan a secret signal that the other two did not notice. When the mission ended and the team disbanded, Katsuki and Yui still said goodbye to their teammate as usual and went home separately.
Ethan stood there quietly until his teammates were all gone, then turned his head to look at Aoba beside him.
"Something wrong?"
"Let's find a quiet place to talk."
Aoba left without waiting for Ethan's reply. Noticing that Ethan followed, he did not look back again and led him to a training ground in Konoha.
Konoha had many training grounds, convenient for the village's ninja to use at any time. However, most ninja had their preferred training spots, and large clans even had private training grounds.
In addition, ninja were usually busy with work, so the training grounds were often empty, with a few almost looking abandoned. Ethan suspected Konoha deliberately made them that way, since it would be quite difficult to intentionally create such an environment.
Aoba chose a training ground that looked abandoned. Almost no one came here, so there was no need to worry about being disturbed.
After Ethan arrived, Aoba estimated the time it took him and came to a conclusion. Ethan's true strength should be among the top performers in this group of students.
Aoba was calm and observant. During this time, he had been watching the young ninja under his command.
He had a clear understanding of Katsuki and Yui. They were just two ordinary children, born and raised in Konoha, with clean backgrounds and nothing particularly special about them. Although they had become ninja, their talent was truly average. Perhaps their best outcome was to live a plain life, and as they grew older, with increased experience and enough accumulated mission count, they might be promoted to Chunin.
That was likely their limit. If they encountered an accident, such as a sudden Ninja World War or simply a dangerous mission, it was not impossible for them to die in the line of duty.
But he could not see what Ethan's future held.
At first, he thought Ethan was no different from the other two children. Later, he noticed in many details that Ethan's ninjutsu fundamentals and chakra control were excellent, and that he possessed outstanding physical abilities.
This excellence was not just compared to his peers. Even among the entire genin group, Ethan's reflexes and speed were astonishing.
Compared to qualities like strength and stamina, which could be greatly improved through effort, speed and reflexes could, to some extent, be considered talent.
For example, the famous Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, had astonishing reaction speed. Without his exceptional reaction speed and balance, he would not have been able to use the Flying Thunder God Technique to such an extent.
The situation was clear. He had taken on a very talented genin. Out of consideration for that talent, he could not continue leading the team in the same way as before.
Of course, he could not make such decisions on his own. Although Aoba was calm and good at analysis, his personality had some flaws. At times, he found it difficult to make decisive choices and appeared somewhat timid. For matters this important, his first choice was to report it and wait for instructions from his superiors.
Before today, he had already received a clear reply from the Hokage. Konoha cherished any talented young person.
So, after completing the daily mission today, Aoba called Ethan aside. He was preparing to conduct a comprehensive test on him.
This was the same treatment given to those young ninja who were specially cultivated.
Ethan glanced at the training ground that looked like it was falling apart, then at Aoba, who casually took out a bell and hung it on his waist. He immediately understood what the supervising jonin was planning to do.
However, was this not a test of teamwork and character? Was it still necessary when it was just him alone?
Aoba's next words resolved Ethan's confusion.
"I have been observing you during this time. You possess strength beyond my expectations. I want to see how far your strength actually goes. Your task now is to use all your might to snatch this bell from me."
"So, it is a one on one match?"
"You could say that, more or less."
Aoba adjusted his glasses.
"Use all your strength. I know you have been hiding your abilities."
Ethan blinked, looking as if he did not understand what the other person was saying. In truth, he had long known this outcome would happen. Those seemingly random and boring missions, though tedious, tested the genin's various basic skills. Without a solid foundation, it would have been impossible for him to perform as easily as he did.
Moreover, his two teammates were often exhausted by the end of the day, while Ethan did not even break a sweat. Aside from children who had just become genin, any ninja with normal intelligence would have noticed his situation.
"I will inform you in advance. If you fail this test, you will lose the qualification to continue being a ninja."
Aoba took a slight stance.
"And I will not hold back."
Ethan subtly adjusted his expression, as if he were finally taking the match seriously.
Aoba nodded slightly, satisfied that he had finally roused Ethan's fighting spirit.
"Then I am coming, Aoba sensei."
This was the first time Ethan had called him sensei. Before today, Aoba had only been the team leader assigned by Konoha. Calling him a captain had been more accurate than calling him an instructor.
After today, however, their relationship was likely to change. As long as Ethan showed enough potential, Aoba would fulfill all the obligations of a guiding sensei, diligently teaching him various ninja knowledge, just like Kakashi guiding Naruto and Sasuke.
He did not know that, at this moment, he was already standing shoulder to shoulder with Merlin, the Ancient One, Snape, and others. Aoba only wanted to see how strong Ethan truly was, and whether everything he was doing today would be a waste of time.
The next second, something happened that startled him.
Ethan, who had been standing still, suddenly vanished. In the next instant, he appeared behind Aoba, a sharp kunai thrusting toward his side.
"Body Flicker Technique?"
Ethan's movements were not completely without trace. Although Aoba had told him to go all out, Ethan naturally could not display his full strength. He carefully estimated the maximum combat power this alias should possess, then fought within that limit.
The strength could not be too exaggerated, but the ninja world had its share of monsters, so being comparable to an adult ninja was understandable, especially since this alias was focused on taijutsu.
Speed and reflexes were his absolute advantages, which could be explained as talent.
His chakra reserves could not be excessive. As someone from a civilian background, he could not simply spam techniques like the Great Fireball or Water Dragon Bullet. His background meant he had nowhere to learn such techniques.
So, all he could use were the most basic Three Basic Jutsu taught at the Ninja Academy.
Even the Three Basic Jutsu, when used to their extreme, could be terrifying.
Aoba had never imagined that any genin could use the Body Flicker Technique to such an extent. For a moment, he even thought the enemy before him was the deceased Fourth Hokage.
Of course, if Ethan used the technique at full power, he could create a similar effect. To avoid frightening Aoba and being suspected of being a spy by Konoha, he held back a great deal.
Even so, Aoba was thoroughly startled.
He stepped aside and twisted his body in time to dodge Ethan's attack, immediately making the correct judgment. He could not treat this kid as an ordinary genin. He had to get serious.
Blocking and counterattacking in one smooth motion, Aoba's strike hit empty air. He immediately turned his head to search for Ethan's real location.
A flurry of shuriken flew out, but the Ethan who was hit turned into a log.
"Substitution Jutsu?"
Just as Aoba was searching for Ethan's true position, the log stuck with shuriken rolled naturally. Ethan, who had been hiding behind it using the Transformation Jutsu, suddenly revealed himself and, following the momentum of the roll and descent, delivered a heavy downward kick that landed squarely on Aoba's head.
(To be continued.)