All three arrives arrived at Training Ground Eight breathing heavily after running through the village streets to make Hideaki's ten-minute deadline. Hikaru wiped sweat from his forehead as he tried to catch his breath, while Hana bent over with her hands on her knees. Even Nobue showed signs of the hurried pace, though he tried to maintain his composed posture.
The training ground was larger than the academy practice areas, with wooden posts, target ranges, and open spaces designed for serious shinobi training. The summer heat made the air warm, and after their sprint across the village, it felt even hotter.
"Made it with seconds to spare," Hideaki observed with amusement as he emerged from behind one of the training posts. "Good. Punctuality is important for shinobi."
Nobue straightened up, his pale eyes quickly scanning the training ground to take in every detail—the positioning of practice posts, the open combat areas, and any tactical advantages.
Hana was still catching her breath, the Haimaru brothers panting beside her. "That was... quite a run," she managed between breaths.
"Take a few minutes to catch your breath," Hideaki said, settling against one of the training posts. "I want you at your best for this assessment, not exhausted from running across the village in a short time."
Hikaru gratefully bent over with his hands on his knees, feeling his heart rate slowly return to normal. The summer heat combined with their sprint had left all three exhausted.
"Drink some water," Hideaki advised, pulling out a canteen and tossing it to Hana. "You don't want to pass out from thirst during the test."
The brief break gave them time to survey their surroundings properly. The training ground really was impressive - much more sophisticated than anything at the academy.
After about five minutes, Hideaki pushed off from the training post. "Feeling better? Good. Now let me explain what we're doing today."
"Welcome to Training Ground Eight," Hideaki announced. "This will be our home base for all future exercises—if you pass today's test. Now, I need to understand what each of you can do individually and how well you can work together."
He held up one hand casually behind his back. "You have until noon to make me use both hands in combat. You can use any techniques in your arsenal—taijutsu, ninjutsu, genjutsu, weapons, whatever you think will work."
"Us three together?" Hana asked, her eyebrows rising.
"That's right," Hideaki confirmed with a grin that didn't reach his eyes. "But don't let that make you overconfident. I've been a Jōnin for fifteen years, and I didn't survive this long by going easy on academy graduates."
Nobue's jaw tightened with determination. "And if we fail?"
"I'll be disappointed, and may think that you three don't actually deserve to wear those forehead protectors," Hideaki replied plainly before his expression turned serious. "Do come at me with all you got or else, be ready for real disappointment."
"Any more questions?" Hideaki asked, settling into a casual fighting stance with one hand still behind his back.
"Just one," Nobue said, activating his Byakugan. The veins around his pale eyes became much more noticeable as his visual range expanded dramatically. "Are you ready to be impressed?"
Without waiting for an answer, Nobue launched himself forward with the confidence typical of his clan. His hands glowed with chakra as he attempted his first Gentle Fist strike, aiming for Hideaki's chakra points with precise movements.
Hideaki sidestepped the attack with minimal effort, his right hand moving in a fluid arc that redirected Nobue's momentum. The Hyuga boy found himself stumbling past his target, his carefully planned assault neutralized without much effort.
"Good speed," Hideaki commented casually, brushing imaginary dust from his sleeve. "But your method is too blunt. Try being less predictable."
Nobue rolled to his feet, his pale eyes flashing with frustrated determination. The easy dismissal of his opening move clearly stung his pride.
"My turn!" Hana shouted, her hands flying through rapid seals.
"Gijū Ninpō: Shikyaku no Jutsu!" (Imitation Beast Ninja Art: Four Legs Technique)
She dropped to all fours as her nails extended into claws, while the Haimaru brothers flanked her on either side. The coordinated pack formation looked formidable as they approached from multiple angles, their movements synchronized through years of training together.
But Hideaki simply shifted his weight, allowing Hana's charge to pass harmlessly to his left while catching one of the Haimaru brothers gently by the scruff. Using the nin-ken's momentum, he redirected the small dog toward Hana, causing her to stumble and crash directly into Nobue as he prepared for his second assault.
Both genin crashed together in a tangle of limbs, while the Haimaru brothers barked in frustration at their disrupted formation.
"Teamwork," Hideaki observed with obvious amusement. "Might want to work on that."
Hikaru watched from the sideline, and sighed quietly at their approach. These two really are both hot-headed, he thought, his eyes tracking Hideaki's movements. Fighting one-on-one with an experienced Jōnin—they're either brave or stupid.
His posture shifted as his mind began processing the situation. Both teammates were skilled individually, but they were fighting as separate units rather than a coordinated team. Hideaki-sensei wasn't even breaking a sweat as he countered their attacks with minimal effort.
"I need to coordinate their attacks from a flanking position," Hikaru murmured to himself, his body shifting as he began moving around Hideaki while looking for opportunities.
Hideaki glanced at him briefly but kept most of his attention on Nobue and Hana's continued efforts.
The fight continued with predictable outcomes. When Hikaru spotted an opening, he pulled out four shuriken and threw them in carefully calculated arcs. The projectiles followed curved paths aim to reach their target at different timing, creating multiple threats that would save Nobue from an incoming kick while filling gaps in Hana's pack formation.
Hideaki noticed the incoming attack and chuckled softly, abandoning his strike against Nobue to leap backward. The movement was exactly what Hikaru had anticipated.
"Fūton: Toppa!" (Wind Release: Breakthrough)
Hikaru's hands moved through practiced seals, creating a focused vortex of wind at Hideaki's landing zone. Dust and debris swirled upward, while the shuriken that should have passed harmlessly through the area were caught by the wind currents and redirected toward their sensei's new position.
At the same moment, Hana's Passing Fang technique arrived from a different angle, the coordinated timing creating a genuinely challenging combination attack.
A puff of smoke appeared where Hideaki had been, and a wooden log materialized in his place with four shuriken embedded into it. Hana's technique also hit the wooden log as she couldn't stop the attack in time.
"Substitution technique," Hikaru exclaimed as he raised his guard to protect himself from his left side. A flying house kick hit him and made him fly away from the attack.
He can perform basic jutsu without hand seals while using only one hand to fight, Hikaru realized as he got up, his eyes widening with the implications. This is way harder than I thought.
"Nice coordination," Hideaki said with genuine approval, landing gracefully after the attack. "But you'll need to do better than that."
Nobue gritted his teeth and resumed his Gentle Fist attacks, but his individual efforts were still easily countered by their sensei's superior experience and technique.
Hana followed up with her clan's four legged technique fighting style, the Haimaru brothers circling for optimal attack angles. But without proper coordination, she either interfered with Nobue's positioning or left herself vulnerable to Hideaki's counterattacks.
Hikaru got up nearby, his arm throbbing from the impact. He flexed his hand to relieve the pain while observing their sensei's fighting patterns and movement preferences.
The fight continued without success, both his teammates showing signs of fatigue as time passed quickly.
"Three hours remain," Hideaki announced casually, not even breathing heavily despite the extended engagement. "Is that all you got? Hope there's more to you three than this."
Hana raised her guard as another kick came toward her, managing to block the primary strike but leaving herself open to a follow-up from the left.
Seeing the danger, Hikaru moved quickly, intercepting Hideaki's second attack and pulling Hana back from immediate harm. The hand that blocked the attack immediately flicked a kunai with an explosive seal attached toward Hideaki while grabbing Hana and retreating quickly with body flicker to where Nobue stood catching his breath.
BOOM!
"Hikaru!… isn't that a bit too far?" Hana exclaimed, her eyes wide as she heard the sound of the explosion. Nobue's pale eyes fixed on him with stern disapproval.
"That's nothing to a Jōnin sensei," Hikaru replied as he watched Hideaki emerge from a different direction completely unscratched.
"Listen," Hikaru said urgently, keeping his voice low as they huddled together. "Nobue-kun, your Gentle Fist is powerful, but you're fighting like this is a one-on-one match. Our target is making him use both hands, not just exchanging blows with him. Hana-chan, your pack tactics are excellent, but you're not accounting for Nobue's positioning."
"What are you suggesting?" Nobue asked, his pride clearly warring with practical desperation.
"I'm suggesting we actually work as a team," Hikaru replied with serious intention.
Hana nodded eagerly, scratching behind one of her nin-ken's ears. "That makes sense. I'm tired of running into Nobue every time I attack."
Nobue hesitated, his jaw clenching as he struggled with the idea of following someone else's strategy. But as he glanced at the sun's position and calculated their remaining time.
"Fine," he said grudgingly, crossing his arms. "What's your plan?"
"Simple coordination," Hikaru explained quickly, his hands moving as he outlined the strategy. "Nobue-kun keeps him busy with Gentle Fist attacks, but don't overcommit—focus on maintaining pressure and drawing his attention. Hana-chan, you and the brothers create flanking threats but hold back until I create openings. I'll provide support and switch positions with either of you when stamina runs low."
"Remember, our target is to make him use both hands while giving it our all," Hikaru reminded them.
"Took you long enough to start planning," Hideaki called out with amusement while cleaning dust from his clothes. "Two and a half hours remaining!"
But as they moved to execute the plan, it became clear Nobue had only agreed with his words, not his heart. His cooperation proved superficial at best. His attacks continued to prioritize individual success above teamwork, and when Hikaru called for position switches, Nobue either ignored him or responded with hesitation.
"Nobue-kun, you need to create openings for us, not try to finish him yourself!" Hikaru called out after another failed combination.
"I can handle this myself," Nobue replied stiffly, his pale eyes flashing with wounded pride. "The Hyuga clan doesn't need—"
His words were cut short as Hideaki's counterattack sent him skidding across the dirt, his perfect form crumbling under their sensei's effortless defense.
The pattern continued for another hour. Despite their attempts at coordination, Nobue's reluctance to truly commit to teamwork meant their attacks remained disjointed and easily countered. Hana grew increasingly frustrated, while Hikaru found himself constantly adjusting his strategy to compensate for Nobue's independence.
"One hour remaining!" Hideaki announced, still looking completely relaxed despite their extended engagement.
As they regrouped once more, all three genin were breathing heavily. Sweat dripped from their faces, and their movements had grown noticeably slower. Meanwhile, Hideaki appeared as fresh as when they'd started.
Hikaru looked directly at Nobue, his expression serious. "Nobue-kun, I need to ask you something, and I need you to really think about your answer."
Nobue's jaw tightened, his pale eyes narrowing as he prepared for another strategy discussion he clearly didn't want to hear.
"Are you willing to trust us enough to actually work as a team?" Hikaru asked quietly. "Not just pretend to cooperate, but really work together?"
The question hung in the air between them. Nobue's hands clenched into fists as he stared at the ground, his pride clearly clash with the reality of their situation. Around them, the training ground fell silent except for the sound of their heavy breathing.
Hana watched the exchange with growing tension, while Hideaki observed from his position with obvious interest. The next few moments would determine not just whether they passed the test, but whether they could truly become a team.
Nobue's shoulders trembled slightly as he struggled with the decision, his entire worldview about Hyuga superiority being challenged by their continued failures.
I hope he's making the right choice, or else we're going back to the Academy for real, Hikaru thought, his eyes fixed on Nobue's conflicted expression.