At a training ground located in the village of Konoha, the trio of Hinata, Kiba, and Shino had been sparring with their instructor, Yūhi Kurenai, for a solid hour. Despite their relentless efforts, they hadn't managed to pose any significant threat to her, and she remained unfazed, showcasing the prowess of a seasoned Jōnin.
"Alright, let's take a break now!" Yūhi Kurenai called out, halting the training session when she noticed the trio's exhaustion.
However, before the young ninjas could even begin to catch their breath, an unexpected white mist began to envelop them. It grew denser by the second, quickly obscuring their vision and making it difficult to discern each other's forms.
"No, we're under attack!" Yūhi Kurenai exclaimed. She immediately instructed them to form the "Ten-Thousand Character Formation," a strategy where they stand in a tight circle with their backs to one another to maintain constant vigilance and protection.
The sound of colliding weapons pierced through the dense fog, hinting at a fierce skirmish nearby.
"This is Konoha. How can there be enemies here?" Kiba wondered aloud, swallowing hard.
"Woof, woof!" Akamaru barked twice in agreement.
"Hinata!" Shino gestured urgently.
"Understood!" Without a second thought, Hinata activated her Byakugan, a powerful ocular jutsu.
But even with her heightened vision, she couldn't locate their sensei amidst the chaos.
"Kurenai-sensei!" The duo of Kiba and Hinata called out in unison, their voices filled with concern. Yet, there was no response from Yūhi Kurenai.
Shino, on the other hand, had already dispatched his insects to scout the area, but to his dismay, they had lost their way in the mist. The mist itself seemed to be imbued with a potent chakra that not only obscured their vision but also affected the bugs' navigation.
"Damn it!" Kiba cursed, his nose rubbed raw. "This mist is blocking my smell. I can't detect anything."
"Woof, woof woof!" Akamaru concurred with his own canine woes.
"I'm sorry, I'll try again!" Determined, Hinata opened her Byakugan once more.
"How is it? Did you find sensei?" Kiba inquired anxiously.
Hinata surveyed the area and then sighed in disappointment. "I'm sorry, I can't locate sensei. And my Byakugan seems to be hindered. I can't see very far."
Shino added his analysis, "This is the Mist Technique from Kirigakure, a Water Style jutsu that typically blocks sight. It's strange that it's affecting your sense of smell as well, as that's not its normal capability."
"But why are we being attacked here, on our own training ground? And why are we the target?" Kiba questioned, his impatience growing.
Shino replied, "It's difficult for us to know the enemy's purpose. For now, our priority is to find a way out of this fog and rescue sensei as quickly as possible!"
"It's difficult for us to do it!" Shino said calmly. "You have to ask why, because even my bugs have become sluggish."
Shino raised a finger, and there was a small insect with a faint breath lying on it.
"Since the appearance of these fogs," Shino continued, "my parasitic insects have become inactive. They can sense that the Chakra contained in the surrounding fog is extremely powerful and has disorienting properties."
"The parasites left my body for a short distance, but they soon lost their direction and couldn't find their way back at all."
"Ahh, this is so frustrating!" Kiba growled. "I can just use my Kiba style to disperse this kind of thing!"
"Woof, woof!" Akamaru agreed.
Shino wanted to tell Kiba that it would be pointless to try to disperse the mist with his Chakra, as the mist would only be replenished. However, he had no better options, so he decided to let Kiba make an attempt, hoping he might find some weaknesses.
"Careful!"
Before he could speak, however, Hinata suddenly let out a low cry. The sound of something cutting through the air came from all around them, like countless sharp blades.
Though the three of them were young Genin, they weren't inexperienced. They quickly drew their kunai in defense.
Sure enough, a barrage of shurikens attacked from every direction. Despite their fear, they managed to fend off the attack with their kunai. However, the sheer number of shurikens was overwhelming, and they had to stay on high alert.
Fortunately, the power of the shurikens wasn't too strong, and they could handle them for the moment. But they kept coming, one after another.
Hinata and Kiba could manage, as they had trained in taijutsu, but Shino was in a tougher spot. His techniques relied on his bugs, and their effectiveness was compromised by the strong Chakra in the area. He had to rely solely on his physical abilities, which weren't his strong suit.
"Careful!"
Shino barely dodged a shuriken that was about to hit his head.
Hinata, with her Byakugan active, noticed the danger and stepped in to block it, crying out in pain as the shuriken sliced into her arm, causing it to bleed heavily.
...
On the trunk of a large tree nearby, the real Naruto and Yūgao were observing. Naruto had just used a Mist Shinobi Technique and left the execution to a shadow clone before running back.
At that moment, he employed the Telescope Technique to project an image of the three teammates with a water shield. Although not proficient in Water Style, he could still perform basic techniques like the Mist and Water Shield.
"You can actually attack Hinata?" Yūgao asked, surprised to see her injured. She knew Naruto wanted them to face real combat, but she initially assumed it would be a controlled exercise within Konoha.
Naruto replied calmly, "It's better to get hurt now than to die at the hands of an enemy later!"
He compared it to a baby bird that had to leave the nest to learn to fly, saying that people need to face challenges to understand their limits. Plus, he had the ability to control his power and heal them immediately after the battle, so there was no need to worry.
"That's right!" Yūgao agreed with his approach, looking forward to the growth these young ninjas would experience under his guidance.
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