"Okay, time's up!"
The moment the alarm rang, Endo Daisho opened his eyes.
After putting away the alarm clock, he turned to Itsuki and the other two, who had already discussed a countermeasure.
Endo Daisho said indifferently, "Next is a practical test between the three of you and me. There are no rules during the test. You can use every means at your disposal to attack me.
Your goal is simple: defeat me, or be defeated by me. Once the outcome is clear, the assessment ends.
Whether you become Genin or get eliminated and sent back to the academy will be decided here."
"Now—the assessment officially begins!"
As Endo Daisho finished speaking, Itsuki and the other two immediately took action.
During the half hour they'd been given, the three of them had already come up with several strategies and response plans.
If Kakashi had been their Jonin leader, he probably would've already declared them passed by now. Kakashi valued teamwork and the bonds between comrades.
But every Jonin had their own way of thinking, and it was clear that Endo Daisho had no interest in such ideals.
Itsuki and the others didn't bother trying to hide. Against a Jonin, that would be meaningless.
Instead, they moved quickly, spreading out to surround Endo Daisho from three directions. The first step: a barrage of shuriken.
In an instant, dozens of shuriken were thrown from all sides, filling the air around their target.
"So naïve."
Endo Daisho only gave the attack a glance. He didn't even bother to raise his eyelids.
Not only were the shuriken too slow and weak, many of them weren't even accurate.
Standing calmly in place, he drew a kunai and casually deflected the few that might have hit him, ignoring the rest.
Itsuki and the others were startled by how effortlessly he countered their attack—but they didn't lose focus.
They continued their assault, throwing shuriken as they closed the distance.
Itsuki narrowed his eyes, slowing the pace of his own throws. Shuriken were only distractions—their effectiveness was extremely limited.
When they'd planned earlier, it became obvious: aside from the basic Three Academy Jutsu and simple ninja tool use, none of them knew proper ninjutsu.
Defeat a Jonin? That was impossible. Causing even a little trouble would be a miracle.
Still, Itsuki intended to fight seriously. He wanted to test the true power of a Jonin, and measure what he could do with his newly awakened Sharingan.
Swish!
Secretly, Itsuki activated his Sharingan. The world immediately sharpened before his eyes.
From the outside, however, no one noticed. Earlier that morning, he had gone out of his way to buy special contact-lens-like glasses to conceal the Sharingan. His eyes still appeared black.
With his vision enhanced, Itsuki gripped a kunai in each hand and charged. His speed, accuracy, and power suddenly leapt, surprising Endo Daisho.
Of course, the gap in strength was still massive. Avoiding Itsuki's attacks wasn't difficult.
But to Endo Daisho's surprise, while his attention was on Itsuki's kunai, he almost missed a crooked shuriken tossed by Ryota. It came dangerously close to grazing him.
Endo Daisho blinked. Was that… coordinated?
Even so, the power was laughably weak. He leaned back, dodging it with ease. Still, being scratched by a Genin would've been ridiculous for a Jonin.
"Not bad. For Genin, this level is just barely acceptable," Endo Daisho thought.
But the praise was for Itsuki's mindset—not Ryota's luck.
Whoosh!
Before Endo Daisho could relax, Itsuki suddenly lunged, aiming a vicious kick straight at his crotch.
His face instantly darkened. This brat! Sneaky little bastard!
Of course, the strike never landed.
With a puff of smoke, the body Itsuki struck turned into a wooden log—Substitution Jutsu!
Endo Daisho reappeared behind him, kunai already slashing toward Itsuki's neck.
It's over.
But then—
Dozens of kunai flew in from behind, thrown by Chie Mai. Their trajectory targeted not only Endo Daisho, but Itsuki as well.
At the same time, Ryota's eyes glinted with cold calculation as he unleashed his own kunai volley.
From their angle, Endo Daisho would be forced to either abandon Itsuki to dodge, or stay and take the hit with him.
"You bastards!!" Endo Daisho's eyes narrowed in fury.
They were using their own teammate as bait? Selling him out so easily?
And judging by their timing, this had been planned in secret. Itsuki had been betrayed outright.
Boom!!
A crushing aura erupted from Endo Daisho, chakra flaring like a storm. The sheer pressure blew every incoming kunai off course before they even reached him.
He had been ready to grab Itsuki and save him—but there was no need.
Because the Itsuki in front of him dissolved into a wooden log.
Another Substitution Jutsu.
Endo Daisho froze, genuinely surprised. The timing had been flawless—even he hadn't sensed it.
"This kid… what a waste of talent," he muttered.
From behind a nearby tree, Itsuki emerged, his expression dark.
He had intended to bait Endo Daisho again, but Chie Mai and Ryota's betrayal had caught him completely off guard.
He clenched his fists. He had underestimated them, dismissing them as unimportant side characters.
That mistake nearly cost him dearly.
Never again, Itsuki swore to himself. I can't afford such a low-level error.