"So... we just wing it?"
Musashi: "Rough words, but sound logic. Alright then, Plan A: Izumi, you're the main attacker. Tell us what kind of support you need."
Daiki: "Is there a Plan B?"
Musashi nodded. "Yep. Plan B is..."
Ten minutes later, Ebisu stood in the center of the field, watching Musashi charge straight at him.
"You're the first one up, Musashi? Let's see your Taijutsu skills."
"Leaf Gale!"
A gust of wind whistled as Musashi led with a sweeping low kick!
Ebisu chose not to dodge. Instead, he raised his arms to block the collision directly. A freshly graduated Genin, even one specializing in Taijutsu, shouldn't be able to cause him much—
WHAM!
The moment flesh met flesh, Ebisu's expression changed.
"Such power!" The force transmitted through his arms made it hard to maintain his stance, and the sharp pain forced him to stagger backward.
"This strength rivals an average Chunin. Musashi, so this is what you meant by specializing in Taijutsu? Not bad at all."
Musashi didn't stop. The moment his attack connected, he followed up immediately. His fists and feet stirred up powerful winds as he rained blows down on Ebisu like a torrential downpour.
Bam! Bam! Bam!!!
With each collision, Ebisu was forced further back. In terms of pure physical strength, he found himself unable to gain the upper hand.
"Is this your full strength? Musashi, relying solely on Taijutsu won't be enough to beat me."
Of course, this wasn't Musashi's full strength. If he went all out, even Ebisu might not be able to tank it. After all, this was just an assessment test; he only needed to show his characteristics.
Respecting his teacher was something he took seriously.
Thud! Ebisu kicked Musashi's shin to create distance, then used the momentum to backflip away, his hands rapidly forming signs.
Since he couldn't win in Taijutsu, he had to use Ninjutsu!
Halfway through the signs, his face changed, and he retreated again.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!~
Several kunai nailed the spot where he had just been standing. Izumi Uchiha had made her move.
After confirming through Musashi's probing attacks that this Ebisu wasn't a clone, she seized the opportunity to join the fray.
"Ninja Art: Shuriken Roadblock!" Daiki's voice came from behind. The whistling sound indicated a large volume of projectiles.
This was the shuriken throwing technique he learned from Musashi: quantity over quality!
Although they lacked Musashi's brute force, they were sufficient as a means to restrict movement.
This was the task Izumi assigned him—attack at a specific time and angle to influence Ebisu's movement path!
Now, Ebisu had Musashi in front, a wall of shuriken behind, and Izumi flanking from the sides.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
A roaring ball of flame attacked from the side. The next moment, raging fire engulfed Ebisu's figure.
"Did it work? It couldn't be that easy," Izumi said, staring intently ahead.
Before the flames even cleared, she was startled.
"Earth Style: Headhunter Jutsu!"
A pair of hands suddenly shot out of the ground beneath her feet, and she was yanked downwards!
Only her head remained above ground.
Ebisu emerged from the earth, but a smile suddenly appeared on Izumi's lips.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" Another Izumi dropped from high above, spewing flames that instantly engulfed both figures on the ground.
Poof! Poof!
The Ebisu and the buried Izumi both vanished in puffs of smoke.
Both were clones?
"Water Style: Water Bullet Jutsu!"
A water bullet shot from the side. The airborne Izumi had no leverage to dodge and hastily raised her arms to block.
The next moment, the powerful stream blasted her away, smashing her into a tree trunk.
"Cough, cough!~" Water filled her lungs, and Izumi coughed violently.
"He controlled the power... otherwise, I would have been seriously injured," Izumi muttered to herself.
With the strongest combatant out of the picture, Ebisu showed no signs of smugness.
He focused his attention on the remaining two, wondering what other tricks they had.
Unless something unexpected happened, this should be over soon.
Nearby, seeing Izumi taken out, Daiki showed an "I knew it" expression, then looked across at Musashi.
Musashi nodded slightly.
Initiate Plan B.
The next moment, Musashi charged forward again!
Seeing Musashi moving even faster than before, Ebisu actually relaxed slightly.
"Earth Style: Mud Wall!"
A rapidly rising earth wall blocked Musashi's path. Ebisu turned around and, sure enough, saw Daiki approaching while forming hand signs.
Ebisu stared intently at Daiki, ready to counter.
"Ninja Art: Bathroom Cutie Jutsu!"
Poof~ The smoke cleared to reveal a curvaceous beauty standing right in front of Ebisu—wearing only a barely-there towel, surrounded by steamy mist, with an innocent look of panic on her face.
Ebisu: ! Σ(♥ △ ♥)!!
The impeccable proportions caused his brain to short-circuit instantly, and his heart engine began to roar.
According to Musashi and Daiki's speculation:
The probability of Ebisu's weakness being the "Mature Lady" type was 20%. The probability of it being the "Cute Girl" type was at least 50%!
Sure enough, a critical hit!
Thump-thump-thump~
Violent heartbeats.
It took a full three seconds for Ebisu to vaguely realize something was wrong.
However, that vague realization was forcefully suppressed by the heat rising in his chest.
Behind him came the whistling sound of a rapid approach!
The next moment, with a muffled thud, Ebisu was sent flying. In the instant before he lost consciousness, his last thought wasn't that he had been careless, but rather about Daiki's jutsu.
That kid... is a great talent...
Half an hour later, Ebisu sat under the shade of a tree while Musashi massaged his bruised back.
In front of him, Daiki looked triumphant.
Izumi looked depressed, occasionally shooting glances at Ebisu mixed with disdain.
So you're that kind of Jonin teacher!
"Alright." Ebisu called a stop to Musashi's rehabilitation massage.
"Through today's simple test, I have a basic understanding of your characteristics."
"Musashi, your Taijutsu is good. If you continue to improve, you can be a qualified combatant for the team. I'm not an expert in Taijutsu, but for Ninjutsu, feel free to ask me anytime. I am extremely proficient in the basic theory of all kinds of Ninjutsu."
"Izumi, your abilities are excellent and you have no shortcomings. Being able to release two C-rank jutsu consecutively is honestly remarkable for your age. However..."
Izumi perked up her ears.
"However, your fighting style is a bit too direct. I will strengthen your tactical training. I believe with your talent, you will soon become an outstanding all-round ninja. Being a team captain won't be a problem."
Izumi lifted her chin slightly.
"As for you, Daiki... first tell me, how did you discover your teacher's only weakness?"
"Uh... Musashi said he heard someone mention it."
Damn it! Which bastard is slandering me behind my back! Ebisu gritted his teeth secretly.
Daiki added, "However, I also have a talent for this!"
A glint of wisdom flashed in his eyes.
"One look! Just one look!"
"I can tell if a man is a pervert or not."
"And the probability of guessing their specific fetish is about 30%!"
"Take Musashi for example. He looks like he cares about nothing but Taijutsu, always talking about Youth with that innocent face. But actually, deep down inside..."
CRUNCH!~
There was a pesky cockroach on the ground; Musashi gently stomped it into oblivion.
Daiki's spine stiffened. He then continued nonchalantly, "Anyway, Teacher Ebisu, please continue."
Ebisu paused, then said, "Daiki, you are a genius... in a certain sense!"
"Although you aren't very good at infiltration, disguise, or combat, you have a keen eye, and your grasp of aesthetic beauty is spot on."
"I recall the village has archives on Ink Ninjutsu (Super Beast Scroll style). I will petition Lord Hokage to borrow the basics for you to study."
"I believe it will suit you perfectly!"
"Youths, do your best! Under the leadership of me, the Elite Tutor of Konoha, the wise, brilliant, and extraordinary Special Jonin Ebisu, you all have an incredibly bright future!"