Two and a half years later, Konoha's Fourth Training Ground.
Bang, bang, bang!
Rapid, solid sounds of fists and kicks colliding rang out in quick succession. In the field, two figures crossed at extreme speed—separating, colliding again—each movement clean and decisive, the force of their exchanges whipping up fine dust from the ground.
One of them was dark-skinned and powerfully built, his attacks fierce and heavy—this was Ishizuka Ryū. The other was lean and steady, responding with strict, disciplined form; naturally, this was Higashino Shinichi.
"This kid's physique really is something else."
Outside the field, a middle-aged man with a short, stocky build, wearing round dark sunglasses and giving off a somewhat comical impression, stroked his chin as he pondered quietly.
He was Old Master Chen, acclaimed as Konoha's strongest taijutsu ninja, known by the nickname Konoha's Dragon God.
In the field, Ryū's offensive grew increasingly ferocious, seemingly trying to overwhelm with sheer power. Yet Shinichi's responses remained orderly and composed. His defense was airtight, and whenever he seized an opening, his counterattacks were precise and effective, forcing Ryū to pull back on the defensive.
"Mm… it's about time to wrap this up. The kid's about to get serious."
Old Master Chen keenly sensed the subtle change in Shinichi's aura and rhythm.
Sure enough, the next moment—
At the instant Shinichi deflected one of Ryū's heavy punches, his footing slid in a strange manner as he cut into the opponent's centerline, which had momentarily stiffened from exertion. His right hand shifted from palm to fingers, and in a flash, he lightly tapped a certain spot on Ryū's chest and abdomen.
Ryū let out a muffled grunt, feeling his breath suddenly go awry. The strength he had gathered instantly collapsed, and his footing became unstable.
Shinichi did not miss this opportunity. He followed up with a concise sweeping kick.
Bang!
Ryū's solid body lost its balance and fell flat on his back, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Cough… haha!"
Lying on the ground, Ryū took a couple of breaths and then laughed, without the slightest hint of frustration.
"Shinichi, you're still just as strong! That move just now—I thought I could at least force you back!"
A smile also appeared on Shinichi's face, his breathing calm and even. He stepped forward and extended a hand toward Ryū on the ground.
"You've improved a lot, Ryū."
Ryū grinned, grabbed Shinichi's hand, and used the momentum to spring up. He vigorously patted the dust off his body, his eyes still burning with fighting spirit.
"Next time! After school starts in a few days, let's keep going—"
"Maybe… there won't be time, Ryū."
Shinichi, however, gently shook his head.
"No time?"
Ryū froze, not quite processing it.
"You brat—are you planning to apply for early graduation?"
A slightly hoarse yet powerful voice came from the side. Wearing sunglasses, Old Master Chen had, at some point, already walked a few steps closer. With his arms crossed over his chest, the gaze behind his sunglasses seemed to settle on Shinichi.
Shinichi turned toward Old Master Chen and gave a respectful, slight bow. "Yes, Chen-sensei. That is exactly what I intend."
These past years of close interaction with Ryū had indeed produced the effect Shinichi had expected.
Roughly a little over a year ago, during a sparring session between him and Ryū at the training ground, Old Master Chen, who happened to be passing by, saw it.
After that, this taijutsu expert of Konoha seemed to take notice of him. From time to time, after watching a match, he would offer a few comments that sounded casual, pointing out subtle flaws in Shinichi's power generation or footwork.
Gradually, the frequency of this guidance increased, and the content grew deeper and deeper—he even taught him some taijutsu moves.
Although Old Master Chen had never explicitly said the words "take you as a disciple," what he imparted had long surpassed the scope of an ordinary senior guiding a junior.
Shinichi understood this perfectly well, and he had always treated him with the courtesy due a disciple—respectful and sincere in attitude.
"That makes sense." Old Master Chen nodded. His tone was flat, yet carried the certainty of someone who had been through it. "At your current level, staying in the ninja academy really won't teach you anything new anymore. It might even limit your growth. Getting out earlier to see real missions and temper yourself through actual combat will be better for you."
"Shinichi, you're going to graduate early?" Only now did Ryū fully understand. His eyes lit up, and a surge of hot blood rushed to his head. "Then I want to as well! We'll do it toget—"
"Early graduate my ass!" Old Master Chen cut him off without courtesy. He stepped forward, raised his hand, and gave Ryū a solid flick on the forehead, scolding, "You're still far from done training, and you're already thinking about graduating?"
"Ow!" Ryū clutched his head and complained aggrievedly. "But Might Guy from the class next door—didn't he graduate early a year ago? Back then his taijutsu… I think it wasn't even as good as mine!"
"At least Might Guy can use ninjutsu! Can you?" Old Master Chen shot him an annoyed glare. "The graduation exam absolutely tests basic ninjutsu application—especially the Three Techniques! You can't even produce the most basic Clone Technique. What are you going to take the exam with? Go up there and show off your muscles?"
Old Master Chen's words hit the nail on the head. Guy did specialize in taijutsu, but he was not completely unable to use ninjutsu.
Ryū's situation, however, was more special. He was just like Guy's father, Might Duy, and that later hardworking genius, Rock Lee, in that he had an inborn obstacle in chakra shape and nature transformation, making him almost unable to perform any conventional ninjutsu at all.
The reason Ryū was later still able to become a ninja was most likely because Konoha's upper leadership, out of regard for Old Master Chen—Konoha's Dragon God and a top-tier taijutsu jōnin—and his personal guarantee, handled the matter as a special exception. But that was all a story for later.
"Huh? Th-then… doesn't that mean I'll never be able to graduate?"
Having the cruel reality pointed out so mercilessly by his teacher, Ryū felt as if he had been struck by lightning. The excitement from moments ago was instantly doused, leaving him with a sense of utter bleakness about the future.
"We'll think of a solution when the time comes!" Old Master Chen rolled his eyes. "In any case, for now, you'd better kill the idea of early graduation. Honestly lay a firmer foundation and train your body to be stronger!"
"Chen-sensei is right, Ryū." Shinichi also spoke up to comfort him, his tone sincere. "For a taijutsu-type ninja, the foundation lies in physical conditioning. You're at the golden age for building fundamentals and growing. Spend more time making your body sturdier—this way, even if you only know taijutsu, the situations and environments you can handle as a ninja in the future will be far broader."
"…Got it."
"Hey, kid." Old Master Chen turned his attention back to Shinichi, his tone uncharacteristically carrying a hint of earnest gravity. "I know you're a genuine genius—outstanding in strength. At your current level, even if you graduated now, among the lower and mid-tier genin you'd absolutely be at the very top."
He paused, his voice growing heavier. "But you must remember this: in the ninja profession, strength and talent alone are far from enough. Missions change endlessly, enemies are full of tricks, and carelessness or complacency is often the fastest path to a gravestone. The outside world is hundreds, even thousands of times more cruel than the academy's classrooms and training grounds. Stay vigilant at all times. Never underestimate any opponent, and never overestimate your own luck. Do you understand?"
Shinichi's expression turned solemn. Meeting Old Master Chen's gaze, he nodded firmly. "I understand, Chen-sensei. Thank you for your guidance. I will keep it firmly in mind."
"Mm." Seeing his proper attitude, Old Master Chen's expression eased slightly. He nodded, then fell silent for a moment as if making some decision, before speaking again. "Focus on staying alive. When the day comes that you're promoted to chūnin… at that time, I'll teach you a new taijutsu technique."
A new taijutsu?
Shinichi's heart stirred. Over the past year or so of studying under Old Master Chen, he had already mastered a large number of the exquisite techniques of Konoha's Strong Fist style.
Konoha's Dragon God, huh?
He suppressed the ripples in his heart and bowed respectfully once more. "Yes, I understand, Chen-sensei. I will work hard."
Old Master Chen said nothing more. He simply waved his hand, signaling that they could continue training or disperse, then turned around and strolled leisurely toward the outside of the training ground.
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