"Want to know why? Maybe because you're weak?" Satoru said it on purpose.
"We're not weak! Teacher Satoru, you know our strengths—how could we be weak?" Ebisu immediately objected.
"Yeah! Teacher Satoru, two years have passed, and our powers have grown a lot! The flame of youth burns even brighter!" Might Guy exclaimed.
"Teacher, if you want to test our skills, just say so," Shiranui Genma was quite perceptive and immediately grasped Satoru's intent.
"Ha-ha!"
"Two years have passed. Your powers grew, but so did mine. Instead of me saying I want to test your skills, how about you test mine? What do you think?" Satoru smiled at the three genin.
They exchanged glances, then looked at Satoru and said, "Then be careful, Teacher."
Since the three had been working together for a while, they naturally had good teamwork.
Might Guy charged straight at Satoru, using taijutsu for a frontal assault.
Shiranui Genma immediately attacked Satoru with his senbon.
As for Ebisu, he used shadow clones while occasionally throwing kunai and shuriken to distract.
Though their three fighting styles were completely different, they barely managed some semblance of teamwork.
But Satoru just shook his head.
"And this is your power and teamwork? Two years passed—where's your progress?" Without a word, Satoru extended one finger and flicked Might Guy away. Then he hurled a chakra shuriken. It quickly knocked away all of Ebisu's shuriken and nearly hit Ebisu himself.
Of course, Satoru didn't miss; he just showed mercy.
Satoru's supreme shuriken-throwing skill shocked Ebisu to his core. Using the Body Flicker Technique, Satoru instantly closed in and took Ebisu out with one finger.
As for Shiranui Genma, Satoru simply hit him with the Bringer-of-Darkness Technique. One genjutsu completely blinded Genma. He had no chance to dispel the illusion because Satoru's attacks gave him no respite. In the end, Genma was sent flying with one finger from Satoru.
Using just one finger, Satoru defeated three future Konoha jonin.
"Teacher Satoru! You're incredibly strong!"
"We're no match for you at all!"
"Yeah, Teacher Satoru, you're terrifyingly strong—we can't possibly oppose you."
Satoru shook his head at the three genin and said, "You think you lost because of the power gap? No. You lost because seeing the huge difference in combat power, you gave up inside. Am I right?"
"No matter how strong the enemy is, you need to try analyzing their weaknesses," Satoru currently had one big weakness: too many techniques. Sometimes he didn't know which to use. Satoru hadn't fully mastered his own abilities yet. If someone who knew him well fought him, they'd spot it immediately.
"Teacher, you're right, but we can't see your weaknesses," the three chorused.
"No weaknesses? Create them for the enemy," Satoru added, "Think about it—I just beat you with one finger. That means my close-combat skills are very strong. What about you? Did you try fighting at range?"
"Might Guy, you're a taijutsu master. But besides taijutsu, you need to at least improve your shuriken and kunai throwing. Even without ninjutsu, you can control distant enemies with thrown weapons. If you only use close range, you'll have it rough in the future," Satoru spoke the truth. Might Guy's taijutsu was very strong, but he couldn't open the Eight Gates against every foe. To hit at range, he had to close in first, then attack. That was a vulnerability.
"Shiranui Genma, senbon are your weapon. So you're more ranged-focused. Then tell me, in the last fight, did you restrict my movements? Your techniques lack power. Any decent ninja can dodge them," Satoru summed up.
"As for Ebisu, your shuriken accuracy is great, but lacks impact. One of my chakra shuriken destroyed everything you threw."
In summary, Satoru told the three, "Guy, you're a taijutsu master. But the rest of you will have to fight close-range eventually too. So you all need taijutsu training. Plus shuriken throwing—you three must train hard to surpass a normal jonin at least. Otherwise, no future beyond chunin or special jonin."
"Also, Ebisu and Genma, I'll handle your ninjutsu training too. I'll teach you some powerful techniques! As for genjutsu, all three of you! Learn to dispel it at minimum. Otherwise, you can't even touch the enemy before falling, right?" Satoru had sparred a bit with his subordinates and pinpointed their weaknesses and growth paths.
The three were already full of admiration for Satoru. After all, their previous jonin-mentor wasn't as strong as him.
Satoru suddenly remembered something and asked, "I taught you tree-climbing and water-walking before. You must have mastered them by now?"
"Mastered!" Ebisu and Genma answered.
"No!" Might Guy replied.
Satoru pretended to get angry right away. "Then master it fast! Those who have—come with me to train shuriken throwing!"
The day flew by. Satoru did D-rank missions with the three. Besides missions, they all trained.
Satoru made Might Guy quickly master everything a ninja—even a jonin—should know besides taijutsu.
For the other two, Satoru guided them diligently too.
"Bloodline and such ties to talent, sure, but no direct link. The Uchiha Clan has Sharingan, but many Uchihas never awaken it before death. Same for the Hyuga Clan. Everyone has what suits them. Like you, Ebisu—you're stronger than others at shuriken and kunai throwing; your foundation is solid."
Satoru earnestly convinced Ebisu, and the boy's mindset started changing fast.
"But Ebisu, could you beat Might Guy one-on-one? No, right? He'd wear you down with taijutsu. That's why I say I want to make you stronger—not master every technique or whatever."
"I want you all to focus on your strengths. Only then can you truly realize yourselves, right?"
Satoru looked sincerely at his subordinates.
"Yes! We'll do our best!" In that time, the three genin's power surged, and their respect for Satoru grew even more.
***
Read the story months ahead of the public release — early chapters are available on my Patreon: Granulan