Gento swept his gaze across the faces of the three.
"For the next few days, you will undergo special training first, and I will personally instruct you in some basic combat techniques and team coordination."
"In five days, you will set off for the Land of Ogres to complete an S-rank mission."
"S-rank?!"
The three girls exclaimed in unison.
Sakura widened her eyes, her mouth forming an O shape.
Hinata turned pale, her fingers twisting the corner of her clothes.
"Teacher..."
"We... we are just Genin... isn't an S-rank mission a bit too..."
"Yeah, Teacher!"
Ino quickly chimed in.
"We just graduated and have barely even done a few C-rank missions. An S-rank mission is way too dangerous!"
Sakura's expression shifted slightly.
"We must be going to handle chores, and the one who will actually fight is you, Teacher, right?"
Hearing this, Gento slowly shook his head.
"No, this mission is entirely for your training."
"Furthermore, I have other matters to attend to, so I won't be accompanying you."
"What?!"
The faces of the three girls changed.
Ino's smile froze on her face.
"Teacher... you... do you mean..."
"To let the three of us, as Genin, execute an S-rank mission all on our own?"
"You are not just three Genin, you are my disciples."
"Besides, I will put you through special training these next few days."
"As long as you study diligently during this time, I believe you will definitely be able to complete the mission."
The three girls exchanged looks, their eyes filled with anxiety, yet also a trace of excitement from having such high expectations placed upon them.
"Go back and rest, tomorrow's special training will be very tough."
Gento waved his hand.
The three stood up, bowed, and withdrew from the study.
...
For the next five days, the master and his three disciples were inseparable.
Every morning before dawn, the sounds of their training would echo across the training ground.
Gento taught Ino the ninjutsu "Yin Release: Mind Rift Gate".
The Yamanaka clan was naturally adept at spiritual secret techniques.
Although Ino did not possess the Sharingan, the activation mechanism of the Yamanaka clan's secret techniques was remarkably similar to the genjutsu of the Sharingan.
Both could exert mental influence on opponents from a distance.
Furthermore, Ino's talent was high; although she was drenched in sweat after every execution, her progress was rapid.
He also taught Sakura the medical ninjutsu "Yin Healing: Chakra Pierce".
Even though Gento often used this ninjutsu to bully his women, it was actually quite powerful.
Not only could it heal, but it could also block the enemy's chakra points in battle.
Sakura had precise chakra control and picked it up very quickly, but the strength and angle of her finger strikes still needed repeated refinement.
Gento took out an A-rank Ninjutsu Creation Card he had saved up earlier and infused it with chakra.
The card transformed into a stream of light and merged into his palm, and a new ninjutsu was born out of thin air.
Wind Release: Vacuum Bullet.
A shinobi could condense a chakra bow and arrow in their hands to shoot at enemies from a long distance.
Combined with Hinata's Byakugan, it could achieve ultra-long-range sniping.
"Hinata, this technique is tailor-made for you."
"The Byakugan offers a 360-degree field of vision and can see targets several kilometers away. Rather than engaging in close-quarters combat with the Gentle Fist, it is better to play to your strengths and become a long-range sniper."
Hinata nodded with a blushing face and earnestly followed Gento's instruction.
After that, whenever they encountered a bottleneck, Gento would provide them with hands-on guidance.
Gento would stand behind Ino, holding her hand to correct her hand-seal sequence.
Sometimes, he would help Sakura locate the precise chakra points.
Sometimes, he would squat beside Hinata, teaching her shooting techniques.
The three girls trained exceptionally hard.
They knew in their hearts that without their teacher protecting them on the upcoming mission, they could only rely on themselves.
...
Five days later, the special training came to an end.
On the training ground, the three girls stood in a line.
Gento stood opposite them and said:
"You are about to officially begin your mission. Now, show me what you have learned."
Ino was the first to step forward.
She closed her eyes and focused her mind, forming hand seals.
A moment later, she suddenly opened her eyes.
Invisible spiritual energy rippled outward, eventually striking a passing stray cat.
The stray cat's originally lively eyes instantly became vacant under the influence of the ninjutsu.
As Ino exerted her influence, the stray cat could only submit to her control.
A minute later, Ino released the genjutsu.
She took two steps back, panting heavily, but her eyes were filled with excitement.
Sakura followed right after.
She walked quickly over to a wooden training dummy.
Condensing chakra at her fingertips, she rapidly struck the dummy's body.
By the time she withdrew her hands and stood still, all the chakra points on the dummy's body had been struck.
Hinata was the last to step up.
She raised her right hand, and chakra condensed in her palm, transforming into a pale blue bow.
She drew the bow, aimed, and released.
A cyan chakra arrow shot through the air, accurately hitting the distant bullseye.
The arrow sank into the bullseye, leaving a fist-sized hole behind.
Looking at the results of the three girls' special training, Gento nodded and encouraged them:
"Not bad."
"Although you are still a bit unpolished, you have successfully mastered the basics."
"Remember, in actual combat, enemies won't stand still and let you hit them. You must learn to perform techniques while moving and remain calm under pressure."
He handed the mission scroll to Ino:
"Set off. I'm leaving this S-rank mission in your hands."
Ino took the scroll, bowed deeply, and then turned to leave with Sakura and Hinata.
With anxious hearts, the three of them left Hidden Gento Village and headed toward the Land of Ogres.
...
Several days later.
The three arrived in the Land of Ogres.
The Land of Ogres was a country shrouded in ancient legends.
Legend had it that hundreds of years ago, the demon Moryo awoke from the underworld, devouring the living beings of the earth.
The priestess of the Land of Ogres sealed it inside an underground temple at the cost of her life.
Since then, successive priestesses had inherited the duty of the seal, protecting this land generation after generation.
However, as time passed, the seal grew increasingly weak, and Moryo's power began to leak.
The priestess of this generation, Shion, possessed the ability to predict the deaths of others.
Her predictions had never failed, which caused the populace to both revere and shun her.
She lived alone deep inside the temple, with Taruho as her sole guard.
When Ino, Sakura, and Hinata climbed the long stone steps and stepped into the main hall of the temple, this was the girl they saw.
Shion sat kneeling in the exact center, dressed in a white kimono and red hakama, her expression cold and aloof.
Her eyes were deep purple, dark and profound, as if they could see through everything in the world.
Seeing the three of them enter, her gaze swept across them and quickly landed on Hinata.
A purple light flickered in her pupils.
Clearly, she was activating her ability to foresee the future.
A moment later, she said to Hinata in a cold tone:
"I have seen your future."
Hinata's heart skipped a beat.
"In the future, you will marry your teacher and give birth to his child!"
Ino and Sakura turned to look at Hinata at the same time, their mouths forming O shapes.
Hinata's whole face turned as red as a tomato in a blink, burning all the way from her neck to her ears.
She waved her hands in a panic:
"I... I... how could that..."
---
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