Konoha Notes

Chapter 16 Assessment
Three days later, at noon.

Konoha's Third Training Ground. Under the blazing sun, the flat yellow earth was baked to a scorching heat. The air distorted and steamed under the high temperature, and the cicadas' desperate chirping added to the oppressive heat.

Shuji arrived on time. He was dressed in a standard dark green ninja uniform, his headband neatly trimmed. In the center of the empty training ground, two figures already stood silently.

Both were dressed in the standard dark gray stand-up collar uniforms of the Dark Guard, and their faces were covered with expressionless animal masks, which isolated their identities and emotions.

One of them was tall, with a slightly languid posture, and a few strands of silver-white hair stubbornly peeked out from the edge of the mask, standing out conspicuously in the sunlight.

The other person was slightly thinner and seemed to be a year or two younger than Xiu Si. He stood straight, like a javelin, and remained silent as if he were part of the background.

"Special Jonin Promotion Examination, candidate: Shuuji." The tall, silver-haired Anbu spoke, his voice coming through the mask, deliberately flat, but the unique, slightly drawn-out tone still revealed a hint of familiarity.

"The two of us will be responsible for the evaluation. The assessment will include: demonstrating your mastery of ninjutsu. The evaluation criteria will be: power, control, efficiency, and combat responsiveness."

His gaze, peering through the eye holes of the mask, landed on Shuji.

"Start when you're ready."

There were no unnecessary pleasantries; the style of the darker areas was simple and direct.

As soon as he finished speaking, the silver-haired member of the Dark Division blurred without warning!
Shuji's pupils contracted sharply, and his body shifted to the right.

"Zi la——!"

A blinding blue bolt of lightning tore through the air where he had just stood, leaving behind charred marks and a pungent smell of ozone.

The silver-haired ANBU appeared there, his right hand wrapped in leaping lightning—Lightning Release: Lightning Blade! Although the power was clearly restrained, the speed and fierce killing intent that burst forth in an instant demonstrated the oppressive power of an elite ANBU.

"Combat reaction is acceptable." The flat voice came from behind the mask, but the offensive did not stop. His left hand quickly formed hand seals, "Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!" A huge, blazing fireball roared out, blocking Shuji's escape space.

Shuji's eyes were focused, and his hands formed hand seals like a butterfly flitting among flowers.

"Water Release: Water Wall!" A thick, solid water wall rose from the ground, precisely intercepting the fireball.

"Hiss—!" A violent burst of water vapor erupted, and a thick white fog instantly spread out, obscuring a large area of ​​vision.

Using the water mist as cover, Xiu Si retreated swiftly, while simultaneously changing the hand seals.

"Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!" A violent gale suddenly erupted from him, not only quickly dispersing the thick fog, but also sweeping towards the silver-haired ANBU with a sharp whistling sound, attempting to disrupt his rhythm.

The silver-haired member of the Dark Guard moved swiftly, weaving through the gale like a ghost, his movements so fluid it seemed he could foresee the wind pressure's trajectory.

He formed hand seals again, "Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!" A solid earthen wall instantly rose up, blocking the direct impact of the fierce wind.

However, the moment the earthen wall rose, several sharp, knife-like wind blades attacked from the side blind spots!

"Tsk." A very soft click of the tongue came from behind the mask. The silver-haired ANBU twisted his body at an almost impossible angle, narrowly avoiding the wind blade, the hem of his robe being silently torn.

"Wind Release control, excellent," he commented.

Just then, another member of the ANBU, who had been standing quietly by watching, made a move.

He quickly clasped his hands together in front of his chest, chakra surging, his movements carrying a rigid precision.

"Wood Release: The Technique of Silent Killing and Binding!"

Several tough vines, like venomous snakes awakened from their slumber, burst forth from the ground beneath Xiu Si's feet without warning and swiftly coiled around his ankles!
Xiuji felt a chill in his heart. Wood escape! Yamato?

"Earth Release: Rock Collapse!" Centered on his feet, the hard ground instantly cracked and collapsed, forming a shallow pit.

The vines sprouting from the ground were hindered and compressed by the crumbling rocks, their binding force momentarily halted. Taking advantage of this brief opening, Shuji leaped into the air, his hands already forming hand seals. "Lightning Release: Earth Walk!" Leaping blue arcs of electricity, like a spiderweb, rapidly spread along the cracked ground, their target the short ANBU member who had just finished casting the spell!
The short ANBU remained completely calm, his hands clasped together in front of his chest once more, his movements as steady as a machine. "Wood Release: Wood Wall!" A row of thick, perfectly curved wooden pillars instantly arched up from the ground, protecting him completely. Lightning crackled and struck the dark brown wooden wall, leaving scorched marks, but it failed to budge it in the slightest.

The silver-haired operative silently approached from the flank, his kunai wreath wreathed with fine, chilling lightning, like the fangs of a venomous snake.

The kunai, accompanied by a piercing shriek, pierced straight at Shuuji's vulnerable ribs.

Xiu Si was in mid-air with nowhere to lean on, but he remained calm and quickly formed two hand seals.

Wind Release: Gust

A powerful gust of air erupted, and the reaction force pushed Shuji to the other side.

Xiu Si landed, slightly out of breath, with sweat beading on his forehead.

The silver-haired dark figure also landed.

"Skilled in practical application of ninjutsu. Chakra reserves... plentiful." He gave an objective assessment. Based on the level Shuuji displayed, his qualification as a Special Jonin was beyond doubt.

However, the assessment was not over.

The short, silent ANBU member stepped forward, his mask's empty eye sockets locking onto Shuji, and his hands once again formed a mudra in front of his chest. "Wood Release: Descent of the Sea of ​​Trees!"

Rumble!
The earth trembled violently! Countless thick, gnarled tree roots, like ancient pythons awakening, surged forth from the ground, growing and spreading wildly! The once spacious training ground was instantly covered by a rapidly expanding miniature forest brimming with primal vitality! The verdant branches swayed in the sunlight, yet exuded a chilling force of restraint and compression, converging and strangling Xiu Si from all directions!

The silver-haired operative took a few steps back, his gaze beneath the mask fixed intently on the scene.

Faced with such a display of power, Shuji took a deep breath, created a shadow clone, and simultaneously refined and transformed his chakra at an unprecedented speed! His main body formed hand seals so fast that they left afterimages!

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet!" A crimson fire dragon, of moderate size yet incredibly condensed and radiating terrifying heat, roared as it spewed from his mouth, igniting the trees.

At the same time, the shadow clone formed hand seals, and a powerful airflow surged forth.

The wind helps the fire!

boom--! ! !
The crimson fire dragon, infused with the extreme power of the gale, suddenly expanded several times in size! The intense heat of the flames soared to its limit, its color changing from crimson to a blinding incandescence.

A raging, incomparably powerful fiery wind dragon roared as it charged headlong toward the right flank of the forest, where regeneration was relatively slow and the structure was somewhat weak!

Boom, boom! ! !

A deafening explosion shattered the silence of the training ground.

Wherever the incandescent flames of the wind dragon passed, the incomparably tough wood-elemental branches were easily torn apart, burned, and turned into ashes and sparks scattered all over the sky, just like rotten wood and withered grass!
A charred, scorching passage, filled with pungent smoke and terrifying heat, forcefully pierced through this vibrant yet deadly forest prison!

Shuji's figure followed closely behind the trail of the blazing wind dragon, shooting out of the scorching hellish passage and landing steadily on the cleared, scorched earth that exuded a burnt smell.

He was slightly out of breath, his ninja suit was charred and curled in many places by the high temperature, and his face was covered with soot. His calm eyes were fixed on the two ANBU in front of him through the rising heat.

The training ground was a complete mess.

The tiny yet terrifying sea of ​​trees was forcibly torn open with a huge, charred gash whose edges were still burning.

The broken, burning branches crackled and popped, and the acrid smell filled the scorching air. The flames gradually died down, leaving only wisps of twisted smoke and a mess of charred remains.

The silver-haired operative stared at the passage torn open by brute force, and at the figure standing at the end of the passage.

"Ninjutsu coordination...timing, power, control, excellent." He put away the kunai wrapped in lightning, his voice returning to its deliberately flat tone through the mask, "Assessment complete. Special Jonin qualification confirmed."

(End of this chapter)