Naruto: Starting with Creating a Genius Persona

Chapter 102 He still has to thank us (5/16)

Twenty minutes later, in the Hokage's office.

After a rapid knocking, the Chunin who had been in charge of on-site coordination earlier strode in, his face covered in sweat and his expression tense, and immediately bowed to report.

"Lost again?" The Third Hokage had a premonition when he saw the other's expression, but he still asked.

"Yes, yes, Hokage! Even Jonin Kono was defeated!" The Chunin's voice was filled with disbelief.

"Tell me in detail, what happened?" The Third Hokage leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming completely serious.

Kono Ayumu is not a newly promoted special jonin like Gekko Arashi; she is a genuine jonin who has experienced the trials of war!

"Yes!" The Chunin swallowed hard and described in a rapid-fire manner: "After arriving, Jonin Kono was very cautious. He judged that Mr. Isshin's physical strength was exceptionally strong, so he did not choose to engage in close combat. Instead, he took the initiative to create distance and attempted to use Wind Release ninjutsu to probe and suppress the enemy from a mid-range distance."

"A very reasonable tactic." The Third Hokage nodded.

"But that's the problem!" A look of lingering fear and confusion crossed the Chunin's face: "That client, Mr. Isshin... he... he didn't make any move to dodge or defend against Kono Jonin's Wind Release ninjutsu! He just charged straight at it, taking the full force of the attack!"

"Um?"

"Yes, Third Hokage, he's charging at us! He's incredibly fast! The wind jutsu hit him, but aside from tearing his clothes, it seems...it seems like it didn't cause any obvious damage!" The Chunin's voice grew increasingly urgent. "Jonin Kono had clearly never encountered such an illogical fighting style before. Plus, the client actually took his ninjutsu head-on, which made him worried about the client's safety. His rhythm was disrupted, and he was caught off guard for a moment. In that instant, the opponent closed in on him!"

"Upon closing in, Mr. Isshin's sword strikes were too fierce, too fast, and his strength was unbelievably great. Kono Jonin's swordsmanship struggled to parry, and he was forced to retreat several times after each clash. He could only rely on his rich experience and agility to barely maneuver and look for an opportunity, but... but in one of the clashes, Kono Jonin was forced back a few steps and was trying to regain his stance..."

The chunin's voice trailed off, his expression turning extremely strange, a mixture of absurdity and something else entirely.

"But what?" the Third Hokage pressed. "But... Mr. Isshin fired his gun."

"Oh? So the shooting created the decisive opening... Wait a minute!"

Hiruzen Sarutobi continued the conversation, then suddenly realized what he'd said, his eyes widening and nearly dropping his pipe: "What did you say?! Why did you fire?!"

"Yes, Third Hokage, this Isshin-san fired a shot." The Chunin repeated with a mournful face, confirming the fact and adding the absurd detail: "With a strangely shaped firearm, like a large-caliber short-barreled weapon."

Rewind ten minutes to the third training ground.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Seven rapid, almost intermittent explosions tore through the air, drowning out all the exclamations!

The strong smell of gunpowder instantly filled the air.

Kono Ayumu, already struggling and on high alert due to Isshin's relentless and unreasonable charges and relentless close-quarters sword attacks, did indeed experience a momentary mental blank when the menacing short-barreled musket suddenly appeared in his opponent's left hand.

He had envisioned this battle, one that would feature swords, spears, broadswords, and even kunai, shuriken, and senbon needles.

Even various unusual weapons.

But firearms?

This kind of rigid long-range weapon, which was proven to be far less efficient than explosive tags and ninjutsu during the Fourth Shinobi World War and was already looked down upon by ninjas and even samurai, is a dead-end weapon.

This completely exceeded the combat common sense and expectations of Kono Ayumu, and even all the onlookers present!

It was that fatal moment of blankness and shock that caused him to miss the best opportunity to use the Body Flicker Technique to dodge.

What kind of firearm is this? The bullets are so fast!?

Kono, the Jonin, was horrified. In the nick of time, relying on his superb combat instincts, he made a blocking motion, but...

"Puff puff puff".

Several clusters of blood suddenly exploded on Kono Ayumu's shoulders, arms, and thighs!

Although it wasn't a vital organ, the sudden, intense pain and impact completely disrupted his balance and chakra flow.

"Ugh!" Kono Ayumu groaned, her movements inevitably becoming distorted and sluggish.

Isshin, this guy who showed absolutely no samurai spirit in battle, seemed to have been waiting for this moment.

The katana in his right hand transformed into a sharp, cold light, and he charged forward with the momentum!

With its broad blade and immense force, it slammed solidly into Kono Ayumu's chest and abdomen!

"Bang!"

A dull, loud bang.

Kono Ayumu was struck as if by a giant battering ram. Her feet left the ground, and she flew backward for more than ten meters before landing heavily. She tumbled several times before barely coming to a stop.

He struggled to get up, but the excruciating pain in his chest and abdomen and the wounds caused by the musket pellets made it impossible for him to muster any strength. He could only stare at the tall figure standing in the arena with a pained and unwilling look in his eyes.

A brief, vacuum-like silence fell over the entire room.

It was as if everyone's voices had been sucked away by those gunshots and the subsequent heavy blows.

But the next second, an even louder roar and anger erupted like a volcano!

"mean!!"

"Shameless scoundrel! What kind of competition is this?!"

"You used a musket?! This is a sneak attack!"

"A disgrace to the samurai! Utterly devoid of honor!"

"No martial ethics! Get out of Konoha!"

Roars, curses, and scornful boos surged towards Yixin from all directions.

Many of the older Konoha ninja were alright, but the younger, hot-blooded ones blushed, as if they had been greatly insulted.

How can a samurai like you use a musket?

Didn't you see that the ninjas of Konoha are respecting your status as a samurai and trying their best to compete with you using swordsmanship?

Meanwhile, Shinichi Higashino had already silently passed through the angry crowd and arrived at Ayumu Kono's side.

He crouched down, his face showing just the right amount of solemnity and concern. His hands quickly covered with soft green medical chakra light as he skillfully began to treat Kono's wounds, stopping the bleeding, relieving pain, and carefully guiding the shallowly embedded bullet out with the delicate techniques of a chakra scalpel.

This injury only looks exaggerated. After Shinichi's treatment, he should be able to move around normally in about ten days to two weeks, and there will be no lasting effects.

"Thanks, Shinichi."

Kono Ayumu was panting heavily, her face pale, her voice filled with frustration and bitterness: "It's a pity... I've disgraced the village."

Shinichi kept moving his hands, but his expression was somewhat subtle.

He seemed to want to say something but hesitated to choose his words, finally only saying in a low voice, "Senior, you are too kind. You have done your best to deal with it, and your tactical choices were not wrong. It's just that no one could have imagined that he, a samurai from the Land of Iron, famous for his swordsmanship, would use such an unconventional method as fire magic in such a public competition..." Shinichi paused, seemingly unable to find a completely appropriate adjective: "unconventional methods."

"That's despicable!" Shizune trotted over and squatted down next to Shinichi, glaring angrily at Kono Jonin's wounds, then at Isshin, who looked completely indifferent. "His swordsmanship is so amazing, why did he have to use something like this? This isn't a fair fight at all!"

Kurenai Yuhi also approached, her crimson eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, confusion, and a hint of bewilderment at the shock to her worldview: "This...this is truly...I've never heard of such a fighting style before. A samurai's duel shouldn't be like this..."

'