Naruto and Sakura had already introduced themselves.
Now it was finally Sasuke's turn.
Kakashi looked at Sasuke, who had been trying to look cool the whole time. "So, it's your turn last."
"My name is Sasuke Uchiha... There's a lot I hate, but if I had to name the people I despise most, it'd be Shindai and Naruto!"
Naruto looked deeply hurt. "What do you mean by that?! We're supposed to be best friends!"
Upon hearing Naruto say 'best friends', Sasuke became furious beyond measure. "Best friends? Do you two even realize how much pain you've put me through?!"
Naruto scratched his head, puzzled. "Really? Shindai-nii and I were just worried you might get lonely, so we always came to hang out with you."
Sasuke argued back, "Worried I'd be lonely? You two were simply bored with nothing better to do! Shindai only used me for entertainment, while you, you idiot, just followed him around like a lost puppy! We were never best friends!"
An angry Naruto immediately exploded, "Sasuke! That's way too harsh!"
Sasuke smirked coldly. "Harsh? What you two did to me makes this seem like nothing!"
Kakashi sighed helplessly. Shindai… what exactly did you do to break Sasuke like this?
Kakashi stopped Naruto from responding further. "Sasuke, continue please."
Ignoring Naruto's loud protests, Sasuke continued, "I love training with my older brother. There's nothing better than the feeling of getting stronger. As for my dream, it's to surpass my older brother, defeat him, and also... defeat that guy Shindai!"
Deep down, Sasuke truly wanted to beat Itachi.
Having an extremely talented older brother was actually quite burdensome.
No matter how excellent Sasuke's performance was, compared to Itachi, he would always appear very ordinary.
And Fugaku Uchiha was the type of strict father who constantly compared his sons. This made Sasuke feel very upset and uncomfortable inside.
Although he didn't hate Itachi because of this, still loving his older brother dearly, deep within his heart Sasuke longed to prove himself—prove that he could become stronger than Itachi.
As for Shindai... he simply wanted revenge.
"Good! All three of you have interesting personalities."
"Starting tomorrow, we'll begin actual missions. But before that, let's start with a mission only we can accomplish—a survival exercise. This won't be just another routine training exercise. If you fail, you'll be sent back to the Ninja Academy for retraining."
By the time Kakashi finished speaking, his entire aura had turned ominously dark.
Sakura couldn't believe her ears, asking in disbelief, "Then why hold a graduation exam at all?"
"That was only a test to weed out those who might qualify to become Genin. Whether you truly qualify as Genin will be decided by me. Tomorrow, on the training ground, I'll decide whether you pass or fail. Don't forget to bring all your ninja gear—your lives may depend on it."
After saying that, Kakashi used the Shifting Body Technique and vanished from the spot.
Sakura felt extremely worried. She glanced at Naruto and Sasuke, but neither of them seemed concerned.
Confused, Sakura asked, "Naruto, Sasuke, aren't you two worried about failing the exercise?"
Naruto smiled as he replied, "No need to worry too much. Kakashi-nii... Sensei wouldn't give us an exercise that's absolutely impossible to complete, right? I believe as long as we perform to our full potential, we'll definitely succeed!"
Sasuke, unusually not arguing with Naruto this time, chimed in, "That's right. Instead of worrying whether we'll pass tomorrow's exercise, we should focus on preparing properly."
Sasuke stood up and looked at Naruto and Sakura as he said, "You two better not hold me back!"
Then Sasuke left the rooftop terrace.
Naruto immediately chased after him, shouting, "No, that line should be mine! You're the one who shouldn't slow me down, Sasuke!"
Watching the retreating figures of Naruto and Sasuke, Sakura felt strangely unsettled. Why did she feel like a third wheel?
...
In the laboratory within the Scientific Research Division.
Shindai wasn't the only one present; Pakura and Hikaku Uchiha were here too.
"Hinata," Shindai began, "from now on, the three of us will be your mentors. Regarding your training, I've already thought it through. Your talent is definitely nothing to scoff at. What needs to be prioritized now is improving your overall strength. So for now, don't obsess over practicing Gentle Fist techniques every single day. As they say, 'Nothing in the World Is Too Difficult, If You're Willing to Give Up.'"
Hinata gave Shindai a suspicious look.
Nothing in the World Is Too Difficult, If You're Willing to Give Up?
Was this really something a mentor should say?
Shindai emphasized, "Of course, I'm not telling you to stop training altogether. Since the path you're currently taking feels difficult, why not try other approaches? Don't lock yourself in one method day after day. Perhaps another route will suit you better, and maybe through different methods, you'll gain deeper insights into mastering the Gentle Fist style.
Firstly, your chakra nature consists of both lightning and fire, meaning you can utilize both Lightning Release and Fire Release techniques. However, the electricity I produce comes from Magnet Release rather than actual Lightning Release techniques, so you won't be able to learn that from me. Similarly, neither Pakura nor Hikaku have any expertise in Lightning Release techniques to teach you either.
However, Hikaku will teach you Fire Release techniques, and Pakura will instruct you in her Taijutsu style. Therefore, moving forward, your primary focus will be on training in Fire Release techniques and Taijutsu. As for Lightning Release techniques, I'll ask Orochimaru-sama to arrange some instructors for you."
Hinata obediently nodded and replied softly, "I understand."
Shindai continued, "Congratulations, Hinata. Starting now, you will officially become a user of my custom-designed Ninja-Ware. I've already prepared this customized Ninja-Ware especially tailored for you. Allow me to introduce them to you now.
[Observation Ninja-Ware – First Edition!]"
"The Byakugan of your Hyuga clan has the abilities of penetration, insight, and long-range vision. Therefore, I removed those overlapping functions from my glasses. These glasses have prediction and targeting capabilities and can lock onto an opponent's vital points without needing your Byakugan."
Hinata gasped in surprise, "Huh? They can actually lock onto vital points?"
Shindai shot back, "Your Byakugan still can't see vital points, can it?"
Hinata nodded her head; currently her Byakugan wasn't advanced enough to perceive the body's vital points.
Shindai continued, "Every person's vital points are fixed on their body, so you don't actually need to see them. As long as you understand where they're located, by scanning an opponent's physique, you can determine the location of their vital points. Your Gentle Fist will still be effective."
"Next up are the Scientific Ninja-Ware devices for activating Ninjutsu cards. Because I'm worried that you might become too reliant on Scientific Ninja-Ware, the Ninjutsu cards I've given you won't contain overly powerful techniques but will only serve an auxiliary purpose. It's like they say—no matter what tool you use, you need real skill to wield it well. Overreliance on Scientific Ninja-Ware could lead to significant disadvantages."
"Finally, paired with the glasses is this armor. So far, it's my finest creation—next to Kannazuki—and specifically tailored for you. This is my true masterpiece of Scientific Ninja-Ware, designed exclusively for you!"
[Chakra Armor!]
Shindai opened a cabinet, revealing a sleek and futuristic-looking armor set.
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