"Go! Nono!"
Hearing the shout from the thick-eyebrowed young man ahead, Bai Xing suddenly felt something strange under his feet.
The ground beneath him was different from ordinary soil.
A trap.
Crack.
The loose dirt and green grass on the surface began to collapse. Bai Xing instantly lost his footing, his arms instinctively flailing as he fell—unable to form hand seals.
In those few seconds, any attack would guaranteedly hit.
Where will the attack come from? Above? The side? Or—
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hidden beneath the ground was a trap created using Earth Release chakra. It perfectly concealed an anesthetic poison gas device underground.
Once triggered, the gas would leak upward.
Just inhaling a small amount made Bai Xing feel a slight numbness in his body.
It was probably the anesthetic smoke bomb sold at the ninja tool shop—sealed using special cloth and sealing techniques into a round shape similar to a modern grenade.
"Success!"
Using the D-rank Earth Release: Earth Dragon Hiding Technique, Nono was hidden less than ten meters away beneath the ground.
In her imagination, she was already celebrating victory—wearing cute white socks and stepping triumphantly on Bai Xing's handsome face while mocking her defeated teacher.
That small-fry teacher actually lost to his student!
"Over there, huh?"
Bai Xing's ears twitched. He caught the faint sound of movement underground.
He shifted his position slightly and formed a one-handed seal.
"Substitution Technique."
Poof!
He switched places with a substitution object.
Watching from afar, Mikoto was stunned.
A one-handed seal?!
Wasn't he supposed to be the dead last in school?!
Anyone who graduated at the bottom of their class should have terrible ninjutsu!
The substitution log dropped into the wire trap Nono had set earlier. Gravity tightened the wire net around the wooden log.
Nono immediately popped her head out of the ground to check Bai Xing's condition so she could drag him out and humiliate him properly.
But the moment her head emerged—
A shadow appeared above her.
Cold sweat instantly formed on her forehead. Her back went icy.
Two words flashed in her mind:
I'm doomed.
"Lesson in ninja tactics: genjutsu."
"Wha—"
Smack!
Before Nono could finish speaking, Bai Xing struck the back of her neck.
Her vision went dark instantly.
"But unfortunately, the teacher isn't very good at genjutsu."
"So you'll just have to faint and dream for a bit."
Bai Xing turned his head.
"Now for the last category."
"Ninjutsu."
He looked toward the bush where Mikoto was hiding.
"Next, let the teacher show you some ninjutsu."
Mikoto stepped out of hiding, leaves stuck to her clothes.
"I won't lose to you in ninjutsu!"
"Excellent."
Bai Xing smiled slightly and rapidly formed hand seals.
Before Mikoto could finish the six seals for the Great Fireball Technique—
His technique was already complete.
Snake – Goat – Tiger
"Fire Release: Fireball Technique!"
A fist-sized fireball shot forward at high speed.
Mikoto had to roll aside to dodge it. The fireball struck the grass and ignited the vegetation.
The flames reflected behind her as she stared blankly.
"D-rank ninjutsu… you jerk!"
She had expected some powerful technique.
Instead, it was just a tiny fireball comparable to a single spark from the Phoenix Flower Technique.
It was practically insulting the concept of ninjutsu.
"Huh?! Where did he go—"
"Water Release: Water Drop!"
Whoosh!
A tiny droplet shot forward faster than the fireball like a bullet.
It sliced across Mikoto's cheek.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The pain reached her brain while she was still stunned.
"This is a D-rank Water Release I developed," Bai Xing said calmly.
"Not bad, right?"
He had appeared beside her, holding the final Boar seal.
Meanwhile, Dai—who had collapsed on the ground after opening three gates—watched the entire sequence.
First, Bai Xing used the Fireball Technique to interrupt Mikoto's ninjutsu.
Then he moved quickly while she was dodging.
While the warmth of the flames distracted her and the speed of his hand seals shocked her—
She failed to notice her surroundings.
That gave Bai Xing enough time to gather Water Release chakra into a small droplet and fire it.
The technique was inspired by Water Release: Heavenly Cry, though greatly simplified.
Because it took time to prepare, had only one shot, and lacked stealth:
Stealth: E-rank
Activation speed: D-rank
Power: E-rank
At best, it qualified as a D-rank ninjutsu.
"You liar."
"Huh?"
"You big liar!"
Mikoto clutched the tiny cut on her face, her eyes nearly swelling with tears.
Didn't you say you weren't good at ninjutsu?!
Then why do you casually invent new techniques?!
"With this strength, you're definitely not a genin!"
Bai Xing fell silent for a moment.
Then he took a deep breath and spoke with a serious expression.
"Becoming a chūnin is my dream."
"But performances like this don't count."
"I must pass the official Chūnin Exam to become a proper chūnin!"
"…?"
Mikoto's lips twitched.
The bleeding on her cheek had already stopped, but she was furious.
"You jerk! Then what am I?!"
"My student."
Bai Xing waved his hand, ignoring her tantrum.
"You failed the test, but I already know what you need to train."
"Mikoto, your hand-seal speed is too slow. Focus on practicing that. Train less with kunai."
"Against stronger enemies, steel wires and tricks like that are child's play."
He was referring to the kunai she had thrown earlier.
"Against jōnin, that method could even be turned against you."
"Unless you encounter someone who deliberately lets you hit them—then the shuriken-and-wire technique called Manipulated Shuriken might work."
"What idiot would let themselves get hit on purpose?" Mikoto pouted.
Bai Xing glanced at her.
"You might see one someday."
"Huh? Someday?"
Before she could continue asking, Bai Xing walked over to Dai and helped him up.
"Forget that for now. Go carry Nono to the shade under that tree. Then we'll continue."
"Okay!"
Later
Nono woke up from a nightmare.
In her dream, her teacher had tied her up and whispered in her ear:
"Little trash, wake up."
"Nono, wake up."
"Ahhh!"
She jolted awake and realized she had been resting on Bai Xing's leg.
Her face turned red.
Bai Xing ignored it.
He glanced at Mikoto in the distance practicing the Fire Release: Propulsion Shuriken technique he had taught earlier.
Then he looked at Dai and Nono beside him.
"Next, I'll teach you two some chakra control techniques. Listen carefully."
Half an Hour Later
With her natural Fire Release talent, Mikoto successfully infused a trace of Fire chakra into a shuriken.
She immediately ran over to show off.
Although Bai Xing was slightly surprised, he calmly said:
"You already know two C-rank Fire techniques. This level should be easy."
Then he told her to keep practicing.
Meanwhile:
Nono practiced water-walking near the river.
Dai practiced tree climbing beside Bai Xing.
Crack… crack…
Bai Xing covered his face.
Dai's chakra control was unbelievably terrible.
This was the biggest reason he could never become a chūnin.
He couldn't use the Three Basic Techniques properly, and whenever he used chakra to climb surfaces he damaged them.
What leader would promote a ninja like that?
"Your chakra distribution is too uneven. Make it balanced."
"Got it!"
A few seconds later—
Dai slipped and fell.
He tried again.
And again.
After seven or eight failures, he scratched his head.
"So what was the problem this time?"
Bai Xing facepalmed.
Mikoto activated her single-tomoe Sharingan and stepped forward.
"Try evenly distributing chakra on your feet first," she suggested.
"Slowly increase the amount. Once you find the right level, start climbing."
"It's kind of a dumb method," Bai Xing admitted thoughtfully.
"But it might work. Try it, Dai."
"Okay!"
Dai closed his eyes.
Blue chakra flowed through his meridians and gathered at the soles of his feet.
As the chakra increased, cracks began forming in the ground. Hearing the sound, Dai hurried to adjust it.
"Be patient," Bai Xing observed quietly.
"Once you adapt once, you'll master it quickly. It's basic."
He glanced at Mikoto practicing Fire chakra nearby.
When did this girl awaken the Sharingan?
And she didn't even say anything…
"Step… step… step…"
Dai finally walked a few steps without making noise.
"I did it!"
"Try climbing a tree," Bai Xing said calmly.
Walking on flat ground and climbing vertically were completely different.
Crack.
"Huh?!"
Crack… crack…
"Don't get excited," Bai Xing said. "Control it carefully."
"Alright…"
Dai answered—then immediately fell from the tree.
Bai Xing frowned.
"What happened this time?"
"I ran out of chakra."
"..."
Bai Xing stared at him with dead fish eyes.
With such a tiny chakra reserve, chakra-control training would be extremely difficult.
Lunchtime
Around noon, Bai Xing called Nono back from the river.
He took out the lunch boxes he had prepared.
The three students stared blankly.
Bai Xing had two huge lunch boxes, while they each had only one normal one.
Can he actually eat all that?
Then Bai Xing demonstrated exactly what a Saiyan appetite looked like.
With his enhanced physique, his appetite had naturally increased as well.
A Few Days Later
At the mission office, Bai Xing submitted another D-rank mission report.
Then he glanced at the mission board.
Several new missions were posted:
B-Rank: Reconnaissance inside the Land of Rain — Forest of Lin
C-Rank: Escort supply convoy to the Land of Rain border — Valley of Mist
B-Rank: Reinforcement mission at the Land of Rivers border — Flowing Gorge
…
Bai Xing pointed at the board.
"No one has taken these missions yet?"
⭐ Want more? Read chapters early on Patreon ⭐
https://www.patreon.com/c/Crimson_Lily347
Advance chapters are finished-all that's left is to unlock them.
BONUS CHAPTER SYSTEM
10 reviews → Bonus Chapter
100 Power Stones → Bonus Chapter
🔥The stronger your support, the faster the story moves.