NOVEL NEXT Chapter 3: Chapter:3
Jiraiya lay sprawled on the ground at the edge of the training field, watching the intense fight unfold with sharp eyes. He clenched his fists and thought, Orochimaru, you better not lose! You're my lifelong rival, and I must be the one to defeat you!
Beside him, Tsunade furrowed her brows as she observed the two combatants. The rivalry between Uchiha and Senju was deeply ingrained in her, and she found Uchiha Renji particularly irksome. However, she couldn't deny that Orochimaru was performing exceptionally well. She sighed inwardly. At least with a rival like him, things won't get boring. But who will come out on top in this battle?
From the sidelines, Uchiha Nobuya smirked confidently. To him, the outcome was already clear.
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On the battlefield, Orochimaru launched an aggressive assault. Renji, however, remained calm, focusing on a defensive strategy. His lack of retaliation began to make Orochimaru wary. Why isn't he counterattacking? This doesn't feel right.
Orochimaru's chakra reserves were running low after such an intense fight. He realized that if Renji managed to gain some distance, the battle might shift toward ninjutsu, which Orochimaru could no longer sustain. His only chance at victory was to press forward and overwhelm Renji with a decisive close-range attack.
Renji, maintaining a composed expression, noted Orochimaru's shift in intensity. The increased aggression was concerning, but also expected. He's feeling the pressure now, Renji thought. The sound of clashing kunai filled the air once again, but this time, Renji deliberately let his kunai fly from his hand. Stumbling backward, he appeared fatigued. A series of backflips allowed him to barely evade Orochimaru's pursuit, leaving Renji seemingly vulnerable.
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Seeing this, Orochimaru smirked inwardly. He's finally showing signs of exhaustion. No matter how strong an Uchiha is, they're still just kids.
Confident that victory was within his grasp, Orochimaru charged forward, kunai poised for the finishing blow. Just as the blade was about to graze Renji's neck, a smirk played across Renji's lips.
Orochimaru's eyes widened. A trap?! Before he could react, a shadow clone burst from the ground below him, landing a solid punch to his jaw. Orochimaru stumbled backward, stunned, as Renji closed in with a kunai against his throat.
Orochimaru's heart raced. When did he set up a shadow clone? He gritted his teeth in frustration. This whole time, he's been leading me into his trap!
The examiner's voice rang out, breaking the tension. "The match is over! The winner is Uchiha Renji!"
The crowd erupted into murmurs, impressed by Renji's tactical ingenuity. The examiner continued, praising Renji's clever use of the Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu to create an underground ambush that secured his victory.
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As the two combatants left the training grounds, Uchiha Nobuya teased, "Not bad, but that took you long enough. Losing your edge, Renji?"
Dusting himself off, Renji shrugged. "The opponent was tougher than I expected. He managed two different elemental releases and had chakra reserves that matched mine. I didn't expect him to pull off a B-rank ninjutsu."
Nobuya rolled his eyes. "So what you're saying is, you're praising yourself for being able to handle it? Pathetic excuse."
Renji smirked, brushing past him. "You can't afford to waste all your chakra in just one fight. There's more to come, after all."
---
After Renji's match, the pace of the exams slowed. Most students struggled with basic techniques, with only a few excelling beyond the fundamentals like the Three Basic Jutsu. The exam wasn't about ranking but simply determining graduation eligibility. After Renji's battle with Orochimaru, the remaining rounds felt anticlimactic in comparison. Unsurprisingly, Renji passed his remaining matches with ease, securing his place among the graduates.
---
Walking through the bustling streets of Konoha, Renji could feel the villagers' wary gazes. Despite the Uchiha clan's elevated status as law enforcers within the Konoha Police Force, their authority often bred fear and distrust among the populace. It was an unspoken tension that Renji had grown used to.
His gaze drifted upward to the Hokage Monument, where only three faces were carved—those of the First, Second, and Third Hokage. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was widely regarded as the strongest Hokage. His leadership during the ongoing wars solidified that reputation, even if his predecessors had paved the way for Konoha's foundation.
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Now that he had officially graduated, Renji knew it was only a matter of time before he was sent to the battlefield. At just seven years old, the idea of fighting in a war seemed ludicrous to Renji's former self. But in this world, it was a harsh reality. Even the youngest genin were often deployed in times of war. Konoha's central location made it a target from all sides, and the need for manpower was relentless.
I need a strong instructor, Renji thought, his mind racing through the possibilities. While his skills were exceptional for his age, he knew he couldn't rely solely on his natural talent or his Sharingan's potential. The growth process was slow, and its drawbacks could be deadly. Staying low-key and focusing on development was his best path forward.
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Renji arrived at the Uchiha clan's training grounds, carrying a bucket filled with rubber balls. His objective was clear—mastering the Rasengan. While the Chidori was flashier and more appealing, Renji lacked the memory to recall its hand seals in full detail. However, the Rasengan's hand-seal-free nature made it an ideal choice for him.
The Rasengan, a technique invented by the Fourth Hokage, was a powerful chakra-based jutsu that relied on precise control rather than elemental manipulation. Renji had spent over two years working on it, but progress was slow. He had just completed the second stage, managing to rotate chakra within the rubber ball until it burst. Despite this, he couldn't help but feel frustrated. Naruto picked this up so much faster! The gap between geniuses and mortals is truly insurmountable.
Still, Renji tried to console himself. The Fourth Hokage took three years to create this jutsu. It's not like I'm lagging too far behind. Though creating a technique from scratch and learning an existing one were vastly different, the effort Renji had poured into mastering the Rasengan wasn't wasted. His chakra control had improved significantly, a vital skill for any shinobi.
End of the Chapter.