Hatake Kakashi and the other Jōnin arrived at the training ground, seeing that the "test" was over. They looked at the students lying on the ground, unsure what to say.
Though they knew Shihouin Naraku would teach these kids a lesson, they hadn't expected him to be so harsh. The powerful chakra pressure he'd released had affected half of Konohagakure, and they wondered about the village's current state. Thankfully, the Hokage had been informed beforehand, and preparations were made to prevent another major incident.
"Don't worry about these little troublemakers. Let them lie there. You can take them away when they wake up," Shihouin Naraku said, glancing at the unconscious Genin.
He drew his Zanpakutō and moved to the side to continue his training. For him, improving his physical fitness was most important now, allowing his body to hold more chakra and enhance his strength. At this stage, practising physical skills was most appropriate.
The Jōnin looked at each other helplessly. Since Shihouin Naraku had made his decision, all they could do was wait for Uzumaki Naruto and the others to regain consciousness.
"If you have other business, go ahead. I'll stay here," Kakashi said, glancing at his subordinates. He felt relieved that Sasuke and Naruto had been among the last to fall.
"Bang!" Sarutobi Asuma lit a cigarette and placed it between his lips. "Let's stay here. We're their instructors. How can we be busy with other things when our students are lying on the ground?"
Asuma scratched his head in distress. None of his three students had lasted until the end. Yamanaka Ino and Nara Shikamaru were the first to fall. Surprisingly, Akimichi Chōji had held on the longest among the three.
I should treat Chōji to barbecue as a reward when I console them later, Asuma thought, feeling sorry for his wallet. Having a food lover on the ninja team was really expensive. He'd been planning to save money to get married.
Kurenai looked at her student with some tenderness in her heart, hesitated for a moment, but still didn't step forward.
Might Guy remained full of energy. After confirming his students weren't seriously injured, he even wanted to train directly with Shihouin Naraku. In the recent test, his team had performed exceptionally well. Even Tenten, who fell first among his three students, had done much better than others from different teams, not to mention Neji and Rock Lee, who had persisted until the end.
So after ensuring his students were fine, Guy leapt over to Shihouin Naraku, ready to practice taijutsu.
"Huh? What are you doing here? The students are still lying there," Shihouin Naraku asked, looking at the energetic Guy.
"Your three students are all impressive, but the one from the Hyūga clan has some psychological issues."
"Oh, Neji..." The guy's enthusiasm dimmed a bit. As an instructor, he was certainly aware of Hyūga Neji's problems.
The conflict between the Hyūga clan's main family and branch houses was known not only to Konohagakure but to other ninja villages as well. Even though Guy knew about this situation, he couldn't resolve it. Only the Hyūga patriarch or the Hokage could take action to address the conflict.
This wasn't something a Konoha Jōnin could interfere with! After all, it was someone else's family matter, difficult for outsiders to meddle in.
Shihouin Naraku was merely reminding Guy to pay attention to Neji's issues, at least to prevent any serious problems. Besides, Uzumaki Naruto's ability to connect with people was quite powerful in the early stages, and he should eventually be able to help change Neji's perspective.
After their brief chat, Shihouin Naraku began his taijutsu training. In Konoha, Guy was undoubtedly the taijutsu expert. His presence helped Naraku greatly, making his training more efficient.
...
"Bang, bang, bang..."
"Clang, clang, clang..."
The sounds of fists and feet colliding and weapons clashing filled the air.
"Hmm~" Uzumaki Naruto opened his eyes groggily, sat up, and looked around.
He found himself lying on the ground. Not far away, Kakashi-sensei was chatting with a man and a woman. In another part of the training ground, Naraku was sparring with Bushy Brows-sensei again.
What happened? A terrifying image suddenly flashed through his mind.
Naruto fully awakened, eyes widening in fear as he looked at Shihouin Naraku holding the Kurikara sword. The bone-deep feeling of oppression and overwhelming pressure was unforgettable. For a moment, he didn't even dare to look directly at him.
The Jōnin noticed that Naruto had awakened, and soon, the other Genin began to regain consciousness one by one. Those who didn't wake on their own were eventually nudged awake.
Most of them instinctively avoided looking toward Shihouin Naraku's location, afraid to even glance his way.
Naruto, Rock Lee, and others with stronger mental fortitude gradually recovered from the effects of the Conqueror's Haki and began to return to their normal states.
"Alright, take your students and leave," Shihouin Naraku said as he landed on the ground, signalling Guy to stop their sparring.
Guy gave Naraku an admiring thumbs-up and put away his nunchaku. "Naraku, your strength has increased significantly since our last battle!"
Shihouin Naraku smiled but said nothing, then watched as the Jōnin instructors departed with their students.
As for those students who had been hit hard by his display of power, that was something for instructors like Kakashi to worry about. It had nothing to do with him. He only cared about defeating opponents, not tending to them afterwards!
After the noisy group left, Shihouin Naraku continued his training.
"Meow~"
A cat's cry came from outside the training ground.
Shihouin Naraku stopped practising, sheathed the Kurikara, and walked outside to see a pitch-black kitten calling to him.
"Is my custom-made item ready?" he asked.
"Meow~"
"Tell Granny Cat that I'll collect it soon."
Shihouin Naraku poured some food from his prepared bento and fed it to the kitten. The black cat meowed happily, quickly finished the food, and then gratefully meowed at Naraku before climbing up a nearby tree and disappearing after a few jumps.
"The Ninja Cats are more efficient than humans. No wonder the Uchiha clan preferred dealing with them," he remarked.
To enhance his physical training, Shihouin Naraku specially ordered weighted equipment. Considering quality and time factors, he went directly to the Ninja Cat Clan and spent considerable money to have them customize equipment for him.
Originally, the Ninja Cat Clan and the Uchiha Clan had maintained an excellent relationship. The cats often provided intelligence and top-quality ninja tools to the Uchiha.
The Uchiha Clan's ninja tools, from small kunai and shuriken to large weapons and various equipment, were primarily supplied by the Ninja Cat Clan. Although prices were high, the quality was truly top-notch!
However, with the Uchiha clan now nearly extinct, the Ninja Cat Clan had begun accepting numerous outsourced orders. After all, they had many cats to feed and needed to make a living.
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