I had to admit, I was letting myself get dragged along with Koji's pace; he was wild and willing to throw down anytime, anywhere. It was a good trait, being unafraid.
However, it wasn't a good trait for a leader; you wanted someone more cautious, someone willing to stop and think before acting, but still able to act without having to think first. Not everyone can be a good leader.
Honestly, I wasn't sure I was the best leader there was. I was just old, and I knew more than most people my age… well, honestly, my age was in the four digits, which in a world where people rarely got halfway to a third, I was cheating.
I had once ruled this world, and failed, I couldn't even raise my children properly.
I believed that with my new wisdom, having watched the world for so long, I was better, and that I wasn't a bad leader anymore, but it wasn't as much talent as it was experience.
Here, the right choice wasn't to go along with Koji, it would have been much better to finish our introduction with the other two first.
Because I knew their names, I knew their skills, but I didn't know their faces.
I knew one was good at offence, and one skilled at defence, but I didn't know which was which.
Finding that out before a fight was important; it could be the difference between victory and defeat.
Information gathering was key for shinobi, a vital skill, and here, we could easily get the information, we could do many things to give ourselves a bigger advantage, and here we were, just getting ready to attack without a plan.
Sure, it was an ambush, but it wasn't a plan.
Koji jumped up ahead, Kuro and I followed, landing on a strong, thick branch. It was a good spot, we could easily see them, but they wouldn't be able to see us without looking carefully.
They moved with the quiet, measured steps of seasoned shinobi, their dark, close-fitting combat gear blending almost seamlessly with the deep shadows of the forest behind them.
They weren't on guard, why would they be? They had just been called out by their new team leader for a meeting.
Being older, more experienced. They likely had their own thoughts.
The first to emerge fully into the light was the larger of the two—a tall, broad-shouldered man with a strong, square-jawed face framed by light brown, shoulder-length hair tied back in a loose ponytail.
Given his appearance, I suspected that he was Hoshino Haruto, the defensive specialist. Though I couldn't be sure, and making assumptions could be dangerous, but sometimes, you just had to chance it.
Behind him, moving with the slow, deliberate grace of a seasoned hunter, came the second man—a tall, lean figure with long, jet-black hair pulled back into a tight, neat ponytail that fell halfway down his back.
Well, if the first was Hoshino Haruto, then this man was Hagane Arata, the long-range takedown specialist.
Koji's eyes narrowed slightly as he met my gaze, his lips curving into a faint, wolfish grin as he inclined his head slightly, his sharp eyes already beginning to calculate the countless possible ways to close the distance between us and the two newcomers.
I returned his grin with a small, satisfied smile of my own, my Byakugan never leaving the two men as I shifted my weight slightly, as I prepared myself for the coming skirmish.
Time to see what they're really made of.
Without a word, Koji moved first, his strong legs propelling him forward with a sudden, explosive burst of speed, his sharp eyes locked onto Haruto as he closed the distance between them in the blink of an eye.
I wasn't going to let him go at it alone, and if he was to attack Haruto, then I would take on Arata, ensuring that he wasn't able to get time to act.
Because that is what he needed, he needed time and space to use his ninjutsu, but how could I possibly give him that?
I flashed forward, keeping my movements sharp and precise. Arata's eyes tracked me, his stance low and prepared, but I didn't give him a chance to act. My palm shot forward, aiming for his chest, but he shifted to the side, his arm swinging up to intercept.
Yet clearly, he wasn't used to sparring against the Gentle Fist, merely blocking wasn't good enough, any touch, can be deadly.
As his arm came up, I slightly moved back; it wasn't much, but it was enough. Rather than our arms hitting one another, his block hit my hand. Or rather, a gentle tap from my fingers.
A common misconception about the Gentle Fist is that there is no power behind our strikes. And it can be true, some strikes are so light that we can strike a feather falling in midair, and not move it at all.
It's a fairly popular training method within the clan.
But other times, we could pack a lot of power behind our gentle-looking fists and fingers.
Like now.
Arata's arm shuddered as my fingers struck it, the force of the blow traveling through muscle and bone, disrupting his chakra flow. His eyes widened in surprise, his momentum stalling as the numbness spread up his arm, his grip on his chakra faltering.
I didn't let him retreat. My left hand snapped forward, striking his exposed ribs. Another burst of chakra, another flare of pain. His breath hitched, his stance wavering as he staggered back, his body struggled to react to the sudden, precise disruption of his chakra network.
He tried to recover, his feet scraping against the rough earth as he slid back, but I was already moving. I pivoted, my long hair trailing behind me like a banner, my left foot sliding across the cracked, uneven ground as I struck again.
My palm met his shoulder, the force of the impact driving him back another step, his jaw clenching as I cut off another key tenketsu point.
The sharp, calculating mind of a long-range specialist struggling to adjust to the relentless, close-quarters assault of a Gentle Fist practitioner.
He was trying to distance himself, to create the space he needed to weave his hand signs, to bring his powerful, long-range techniques into play, but I wasn't giving him the chance.
Honestly, I had to give him credit for even trying still, because, at this point, he had already lost. Getting a tenketsu struck wasn't something you just shook off.
Naruto might have done it in the Chuunin exam, but he could hardly be used as the standard for everyone.
No, when your tenketsu point was closed, you couldn't flow your chakra as normal, it could mean little, or it could cause a heart attack.
One thing was for certain, trying to use ninjutsu wouldn't be a good idea.
Still, the fact that he didn't give up was a good thing; in the field, that meant death.
I darted in again, my palms striking his chest and abdomen in rapid succession, my chakra pulsing into his network, disrupting his flow with each precise hit.
A faint, frustrated growl escaped his lips as he tried to force his body to respond, his arms jerking up in a clumsy, last-ditch effort to form a defensive seal. I didn't let him. My left palm struck his wrist, sending a jolt of chakra through the tendons and muscles, locking his fingers in place.
My right hand followed an instant later, slamming into his chest and sending him sprawling back across the rocky ground.
He hit the earth hard, his back arching as the air was driven from his lungs, his arms splaying out to either side as he lay there, gasping for breath, his chest heaving as he struggled to force his numb, unresponsive limbs to obey him.
"Dead," I said, my voice cold and not allowing for questioning.
Then, I turned my attention to the other fight. Koji was still fighting, and as my teammate, I had to help him out, so with my own battle finished, I disappeared from my spot.
Koji's fight was a whirlwind of snarling aggression and sharp, rapid strikes. He and Kuro moved as one, their combined attacks a flurry of sharp claws and powerful, snapping jaws.
For his part, Haruto held his ground, his arms moving in tight, defensive arcs, stone-like hands intercepting each strike with well-timed blocks and deflections.
Haruto was an expert in defence, and while his specialty was in using ninjutsu, that didn't mean he couldn't defend himself against taijutsu.
It was a clash of pure, unrestrained offense against a wall of practiced defense. Haruto wasn't just absorbing blows—he was redirecting them, letting Koji's momentum work against him, his feet planted firmly in the cracked earth as he weathered the storm.
But even the strongest wall has its limits.
Because Koji wasn't fighting alone, not only did he have Kuro on his side, the two of them slowly winning due to not allowing Haruto the chance to use ninjutsu, but he also had me.
I appeared behind Haruto in a flicker of movement, my feet barely touching the ground as I dropped into a low, balanced stance.
His attention was so focused on Koji's relentless onslaught that he didn't register my presence until my palm connected with the center of his back, a precise strike that sent a jolt of chakra racing through his spine.
Haruto's body seized, his muscles locking up as his chakra flow was momentarily disrupted, his arms freezing mid-block as Kuro's powerful jaws was just about to snap down on his forearm, if he did, his sharp fangs would sink into muscle and bone.
It would be a serious injury, leaving the arm unusable. In a real fight, it would indeed be the end, maybe even lead to death.
Yet, given that we were teammates and would be setting out for a mission tomorrow, I couldn't allow that to happen.
I shifted my weight, my left hand catching Kuro by the scruff of his thick, dark fur just before his fangs closed around Haruto's exposed forearm. The massive ninken froze, his sharp, intelligent eyes flicking up to meet mine, his jaws still half-open, sharp teeth glinting in the filtered sunlight.
"Easy," I whispered, my voice low but firm. "This is a spar, not an execution."
Kuro's ears twitched, a low, rumbling growl building in his chest, but he relented, his powerful jaws snapping shut inches from Haruto's arm as he pulled back, his sharp eyes never leaving the stunned shinobi before him.
I let go of him, as the fight came to a stop, Koji too paused his own attack before hitting the now defenceless Haruto.
Haruto, for his part, staggered a step, his dark eyes wide and unfocused as he struggled to regain his bearings, his broad chest still heaving as his disrupted chakra network struggled to realign itself.
I straightened my long, white hair as I stepped back, my pale eyes never leaving Haruto's battered, trembling form as he finally managed to force his body to respond, his numb, unresponsive limbs slowly beginning to twitch and jerk back to life.
"Dead," I said, my voice cold and unyielding, my sharp eyes locking onto his with a steely, unforgiving intensity.
Haruto's shoulders slumped, his head dipping forward as he exhaled a long, shaky breath, his pained, dark eyes locking onto mine with a mixture of frustration and reluctant respect.
"I see," he said, his broad chest still heaving. "You don't hold back, do you?"
"I did… but our enemies won't." I simply stated as I looked over to Arata, who had already gotten up. He was still unable to go for another round, but at least he managed to appear fine, even if my Byakugan could see just how messed up he still was inside.
"Hello, I am Yuki Hyūga, the leader of this team, and it's a pleasure to meet you." I said, bowing slightly towards the two of them.
Haruto straightened, rolling his shoulders as if testing the limits of his still-numb muscles. He gave me a short, sharp nod, his eyes locking onto mine for a brief moment before he bowed in return, his movements stiff but respectful.
"Hoshino Haruto," he replied, his voice rough but steady. "Defensive specialist. It's good to finally meet you properly, Yuki-sama."
Arata, standing a few paces behind him, gave a shallow bow of his own, his eyes flicking between me, Koji, and Kuro.
"Hagane Arata," he said, his tone a bit more controlled than Haruto's, though I could still hear the lingering edge of frustration beneath his calm facade. "Long-range specialist. I appreciate the lesson." His eyes met mine, a faint, grudging respect sparking in his sharp gaze. "I'll be better prepared next time."
Koji's sharp, wolfish grin widened at that, his golden-brown eyes gleaming with a mixture of amusement and approval as he ran a hand through his dark hair, his sharp, white teeth flashing in the morning light.
"Inuzuka Koji," he said, his voice carrying a hint of playful arrogance, his posture loose but ready, like a predator sizing up his prey. "Tracker, front-line fighter, and your best bet when it comes to tearing through enemy lines."
Kuro, still standing beside him, let out a low, approving growl, his dark eyes gleaming with a fierce, primal intelligence as he leaned against his partner's leg.
Koji reached down, his hand coming to rest on Kuro's broad, powerful shoulder.
"And this is Kuro," he added, his tone turning slightly more serious, a hint of pride creeping into his voice as he inclined his head toward his ninken. "My partner. My brother. If you're ever in trouble, trust him to find you. He's got a better nose than anyone in the clan."
(End of chapter)
Taijutsu is still the name of the game. After editing this, I really do get why fights in Naruto take so long: They speak. In reality, a fight would be like this: short and silent.
If you have time to speak, you aren't giving it your all.