NOVEL NEXT Chapter 33: Test
"Koff, since we now got to know each other, there is something I have to tell you. I will personally test you, and if I deem you to be unfitting, you will have to go back to the academy for some more training."
"What? But we already graduated and now you are telling us that if we fail, we have to go back to the academy?" - Kotaro
"Why did no one tell us about that before..." - Arina
'Well I already knew something like that would happen...' - Eiji
"Every Jonin has their own expectations and way of testing for the team they will lead, so telling in advancement would be just too troublesome. Anyway, the test is simple: You just have to attack me like you intend to kill me."
'Pretty straight forward, as expected of Hayate-sensei...the thing he wants to test should be teamwork as well'
"You can't be serious...how are we supposed to fight a Jonin...' - Kotaro
"..." - Arina
"So what are you waiting for? Are you going to attack or just standing there waiting for the sun to settle?"
"AHHHH TAKE THIS!!!"
Kotaro charged at him, while Arina just stood there doing nothing.
'How am I supposed to do teamwork with those two? Well, I still need to try it.'
Kotaro's charge was abysmal and Hayate dodged easily, but then Eiji suddenly attacked from behind.
Of course, Hayate already expected that.
Hayate grinned: 'Looks like Eiji understands the importance of teamwork, that only leaves those two...'
Hayate easily deflected Eiji with his sword and then jumped away to distance himself from the two.
"Alright, Eiji passed already...now you two need to convince me as well...oh by the way Eiji, if you give them any hints you will fail instead."
"WHAAAT? Hey sensei why did he pass and I not?" - Kotaro
"Koff, instead of talking shouldn't you attack me?"
"Ahh damn" - He again mindlessly charged at Hayate.
'Hmm if this goes one, the girl will just keep standing there'
Suddenly Hayate disappeared from Kotaro and instead appeared in front of Arina.
"!"
Arina was already too fearful to attack a Jonin head-on and now that Hayate suddenly attacked her, her panic level rose to the limit.
Her brain function shut down and she was now completely like a statue.
"..." - Hayate
He just smacked her at her front-head lightly, so that she comes back to her senses.
"Koff, this won't work out...I will give you two 5 minutes to calm down and to come up with a strategy."
Hayate sat down on a nearby rock while starting to count the time silently.
'I wonder what happens if they don't pass...will I get a senior team who lost a teammate or something?'
Eiji was laying at a tree and watching disinterestedly.
"HEY YOU, CAN YOU STOP BEING A STATURE AND START DOING SOMETHING?"
Kotaru walked towards Arina with an upset face.
"I-I'm sorry..."
"I DON'T NEED YOUR SORRY, IF THIS CONTINUES WE WILL BOTH FAIL!"
The mention of failing brought Arina somewhat to her senses and she started to breathe slowly to calm down.
"You are right, we don't have much time anymore, let's start to think..."
"No need to think! I will charge at him while you support me from long range."
"But in my opinion, we should try to think why Eiji passed instead..."
Kotaro had already unknowingly the right idea, while Arina walked straight into the trap of overthinking.
Hayate, who was listening, didn't say anything, because in his opinion overthinking is something that mustn't happen on the battlefield, especially when it concerns teammates.
Arina and Kotaro kept arguing with each other till the 5 minutes were up.
They couldn't come to an agreement and Hayate stood up and glanced at them.
"Whatever, I will keep trying to fight him, while you can keep wasting your time thinking..."
Kotaru charged at him again.
Hayate dodged everything without drawing his sword.
After a few blows, Hayate started to attack Kotaro instead.
Then when Kotaro found himself in a corner, because a tree was behind him, Hayate drew his sword and said "Playtime is over"
"Wait, please sensei no need to hurt me...I will go back to the academy so don't cut me with your sword please!"
Hayate didn't say anything and raised his sword.
"NOOO PLEASE!"
Kotaro panicked thinking Hayate will strike him for real.
Suddenly a kunai flew towards him.
"RUN WHILE YOU HAVE THE CHANCE!!!" - Arina who threw the kunai shouted.
Hayate blocked the kunai with his sword and started to put his sword into the sheath.
"Koff, congratulations, you both pass."
"What? What? Why? How?" - Kotaru was perplexed.
"Why do you think we put Genins in a team? It's because of teamwork. For example, earlier Eiji attacked me when he saw an opening from your attack, that's why I let him pass instantly. Anyway, most shinobi missions are done in a team, so Genins need to be willing to work together...it's the most important thing, keep this in mind and never forget this!"
"Yes sensei!" Both shouted happily while Kotaru had teary eyes and Arina still had a look of disbelieve.
They then looked at Eiji.
He was sleeping without a care in the world.
"..."
After getting his head smacked by Hayate, Eiji woke up.
Hayate told them the time and place to gather tomorrow for their first mission.
"Wait sensei, I wanted to show you how much I have improved since the last time. I didn't want the other two to be in the way, so can you stay a bit longer and spar with me?" - Eiji asked Hayate before he left.
"Koff, sure I'm looking forward to it."
Hayate took his fight stance, which he didn't use at the test before, while Eiji took an iaijutsu-stance.
'Looks like he wants to settle it with just one move...'
Hayate felt pressure, even though Eiji was only in his stance and glaring at him.
When a small breeze blew, Eiji suddenly appeared behind Hayate.
"!"
'What speed! I could only see his hand moving towards his sword grip!'
After a few seconds, a clean-cut appeared on Hayate's sword, and then the upper-half fell on the ground.
'...I was really wrong about him...he is a monster...I didn't understand back then why he suddenly wanted to learn iaijutsu, but it looks like he had a vision of what he did now, even back then...'
It was a move, which involved strengthening his feet with his accelerated chakra to the limit for godlike speed, while also channeling wind chakra into his blade, to increase the sharpness.
Eiji grinned: "Sensei, you told me in the past to give names to my techniques, and since it's not only a technique but my own sword-style, I gave it the name "Konoha Wind-spirit Style: Spring Breeze"...so what do you think sensei?"
"Koff, you will buy me a new sword!"
"..."
CrusadeAgainstFurries
Sorry for no chapters these past days. Had too much stuff to do. I will do double chapters starting Wednesday for a few days to make up for that.