Chương 8: Choza vs His Genins

As soon as Guy heard that they would have to fight their sensei, his entire body seemed to light up with energy. His eyes widened, his teeth flashed in a massive grin, and he thrust one fist high into the air while the other pointed straight at Choza.

"Yosh! YOUTH WILL SHINE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Sensei, prepare yourself! We would come at you with the flames of determination that will never fade! Let the test begin, and let our youthful spirits clash in glorious combat!" Shunsui thought,'Yeah, I have no doubt why Hiruzen made him a Jonin now. Dude is a living embodiment of the will of fire.' Guy bounced on the balls of his feet, unable to stand still. He did a quick spin kick in place just to warm up, then punched the air repeatedly.

Choza gave a small nod to Guy with a smile, then spoke in his deep, steady voice.

"You have ten minutes to strategize. Talk it over and come up with something solid. You can attack me with the intention to kill, so go all out. Do not hold back just because I am your sensei." His gaze lingered for a moment on the two large swords hanging at Shunsui's sides as he said the last part. The blades looked sharp and well-maintained. Choza raised one eyebrow slightly.

"And I mean it. Come at me like you really want to end this fight. I will not go easy on you." With those words, Choza turned and walked to the far end of the training ground. He moved with surprising lightness for someone his size. He stopped near a cluster of trees, far enough that the boys had space to plan without him overhearing every word. He leaned against a thick trunk, arms still crossed, and waited patiently. Genma was the first to speak once Choza was out of easy earshot.

He pulled the senbon from his mouth for a second, then put it back.

"We should work as a team," he said quietly.

"Sensei made it clear that our teamwork will also be evaluated. If we just rush in one by one, we fail no matter how strong we hit."

"Agreed," Shunsui replied without hesitation. He knew the true goal of the test after all.

"Yosh!!" Guy shouted again, pumping both fists.

"Teamwork is the ultimate expression of youth! Together we are unstoppable!" Genma took the lead since neither of his teammates objected. He crouched slightly, keeping his voice low.

"Let us discuss what each of us can do first. Then we can build a plan around our strengths." Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. He started with himself.

"I am a master at throwing weapons, especially senbon. I can hit small targets from long range with good accuracy. Since I am from the Shiranui clan, I am also well versed in poisons. Most of my senbon are laced with different types. Some cause paralysis, some slow reactions, some make the target feel heavy. If any of you get hit by one of my senbon by accident, let me know right away so I can give you the antidote. I also know the academy three jutsu well enough to use them in a fight." Genma looked at Guy next.

Guy straightened up proudly.

"I am pretty good with taijutsu." Genma waited a few seconds for more details. When nothing else came, he blinked.

"That is it? Just taijutsu?" Guy nodded vigorously.

"Yes! My taijutsu is strong! I train every day to make my kicks and punches faster and harder! I can keep up the pressure on sensei and create openings for you to use your poison!" Genma sighed quietly but did not argue. He turned to Shunsui. Shunsui spoke in his usual lazy drawl.

"I am decent in kenjutsu as well as the academy three." He paused for a long moment. He looked at his two teammates.

'They are my teammates now,' he thought.

'Might as well tell them. If we are going to work together, they need to know what I can do. Hiding my abilities from them will just get us all hurt or worse killed.' He straightened a little, his voice turning more serious.

"I have an ability that you can call a kekkei genkai, but even my allies are affected by it. So if I use it, I want you to listen to my commands without question. Do not hesitate. Follow what I say exactly." Genma and Guy looked at him curiously. Guy tilted his head like a curious puppy. Genma narrowed his eyes slightly but did not press for details. Both nodded.

"Very well then," Genma said after a short silence.

"I do not think we can actually defeat someone like Akimichi Choza with our current abilities. I doubt any fresh genin team could take down a jonin clan shinobi in a real fight. So we should try our best, show good teamwork, and do everything we can to impress him." He pointed toward Choza in the distance.

"Here is the plan. Shunsui-san and Guy-san, you two should keep him busy up close. Guy-san, use your taijutsu to attack directly and force him to move. Shunsui-san, support with your Kenjutsu and look for openings. I will stay back and try to find an opportunity to hit him with my poison senbon from a distance. If the plan starts falling apart or we need something stronger, Shunsui-san, you are free to use your ability. Just give us a quick warning so we can adjust." Shunsui and Guy both nodded.

The plan was simple, which suited Shunsui just fine. With the ten minutes almost up, they moved forward together toward the center of the field. Choza watched them approach. Without any warning, Guy exploded into motion. He launched himself at their sensei with impressive speed for a genin. His leg snapped out in a powerful flying kick aimed straight at Choza's chest. The air whistled around his foot from the force. Guy shouted "Dynamic Entry!!!"

Choza looked a little surprised at the sudden burst of speed, but his reaction was instant. He raised one hand and caught Guy's ankle mid-air with ease. The impact made a dull thud, but Choza did not even step back. He held Guy suspended for half a second. Before Choza could throw Guy away or counterattack, a silver flash came from the side. Shunsui had drawn his swords in a smooth motion and swung it in a clean arc toward Choza's throat. Choza dropped Guy immediately and leaned back just enough.

The sword passed within an inch of his neck, close enough to slice a thin line across the collar of his jonin vest. Fabric tore with a soft ripping sound. Shunsui did not stop there. He spun on his heel in a full circle, bringing his second sword around in a low horizontal slash. The blade caught the edge of Choza's pants leg, cutting a neat strip of cloth that fluttered to the ground. Choza jumped back a step, now fully alert. It was not a wound or a serious hit, but it was enough to change his mood.

Choza's eyes sharpened. The playful look on his face disappeared. A scroll appeared in his hand from a hidden pouch. With a quick flick, he unrolled it and slammed his palm down. Smoke puffed out, and a thick bo staff materialized in his grip. Choza twirled the staff once, then pointed it loosely toward the three genin. He gave Shunsui a wry smile that did not quite reach his eyes.

"You really are coming to kill me, huh, Shunsui."