Naruto: Road to Death

Chapter 7: Training II

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The cold wind of Kirigakure whistled through the training ground, bringing with it the humidity of the mist that enveloped the place. Yuta, sweaty and with his heart racing, felt the adrenaline rush through his veins. The test of his teacher, Mikoto, was not only a matter of strength, but also of wits and endurance. He knew he could not match the experience of a jonin, but that would not stop him from trying with everything he had.

With a fluid movement, Yuta threw several kunais towards Mikoto, and before they reached their target, he quickly pulled out a scroll from his equipment. Activating a basic summoning technique, he unrolled the scroll in the air, releasing a series of shurikens that shot out in multiple directions. He knew that these direct attacks would not defeat her, but they served as a distraction.

Mikoto watched calmly as she dodged each kunai with precise movements. Despite the speed and number of weapons, none of them touched her. When the first shuriken reached her, she disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Yuta with his eyes wide open. She had used a substitution technique, disappearing completely from the battlefield.

Yuta spun on his heels, searching for his teacher in the fog. He knew she wasn't someone to simply back away. She was lurking, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The pressure of combat was beginning to weigh on his shoulders, but Yuta couldn't afford to relax. Mikoto could appear at any moment, from any angle.

Suddenly, the sound of metal cutting through the air made Yuta react instinctively. He jumped back just in time to see a kunai flying towards where he had been. However, he wasn't fast enough. He felt Mikoto's presence behind him, as if the fog itself had swallowed her up to launch her back at him.

"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!" Mikoto shouted as she launched small fireballs at Yuta from her position in the air, each one wrapped in deadly precision.

Yuta blocked the attacks as best he could, summoning another scroll and using it to create a makeshift shield, but the heat and intensity of the fire pushed him back. Training wasn't a simple lesson, it was a real battle. Mikoto wasn't taking it lightly, and that meant she had to raise her combat level.

"Don't hold back, Yuta. This is just the beginning," Mikoto said from somewhere within the mist. Her tone was calm, but the implicit challenge was undeniable.

Yuta, panting and with sweat running down his forehead, knew he couldn't keep evading forever. The pain in his body reminded him that with each passing second he was getting closer to the limits of his endurance. But he couldn't give up. Not now.

"Okay…" he muttered to himself as he pulled the smoke bomb from his belt. He hadn't used all of his water techniques yet, and he knew it wasn't the ideal time to try out new ones, but if he wanted to live up to this training, he had no other choice.

The cold wind of Kirigakure continued to caress the training field, but Yuta no longer paid attention to the moisture that clung to his skin or the tiredness that tightened his muscles. All he felt was the pressure of the situation. The kunai and shurikens, which he had once considered simple tools, now seemed insignificant in front of Mikoto's overwhelming skill. Still, he couldn't stop. He couldn't let the fog and tiredness overcome him.

"Okay!" he muttered as he activated the smoke bomb. The fog that already covered the field thickened with the new cloud, creating an even denser curtain. Yuta knew it: this would be his best chance to counter Mikoto.

As darkness closed in around her, she began performing a series of hand seals with impressive speed and precision, taking advantage of the cover to conceal her next move.

"Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" she shouted, unleashing a powerful water dragon that formed amidst the mist. The serpentine creature charged toward the direction from which she had seen Mikoto's last attack, roaring as it went. The dragon's power was formidable, and while she didn't expect it to be enough to defeat her, it might force her to reveal her position.

The water dragon streaked through the air, shredding the mist in its wake, but again, Mikoto disappeared. Her presence was like a whisper in the mist, always out of reach, always one step ahead. The dragon crashed into a wall of rocks in the training ground, splashing water everywhere, but Mikoto wasn't there. Yuta, panting, tried to locate her, but his danger sense kicked in too late. Suddenly, he felt a rush of air behind him. He turned just in time to see a gust of wind accompanied by razor-sharp blades hit him head-on, pushing him back and causing him to lose his balance.

"Brute force isn't enough, Yuta," Mikoto said, appearing before him. Her face was serene, almost motherly, but her eyes shone with the intensity of a teacher willing to push her student to the limit. "You have talent, but you still need to learn to think beyond the obvious."

Yuta struggled to his feet, his legs shaking from exhaustion, but his eyes still filled with determination. He had come too far to back down now. He had to find a way to match, or at least, withstand Mikoto's attacks.

"If I can't beat you with strength or speed…" he thought, his hands beginning to perform hand seals again. The water and mist training he had received in Kirigakure had a specific purpose. It was time to put it to the test—. "…then I will use the environment to my advantage!"

With a determined shout, he performed another sequence of rapid seals.

—"Suiton: Kirigakure no Jutsu!"

The fog, which was already dense, became even thicker, almost tangible. It was as if the entire training ground was enveloped in an impenetrable blanket of white darkness. This time, it was not just Kirigakure's natural fog, but one that Yuta had summoned to cover it completely. He knew that Mikoto was an expert at moving in these kinds of conditions, but he had also trained his entire life in this place.

—"If I can stay hidden long enough, I will be able to attack from where she least expects it," he said to himself, as his body merged with the fog. Taking advantage of the cover, he began to move quickly, but silently, controlling his breathing and his steps so as not to make the slightest noise.

Time passed, and though Yuta tried hard to stay focused, fatigue continued to build up. His mind was working at full blast as he analyzed Mikoto's every move, every pattern in her strategy. He knew she wouldn't give him any respite.

—"Katon: Hōsenka no Jutsu!"—Mikoto's voice came again. This time, the small fireballs tore through the fog like burning projectiles, seeking out Yuta. But he was no longer in the same place.

—"Now..."—he thought, as he positioned himself behind Mikoto. He pulled out two kunai and threw them with precision. One headed for her feet and another for her head, forcing her to react quickly.

Mikoto blocked the kunai that was headed for her head, but the second one caught her off guard, forcing her to move to the side, just as Yuta had planned. He had created a calculated pattern of attacks to force her to move in the direction he wanted.

"Suiton: Suigadan no Jutsu!" he exclaimed as he created several spirals of water that shot up from the ground towards Mikoto.

But before the attacks could hit her, Mikoto smiled. Just at the last moment, her body vanished once more, replaced by a log.

Yuta fell to his knees, exhausted, as the mist began to dissipate. He knew he had given everything he had, but Mikoto was always one step ahead. Combat wasn't just physical, it was mental as well, and he still had a lot to learn.

Mikoto appeared before him, this time with a softer face. She extended a hand towards him, helping him up.

"You've done well, Yuta," she said with a slight smile. "You've improved, but you still need to refine your control and strategy. You don't think like a complete shinobi yet."

Yuta, breathing heavily, accepted her hand and stood up.

"I know, but I won't stop until I achieve it," he replied, the fire of determination burning in his eyes.

Mikoto nodded. She knew that although Yuta's path would be difficult, he had the potential to go far.

"See you tomorrow. The training has only just begun."

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