"Psychic Shadows of the Hidden Leaf

Training Ground No. 98

The morning sun cast its warm light over the training ground, but three young ninjas—Iruka Umino, Shinobi Mibu, and Thorny Iron Wire—were far from relaxed. They stood together, waiting for their new team leader, Kaitan, to arrive.

"Is the captain going to be late?" Mibu Shinobi muttered, his stomach growling audibly. He hadn't eaten breakfast, eagerly anticipating the promised feast Kaitan mentioned yesterday.

"He should be here soon—wait, what's that sound?" Thorny Iron Wire interrupted, his voice tinged with both curiosity and caution.

From the nearby forest came a loud, unsettling buzzing noise.

Buzz!

The trio turned their attention to the source of the sound, watching as the trees began to bend and sway. It was as if something massive was forcing its way through the dense foliage.

"Is that a... monster?" Mibu Shinobi stammered, his eyes wide.

Breaking through the forest, a towering dragonfly-like creature appeared. It was as tall as a two-story building, its four massive wings flapping with incredible speed, creating gusts of wind. Its bulbous, glinting compound eyes focused directly on them.

"Get ready!" Iruka shouted, his voice steady despite the intimidating sight.

Whoosh!

The enormous dragonfly lunged at them, its sharp forelimbs slicing through the air.

"Move!" Iruka barked.

The three quickly scattered as the creature's limb struck the ground, leaving a deep crater in its wake.

"This thing is massive! How can there be such a monster in Konoha?" Mibu Shinobi cried out, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.

"Calm down," Iruka said, his voice firm. "This has to be a test. The captain must be behind this. We need to work together if we're going to pass!"

Thorny Iron Wire nodded, unfurling a long scroll he had been carrying. With a quick flick, he summoned a barrage of shuriken and kunai that launched toward the dragonfly like meteors.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The giant creature batted away the projectiles with its six powerful limbs, but Thorny Iron Wire wasn't finished. He summoned a meteor hammer and hurled it with precision, while Mibu Shinobi threw his shuriken, using thin wire to entangle the dragonfly's legs.

"Now!" Thorny Iron Wire shouted.

The meteor hammer struck the dragonfly's chest, sending it sprawling backward. It skidded across the ground, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake.

"Great Fireball Technique!" Iruka cried, forming hand seals. He unleashed a blazing fireball that engulfed the fallen creature.

"Did we do it?" Mibu Shinobi asked, his voice trembling with a mix of excitement and fear.

Their smiles of triumph faded when the flames subsided, revealing not the massive dragonfly, but a charred, palm-sized figurine.

"What the...?" Thorny Iron Wire muttered, confused.

Before they could process what had happened, the ground beneath Iruka erupted. A pangolin-like creature shot out, its armored body slamming into him and sending him tumbling.

"Oof!" Iruka grunted as he hit the ground.

The pangolin let out a bizarre howl before burrowing back into the earth, leaving the team bewildered.

"What kind of technique is this?" Iruka murmured, wiping dirt from his face.

He analyzed the situation quickly. "It's not a summoning jutsu, and it's definitely not a transformation technique. The damage to the terrain is real... but how?"

High above, Kaitan sat on a giant eagle, observing his students with a smile.

"They're not bad," he mused. "Their coordination is better than I expected for fresh academy graduates. They might even surpass my expectations."

The creatures he had used were part of a special ninjutsu he developed, called Manifested Illusions. By channeling chakra into figurines, he could temporarily bring them to life as tangible, destructive entities.

He had created four types so far: the dragonfly for aerial combat, the pangolin for burrowing and defense, the eagle for reconnaissance, and a whale for aquatic missions.

Seeing the team struggle against the pangolin, Kaitan decided it was time to intervene.

Whoosh!

Kaitan leaped from the eagle and landed gracefully before his students.

"Captain!" Iruka exclaimed.

"Not bad. You handled yourselves well," Kaitan said with an approving nod.

The three of them stared at him, still catching their breath.

"Captain, was that some kind of summoning jutsu?" Iruka asked.

"No, it was Genjutsu," Kaitan replied with a smirk.

"Genjutsu?" The trio echoed in disbelief.

Kaitan held up a small figurine of a dragonfly. "This is the source of the technique. When an opponent is caught in my Genjutsu, these figurines manifest into real creatures. They're physical and can cause actual damage. As long as I maintain the jutsu, they're as real as you or me."

"But... we didn't even look at the dragonfly when it appeared," Iruka pointed out.

Kaitan chuckled. "I was the one who triggered the Genjutsu. Since I saw it, the illusion became real."

The three students exchanged incredulous looks. "So we were fighting your Genjutsu the whole time?" Thorny Iron Wire asked.

"That's right," Kaitan confirmed. "And you did well. Most fresh graduates wouldn't have lasted as long as you did. You've got potential."

The students' eyes sparkled with admiration.

"Captain, can you teach us that technique?" Mibu Shinobi asked eagerly.

Kaitan laughed. "It's a difficult technique to master. It took me over a year to perfect just four types. If you're serious about learning, you'll need to train hard."

"We're ready!" the three of them said in unison, determination shining in their eyes.

Kaitan smiled. "Good. But first, let's follow Konoha tradition. Introduce yourselves, then we'll take a team photo and celebrate with that feast I promised."

The students straightened up, eager to share their dreams.

"I'm Thorny Iron Wire. My dream is to become the greatest ninja tool master in Konoha. I love eating ramen!"

"I'm Umino Iruka. My dream is to teach and nurture the next generation of Konoha's ninjas. I also love ramen!"

"I'm Shinobi Mibu. My dream is to join the Torture and Interrogation Force. I admire Morino Ibiki-senpai, and I love barbecue!"

Kaitan chuckled. "And I'm Kaitan. My dream is to live a peaceful life, have two kids—a boy and a girl—and watch them grow up. I want to enjoy the simple things, like spending time with my family and raising grandchildren."

He pulled out a camera and gestured for the group to gather.

"Say cheese!"

Click!

The photo captured their first day as a team: Kaitan standing behind them with a hand on Thorny Iron Wire's and Iruka's heads, while Shinobi Mibu stood in the middle with his arms crossed, a proud smile on his face.

This was the beginning of their journey together as Team Kaitan.