Chapter 33: Chapter 33: Don’t Disappoint Me
The darkness before dawn had yet to fade. A thin layer of frost clung to the bluestone of the training field.
"Remember this, brat," Senju Tobirama said in a low voice. "A true shinobi ends the battle before the enemy even notices."
With a flick of his fingers, three shuriken shot out in a triangle formation, piercing into the distant target with pinpoint accuracy.
Renya watched intently, eyes capturing every detail.
Dew still clung to his long black hair. His pale face was filled with solemnity.
When Senju Tobirama suddenly closed in, he instinctively leaned back—the kunai whooshed past, grazing the tip of his nose.
Tobirama withdrew his hand, the hem of his robes flapping sharply in the wind.
"In battle, the enemy won't give you a second chance."
He raised his hands and formed a seal. In an instant, dozens of shadow clones appeared, surrounding the training field in an impenetrable formation.
Renya's pupils shrank. His eyes darted around rapidly, trying to find the real Tobirama among the clones.
Sweat trickled down his cheek and soaked his collar.
This was one of Renya's daily training exercises: find the real Senju Tobirama to hone his perception.
He had only three chances to strike...
"Brat, have you found me yet?" twenty voices rang out simultaneously.
Renya examined the Tobiramas before him carefully.
Some stood with arms crossed, faces full of mockery.
Some watched silently, expressionless.
Others gripped kunai with grim determination.
Renya looked helpless. Finding the real body among twenty clones? That was easier said than done.
Especially since these were created using Tobirama's Multiple Shadow Clone Technique.
"Brat, you should just give up!"
Renya didn't respond. He took a deep breath, trying to find a flaw in the minute details.
He knew that although shadow clones had the same strength as the original, there would always be a faint fluctuation in chakra.
As long as he could detect that subtle disturbance, he could pinpoint the real one.
The first clone moved, stabbing forward with a kunai. Renya dodged to the side, eyes locked on the clone's footsteps.
Every step, every shift in weight could be a clue.
Suddenly, Renya launched an attack—not at the one who had moved, but at a clone to his left.
As the kunai touched the clone, it instantly vanished into a puff of white smoke.
"Wrong one," he muttered in his heart. Beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead.
"Brat, just give up already," the clones all said in unison.
"Shut up," Renya said irritably.
He started paying closer attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw one clone at the back of the group make a subtle move.
The moment that clone shifted, Renya hurled his kunai at it.
"Could it be the real one?" he whispered.
As he watched with hope, the clone dispersed into smoke.
Even so, he wasn't discouraged. Instead, his expression said, I knew it.
Senju Tobirama wouldn't make such a rookie mistake—unless he wanted to lure him into a trap.
But Renya didn't dare to gamble. What if it really had been the real one?
"Brat, you have one last chance!"
"I know…"
Before he could finish, all the shadow clones attacked at once.
Facing eighteen clones, Renya's lips curled into a smirk.
"You all came to me… Don't blame me for this."
He leapt into the air and formed a hand seal mid-air.
"Fire Style: Great Fireball Jutsu!"
A torrent of flames swept across the training field. The eighteen shadow clones flickered amid the blaze.
Just as the flames were about to burn out, Renya suddenly dashed toward the northwest corner, kunai in hand, aiming for the remaining figure.
The Senju Tobirama before him raised a hand and blocked the attack, the corners of his mouth lifting into a smile.
"Not bad. You judged based on residual chakra. Seems like you've improved."
Even though he had intentionally given Renya a chance, it wasn't an easy one to seize.
The fact that Renya had found the real body genuinely exceeded Tobirama's expectations.
Renya let out a long breath. His tense nerves finally relaxed, and he flopped down onto the ground.
Morning training sessions were something Renya loved and hated.
That old bastard Tobirama really trained him to the brink of death...
Sometimes they'd spar directly. Tobirama never held back—beating him half to death, then calling medical-nin to patch him up.
Renya felt like the old bastard did it on purpose—just looking for an excuse to smack him around...
Although the training was harsh, the progress was undeniable.
Renya's current strength had already surpassed that of an average Genin.
He believed it wouldn't be long before he could live out his dream of punching that arrogant jerk and kicking Hiruzen in the face.
...
As Renya fantasized about his glorious future, Senju Tobirama pulled out a report card with a stormy face.
"Renya, tell me—how the hell did you get this score?"
Renya looked at the 5-point exam paper and scratched his head awkwardly.
"Haha... let me explain…"
"You damn Uchiha brat! You didn't study at all!" Tobirama roared.
"Don't slander me! I did study," Renya muttered sheepishly.
Well... flipping through a few pages before the exam counts as studying, right?
He didn't study for long, true—but it was studying!
He'd tried his best. What more could you ask?
"If you score like this again next time, I'll personally—"
Tobirama narrowed his eyes, pinching a kunai between his fingers.
Crack! The kunai snapped in two.
Renya gulped instinctively and stammered, "C-calm down... Isn't this a bit much?"
Tobirama said nothing. He glared at Renya, deadly serious.
If Renya dared to turn in this kind of disgraceful result again, he wouldn't go easy on him.
Such a simple test—if Tobirama hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never have believed anyone could score 5 points.
Seriously, could someone who scores 5 points even be considered human?
The more Tobirama thought about it, the angrier he got. A surge of killing intent exploded from his body.
It was the second time Renya had felt Tobirama's killing intent directly. The pressure was almost suffocating.
Was this the aura of a Kage-level shinobi?
If he weren't already sitting, he might have collapsed to his knees from the sheer pressure.
"I-i… I'll try to pass next time, just… please calm down."
Hearing Renya's promise, Tobirama snorted coldly and withdrew his killing intent.
"Brat, don't let this happen again!" Tobirama threw the exam paper at Renya and turned to leave.
Today's training was over. He still had disciples to recruit.
He needed to cultivate a batch of geniuses imbued with the Will of Fire—future elite forces of Konoha.
And those geniuses had to be personally trained by him.
As for Renya… forget it.
Tobirama didn't expect someone who scored 5 points on a test to inherit the Will of Fire.
In fact, he seriously doubted whether Renya even knew what the Will of Fire was…
He had no high hopes for Renya—just that the kid wouldn't do anything to harm the village.
Granted, Renya's character was decent for now, but he hadn't awakened his eyes yet. Tobirama would have to keep observing after that.
From what Tobirama knew about the Uchiha clan, their personalities often changed after awakening the Sharingan.
He had no way of predicting what kind of person Renya would become in the future. All he could do was guide him as best he could, and hope he walked the right path.
"Brat... Don't disappoint me…"
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