"huhuhu~!"
Chao Yanqian leaned toward Tsunade, put his hands on his knees, and looked at Nara Shikaku, who was standing calmly not far away, panting, and was about to attack again.
"Okay, let's end today's duel exercise!" Nara Shikaku glanced at Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai, who were lying on the ground with no strength to stand up. Finally, he looked at Chao Yanqian said, "You kid... it's terrifying how much you've improved your strength. In less than a year, you've grown to this point. It seems that life for us old guys is getting harder and harder!"
Chao Yanqian looked speechlessly at Nara Shikaku. Your old man is still standing there now, and the three of us are already exhausted. In this case, don't you feel a little guilty saying that?
"Don't look at me with those eyes. At your age, it's already very good to have this level of strength. Ah, not careless at all!" Nara Shikaku looked at the pitted ground around him for a long time, scratched his head, and said with a sigh.
The Shadow Possession Jutsu of the Nara clan is truly terrifying. Its control ability is second to none in the entire ninja world.
At the last moment of the practice, with the cooperation of Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai, Chao Yanqian was almost able to hit Nara Shikaku. But unfortunately, he was still caught by Shikaku's Shadow Possession Jutsu, which led to the final attack falling short.
"Unfortunately, it was a bit short in the end," Sarutobi Asuma said regretfully.
"Looking back now, the entire battle just now seems to have been in Mr. Shikaku's calculations. We weren't just a little short from the beginning, we had already fallen into his trap. If we had realized it earlier, we might've had a chance," Chao Yanqian sighed.
"You're already very good. I didn't have this level of strength at your age," Nara Shikaku said.
"That's right! Chao Yanqian, we'll definitely win next time!" Yūhi Kurenai cheered.
"Well, I have a general understanding of your strengths. It seems that you've worked very hard this year!" Nara Shikaku exclaimed.
"If you want to grow stronger, you must put your whole heart into improving your strength!" Chao Yanqian had only gained his current strength by training from a young age. What kind of hardships and efforts he went through only he could truly know.
"You worked so hard, Chao Yanqian!" Yūhi Kurenai said while looking at him.
Chao Yanqian hesitated a bit, then sat down heavily on the ground and began to recover his strength, without saying more. If you don't train hard, can you go to the battlefield and not die?
"I believe you've all heard that Iwagakure and Sunagakure are fighting against Konoha at the same time. I'm afraid our team will be temporarily disbanded," Nara Shikaku said as he glanced at the three of them. "In three days, we'll disband. Chao Yanqian will go to the front near Sunagakure, while Asuma and Kurenai will temporarily join other teams."
"Why?" Sarutobi Asuma said, unconvinced. "Why can Chao Yanqian go to the front line, but Kurenai and I can't?"
"Yes! That's not fair!" Yūhi Kurenai also protested.
"We adults are fighting desperately on the front lines to protect Konoha's future. You are still too immature now. Wait a few more years then it'll be your turn." Nara Shikaku explained, "As for Chao Yanqian, he's different from you. He's going to the front lines as a medical-nin."
"I don't agree!" Sarutobi Asuma said firmly. "We're also Konoha shinobi! We should be able to fight too!"
Nara Shikaku glanced at Sarutobi Asuma and said in a serious tone, "If you truly care about Konoha, then do what you're capable of. Don't go to the front lines just to drag us down."
"Damn it!" Sarutobi Asuma clenched his fists and said, unwillingly.
Yūhi Kurenai's eyes were also filled with reluctance, but since the village had made its decision, even if they didn't agree, they had no choice but to follow orders.
"Chao Yanqian, prepare in the next two days. Be at Konoha's gate by six in the morning, three days from now," Nara Shikaku said, giving Chao Yanqian a knowing glance.
"Got it!" Chao Yanqian nodded and returned the look, indicating he understood.
"Okay, disband now!"
As soon as the word "disband" fell, Nara Shikaku vanished with a bang.
"Let's go too," Sarutobi Asuma said, a bit disappointed.
It was obvious that Asuma was truly unwilling. Although he was the Hokage's youngest son and could be a bit arrogant when younger, deep down, he was warm and friendly.
But the front-line war was still too far away for him.
"Chao Yanqian, let's train together!" Yūhi Kurenai suggested. "Ah, I wish I could go to the front like you."
"Thanks, but I need to prepare a few things. I won't be joining today," Chao Yanqian declined politely, remembering the look Nara Shikaku gave him before leaving.
After parting ways with Sarutobi Asuma and Yūhi Kurenai, Chao Yanqian made a loop and returned to Training Ground Eight.
Although he couldn't fully guess what Shikaku meant with that glance, it was obvious the jonin commander had something to say.
"Shikaku-sensei!" As expected, Nara Shikaku was waiting at Training Ground Eight for Chao Yanqian.
"You really came. Looks like we've built up a lot of tacit understanding this year!" Nara Shikaku smiled casually.
"Does Shikaku-sensei have something to say to me?" Chao Yanqian asked directly. With someone like this old fox, it was best to get to the point.
"Sit down and let's talk," Nara Shikaku said, pointing to the ground before sitting down himself.
Looks like it's serious...
Chao Yanqian sat quietly beside Shikaku, waiting for him to speak first.
"You must have guessed why I called you here," Nara Shikaku said in a low voice.
How would I know? Chao Yanqian thought silently, but just nodded.
Shikaku's reason for calling him here was obviously related to the upcoming war with Sunagakure — but what exactly did he want to say?
"I hope you won't mind what I'm about to say." Nara Shikaku spoke softly. "Though I'm not always satisfied with the village's decisions, there's no denying that everything is done for the sake of Konoha."
Hearing Shikaku's words, Chao Yanqian suddenly understood.
So, Shikaku was worried that Chao Yanqian might resent the village's arrangement, so he deliberately pulled him aside.
Chao Yanqian would be risking his life on the battlefield, while children of prestigious clans stayed safe in Konoha and enjoyed the fruits of others' efforts. After experiencing that, it was natural for some to feel resentment.
Chao Yanqian suddenly thought of Yamamoto Hideyoshi, a teacher from the Ninja Academy. A commoner shinobi, he deeply resented the elite clan children. At first, Chao Yanqian didn't understand where that hatred came from but after graduating, he began to understand.
There truly was a difference between how the village treated clan ninja and commoner ninja and a very obvious one at that.
"Haha! It's alright, Shikaku-sensei," Chao Yanqian smiled and said. "I don't mind. Everyone has a different path in life. The only thing we share is death. From birth to death, what kind of life we live depends entirely on our own effort."