radicalducati Chapter 220 The Calm Before the Storm, Lin Arrives
Chapter 220 The Calm Before the Storm, Lin Arrives
"Alright, what you'll be training for the next month is the ninjutsu and teamwork I'll teach you. The Chunin Exams are just a process; the key is to cooperate with each other and maximize the team's combat power..." Ishikawa said to Karin and the other two, who were completely bewildered, at the training ground.
Their three-way battle will take place after Sasuke's third match. At that time, the Konoha Collapse Plan will break out and the exam will not continue. It will be more important to strengthen teamwork and ninjutsu skills.
“No problem, big brother.” Taro agreed first, though he had some doubts but didn’t say anything more.
Anyway, his opponent is also a Konoha ninja, so winning or losing is important to him, but not the only factor!
In particular, the second round of the competition may involve encountering a terrifying opponent like Gaara.
Jiro had no objections, as his opponent was Tosu, the Sound Ninja whom he had defeated.
"Then, you will each train individually for the first twenty days, and then conduct team exercises for the next ten days. Karin, come with me..." Nodding to his two underlings, Ishikawa called out and led Karin away.
Last night he agreed to let Nohara Rin go out to find Tsunade, and he had to prepare for the task of guarding the house in advance.
If he is unable to escape in time, then Karin and the other two are backup insurance!
Therefore, Karin must be given a special move that can turn the tide and defeat the opponent at the crucial moment.
"Karin, your Water Release ninjutsu is enough for now. I'm going to train an A-rank ninjutsu without hand seals. Do you want to come with me?"
"Yes, yes, of course I'm willing." Upon hearing that it was a sweet double training session with Ishikawa, Karin's eyes lit up and she nodded in agreement.
She didn't care about A-rank unsealed ninjutsu! Training with Ishikawa was the priority.
"Okay, let's go buy some things to prepare." Ishikawa nodded in satisfaction. It was just to guard against any unexpected events; the Rasengan should be enough!
Hearing that they could go shopping together, Karin smiled brightly again and quickly followed Ishikawa away...
While Ishikawa was preparing balloons and balls to activate his Rasengan training, Naruto, after completing his training, had his Five Elements Seal of Orochimaru discovered by Jiraiya, and subsequently had the seal broken to begin his formal training.
At the same time, Sasuke, Neji, and the others also began their intensive training or intelligence gathering.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Orochimaru and the Sound Ninja, sharpening their knives, began to accelerate their preparations, and a storm was brewing in the seemingly peaceful Leaf Village...
Time flies like an arrow, and soon more than twenty days had passed, and the eve of the Chunin Exams had arrived in the blink of an eye.
"Naruto has completed his training in the one-handed Rasengan, and Karin has also learned the Shadow Clone Rasengan. Gamabunta, who appeared a few days ago, has also shown up. It seems that Naruto has already met Kurama."
"Heh! The Chunin Exams that will change Konoha are finally here..." In the dimensional room, Ishikawa lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and muttering to himself.
He'd been working day and night, practicing relentlessly to master the one-handed Rasengan. Even then, he only managed it with the help of a doorknob, which shows just how difficult it was to learn.
Karin also mastered the Shadow Clone Rasengan by using a cheat device for creating Shadow Clone Jutsu and receiving guidance from his Red Eyes. Fortunately, they both succeeded!
"Creak..." Just as the hyperspace connection was nearing its end, and Ishikawa thought Nohara Rin wouldn't come over, the inner wall door was suddenly pushed open from the outside.
"Rin, what brings you here?" Turning around in surprise, Ishikawa was both delighted and surprised to see Nohara Rin looking travel-worn.
Does this mean she successfully became Tsunade's apprentice?
"Time is running out. Let me recover first, then you can take me away from here," Nohara Rin said playfully, blinking her eyes. Before Ishikawa could speak, she quickly reached for the doorknob.
With a crackling sound of electricity, Ishikawa appeared in the blink of an eye the instant Nohara Rin fainted and scooped her up in his arms.
"She's so exhausted, did she rush back overnight?" Ishikawa muttered to himself, then quickly opened the door and went out, carrying Nohara Rin in his arms.
And less than a minute after he left the hyperspace room, the overlapping spacetime quickly split and disappeared!
One minute and thirty seconds later.
"Sorry, I almost missed getting back." After regaining her senses, Nohara Rin looked at Ishikawa with slight embarrassment.
That was close! We were just a hair's breadth away from being too late.
"That's not important. What's important is that you've become Tsunade's apprentice? Has she already returned to Konoha during the Third Shinobi World War?" Ishikawa hurriedly waved his hand and asked curiously, feeling a little uneasy inside.
That's what he said before, but what if Tsunade comes back in the Third Shinobi World War to help him with his hemophobia? Does he really have to use that method?
Or, perhaps try erasing some of Tsunade's memories?
"No, Lady Tsunade hasn't returned. Actually, I don't even know if I've successfully become her apprentice." Just as Ishikawa was secretly struggling with this, Nohara Rin gave an unexpected answer, somewhat awkwardly.
Ishikawa? ?
Seeing Ishikawa's bewildered expression, Nohara Rin immediately composed herself and began to explain.
Through her narration, Ishikawa quickly understood the cause and effect of the matter.
Just as Ishikawa had predicted, with his intelligence support and the further boost from Obito and Kakashi, the search speed of Nohara Rin and the other two increased exponentially!
Although they encountered some troubles on the way, they still managed to find Tsunade, who was 36 years old at the time, a few days ago.
To Ishikawa's surprise, after seeing the Third Hokage's secret letter and Nohara Rin's strength, Tsunade easily got Nohara Rin to sign the Slug Contract.
Things went too smoothly, so smoothly that Nohara Rin didn't even mention overcoming her hemophobia before receiving the inheritance of the Three Ninjas.
Tsunade's conditions were strange; she didn't directly agree to the master-disciple relationship, nor did she intend to train Nohara Rin in medical ninjutsu.
Instead, they let Nohara Rin complete her training in summoning techniques and then go with Kakashi and Obito to support the front lines.
In Tsunade's words, she didn't want to invest her emotions again only to lose those bonds in the end.
Therefore, the true apprenticeship will have to wait until after the war ends. If Lin is still alive by then, she will truly acknowledge this talented disciple who has experienced the war.
"So you left a shadow clone behind and sneaked back? Won't that give you away and let Obito or Kakashi find out something??" Ishikawa looked at Nohara Rin, who was sticking out her little tongue and looking innocent, and was speechless.
If Rin's clone suddenly shatters, Kakashi and Obito will immediately unleash their power!
"Hehehe, there's nothing I can do about it. I can't explain why I suddenly came back." Nohara Rin smiled and blinked, then gave Ishikawa a reassuring look. "I'm secretly maintaining the shadow clone with a slug. It should be fine for just one day."
"I hope so!" The die was cast, and that was all I could think.
Wait, a slug!!
"Um, why don't you try summoning slugs here too?" Ishikawa asked, his eyes darting nervously towards Nohara Rin, licking his lips with excitement.
If he succeeds, wouldn't he be able to bypass Tsunade and directly contract the slug?
Is his spring finally coming...?