Chapter 50: Team Tsunade
The graduation assessment was far more stringent than it would be in the future era of peace. It wasn't just about demonstrating the Three Basic Jutsu; it also tested actual combat prowess and a solid grasp of shinobi theory.
For the prodigies of Class A, however, it was no challenge at all. Not a single student failed. The entire class passed, officially becoming genin of Konohagakure.
Watching his students receive their forehead protectors, Ueno Kuri could only offer a wry, pained smile. He didn't know whether this was a moment of pride or profound sorrow. In peacetime, he would have been ecstatic. Now, he could only pray that each of them would survive long enough to grow old.
With the assessments over, the new genin waited to be assigned to their Jōnin sensei. After announcing the team divisions, Ueno-sensei left without another word, and the classroom immediately erupted into noisy chatter.
"Shinra, who do you think our sensei will be?" Kushina asked, draping herself over his back with familiar ease.
"I'm not a prophet. How should I know?" Shinra replied, though he had a strong suspicion. He, Mikoto, and Kushina had all been placed on the same team. Whether it was by design or sheer luck, he didn't know.
"It's so boring! Can't you at least guess?" Kushina pouted, poking his cheek.
"I only know a handful of Jōnin well enough—Tsunade, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya. How am I supposed to know which one we're getting?"
"Perhaps it will be Sister Tsunade," Mikoto suggested softly from beside him.
"It's already a big coincidence that the three of us are on the same team. The chances of Tsunade being assigned as our sensei are practically zero. She's never taken a genin team before," Shinra reasoned.
Wham!
The classroom door slid open with force. "Oh? And you have a problem with me being your Jōnin sensei?" Tsunade stood in the doorway, one hand on her hip, a challenging eyebrow raised.
"Sis! You're actually a sensei? Are you even qualified to lead a team?" Nawaki blurted out, his face a picture of disbelief.
"Nawaki! What is that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on your own sister!" Tsunade's temper flared instantly, and she raised a fist promising imminent violence.
Nawaki immediately cowered, raising his hands in surrender. He knew all too well the destructive power behind that fist.
"Hmph! You three," Tsunade said, pointing at Shinra, Mikoto, and Kushina. "With me. Now." She turned and strode out of the classroom without a backward glance.
Shinra shrugged, a small smile playing on his lips. "Well, let's go. It seems Mikoto was right. It really is Tsunade."
"Hahaha! Your Jōnin sensei is my sister! Good luck, you guys! You're going to need it!" Nawaki laughed uproariously, looking at the trio with deep sympathy.
Thwack!
A pebble, thrown with pinpoint accuracy from outside, zipped into the room and smacked Nawaki squarely on the forehead, knocking him flat on his back.
"Nawaki! If you dare spout any more nonsense, you'll be doing a thousand laps around the village when you get home!" Tsunade's voice echoed down the hall, causing the rest of the class to look at the groaning Nawaki with a fresh wave of pity.
"Tch. He got what he deserved," Shinra chuckled. "Come on, let's not keep her waiting."
They followed Tsunade to a familiar training ground. She turned to face them, crossing her arms.
"We all know each other, so let's skip the basic introductions. However, we're not skipping the customary fight. I need to see exactly what you're capable of," Tsunade declared, cracking her knuckles for emphasis.
"Fine by me! I've been wanting to test my own limits anyway! You better be careful, Tsunade-sensei!" Kushina exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement as she fell into a fighting stance.
"Come on, then," Tsunade said with a confident smile. Fighting Shinra was a losing battle, but she felt perfectly relaxed about taking on Kushina. By her calculations, based on her own elite Jōnin strength at age ten, Kushina shouldn't exceed the level of a special Jōnin. She didn't believe the girl's talent surpassed her own. That was Tsunade's confidence.
This time, however, Tsunade was gravely mistaken. The ten-year-old Kushina was far stronger than she had been at that age.
"Sealing Technique: Adamantine Sealing Chains!"
With a surge of Uzumaki chakra, five brilliant, golden chains erupted from Kushina's back. They whistled through the air—four of them arcing to cut off Tsunade's escape routes while the fifth lashed out like a whip directly at her.
"Mikoto, now! I can't hold her alone! Shinra, don't you dare help!" Kushina yelled. She was determined to see if she and Mikoto together could actually defeat the legendary Sannin.
Shinra simply shrugged and leaped gracefully onto a nearby tree branch, settling in to watch the show.
Mikoto nodded, her expression turning serious. Her hands flew through a series of hand seals with blinding speed.
"Fire Style: Fire Dragon Flame Bomb!" A massive dragon of fire roared from her mouth, flanking Tsunade from the opposite side, perfectly coordinating with Kushina's chains to box her in completely.
Feeling the searing heat of the flames and hearing the whip-crack of the chakra chains, Tsunade's smirk vanished. She was forced to take this seriously.
She kicked out, launching a Tempest Kick vacuum slash to intercept the primary chain, while her hands formed another set of seals. "Water Style: Water Formation Wall!" A dome of water erupted around her, meeting Mikoto's fire dragon in a hissing cloud of steam.
Kushina's chain, though deflected, wasn't broken.
What followed was a masterclass in coordination. Kushina controlled the battlefield with her chains, restricting Tsunade's movements, while Mikoto unleashed a relentless barrage of Fire Style ninjutsu, occasionally mixing in a genjutsu to disrupt Tsunade's rhythm. To the astonishment of their observer in the tree, the two girls were actually pressuring the Sannin.
"And she's awakened the Three Tomoe Sharingan before the age of ten... In the entire history of the Uchiha clan, I doubt anyone can compare!" Tsunade muttered, dodging a chain and deflecting a fireball. She had seen the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. If Mikoto were to awaken that in the future, even her grandfather might have struggled.
"Alright! That's enough!" Tsunade called out, leaping back to create some distance. She had seen all she needed.
"Huh? We're stopping already?" Kushina asked, panting slightly as she retracted her chakra chains.
"No need to continue. I just wanted to gauge your strength," Tsunade said, a genuine look of respect on her face. "And it's formidable. You two are, without a doubt, the most talented kunoichi I have ever seen. At your age, I wasn't even close to your level."
"Shinra is much stronger than both of us," Mikoto added softly, a proud smile on her face as she glanced toward the tree.
"Him?" Tsunade followed her gaze to where Shinra sat, looking utterly bored. "He... left the category of 'normal' a long time ago."
She could still vividly remember being soundly beaten by him over four years ago. She could only imagine how much more powerful he was now. She was certain that her current quasi-Kage strength would be insufficient to defeat him.
"Hey, is that a compliment or an insult?" Shinra called down, hopping off the branch and landing lightly beside them.
"Hah! You figure it out!" Tsunade retorted, turning her head away with a 'hmph'.
"To be honest," she continued, addressing all three of them, "I don't have much to teach you right now. You already possess the power. What you lack is real-world experience, and that's something you have to gain for yourselves. I can't give it to you." A wry smile touched her lips. "I have to say, being your sensei might be the easiest job in Konoha. I don't have to teach you a thing. I just need to take you on missions and watch you grow."