"Sasuke, give me everything you've got. Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, hidden weapons—don't hold back."
"Let me see what you're made of."
Hearing this, Sasuke's eyes flickered slightly.
He's only using a clone?
He didn't say anything. He pulled a kunai from his pouch and settled into an offensive stance.
"Begin."
As soon as Musashi gave the signal, Sasuke's gaze sharpened instantly.
He was going to make this man acknowledge his strength!
Shuriken and kunai sliced through the air, converging on Musashi from tricky angles.
"Nice trajectory."
Musashi commented casually, flicking his fingers.
To his eyes, the speeding projectiles were moving in slow motion.
CLANG! CLANG!
With a few crisp, metallic sounds, the kunai and shuriken were all knocked to the ground.
A second wave followed immediately!
Musashi used the same method, swatting them all away.
SNAP!
Suddenly, razor-thin wires pulled tight in mid-air.
The deflected weapons instantly changed direction, looping back to strike Musashi from behind.
Musashi's expression didn't change. He tapped his toes against the ground, leaping gracefully into the air.
He lightly kicked the incoming weapons.
The shuriken and kunai were instantly accelerated, whistling with a piercing shriek as they reversed course.
Straight back at Sasuke.
THUD-THUD-THUD!!!
The weapons flew right past Sasuke's ears, burying themselves deep into the earth and rock behind him.
Cold sweat instantly soaked his back.
Sasuke's eyes went wide.
That was close. If the angle had been just a hair different... I would be dead!
The thought flashed through his mind.
"Again!" Musashi commanded.
Taking a deep breath, Sasuke suppressed his shock.
The opponent wouldn't actually kill him; the fear was just instinct.
Realizing that thrown weapons posed no threat, he gripped his kunai tight and charged forward.
BAM! POW! CLASH!
Throat, chest, joints.
Aiming for every weak point, Sasuke unleashed a flurry of attacks with everything he had.
Yet, facing this onslaught, Musashi simply waved his hands casually.
Blocking every single strike.
So strong!
He's stronger than any teacher at the Academy!
Sasuke marveled at his opponent's strength.
Just a clone was enough to neutralize his attacks with zero effort.
Behind him, Naruto's eyes were equally wide.
He wasn't shocked by Musashi's strength. In his heart, Boss was the strongest!
He was shocked by the skills Sasuke was displaying.
Sharp, fierce—far beyond the level of sparring at school.
If Sasuke had used these moves during their last Taijutsu match, Naruto might not have won.
The battle in the field continued.
As time passed, Musashi felt the force behind Sasuke's attacks weakening.
"Don't slack off! Use all your power!"
BAM!~
Musashi blocked a kick with one hand. Sasuke used the impact to backflip away rapidly.
In mid-air, his hands flew through seals.
He landed.
Channeled chakra...
It took a beat too long, but Musashi waited patiently until the scorching flames took shape, reflected in Naruto's widening eyes.
"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"
The fireball was small, barely holding its shape, but the heat was the real deal.
"Already able to use Fire Style, huh?" Musashi murmured.
Blue arcs of electricity coalesced around his right hand, forming a cloak of lightning.
Then, he swung his right hand forward!
BOOM!~
The fireball was instantly scattered. The lightning-wrapped hand expanded rapidly in Sasuke's vision.
Under his terrified gaze, the palm stopped inches from his face.
The lightning slowly dissipated.
"So... so strong," Sasuke's voice was hoarse.
Is this his power? He can disperse Ninjutsu with his bare hand.
No wonder he could stop that man.
"Big Brother is amazing!" Aoi clapped her hands nearby.
Karin remained silent.
She had seen Musashi fight in the Grass Village. Compared to that display of violence, this scene wasn't enough to shock her.
As for Naruto, he was still immersed in the shock that Sasuke could release a C-rank Ninjutsu.
We're in the same class, so why are you so cracked?
Musashi rubbed his chin.
He was thinking about how to guide Sasuke.
In terms of training methods, Musashi focused on Taijutsu, which didn't quite match Sasuke's style.
Moreover, as the reincarnate of Indra and Itachi's foolish little brother, Sasuke's future path was already paved.
For someone with genetic hacks, Musashi's role was limited.
At this stage, however, improving his combat experience seemed feasible.
"Sasuke, I have a rough idea of your strength."
"Not bad. At the Academy, there are probably very few people who can match you. The teachers' lessons there really don't suit you anymore."
"Right now, your Ninjutsu, Taijutsu, and weapon manipulation are all actually quite good."
"The flaw is the transition between different methods."
"There's a noticeable lag when you switch between shuriken, hand-to-hand combat, and Ninjutsu."
"It's likely the result of school sparring. Your classmates can't keep up with you, so you win the moment you make a move. You never get forced to chain attacks together."
"Also, once an opponent's strength exceeds your expectations, you panic. Your momentum dies. That is a fatal flaw in real combat."
Sasuke listened intently.
It had been a long time since he received direct guidance from a Jonin.
"Tell you what. From now on, come here every Saturday with Naruto."
"My training method might not fit you perfectly. But I can spar with you, point out areas for improvement, increase your combat experience, and answer your questions. How does that sound?"
Sasuke was overjoyed. "Thank you so much, Mu... Big Bro Musashi."
Musashi suddenly remembered something. "By the way, Sasuke, have you learned the Shadow Clone Jutsu?"
Sasuke shook his head. "No. I just started learning Fire Style, I haven't gotten around to Shadow Clones yet."
"I see," Musashi thought for a moment. "Being able to release the Fireball Jutsu means your chakra reserves are sufficient."
"Since you are desperate to improve your strength, you should learn the Shadow Clone Jutsu first."
"That way, the school curriculum won't waste your time."
"Right!" Sasuke's eyes lit up.
Musashi smiled slightly. "Let's do it today then. I'll teach you the Shadow Clone Jutsu."
"But Sasuke, remember this: keep a low profile with the Shadow Clone at school. Don't let anyone find out."
"Understood, Big Bro Musashi."