"I've seen everyone's reviews, but I don't have enough points to reply! If anyone knows how, please let me know,
"Yes!"
Before he finished speaking, Asakusa threw a kunai directly at Hideyoshi Yamamoto with his right hand, but the kunai was easily dodged by the instructor.
Asakusa, of course, didn't expect to land a hit on Hideyoshi Yamamoto with just a kunai. His intention was merely to buy some time.
Right after the throw, Asakusa's hands moved quickly to form hand seals. His speed was impressive he could manage five seals per second, something even many experienced jōnin might struggle to achieve.
After all, the older one gets, the more their finger joints stiffen, making it difficult to improve the speed of hand signs through hard training after reaching adulthood.
Hideyoshi Yamamoto had just evaded the kunai, and Asakusa's jutsu was already complete.
"Earth Release: Rock Pillar Spear!"
This was the only offensive jutsu Asakusa had mastered so far. It could raise several earth spikes from the ground to pierce an opponent, but its attack range was very limited. According to Yamamoto-sensei, there was an advanced version of the technique called "Earth Release: Earth Spear" that created a much wider array of spikes somewhat similar to Kimimaro's Dance of the Clematis but it required far more chakra than Asakusa currently possessed.
Squelch!
As expected, Hideyoshi Yamamoto was pierced by the earth spikes, but Asakusa did not let his guard down. He knew something was off. Yamamoto-sensei would never allow himself to be hit by such a straightforward attack. Almost on instinct, Asakusa's body moved, and he replaced himself with a log using the Substitution Jutsu.
A moment later, the log was split cleanly in two by Yamamoto-sensei's kunai.
The battle continued, and no matter what tactics Asakusa employed, Hideyoshi Yamamoto relying only on basic taijutsu and the three fundamental ninjutsu (Transformation, Substitution, and Clone Techniques) deflected every one of Asakusa's moves with ease. Asakusa was completely overpowered. The instructor's combat experience and sheer skill in taijutsu were far beyond anything Asakusa could currently handle.
After several more exchanges, with Asakusa's stamina depleted and his breathing labored, Hideyoshi Yamamoto finally called a halt.
"That's enough for today!" Yamamoto sensei said, seeing that his student was clearly exhausted.
Asakusa bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily.
"Your basics are solid, but you lack real combat experience. It doesn't show much in practice, but when it comes to life-or-death situations, your flaws are exposed," Hideyoshi Yamamoto commented. "I only used the most basic three ninjutsu techniques, and you had no way to counter."
"Yes, Yamamoto-sensei!" Asakusa responded, still catching his breath.
Ordinarily, Asakusa felt confident in his abilities. He could easily defeat his classmates in sparring sessions. Even members of the Uchiha clan, before awakening their Sharingan, were not much different from regular shinobi. But today, facing his teacher, he realized how helpless he truly was.
"In a real battle, especially at your current age, you should avoid using chakra-intensive techniques like Rock Pillar Spear. Once your chakra runs out, you're defenseless," Yamamoto-sensei advised. "You should focus more on combining the three basic jutsu with taijutsu in combat. The way you used Rock Pillar Spear today to try and lure me in could easily lead to your downfall."
Asakusa nodded, agreeing with his sensei. One of the greatest disadvantages of youth was the low chakra reserves. He could only perform a few jutsu before running dry, despite his precise control over chakra. Even with his careful use of chakra, it wasn't nearly enough to last in a prolonged fight.
Thinking about this, Asakusa couldn't help but envy Naruto Uzumaki from the original story. Naruto not only had an extraordinary ability to recover quickly, but he also had such vast chakra reserves that he could use techniques like Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu effortlessly in battle.
If Asakusa had that kind of chakra at his disposal, with his level of chakra control, he could be a force to be reckoned with perhaps even a powerful long-range fighter specializing in jutsu.
But fantasy was just that fantasy. Asakusa had been born to an ordinary family with no special bloodline or unique abilities. If he wanted to become stronger, he would have to work his way up, step by step.
"In the next few days, I will only use taijutsu and the three basic jutsu techniques when we spar," Hideyoshi Yamamoto said. "You are to do the same. I expect you to show progress by the time of the graduation exams."
"Understood, Yamamoto-sensei!" Asakusa replied earnestly.
"Good!" Hideyoshi Yamamoto nodded before continuing, "Asakusa, do you know why I've taken a special interest in teaching you?"
Asakusa shook his head silently.
"It's because I see potential in you!" Yamamoto-sensei said seriously. "Among Konoha's elite today, two shinobi stand out: Orochimaru and Jiraiya. When you've matured, I believe that civilian shinobi like us will rise to prominence. I've taught at this academy for years, and I've never seen anyone with such potential as you. Even the genius Kakashi Hatake lost to you in a spar. That's why I'm counting on you, Asakusa. Promise me, no matter what mission you take, you won't throw your life away."
"I promise!" Asakusa said with conviction.