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Tsunade - Ch 86
🕑 Added 2025-05-15 16:01:14 +0000 UTCChapter 86: Teaching the Ino-Shika-Cho Trio a Lesson
At eight in the morning, Training Ground 10 finally welcomed the new generation of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio.
Watching Kamizuki Hikari and Tenten sparring in the distance, Shikamaru facepalmed with a sigh.
"We're screwed..."
"What's wrong?" Ino asked quietly, eyeing Shikamaru's sudden distress.
"Nothing. I just hope Hikari-senpai goes easy on us." Shikamaru muttered, not elaborating further as Hikari and Tenten stopped their spar and turned to face the trio with faint smiles.
The three jogged over to Hikari.
"Hikari-senpai!"
"You three are a bit late today, huh?" Hikari rubbed his chin, sizing them up with a stern gaze. "Looks like you don’t take me seriously!"
"Um, Hikari-senpai, you didn’t specify a time yesterday, so we came at eight..." Ino raised her hand and explained softly.
Shikamaru glanced skyward. Great, now you’ve done it.
As a smart person, Shikamaru knew one fundamental rule—when someone held authority, arguing back only made things worse. And right now, Ino had just made that mistake.
"So, it’s my fault for not clarifying yesterday?" Kamizuki Hikari blinked, then turned to Tenten. "Tenten, what time does Gai usually have you start training?"
"Six o'clock!"
Tenten’s words hit the trio like a sledgehammer, crashing into their hearts.
Knowing Hikari well, they could already sense the impending doom.
"Good. From now on, the three of you will assemble at Training Ground 10 at six sharp. If I’m not here, you’ll run laps around the Forest of Death. Understood?"
"Understood..." came the weak reply.
"Louder!"
"UNDERSTOOD!" The three straightened up, their voices booming.
"Good. That’s the spirit! As young shinobi, how can you lack drive?"
Shikamaru kept his expression neutral, but he could tell Hikari was clearly directing that comment at him.
"Tenten, you’ll be their sparring partner today. As long as they’re not dead, go all out. One of you, step forward. Today, only taijutsu is allowed—no clan techniques. Got it?"
This time, Shikamaru was quicker. Before Ino could protest, he spoke up.
"I’ll go first."
Under Ino and Chōji’s bewildered stares, Shikamaru stepped forward.
‘I don’t want to do this either, Ino. But if you keep talking, you’ll get us all killed!’
‘Who understands the sorrow in my heart?!’
Mentally lamenting, Shikamaru kept his eyes locked on Tenten.
"Begin!"
Hikari announced, stepping back to give them space.
Whoosh—
Fast as the wind.
Before Shikamaru could react, Tenten was already in front of him, her small fist aimed straight at his face.
"Damn it!"
The distance was too close, and Shikamaru hadn’t expected Tenten to strike first. He barely dodged, but—
Thud!
A punch landed squarely in his gut.
"Guh—!"
His body reflexively convulsed, forcing a dry heave.
"Ninja Art: Shadow—"
Shikamaru instinctively reached for his clan technique, then remembered Hikari’s rule and barely managed to evade.
Whack!
A sweep of Tenten’s leg sent him crashing to the ground.
"Too weak."
A kunai pressed against his throat.
The match was over.
"I lost..." Shikamaru admitted, frustration simmering beneath his words.
Back in the Academy, he had been lazy because he had already mastered everything. But today, Tenten had taught him a brutal lesson—he hadn’t expected to lose so decisively.
No excuses. A loss was a loss.
"I know you’re not convinced. You think you rely on your clan’s secret techniques, and taijutsu is optional, right?" Hikari stepped forward. "Since you’ve accepted me as your instructor, your regular training is under my control. If you have a problem, you can leave!"
"Next—Ino!"
"Can I use weapons?" Ino asked, eyeing Tenten’s kunai nervously.
"Not yet."
At Hikari’s words, Tenten tossed her kunai aside and charged barehanded.
Ino hastily raised her guard.
Hikari shook his head.
It was clear—this generation of Ino-Shika-Cho relied entirely on their clan techniques. Without them, they couldn’t even match an elite genin.
Meanwhile, Tenten’s pure taijutsu was already at chūnin level, allowing her to effortlessly dominate them.
In under two minutes, Ino was down.
Without Hikari’s prompting, Tenten rushed Choji next, pummeling him to the ground before he could react.
Phew…
"Refreshing!"
After the beatdown, Tenten felt invigorated. Now she understood why Gai-sensei and Lee loved physical training so much.
The raw thrill of hand-to-hand combat was amazing.
"A shinobi must hone their strengths and eliminate their weaknesses. You three have focused solely on your clan jutsu, leaving your physical abilities lacking. On the battlefield, if you face another squad—Shikamaru, can you guarantee your Shadow Possession will always land?"
"Ino, can you say for sure your Mind Body Switch will never fail?"
"And Chōji—the Akimichi clan’s Partial Multi-Size Technique is powerful, but do you plan to use it every fight? Even ignoring the strain on your body, how long can your chakra last?"
"With skills like yours, once your chakra runs dry on the battlefield, you’ll be nothing but sitting ducks. Forget chunin—even a skilled genin could take you out!"
Back when Hikari had fought in the war, he’d been younger than them.
In large-scale battles, once formations fall apart, ninjutsu can become a double-edged sword.
If you manage to cast it, your enemy dies.
If you fail, you die — ambushed before the jutsu even launches.
The Ino-Shika-Chō trio’s taijutsu was pathetic. Hikari refused to let them waste time slowly fixing flaws they should’ve addressed years ago.
There’s a reason why shinobi graduate from the academy at twelve — those few years are the best window to unlock a shinobi’s potential. Miss them, and you’ll regret it forever.
"Tenten, next you’ll fight all three of them. Any issues?"
The moment Hikari asked, Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino’s expressions shifted.
Losing one-on-one was embarrassing. Losing three-on-one would be a disgrace to their clans.
"No problem, Hikari-senpai!" Tenten grinned, eyeing the trio.
Without their jutsu, she had nothing to fear.
