The scorching Great Flame Technique surged like a towering wall of fire, fiercely crashing against the Water Formation Wall.
The water visibly diminished in a large area, but the Water Formation Wall had a cyclical nature. With the force of rotation, the missing parts were quickly replenished by the natural flow of water in the environment.
Seeing that Ino wasn't struggling, Asuma immediately increased his Chakra output, causing the flames to turn a deep red.
Ino, on her part, didn't hesitate either, speeding up the absorption and rotation of the water wall.
Round after round of rotation, the water wall didn't thin under the assault of the flames. Instead, with the addition of natural water flow, it grew even thicker.
Both of their "Ninja Skill" levels were likely at 9, indicating equal control over ninja techniques. Their "Chakra Capacity" was also similar, with Asuma slightly higher at around 7 points, while Ino was very close to 7. Their remaining aspects, such as hand seal proficiency, Release Technique levels, and the levels of their ninja techniques, were also comparable.
The Sarutobi Clan's Fire Release Ninja Techniques had their unique strengths, and the Water Formation Wall, improved by the Second Hokage, was an exceptionally powerful Water Release Ninja Technique. Most importantly, water countered fire.
The Second Hokage had trained diligently in Water Release, undoubtedly with the intention of using it against the Uchiha Clan. The Fire Release: Great Flame Technique was completely blocked by the Water Release: Water Formation Wall! Despite Asuma increasing his Chakra output twice in succession, he couldn't break through Ino's defense due to the elemental disadvantage.
Asuma's true expertise lay in Body Techniques; ninja techniques were merely supplementary for him. Seeing that their ninja techniques were evenly matched, he immediately switched to his forte.
"Watch out!" He dashed forward in a flash.
After the collision of the two techniques, a large amount of steam filled the air. This time, Ino didn't use the Hidden Mist Technique, nor did she intend to engage Asuma in a Body Techniques duel. Her mediocre Body Techniques might suffice against someone like Sasuke at his current level, but against an elite Jonin, it would be suicidal.
She took a deep breath, ignoring Asuma's rapid approach for close combat. She infused her Chakra with Water Nature Transformation, her hands swiftly forming hand seals.
"Water Release: Exploding Water Colliding Wave!"
Her Chakra transformed into a surging torrent of water, rushing straight toward Asuma.
"Not bad with this technique!" Asuma praised.
He quickly assessed the direction of the water flow, leaped into the air, and landed on the water's surface, continuing his forward assault.
The title "Yamanaka Boar" would suit you better! Ino silently complained. She crossed her index and middle fingers into a "Ren" seal, creating a Shadow Clone.
The Shadow Clone quickly formed three hand seals: "Water Release: Wild Water Wave!"
Asuma, without using any weapons, deftly sidestepped at a precise angle, narrowly avoiding the Wild Water Wave. His assault speed barely slowed.
Ino's Shadow Clone drew a Kunai and thrust it at Asuma's throat. However, the gap in their Body Techniques was too vast. In less than a second, the Shadow Clone was effortlessly dispatched by Asuma.
Thanks to the brief delay caused by the Wild Water Wave and the Shadow Clone, Ino finally completed her final technique.
"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet!" Fifteen hand seals were rapidly formed, and a water dragon burst forth from the surface, carrying a powerful impact. It let out a long roar and charged straight at Asuma.
"This move is a bit rigid," Asuma commented as he took two steps to the left, attempting to dodge the Water Dragon Bullet. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Ino, after releasing the Water Dragon Bullet, didn't let go but instead tightly held the final "Yin" hand seal. Was this technique not yet finished? Facing a Water Release Ninja Technique of Jonin level, Asuma didn't dare to take it head-on. He dashed several more steps to the left. Ino let out a soft shout, and the winding water dragon, already off course, relied on Chakra control to turn around and curve back, charging once more.
"Is this Kosuke's technique? Interesting!" Asuma finally got serious. He took out his Chakra Blade, wearing it like a knuckle duster on his hand, and clenched his right fist. Wind attribute Chakra attached to the Chakra Blade. Seeing the direction the water dragon was coming from, the pale blue Chakra, sharp as a blade, sliced through the water dragon at one-third of its length. Then, instead of retreating, he advanced, breaking through the Water Formation Wall.
Ino immediately raised her hand in surrender.
"I concede!"
Asuma put away his Chakra Blade and thought for a moment before saying, "Your Water Release ability is quite good, and your Chakra seems abundant. However, you need to strengthen your close combat training. You can't just concede every time an enemy counters your Water Release, can you?"
For Ino, who aspired to be a long-range artillery, she was well aware of her weak close combat skills. But there was nothing she could do about it. After entering puberty, her physical abilities were growing every day. Using Pot Points to enhance her abilities before her body reached its peak would be a waste.
With the Ino-Shika-Cho Formation around, being a stationary artillery was just fine.
Ino's reliance was her teammates. She could focus on enhancing her Ninja Skill, Speed, and Stamina attributes before worrying about close combat.
She humbly accepted Asuma's advice and had no plans to change her approach for now.
Asuma also knew that close combat skills couldn't be developed overnight. It required perseverance, diligence, and a lot of sweat.
He taught Ino a famous Body Technique, the Body Flicker Technique, to improve her survival ability. Then, combining various Water Release Ninja Techniques, he developed a Water Body Flicker Technique that was quite suitable for Ino.
Becoming a master of the Body Flicker Technique was impossible for Ino, given her low level in Body Techniques. However, it could serve as an escape method in critical moments.
Asuma created a Shadow Clone to accompany Ino in Body Flicker Technique training, while he himself turned to Shikamaru: "Come on, kid, attack me!"
Through combat, he assessed the abilities of the three and then tailored different training methods based on their characteristics.
He didn't need to instruct them on their Clan Secret Techniques, nor did he want to overstep that boundary.
He focused on strengthening their weaknesses.
Neither Ino nor Shikamaru worried him. The former, in his eyes, was undoubtedly a prodigy. At least, Asuma himself didn't have that level of skill at the age of twelve. In terms of talent, excluding the older generation and the unfamiliar Uchiha Clan, among his peers, perhaps only Kakashi could surpass Ino in talent.
Shikamaru's talent was also impressive. Although the boy often complained about trouble, when it came to serious competition, he wouldn't back down. He clearly knew what he needed to do and how to do it.
The real trouble was Choji. Even with the mantra "With great power comes great responsibility" as a driving force, the chubby boy's mindset was still not mature enough. He hadn't shifted his mentality from that of a student to that of a ninja. He didn't quite understand why his companions were pushing themselves so hard. More often than not, he would see Ino training intensely and Shikamaru training intensely, so he would train intensely too. This mindset was fundamentally flawed.
Asuma wasn't his father, so there were many things he couldn't say. Instead, he increased the training load for the boy! "Go run laps!" he would say.
"How many laps?"
"Run until you can't run anymore!"