A fierce Iron Mountain Slam smashed into Uchiha Aozora's back—he didn't have a moment to react!
"Boom!"
Midair, a massive wooden log shattered into pieces.
"A Substitution Jutsu?"
Staring at the broken wood, Shibi Aburame felt slightly puzzled.
The Substitution Jutsu might be simple, but it needed time to perform the hand seals. Yet just now, he was certain Uchiha Aozora hadn't formed any seals at all.
What Aozora actually used wasn't the substitution jutsu—it was a Taoist technique called "Jia Xing," taught by the Heavenly Book, capable of changing appearance or even using other objects as substitutes to escape danger.
Unlike the substitution jutsu, Jia Xing didn't require hand seals and was much faster. Thus, he barely escaped in that split second.
Shibi Aburame usually spoke little, but today he decided to make an exception.
"You're indeed impressive, but this is where it ends, Uchiha Aozora!"
After speaking, he extended his hands from beneath his wide sleeves and quickly formed seals.
[Secret Technique! Bug Tornado!]
Suddenly, Aozora realized the wind around him picked up—he had unknowingly been completely surrounded by insects.
He couldn't help smiling bitterly. Originally, he planned to save a Great Fireball Technique to secretly surprise his instructor again, but now there would be no such opportunity.
The whirlwind of the Bug Tornado was incredibly powerful. Using fire-based techniques now wouldn't harm Shibi Aburame; instead, it would hurt himself.
Shaking his head, Uchiha Aozora tidied his hair and shouted loudly, "Sensei, I surrender!"
The clear voice reached Shibi's ears, causing him to release the technique and mutter softly, "He truly is an oddity among the Uchiha clan."
Hayate Gekko and Inuzuka Aya, rushing over to intervene, suddenly heard Aozora surrendering and were momentarily so stunned they almost fell down.
Seeing Shibi shift his gaze toward them, the two exchanged glances and said helplessly, "We surrender too!"
Thus concluded Team Three's mutual introduction.
Observing Hayate Gekko and Inuzuka Aya looking somewhat dispirited, Shibi suddenly remarked, "You did well!"
Upon hearing this, the previously gloomy Inuzuka Aya immediately perked up, joyfully jumping while spinning around with her tiny White Dog partner.
Hayate's look of disappointment vanished instantly as he returned his katana to the scabbard on his back.
Uchiha Aozora smiled faintly as well, accepting his instructor's praise.
Once Inuzuka Aya calmed down from her excitement, Shibi removed his sunglasses and introduced himself, "Let me formally introduce—I'm Aburame Shibi. I specialize in controlling insects during combat."
"This is my first time being an instructor—please take care of me."
The three responded hurriedly, introducing themselves one after another.
"Inuzuka Aya, at your service! This is my partner White Dog. Don't let his current small size fool you—he's really strong!"
"Hayate Gekko. My dream is to promote Konoha-style swordsmanship."
"Uchiha Aozora. I specialize in Ninja Tool Throwing and ninjutsu."
After listening to their introductions, Shibi put his glasses back on and said, "Most of my abilities lie within my clan's secret techniques, so I might not be able to teach you much ninjutsu. However, I will do my best to help you grow."
Finishing, he announced, "To celebrate our new team forming, I'll treat you all to lunch!"
"Feel free to eat anything available within Konoha village!"
Hayate Gekko and Uchiha Aozora remained calm at the mention of a meal, but Inuzuka Aya's eyes were already ablaze with excitement.
"Meat—I want meat, lots and lots of it!"
"Woof! Woof!"
Watching the energetic Inuzuka Aya and her white dog, Hayate Gekko and Uchiha Aozora exchanged glances before shrugging their shoulders. Neither wanted to argue with Aya in this state.
They decided on barbecue, though none of the three knew much about Konoha's barbecue restaurants.
Under Shibi Aburame's guidance, the trio arrived at a somewhat out-of-the-way barbecue restaurant.
Though slightly remote, the place was packed inside—nearly all seats occupied at first glance.
After greeting the shop owner, Team Three plus Shibi entered a small private room.
As soon as they sat down, a waitress came over holding menus.
Shibi gestured for the others to place their orders first.
Inuzuka Aya went all-in for meats, ordering beef, pork, ribs, and fish without hesitation.
Hayate Gekko did the opposite; though he ordered some meat as well, his choices leaned more toward vegetables.
Aozora was more balanced, ordering both vegetables and meats separately.
After everyone else had finished, Shibi took the menu, ordered his preferred dishes, and added drinks and side dishes for the rest.
Returning the menu to the waitress, Shibi said, "It will take some time for the food to arrive. Use this time to recall that battle carefully. Share your thoughts afterward."
Minutes later, the grill heated up, and the meats and vegetables were prepared and set ready.
Placing slices of meat onto the grill, Shibi asked, "Have you made up your minds? Who wants to go first?"
Uchiha Aozora hesitated to speak first since she had thrown two kunai that easily destroyed the instructor's [Kage Bunshin]. If she modestly went first and played it too humble, where would that leave her teammates?
Even Inuzuka Aya, usually talkative, now seemed hesitant. She knew she hadn't performed well initially but found it hard to admit openly.
At this critical moment, Hayate Gekko broke the silence: "At the beginning of the fight, facing our instructor's tactics of trading injuries, I felt fear and chose to retreat. That put me in a dangerous situation—if not for Aya's kunai support, I definitely would have lost."
"In the following stages of the battle, my performance was also average at best."
Shibi nodded first, then shook his head slightly, offering no clear judgment.
Seeing her teammate bravely admit his faults, Inuzuka Aya lowered her guard and spoke up: "Sensei, at first I made a basic mistake—I should've thrown shuriken first to probe cautiously when facing an unknown situation instead of rushing in recklessly."
She finished with a firm vow: "Sensei, I promise I'll never make that mistake again."
After hearing both students' reflections, Shibi said calmly, "Good. You've each acknowledged your weaknesses. Inuzuka Aya tends to be impulsive by nature, rushing into fights carelessly. Hayate lacks actual combat experience and needs more teamwork training."
After the criticism, Shibi paused briefly before continuing optimistically, "However, you each have strengths too."
"Aya shows sharp instincts and quick reflexes—most lower-ranked Genin wouldn't have avoided that first trap so easily. Her close-quarters combat also showed considerable talent."
"Gekko's sword techniques are refined—his melee combat skills can rival those of an average Chunin."
Inuzuka Aya grinned at the compliment, shyly scratching her head. Hayate Gekko, though more reserved, couldn't help a small smile tugging at his lips.
"If you two overcome your weaknesses," said Shibi Aburame, "you'll be ready to be promoted to chunin and become independent ninjas within a year."
After hearing Shibi Aburame's evaluation, they both nodded respectfully, looking at him with clear conviction.
Witnessing that Shibi Aburame earned their respect and trust with just a few words, one couldn't help but reinterpret his character from the original story—the quiet and laconic man wasn't someone who couldn't talk, but just someone who preferred to stay quiet.
Right after giving his critique, Shibi Aburame picked up his chopsticks and said, "Let's eat!"
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~ Every 50 Powerstones = **4 Bonus Chapters** on the weekend!