Tejima Shinichi and Uchiha Sasuke arrived at the Third Training Ground one after the other.
The field still bore traces of yesterday's special training.
The moment they stopped, Uchiha Sasuke spoke up, voicing the doubt in his heart.
"Shinichi, you didn't seem the least bit surprised that those Suna Ninja showed up here?"
Tejima Shinichi walked over to a flat rock and sat down, looking at Sasuke.
"Why would I be? The Chunin Exams are coming."
"Chunin Exams?" Uchiha Sasuke frowned. "What does that have to do with them being here?"
"The Chunin Exams aren't held by Konoha alone," Tejima Shinichi explained. "It's a large joint exam led by Konoha and Hidden Sand Village, with Genin teams from every nation's Village taking part. Suna Ninja appearing here is normal."
Uchiha Sasuke was stunned; he'd never looked into the exact format of the Chunin Exams.
"A joint exam… many Villages will come?"
"Exactly." Tejima Shinichi nodded. "Besides the host Konoha, there'll usually be Suna, Amegakure, Kusagakure, Otogakure, and so on. It's a stage to showcase each Village's new generation, and a chance to probe and gather intel."
He paused, then added,
"Those three Sand Ninja just now are the Genin squad Suna sent for the exam."
Uchiha Sasuke was silent for a few seconds.
"I see."
He looked at Tejima Shinichi.
"You knew all along?"
"Two and a half months ago, Yamato-sensei told us," Tejima Shinichi said. "The reason he and Kakashi-sensei aren't free to lead us today is probably to finalize the arrangements."
Uchiha Sasuke's gaze sharpened.
"Chunin Exams…"
"So we'll get a shot as well…" Sasuke murmured, then lifted his head, eyes sharp again. "No matter who shows up, I'll beat them if I meet them!"
At the end, as if remembering something, Sasuke added silently in his heart,
'—except the guy in front of me!'
It wasn't about confidence; he just couldn't see any hope of winning… damn it!
Tejima Shinichi didn't seem to notice that flicker in Sasuke, or perhaps he simply didn't care. He stood, brushing off dust that wasn't there.
"Since you asked me to teach you, to seek the way to grow stronger, I can point you to a shortcut."
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes focused; he cast aside every stray thought and said gravely, "Please!"
"First, you need to understand what the Body Flicker Jutsu is."
Tejima Shinichi asked.
Uchiha Sasuke nodded. "Body Flicker, a D-Rank Ninjutsu. Condense Chakra in the soles and release it explosively for a short-range high-speed movement."
"Correct, that's the basics." Tejima Shinichi nodded. "But the shortcut isn't there. The deeper idea is -using Chakra nature transformation to directly stimulate and activate body cells, gaining speed, reflexes, and strength beyond the norm."
He looked at Sasuke and continued,
"When a Ninja can master two Chakra nature transformations, that's one of the fundamental qualities for becoming a Jonin."
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes gleamed.
It was the first time he'd heard of the link between nature transformation and Jonin rank.
"You mean…"
Uchiha Sasuke seemed to grasp something.
"I mean, if you want to grow strong quickly, the best shortcut for you right now is to boost your body's vitality and master Lightning Release Chakra nature transformation."
"By precisely controlling Lightning Chakra to stimulate and activate your nerves and muscles, you can gain a marked boost in Taijutsu and speed in a short time. It's a unique Lightning Release application."
Uchiha Sasuke's breathing quickened.
Lightning Release to stimulate the body?
He'd never heard of such a method, but it sounded brimming with potential.
"Then… what should I do?"