"Hmm, it seems the effect is good."
Ren nodded in satisfaction, looking at the completely collapsed rock wall and the black smoke constantly rising from it, then turned and walked to the other side.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Ren stopped in his tracks, a look of surprise on his face, and he turned back to look at the rock wall, his eyes filled with uncertainty.
"That's not scientific."
Ren walked towards the rock wall, muttering to himself.
In his perception, the life signs of the few people who had previously disappeared suddenly reappeared inexplicably.
Logically speaking, after being encased in rock and subjected to a close-range Tailed Beast Ball attack, there should have been no chance of survival, which was precisely what puzzled Ren.
"Crash!"
Ren frowned slightly, and after removing the rocks in front of him, he saw what was inside, falling silent for a moment.
He saw a charred body holding a companion, who, despite looking bruised and bleeding, still had signs of life, as his perception told Ren.
"My apologies."
Ren shook his head, turned, and walked away. The next moment, a Kunai flew into the pit, with paper attached to it glowing with a faint white light...
"Boom!"
As the explosion sounded, the blasted rock wall continued to collapse downwards, completely burying the pit.
The Stone Ninja squad, completely wiped out...
"It seems they performed quite well."
Ren leaped beside Number One, looking at the three youngsters who were locked in battle with the Cloud Ninja in front of them, and chuckled softly.
"Yes, all three of them have good talent. If you train them well, they have a promising future."
"Mm-hmm, then I'll have to trouble you more in the future."
After hearing this, Ren chuckled, leaned closer, patted the other's shoulder, and said cheerfully.
"...I say, Main Body, can you be a bit more reliable? Is it really okay to exploit your clones like this? We are all one entity, so aren't you exploiting yourself by exploiting us?"
Number One rolled his eyes, looking at his grinning Main Body beside him, and said helplessly.
"You just said it yourself, we are one entity. When you finish your work, I feel it too, so there's no such thing as exploitation, right?"
"..."
As the two spoke, the situation on the field had already begun to change. Although the three youngsters lacked combat experience compared to their opponents, they had a solid foundation. Coupled with the morale that had dissipated after the enemy captain's death, the scales of victory were tipping towards Suzuki and the others.
"There aren't too many problems with Yao. Her Genjutsu and Taijutsu are well-applied, but she lacks offensive means. If she continues to fight like this, her stamina might not keep up."
Number One leaned against the nearby rock wall, observing the intense battle, and commented.
"Indeed, but it's not a big problem. We can add some methods later, but it's not necessary at the moment."
Ren nodded, his gaze turning to Suzuki, and he said in a deep voice.
"As for Suzuki, his Chakra is excellent. Right after graduating, he already has a Chakra volume comparable to a Chunin. Although his Ninjutsu usage is still a bit rough, a little more practice will sort it out."
"Yes, his Taijutsu also needs more attention; it's too weak. As he gets stronger, these weaknesses can be fatal in battle."
"That's easy to solve; just strengthen his training."
After Ren finished speaking, his gaze finally fell on Shio, and a smile finally appeared on his face.
"Speaking of which, among the three of them, Shio has the best talent and the most stable personality.
Although the Gekko family's swordsmanship doesn't have a very high Upper limit, it will certainly be enough until he reaches the Jonin rank. His Ninjutsu is also well-utilized, and he knows how to adapt flexibly."
"Yes, good."
Number One did not deny it; clearly, their opinions were consistent.
"It looks like a winner is about to be decided."
No sooner had he spoken than Shio resolved the battle, slaying his opponent.
"You are strong, but I am stronger!"
Looking at his opponent, who stared wide-eyed before slowly falling to the ground, Shio calmly regulated his somewhat hurried breathing and said in a deep voice.
He was the undisputed top student among his graduating class, his strength already surpassing the Genin level. Winning after figuring out his opponent's attack patterns was not unexpected for Ren.
Just then, Yao's battle also concluded. She seized her opponent's opening and successfully cast a Genjutsu. Seeing her opponent fall into a daze, Yao wasted no time, swiftly rushed forward, and plunged her Kunai into her opponent's chest.
"Ugh..."
Only then did the opponent awaken from the Genjutsu, but it was already too late. Strength and vitality, along with the gushing blood, were constantly draining away. There was nothing he could do but lie on the cold ground, quietly awaiting death.
"Phew!"
Seeing her opponent stop moving, Yao finally let out a sigh of relief. Only then did she have time to attend to a wound on her left arm, which had been inflicted by her opponent's Kunai when she was momentarily careless earlier.
Looking at the wound now, she couldn't help but feel a lingering fear. If her opponent had attacked her neck or chest at that moment, it might have been her lying there now.
However...
Thinking of this, Yao looked back at Ren, who stood not far away with his hands at his sides, and couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.
Our Captain is so amazing; he definitely won't let anything happen to us!
"Damn it!"
Seeing his two teammates resolve their battles one after another, Suzuki became somewhat agitated. He threw two Shuriken to force his opponent back, while quickly forming hand seals, then slightly opened his mouth.
"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique!"
Several fireballs spewed from Suzuki's mouth. While his opponent was still fending off the Shuriken, they broke through the air from all directions, and finally, several scorching fireballs all hit their mark!
"Ah!"
The fireballs exploded on his body, instantly charring his skin and flesh. Suzuki seized the opportunity to quickly close in, and while his opponent was still wailing, he plunged a Kunai into his body, ending his life.
"Phew, finally done."
Watching the enemy slowly fall before him, Suzuki wiped the sweat from his head and said in a low voice.
"Good job."
Just then, Ren's voice came from behind. Suzuki and the others immediately perked up, quickly turned, and hurried to his side, saying in unison,
"Captain!"
"Hmm."
Ren looked at the three in front of him, a satisfied smile in his eyes, and chuckled softly.
"You all did well, and you fully demonstrated your strength. However, you must remember to remain humble and composed.
There will be many more battles like this in the future. One careless mistake, and I don't need to tell you the consequences, do I?"
"Yes, Captain!"
The few dared not be negligent and quickly responded.
They also understood their captain's intention. If it weren't for them, Ren alone could have taken down both of these teams earlier.
These remaining three Cloud Ninja were for their training. A captain who protects you on the battlefield and even assigns practical combat opponents is impossible to find even with a lantern.
Therefore, now, the few were one hundred percent obedient to Ren's commands.