15.

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Nothing special happened to us last week. We just practiced on the training grounds all day long, we couldn't use our trump cards during the training, but it was only a small obstacle. We couldn't move around the village without an escort. Most of the time it was some chunin and some hidden anbu's.

The whole week we were under constant surveillance, not as strict as it sounds, a few times I even got out of the hotel unnoticed. I wasn't trying to steal any secrets or anything like that, that's not my level right now.

Oh, right, about my level. As far as I'm concerned, I'm a C-class Jonin, maybe even a B-class, and I've been studying four subjects since I was very young: sealing, medicine, mind, and ghost techniques. However, I'm still not at the level of a master in ghost techniques, I don't even think that I can become a real master one day, no, it's not that I don't study that subject hard, but this world can't give me what the Bleach world can, for example.

Clan Kato didn't have many techniques, based on spirit release, they learned how to manipulate chakra from and in spirit form, and it was enough for them with some additional jutsus.

In sealing, I consider myself a master, even my mother told me that I was one, when she told me that, I was happy, but I asked her not to tell anyone, not even the Uzumaki clan, everyone in the village thinks that I'm just a student. At first, she was confused, but promised not to, after I told her that I didn't want to attract attention, she laughed and called me a little paranoid (not in a bad way).

In medicine I didn't need to learn much, the knowledge I got in the last life was enough, I just needed to study about the influence of the chakra on the body. But if you have an S-ranked doctor who can help you if necessary, it's not that hard to learn.

And finally, the mind techniques. These are my treasures. I can just remember everything, and then learn it very quickly, even just for that, it was worth coming to this world.

Back to reality. Like I said, I left the hotel just to collect some DNA samples for my research. And I've got .... The DNA of... Oonoki's grandchild or child who has f**king Dust and Lava release, with capital D and L. He's a jonin commander of the Iwagakure genin group and with the help of a genin (the genin didn't know he was helping him), I collected everything I needed.

Unfortunately, I don't know when I'll be able to start studying genes and when I'll be able to change my body so that I can use these elements, but it's better to have them than not.

Right now, we are in the arena waiting for the match to begin. My opponent is a girl from Sunagakure (Land of Wind). She's probably a puppeteer, I learned a B-ranked earth technique from our temporary sensei to win against her as fast as possible. This technique needs a lot of chakra, it doesn't mean that I don't have enough reserve, no, the main problem is that I don't focus on learning ninjutsu, so I need twice as much chakra. Yes, it's a terrible result, but I can't do anything about it. I can't be good at everything, it's just impossible.

For a normal person, even my result is something unimaginable, but if you think about it, you'll understand simple facts: a) I'm an adult, so I didn't waste my childhood playing around, b) I have the greatest motivation, I know how small I am, and I know why I'm learning. Look, even Kakashi became a jonin in 7 years with motivation.

You can say I've been learning for 11-12 years, so it's natural that I have so much power, I won't say it was easy, sometimes I even wanted to stop and just lie under the tree and watch the clouds, and I did that many times, but I moved forward. The biggest step forward was when I started building the spaceship in my mind. I created each building material with some intentions and my basic personality, one of which was to rest only when I didn't have anything to do.

"...against Yamanaka Ichimaru of Konohagakure." - The speaker said to the crowd.

"Ichimaru, it's your turn, win this, we are counting on you." - Yui smiled and encouraged me.

"Thank you Yui-chan, I won't let you down." - I smiled back at her and Gonda.

They nodded and I walked into the arena. The arena was not as big as in our village, it was made of some dark shaded stone and wood. On the VIP floor, there were Takikage and Waterfall Daimyo. To be honest, I didn't expect him to come. Usually, they send their representatives, because even if Takikage is here, it's still a bit dangerous, so many of them.

I entered the arena and took my place in front of my opponent who was holding 2 scrolls. Hmm, seals, after the destruction of Uzushiogakure, only someone above Jonin can buy large scrolls. So she must be a relative of an elder. It won't be that easy to win. Besides, I can't hurt her too much, I don't want to be hated by the elders of Suna.

"Are you ready?" - The referee asked.

"Yes" - me.

She just nodded and tightened her grip on the scrolls.

"Then START!!!" - He said and jumped away.

I threw some shurikens to distract her, she jumped backwards and unsealed the scrolls in the air. Before she landed, she had 2 human-like puppets under her control. At the same time, I finished the hand seals.

"Earth Release: Earth Coffin

After I finished a few walls of earth erupting from the ground at the position where my opponent was standing, she didn't panic and jumped away, at the same time blindly firing poisoned senbons at my last position and sending a second puppet forward. I used the smoke bomb while dodging her senbons. I jumped up out of the smoke and used a simple wind bullet.

The first puppet defended her puppeteer and the second puppet attacked me with a poisoned sword in the air, I couldn't dodge his attack and he pierced my chest. *Poof*

Okay, now my shadow clone is dead, I just need to get a little closer and she is done. *I jumped off the ground behind her and was ready to hit her when her puppet blocked my attack and grabbed me.

"Hahaha, did you really think I wouldn't notice you underground? Give up and I won't poiso... ." - She started to speak and then continued - "... I give up."

"Haaaaa? What the hell is she doing?""

"""We didn't come here to look at the cowards."""

"The winner is Ichimaru Yamanaka" - the referee announced without listening to the crowd.

I deactivated my camouflage jutsu and nodded to the referee, thanking my opponent, who was very confused and disappointed. I sent 2 Shadow Clones, 1 in the air and 1 underground, and just moved to the better position to trap her under my technique. I wasn't trying to hide, I just didn't want to show more than necessary, I don't even plan on fighting another match. All I know is that after this victory, I'll become a Chunin.

"Well done, Ichimaru, I didn't expect anything less from you." - Gonda.

"Yes, you did very well, next is Gonda and after him me, but my opponent is too strong, I'll fight a few moves and when I see that I can't win, I'll give up." - Yui said in a sad tone. Her opponent really is a strong ninja. His chakra reserves are already at the level of a jonin, it's the best competitor from Takigakure. As for Gonda's opponent, it's a girl, she's not a strong kunoichi, but her affinity is wind, and it will be problematic for Gonda's insects to get close to her.

Gonda's fight was more interesting than I expected, this girl had birds as a summon, only with the cost of almost every insect Gonda was able to finish with a draw, birds didn't let him near the girl and the girl couldn't attack him because some insects were poisonous, she couldn't let any of them pass her defense, in the end with the last drop of her chakra she used a massive wind technique which made Gonda unconscious, but she was in the same condition.

After seeing them both lose, I went to the referees and told them that I wasn't going to participate anymore, they were surprised but accepted happily. When I returned:

"Ichimaru-kun, what did you tell them?" -Yui asked as she stretched.

"I told them that I won't participate anymore so that they can organize the next tournament without any problems." - I replied and saw her confused expression, so without letting her ask, I continued, "I just know that I can become chunin even without winning this tournament, at the same time, I don't want to show our potential enemy my abilities. And I'm sure that I can't win against your opponent without going all in."

She hung her head after my speech. Maybe I shouldn't have said that last sentence, but now she knows that her opponent is tougher than she expected.

"Don't worry, just try to do your best, but if you feel like you might get hurt badly, quit. You can win next time, that will be your motivation". - I reassured her. I don't really like to think like that, but it's necessary right now.

"Thank you Ichimaru-kun, I'll be careful and try to learn as much as possible from my opponent. - She replied with a serious voice and I just nodded.

After a minute, the battlefield was ready and she entered. Right after the start, she tried to get close to her opponent, but he was ready and blocked her way with a water wall. Yui destroyed the wall with her sword, but right after that she was forced to use the earth wall and jump back because of the water dragon. The wall only stopped the dragon for 1 second, she's not that good with earth techniques, she couldn't master her secondary affinity in just a few months of training.

She used her sword to slash at the dragon after it was chased away, her opponent shunned behind her. She noticed this and blocked his kunai, but only to distract her. Right after the block, the guy used the water prison and before it was finished, Yui shouted that she conceded. The referee stopped the shinobi and freed Yui from the prison.

I don't think she or Gonda will get chunin jackets after this. Gonda would have had more chances if he had won, but he didn't. As for Yui, her current power and skills need to be honed.

From our village, Yui was the last one, so we went to their commander. The other groups had already returned to Konoha, they were the last ones, so after Gonda had rested a bit, they moved back.

"Well done Ichimaru-kun, you did a good job. As for Yui and Gonda, you were also good, but you still need one or two months and you will pass." - But after that, he silently added: "Or you will become one, on the battlefield.

I think it's better that they didn't pass, with Kushina they'll be safer. After all, no one would send Kushina to a dangerous place without protection. As for me, I can take care of myself.