But soon, he too ran out of Nether Energy and had to face a two-on-one battle against Shiro (White) and Kin (Gold). Still, Enso relied purely on his Mind's Eye of Kagura and Void Step. The two spiders were massive, but Enso cleverly led them on, secretly forming a spider rope around one of the pillars. He then circled one of them and bound the intersection of their joints.
He did all this while dodging Kin (Gold)'s furious attacks, eventually managing to tie Shiro to the stone pillar. Enso had long since created a clone and used his innate invisibility to gather Nether Energy, a trick he picked up from watching the Naruto series. Once Shiro was restrained, he released the clone and gained an extra burst of Nether Energy.
With this reinforcement, he manhandled the Golden Spider and forcefully tied it to the pillar. Hana stepped in, freed the spiders, and declared Enso the winner.
For the next two days, Enso trained the six spiders in modern combat techniques before asking to be sent back to the Hidden Leaf. He mentioned the Chunin Exams and how important they were to him. The six Elders granted his request, saying he was welcome to return and train with them any time.
That night, a grand celebration was held in his honour. His relationship with the six spiders also improved. They respected strength, and after being defeated multiple times by Enso, they had no more doubts.
Enso even helped with cooking, allowing the spiders to taste a variety of Earth's cuisines. His efforts were rewarded with 20 kilograms of Roc meat to take back as a souvenir.
Hana told him that all he needed to do was summon one of the spiders and request to train again. They would reverse summon him into their realm. Enso thanked the six Elders for their training and hospitality. Hana then brought him to a decorated formation and performed a space-time ninjutsu to send him back.
As he travelled, Enso felt the space-time power was similar to the one used by another soul he had absorbed in outer space, the one that had been sent into the endless void. He closed his eyes, and the next thing he knew, he was back at Kushina's home.
When Enso met Kushina and Minato, the two embraced him. Kushina even cried, thinking he was gone for good. They said if he had disappeared for another week, they would have held a funeral in his honour.
Enso realised that an entire week had passed in this world since he vanished. He also understood that there was a time difference between this world and the Spider Dimension.
He felt happy because he might now have a secret training ground with a different time flow, which would allow him to grow even faster. He gifted Kushina and Minato a new set of bedding before heading home to set up one for himself. After sleeping in comfort for so long, he could no longer get used to his old bed.
The next day, Enso met up with his team at the training ground. Everyone was relieved and overjoyed to see him return safe and sound. Without him, they might have been forced to withdraw from the Chunin Exams.
Enso wasted no time sharing his experiences from the Spider Dimension. His words painted vivid images of the alien world, the gruelling training, and the surprising bond he'd formed with his spider summons.
He even demonstrated a few new tricks he had picked up, impressing his teammates with techniques they'd never seen before. His movements were sharper, more refined. There was a quiet confidence about him, the kind that only came from surviving something extraordinary.
During Enso's absence, Itachi and Tokuma had not been idle. Both had pushed themselves to new limits, developing their personal strength through relentless training. They had become true rivals, constantly sparring, exchanging wins and losses in an almost perfect balance.
Their growth had been so profound that even Hayama, their Jonin-Sensei, could no longer claim dominance in combat. In their recent sparring sessions, he had not won a single match. His students had caught up. In some ways, they had even surpassed him.
There was still a month and a half left before the Chunin Exams resumed. Plenty of time to train, recover, and improve. This exam, unlike any before, would be historic. For the first time, it would include participants from allied villages. As the host, Konoha had to shine. Only the most promising Genin had been chosen by other villages to participate, and that meant the competition would be fiercer than ever.
Naturally, when Enso returned, everyone was eager to see just how much he had improved. The stories he told were almost unbelievable, and curiosity burned in the eyes of his teammates and mentors alike. The opportunity came sooner than expected.
Hayama, always one to lead by example, offered a friendly spar. It was a way to welcome Enso back, but also a chance to measure the gap that had formed during his absence.
The two faced each other in the center of the training field. The atmosphere shifted. Conversations fell silent. Even the wind seemed to pause.
Hayama adopted his battle stance. Enso, by contrast, stood loosely with his blade resting at his side.
The spar began with a simple signal from Tokuma.
What followed lasted less than a minute.
Hayama moved first, fast and precise, aiming to test the waters. But Enso did not react as most would. He read the motion before it fully developed. His body flowed rather than resisted, stepping just enough to the side to avoid impact while calmly closing the distance.
Enso's movements were not merely to dodge the attack but to shift into a dominant position. He parried Hayama's move with ease and, moments later, disarmed his Sensei with a clean motion.
Hayama's weapon clattered to the ground.
A stunned silence spread across the training field. It wasn't just the speed that shocked everyone. Enso was deeply familiar with Hayama's fighting style, but his swordsmanship had evolved far beyond his mentor's level.
There were no wasted movements, no hesitation. Every motion was instinctual, as if he could see the entire fight unfold before it began.
Itachi and Tokuma stood frozen, eyes wide, breath caught. They had sparred with Hayama countless times. They knew his strength and precision. To see him disarmed so quickly and thoroughly was beyond anything they had imagined.
There was something different about Enso. It wasn't just the sharpness of his strikes or the speed of his reactions. It was the aura that surrounded him. His strikes were aimed to kill, yet his control was immaculate. He stopped at the exact moment needed to avoid injuring his sensei.
Hayama looked down at his empty hands, then back at Enso. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then he let out a low, appreciative whistle and smiled.
"Well," he said, dusting off his uniform and smiled, "I think it's safe to say you didn't waste your time away."
Hayama could have tried to level the playing field by using his "Curse of Killing" technique, but that would have been overkill for a sparring session. Instead, he smiled with pride. Being surpassed by a student was not a sign of failure. It was proof that he had taught well.
"All of your individual strengths have now reached the level of Jonin," Hayama announced proudly. "And Enso, you've reached the strength of an Anbu Captain. From tomorrow on, we'll shift our focus to team coordination. I'm afraid I can't take all of you on alone anymore. But don't worry. I'll be inviting one of my former teammates to help conduct a mock battle with you at the Third Training Ground tomorrow."
What Hayama didn't say out loud was that Enso's strength had already gone beyond that of a standard Anbu Captain. He knew this firsthand because he had once held that position himself. Still, he kept that part to himself. Revealing it might demoralise Tokuma and Itachi, making them feel like they were chasing a goal that had already sprinted far ahead.
Tokuma looked at Enso with open admiration. It was clear his friend had stepped into an entirely different league. Itachi clenched his fists quietly. The urgency to catch up burned in his chest, but so did something else. Tokuma had also reached a level where he could now fight him to a draw. The gap between all three of them had shifted, and a new balance was emerging.
Enso's victory wasn't just about his swordsmanship. The real key lay in his ability to activate the Mind's Eye of Kagura. It granted him extrasensory perception, allowing him to sense subtle shifts and anticipate movements before they happened. It was a powerful trump card, and one he kept secret from everyone.
Hayama excused himself to locate his old teammates, he was determined to give his students a meaningful challenge.
Itachi and Tokuma returned to their clans for further training. Enso, however, went home to unwind and prepare the Roc meat that the spiders had given him as a parting gift. He had spent the past month training nonstop in the Spider Dimension. Now it was time to enjoy some well-earned rest.
That afternoon, he took pleasure in simple things. He baked fresh bread and prepared tortilla wraps, carefully marinating half the Roc meat for a future barbecue. The rest he cooked into thick, juicy burgers. It wasn't just cooking. It was a way to ground himself, to reconnect with the familiar.
By evening, he brought a tray of freshly grilled Roc burgers to Kushina's home, offering them to the family during dinner. The flavors were unique, rich with the essence of another world. Kushina and Minato were impressed, though they had no idea what was coming next.
After dinner, Enso decided to show off a little.
He stepped outside and performed a summoning. A large puff of smoke burst into the air, and when it cleared, a massive three-metre-tall red spider stood before them. Its legs were spread, posture alert, ready for combat.
"Where's the enemy?" Aka asked, his voice low and tense, eyes scanning the surroundings.
"There's no enemy," Enso replied casually. "I'm just practising. Gotta make sure I summon the right one when it really counts."
Aka relaxed, though he remained vigilant. Kushina and Minato, on the other hand, were frozen in place. They had expected a creature, but not something so imposing or... humanlike.
Their surprise deepened as Aka's massive arachnid form shrank and shifted. Legs reshaped into limbs until, standing before them, was a tall humanoid figure with vivid red hair.
"He looks like an Uzumaki," Kushina muttered, eyeing him closely.
Minato, however, was focused on something else entirely. He sensed the energy radiating from Aka and knew it wasn't chakra.
"That's not chakra," he said softly. "That's something else."
"Nether energy," Enso explained. "It's the counterpart to nature energy."
To lighten the mood, Enso offered to take Aka on a short tour of the village. They stopped by Ichiraku Ramen and ordered thirty servings, which Enso sealed into scrolls for Aka to take home as souvenirs. The red spider-human hybrid was fascinated by the taste, the atmosphere, the smells. It was unlike anything from the Spider Dimension.
Later that night, after returning home, Enso released the summoning.
"I'll bring you into the ninja world more often," he promised. "It's time you all got to know more about human customs and culture."
Aka gave a nod, then vanished in a quiet puff of smoke.
Morning came, and Team 1 gathered at the Third Training Ground, ready to face the challenges set by Hayama. The sun was still low but climbing steadily, casting long shadows on the dirt field where the mock battle would take place.
Hayama arrived, accompanied by two individuals who were to assist in the training exercise. One of them was none other than the oldest Genin in Konoha, Kosuke Maruboshi, a figure infamous for holding the title of the eternal Genin.
Despite his rank, Kosuke was widely respected for his skill and unwavering persistence.
Enso immediately recognised him, having seen him in the anime during his previous life. He was confident that Kosuke was just as capable as Hayama. The only major difference between them lay in their nature transformations.
Hayama was proficient with Wind Release, while Kosuke specialised in Water Release. He had been taught by Tobirama himself and was far older than Enso's father.
The other individual was slightly stocky and largely unknown, despite holding the rank of Jōnin. His name was Tekuno Kanden, a tool specialist who had earned his Jōnin rank purely through mastery of weapons and tools.
To Enso, he seemed like an advanced version of Tenten, possessing keen expertise in all manner of ninja weaponry and gadgets.
Hayama spoke calmly as he presented two flags, one red and one blue. He handed the blue flag to Enso and kept the red one for himself. "Today, our focus will be on honing your teamwork in combat," he explained. "Your objective is to snatch the opposing team's flag without losing more than one teammate. Capturing the flag is important, but if any team loses more than two members, that will count as a loss regardless of whether they hold a flag."
With that, the two teams moved out, heading in opposite directions to their respective bases at each end of the training ground. There, they gathered to plan their strategy.
Before speaking, Enso studied Tokuma and Itachi with a calm, calculated gaze. "You two will take the offensive roles," he said, his voice steady. "I'll stay behind to guard the flag. Winning outright will be difficult since our formation was originally devised by Hayama-sensei himself. Our real goal is to scout their team's abilities and figure out their strengths."
Itachi frowned slightly, clearly troubled by the challenge. Tokuma asked, "How are we supposed to win if Hayama-sensei already knows everything about our tactics and strategy?"
Enso smiled faintly, confident. "It's simple. We need to create a new formation. Otherwise, this training session will be pointless. We might push through and grab the flags, but that won't teach us anything valuable. There's plenty of time before the Chūnin Exams. I believe the three of us can come up with a new variation and improve our teamwork."
Itachi nodded in agreement, realising it made more sense to focus on growth and coordination rather than just chasing victory.
"Once we gather enough information, it'll be easier to develop a solid strategy," Enso continued. "For this round, I'll take on a support role. Tokuma, you'll face Kosuke Maruboshi. Itachi, you'll take on Hayama-sensei. The other Jōnin is likely playing support, but we'll see. Nothing is set in stone, so be prepared for sudden changes."
Hayama then blew a loud whistle, signalling the start of the match.
Team 1 moved in perfect synchronisation, deploying Formation C with Enso leading the charge. The battle would not be straightforward. The strength of their triangle formation was in its fluid and ever-changing nature, making it difficult to predict their next moves.
Tokuma activated his Byakugan, allowing him to survey the battlefield and relay enemy positions to his teammates.
Soon, the two teams came face to face.
Enso quickly pulled out a nail-shaped Shuriken and launched it well above Hayama's team. Then, using the Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique, he multiplied the Shuriken, forcing the three opponents to scatter and avoid the incoming projectiles.
This distraction gave Itachi and Tokuma the opportunity to intercept their assigned targets.
As team leader, Enso and Hayama both refrained from direct engagement, instead focusing on supporting their teammates.
Enso used his Shuriken techniques to swarm Kosuke Maruboshi, while Hayama moved swiftly to intercept Itachi.
Then the situation took a sharp turn for the worse.
Enso's initial suspicion proved correct. Tekuno Kanden was indeed in a support role, but it was Hayama who had been pretending to play support, misleading them into thinking otherwise.
To make matters worse, the Kosuke Maruboshi, their team target, was only a shadow clone. With their formation exposed, the real Hayama-led team quickly overwhelmed Itachi.
Enso immediately realised their plan had failed. But he now had a clearer picture of the opposing team's capabilities and coordination. Their teamwork was flawless.
This battle demonstrated that being a Shinobi was about far more than raw strength and chakra. Strategy, adaptability, and cooperation were equally important.
Despite gaining valuable intelligence about Hayama's team, Enso's group suffered another defeat in the second round. This time, the cause was different.
Tekuno Kanden, who had seemed passive in the first round, revealed a more cunning side.
Rather than retreating to the safety of his team's base, he remained behind and laid a series of intricate traps across the terrain.
Tripwires, explosive tags, smoke bombs, and disguised pitfalls turned the battlefield into a maze of hazards. When Enso's team advanced, thinking they had the upper hand, they walked straight into Tekuno's schemes.
*If you're enjoying the story, consider blessing it with a Power Stone!
Somehow, I managed to find time to edit this chapter today.
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