章 43: Bingo!

As we finished up picking the weeds out of the old lady's garden and helping a wealthy shopper carry his bags back to his home from the grocery store, we headed over to a restaurant.

"It's called Teppanyaki Uzushio. It's a grill-style restaurant where you cook everything yourself. It's tasty, and I think you guys would like it, especially since we haven't been there before," Kiyoko was going on about this amazing restaurant on the other side of the village that she found as she was exploring and training her swift release control.

"Sure, that sounds good to me. I could go for some BBQ," I said after a little thinking.

"Yeah, I don't care either," Benimaru agreed.

"I guess that's where we are headed. Turn left, everyone," Hanzo called out, and they all followed in that direction until they arrived about 15 minutes later.

Walking in, they took a seat in the corner of the restaurant and got their order taken. Everyone ordered a pretty good portion of food, and as they all waited for the food to show up, Hanzo decided to outline what the team was going to be like.

"So, I'm sure that you guys are a little curious as to why the six best academy students were paired up on two different teams when traditionally we try to balance the teams out and keep the power level even. That is because Lord Third has made a special order with you guys."

We all looked a little surprised at hearing this, although we probably shouldn't have been considering the crazy amount of growth that we had once everyone decided to commit to being stronger instead of just me and Benimaru.

"With that being said, the vision that he has in mind for this team is to be a vanguard. One that will strike fast, do heavy damage, and then return back or hide and wait for the rest of your comrades to catch up. This is the reason why he decided to pair you three up. Both Kiyoko and Shiran have ways to increase their speed, and Benimaru, for as loud as you are, your infiltration skills are impressive. I have no doubt that any of you can hit hard between your different masteries over tai, nin, and kenjutsu. With the combination of skills, covering for each other's weaknesses should be fairly easy."

All of us were nodding along and letting the implications sink into our heads. 'First ones in, last ones out.' I smirked at that. 'I kind of like that idea, if I get strong enough I'll be able to take out more without anyone else having the chance of getting hurt. Doesn't seem too bad honestly.'

I looked over at a resolute Kiyoko and a fired-up Benimaru and smiled. 'Yep, this is the right group for a team like this. We may be talented, but I think we are all pretty messed up in the head already.'

Looking back towards Hanzo, I had a thought that was kind of bugging me. 'I still don't know what Hanzo-sensei is capable of; he didn't really say anything about it in the introductions.'

"Hey, sensei, do you have a bingo book on you?" I asked him in a somewhat curious tone.

"I do. Why do you want to know?"

"Well, I was just wondering if I could see it really quick."

Hanzo thought about it for a second before reaching into his ninja bag and pulling out a black book filled with pages and presenting it towards me.

I saw both of my teammates give me questioning looks, but I just waved them off. 'They'll see what I'm after once I can find it.'

Grabbing the book, I started to flip through the pages until I landed on our sensei. Both Benimaru's and Kiyoko's eyes widened at what I was doing. Their eyes further widened when they saw the entry that was written about him.

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Bingo Book Entry: Hanzo Shimizu

Alias: The Molten Blade

Rank: S-Class

Shinobi Affiliation: Uzushio

Bounty: 75 Million Ryo

Last Seen: Patrolling the borders of the Land of Whirlpools

Appearance: Hanzo is a tall, muscular shinobi with a stern look to him and intense eyes that reflect his fiery nature. His brown hair with red tips hair is kept short to avoid interference during combat. He dons the traditional Uzushio flak jacket adorned with the clan's spiral symbol, modified to resist high temperatures.

Abilities:

- Lava Release: Hanzo is a prodigy in the kekkei genkai Lava Release, capable of creating molten rocks and streams of liquid lava to control the battlefield. Hanzo is said to be able to control both the temperature and viscosity of the lava he makes, which makes him a very valuable shinobi on the battlefield.

- Kenjutsu Mastery: His prowess with the blade is legendary; Hanzo wields the 'Kagutsuchi' katana, said to be as unyielding as his will. His kenjutsu style is fluid yet powerful, incorporating heavy strikes and unpredictable maneuvers that can overwhelm even the most skilled opponents. Hanzo has been observed to be able to infuse lava chakra into his sword and cause anything it touches to melt. DO NOT ENGAGE UP CLOSE!!

- Sealing Techniques: As a shinobi of Uzushio, Hanzo has so much knowledge of fuinjutsu, which he incorporates into his combat style. While fighting up close, he can seal away weapons or even enemies' chakra, making him a versatile fighter who can adapt to various threats.

Personality:

- Hanzo is known for his direct and often blunt communication. He doesn't waste time saying sugar-coated words, and while his straightforwardness can be jarring, it's also appreciated among his comrades because of the honesty.

- He is fiercely loyal to Uzushio and its ideals, embodying the spirit of Uzushiogakure with every action. He would rather stay behind and take the fall while his teammates escape.

Caution:

- Hanzo is a highly respected shinobi of Uzushio. Approach with reverence and caution, as his skills are not to be underestimated.

- His Lava Release techniques have been known to reshape landscapes, making him a valuable asset in both offensive and defensive scenarios, while his kenjutsu mastery makes him a nightmare to get close to.

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"Hmm, so you can do lava release? You gotta show me later; I've never seen it before!" My eyes took on the sparkle of the night stars as I stared at my sensei while he was taken off guard at my sudden switch and pulled back and snatched his book back with a weird look on his face.

"Sure thing, kid. Sometime soon, I will, but right now, we have to eat," as he turned his attention to the waitress bringing four huge piles of meat on trays. My mouth was already watering, so I had no problems with digging in straight away.

We all began chowing down, and before long, there was nothing left on the plates. Seeing that all of us were done, sensei looked at us and spoke to us.

"Alright, we're done for the day. You are to be at training ground 16 tomorrow morning at 6 am for team training, and I expect that none

of you will be late; otherwise, you can kiss your head goodbye. Am I understood?" Sensei glared at us while reaching for his sword as we all nodded our heads in agreement.

"Good, dismissed."

(A/N: First bingo book entry, definitely not the last. What do you guys think about the setup of the book? Does it need anything else; perhaps something should be taken away? Or maybe something needs to be expanded on. Lmk!)