I Have to Lie Low... I Can't Lie Low at All; Only Geniuses Get Privileges

"Asuma, restrict the teacher's movements; Kurenai, sensing, support, Genjutsu."

Boom—

Before either of them could answer, Sakumo charged out.

In Tamaki's estimation, this speed was already very slow. Sakumo was clearly planning to go easy on them... no, to go extremely easy on them.

"Below you, teacher, Earth Release!"

Tamaki didn't have time to say more, but both of them understood what he meant. At the same time, he completed his second Ninjutsu.

"Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet."

Boom—

Sakumo darted to the right with a swish.

Fortunately, there was a stream nearby, sparing Tamaki some Chakra and allowing him to unleash a fairly powerful Water Dragon Bullet. Although Sakumo still dodged it, the muddy ground it left behind wouldn't return to normal anytime soon. Even slowing Sakumo down a little would help.

The Earth Prison couldn't hold Sakumo, so Tamaki would make him dodge as much as possible and occupy his attention, preventing him from instantly sending them all packing with a combination of Earth Release and swordsmanship. If they could keep him so busy scrambling around that he had no time for Hand Seals, that would be even better, but that wasn't a feat Genin could pull off.

"Fire Style: Fireball Technique."

Asuma's Fire Style also headed for Sakumo on the right. The Fireball Technique's record throughout Naruto was mediocre, and its combination with Water Release was also clearly hampered by their opposing natures, making it less effective.

But he had understood Tamaki's plan. The point wasn't whether they could do damage, but to interfere with Sakumo and restrict his movements, creating an opportunity for Kurenai.

Although Tamaki had said the bells weren't the point, and that displaying their individual strength and teamwork was, they had to put on a display anyway, so they might as well aim for the best possible result!

Bang—

The Fireball Technique didn't hit Sakumo. It struck a log instead, evidently a Substitution Technique.

The three of them lost sight of Sakumo.

All around them came the continuous swishing of branches being brushed aside.

Sakumo was moving quickly, intending to distract them.

Tamaki's initial strategy had failed. Sakumo was too mobile.

So the three of them began moving together, constantly changing positions.

"Kurenai, Genjutsu. Buy us some time."

Hearing Tamaki, Kurenai didn't object. In a team battle, there had to be only one voice. Asuma had chosen to accept Tamaki's orders, and Kurenai wouldn't sing a different tune at a time like this, so she began casting a Genjutsu.

"Genjutsu: Mirror."

In an instant, the three figures appeared to warp like reflections in a mirror, and several afterimages appeared around them. Compared with Kurenai's Genjutsu later, when she was a Jonin, this one was clearly much smaller in both range and effect.

Tamaki estimated it wouldn't have much effect on Sakumo, either, but he guessed Sakumo wouldn't make a move at this point. This wasn't a battlefield, after all, and there was no need to seize every opening. Otherwise, how would the three of them get a chance to show what they could do? On a real battlefield, if the three of them didn't have their throats slit one by one within five seconds, it would mean Sakumo hadn't woken up properly today.

Asuma held a Kunai, ready to fight Sakumo at close quarters at any moment and buy Tamaki time.

"Nine o'clock."

Although Kurenai wasn't a specialized sensor ninja, she did have sensory abilities.

Looking in the direction Kurenai had indicated, Asuma spotted Sakumo.

Without hesitation, he instantly threw several Shuriken at him.

Clink, clink, clink—

Sakumo knocked the Shuriken away with the short blade in his hand.

After confirming that the Sakumo before him was solid, Asuma gripped his Kunai and charged straight at him, using the Clone Technique at the same time. The three Asumas constantly shifted positions, making it impossible to tell which was the original.

The three Asumas rushed toward Sakumo. Even if each clone could only hold Sakumo off for a second, Asuma would have achieved his goal of stalling for time.

Kurenai, meanwhile, began preparing a new Genjutsu—Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death.

The three of them trusted one another and carried out their respective duties.

Bang—

One of Asuma's clones vanished.

Kurenai began to sense the Chakra inside Tamaki, who was beside her, swelling. Veins bulged at his temples and along his neck.

During a lull in the fight, Sakumo also turned to look at Tamaki.

"Teacher, I know you're strong, but looking down on me like this is taking it too far."

Hearing Asuma's voice, a dangerous look entered Sakumo's eyes.

I was just going to deal with you, kid, but it looks like I need to get serious now.

Bang—

Another Asuma was dealt with.

"If you don't have something up your sleeve, you're about to go down." Although Tamaki's aura was growing stronger and stronger over there, Sakumo had his own plans.

"Not necessarily, teacher." With that, he charged straight in.

Then, less than two seconds later, a knife-hand strike caught him on the back of the neck.

Sakumo had just started to turn around when he heard—

Bang—

Another clone? When? No, was it Kurenai's clone Genjutsu, after their figures were distorted?

"Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!"

Without giving Sakumo time to react, a huge fireball engulfed him in an instant, but—

Bang—

"A solid clone?!"

"Taijutsu secret technique—Thousand Years of Death!"

"Ah!"

Asuma was unable to get up again.

Sakumo then shook his hand and stood where he was without immediately going over.

After a while, Asuma got to his feet with a limp and dutifully walked to one side to watch the fight.

"Eight Gates Released Formation—Gate of Opening, Gate of Healing, Gate of Life, open!" He let out a long breath. "Sorry to have kept you waiting, teacher. I'm ready now."

"Ready?" Sakumo examined Tamaki's current state. "The younger generation is truly formidable. You can open three gates at your age? I'll have to get serious too."

"Please instruct me, teacher."

With that, Tamaki charged out. At this moment, he had opened not only the first three gates of the Eight Gates Released Formation, but also the "gates" of his spiritual power. There were fewer of these "gates" than in the Eight Gates Released Formation, however. So far, he had only explored the point between his brows and the temples on either side; all three locations stimulated the power of the Niwan Palace.

Right now, he was stimulating the temples on both sides. These were also the parts he could safely stimulate after Yūhi Shinku had helped him refine the method, but because he wasn't proficient, it had taken a long time.

Thud—

Tamaki's right fist collided with Sakumo's, producing a sound unlike that of two bodies striking each other.

It really is a Taijutsu technique. Now let's see how fast this kid is.

In an instant, Sakumo vanished from Kurenai and Asuma's sight once more.

Tamaki didn't act rashly. He kept watch on the movements around him, then turned and charged to the left.

Boom—

Before Kurenai and Asuma could react, a crater suddenly appeared on the left, followed by a great tree crashing down.

Kurenai was secretly shocked. Her teammate was nothing like the ordinary person he had appeared to be at the Ninja Academy.

Asuma, meanwhile, gave a bitter smile. Was the gap between him and a true genius really this wide?

After a series of dust clouds, the two figures came into view.

Tamaki held his opening stance, breathing in great gulps of air. Clearly, the brief, fierce exchange had taken a heavy toll on him.

Sakumo, by contrast, was also breathing faster, but he was clearly still handling things with ease. Moreover, he had only used Taijutsu throughout, not the swordsmanship that had made him famous. He was still going extremely easy on them.

As expected of a Kage Level powerhouse. I need to find a way to catch or trap Teacher Sakumo. Otherwise, there's no way to control his speed. That way, Kurenai will have a chance to use her Ninjutsu. Luckily, that technique is exactly B-rank and only needs one hand seal.

"Shadow Clone."

Bang—

Two puffs of white smoke burst out beside Tamaki, and two identical, solid clones of him appeared.

"Solid clones, and two at once. Do you still have enough Chakra to deal with my speed?"

"Then please watch and see, teacher. Let's go, my clones."

"Oh!"

The three identical Tamakis charged forward.

The one on the far left began making hand seals and gathering Chakra. Although he hadn't completed the seals, so Sakumo didn't know what technique it was, Sakumo knew he had better stay off the ground. As someone proficient in Earth Release, he knew how troublesome certain aspects of Earth Release ninja could be, and Tamaki had even mastered the B-rank Earth Prison. Clearly, he was no novice at Earth Release.

The one on the far right raised his right hand, and Chakra began gathering in it. It was a technique Sakumo didn't recognize, so he had to be careful of that too.

The one coming to meet him was the original, the most troublesome of all.

Against an opponent like this, while he wasn't likely to lose, a moment's carelessness could very well leave him covered in dust and making a spectacle of himself.

Sakumo made an instant decision and headed for the clone on the far right. He didn't recognize this technique at all, making it a threat he had to eliminate first.

But how could Tamaki give him the chance? The original immediately charged forward and blocked Sakumo.

For a time, the two traded blows back and forth in a lively exchange.

But Sakumo was still stronger. He sent Tamaki flying with a sideways kick, then headed straight for the nearest clone, hoping to finish one off quickly.

What he didn't notice was that one of the clones had disappeared.

The clone held a fully formed Rasengan in his hand and looked up at Sakumo.

"Teacher, this is my pride and joy. Please, have a taste."

"Rasengan—"

"Damn."

Sakumo hurriedly made hand seals.

It had to be said, a Jonin's hand seals really were fast.

Bang—

A log was blasted to pieces. It was the Substitution Technique.

But—

"Teacher, I've got you."

The original Tamaki rushed out during that opening. Opening the Gate of Spirit had also clearly increased his reaction speed, allowing him to catch Sakumo's position in an instant.

Tamaki restrained Sakumo in a man-on-man grappling pose, then took him straight down toward the ground.

For a moment, Sakumo actually couldn't break free.

Then, as expected, Sakumo was dragged into contact with the ground. A pair of hands grabbed his ankles and pulled him straight underground, leaving only his head exposed.

"Demonic Illusion: Tree Binding Death!"

Kurenai didn't waste the opportunity and successfully cast the Genjutsu.

Sakumo's eyes lost their focus.

Kurenai then sank to the ground, and Asuma immediately went over to support her.

Tamaki also slumped to the ground, gasping for breath. At the same time, he pulled out a Military Rations Pill and swallowed it, then began using Life Return. His Eight Gates Released Formation state had already faded when he restrained Sakumo. If he had maintained it any longer, his body would have suffered damage it couldn't recover from quickly. This wasn't a fight to the death, so there was no need to risk his life.

The three youngsters, looking thoroughly disheveled, exchanged smiles, but—

Bang—

Sakumo, with only his head left aboveground, vanished in a puff of white smoke.

This was a solid clone too!

Clap, clap, clap.

A completely unharmed Sakumo walked out from the side, applauding.

"Splendid tactics, and a varied combination of Ninjutsu. Many Chunin squads don't have strength like yours."

Sakumo then began assessing them one by one.

"Asuma, you must have known Tamaki's strength, so you understood your own role clearly: stall me and buy the others time. As it turned out, you did very well. You used the B-rank Great Fireball Technique with A-rank power and defeated my solid clone. An ordinary Great Fireball doesn't have that kind of effect."

Asuma scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and felt that his chrysanthemum didn't hurt quite so much anymore.

"Kurenai, three splendid Genjutsu. You abandoned conventional Ninjutsu to specialize in Genjutsu instead, and played the roles of interference, support, and control. You're a qualified Genjutsu ninja now, but you also need to consider your own Chakra reserves and the success rate of your Ninjutsu. Your last technique didn't make my clone disappear immediately, which proves your Genjutsu still has flaws. You were clearly exhausted after casting it. In that situation, you would have almost no ability to protect yourself."

Kurenai acknowledged his words and nodded.

"As for you, Tamaki, that was outstanding. Three B-rank Ninjutsu, the Eight Gates Released Formation, and a Ninjutsu I don't recognize. You directed the whole fight with a clear plan, and you deliberately controlled the power of the Eight Gates Released Formation, didn't you? Otherwise, that clone of mine should have disappeared long ago. Your strength far exceeds the scope of a Genin's, but that also brings you a problem. Your techniques are all very powerful, and each one can stand on its own, but you clearly don't have a main focus."

Sakumo looked at Asuma and Kurenai. "Kurenai specializes in Genjutsu, so there's no need to say more. Then there's Asuma, who focuses on Fire Release Ninjutsu, supplemented with Shuriken and Kunai. Although he doesn't have many Ninjutsu, his goal is clear, and he knows what comes first and what comes second. Take me, for another example: I focus on swordsmanship, using Earth Release to support it."

"But what about you, Tamaki? What's your focus? The Eight Gates Released Formation, which focuses on Taijutsu? Using Shadow Clones to achieve multiple Ninjutsu combinations? Or focusing on Medical Ninjutsu?"

"I'm not criticizing or belittling the variety of Ninjutsu you currently use. It's not as though the Shinobi World has no other ninja like you. I'm pointing out this issue because I hope you'll give more thought to your direction."

"I understand, teacher. Thank you for the reminder."

"Mm." Sakumo nodded. He could tell that Tamaki had genuinely taken his words to heart.

"Teacher, what about our mission?" Kurenai asked from the side.

"Well..." Sakumo looked at the three youngsters' expectant faces and declared loudly, "I announce that all members of Team Sakumo have passed."

"All right!" Asuma jumped up happily.

Kurenai and Tamaki smiled too.

"To celebrate the completion of your first mission, I'll treat you to barbecue."

Amid the cheers of the three youngsters, Tamaki's first day as a Genin came to an end.