The Bratty Kid, Asuma.

Although the graduation requirements became harsher after forming three-person teams, their strength increased considerably once they teamed up.

Tōka and Gai, being close friends, naturally stuck together. As for the third person...

"Tōka, do we need to find another teammate?" Gai asked.

"Hold on." Tōka narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the crowd, pondering silently.

With the two of them working together, this exam would be simple.

But Tōka didn't want to reveal the power of the All-Killing Ash Bones—it was his trump card, not to be used lightly unless absolutely necessary.

All in all, Tōka was still too weak right now.

"Better find a teammate." Tōka made up his mind.

"Who should we pick?" Gai asked with a troubled expression. Aside from Kakashi, Gai didn't get along well with anyone else—at best, he was merely acquainted with them.

Obito, Rin, Asuma, Kurenai...

As for the others, Gai was lucky if he could even remember their names.

"Let me think..." Tōka considered the team composition.

Both Tōka and Gai were taijutsu types. Tōka was slightly better off, barely able to use some ninjutsu.

As for genjutsu? Both of them were completely clueless.

Medical ninjutsu? That kind of thing was way beyond someone as simple-minded as Gai.

And Tōka had only been exposed to chakra for half a year, so naturally, he couldn't use it either.

"The third person should ideally be a support-type—a medical ninja, or a genjutsu or ninjutsu specialist." Tōka muttered to himself.

Before Tōka's words even faded, a faint, girlish fragrance slithered into his nostrils like a snake.

Then a crisp, youthful voice rang out beside him.

"Then it'll be me, little Tōka."

Tōka turned his head and saw Kurenai smiling sweetly at him.

This one? Her genjutsu was impressive, but wasn't she Asuma's childhood friend?

The thought barely crossed his mind when Tōka immediately spotted Asuma rushing over, his face dark as he glared at Tōka.

His gaze was practically spitting fire, as if he wanted to devour Tōka whole!

"Not bad, actually." Tōka curled his lips, a hint of amusement seeping into his eyes.

Building happiness on others' misery—how could he miss out on such a "kind" deed?

Since the young couple was having a spat, he didn't mind fanning the flames.

"Kurenai, don't be stubborn. This exam is dangerous." Asuma said sternly.

Anyone else would be fine, but this team? One was Gai, the dead last, and the other was a six-year-old brat named Tōka, whose grades were barely nominal.

Strictly speaking, Tōka was even worse than Gai, the dead last!

"Hmph, none of your business. I'm teaming up with them whether you like it or not!" Kurenai puffed out her cheeks and turned her head away.

Seeing her sulking like that, Tōka gave a mischievous grin and shot Gai a look, signaling him to follow.

Then Tōka headed toward Furuya Daisuke's seat, intending to inform the teacher that their team's lineup was decided.

Seeing Tōka and Gai already walking off, Kurenai immediately chased after them.

"Damn it, I'll make you pay this time!"

A blaze of fury ignited in Asuma's eyes, and he vented all his resentment toward Kurenai onto Tōka and Gai.

Gai, after all, was a classmate he'd grown up with, so the hatred wasn't as strong.

But Tōka? He'd become the perfect scapegoat.

Soon, the fifty-one students were divided into teams.

"Since everyone is ready, then..."

"The exam begins!!"

At Furuya Daisuke's command, the crowd shot off with a whoosh, charging straight into the misty valley.

Watching their retreating figures, a flicker of approval crossed Furuya Daisuke's eyes.

You little brats, you passed the first round. Don't disappoint me in what's to come.

"The safety of these kids is in your hands." Furuya Daisuke withdrew his gaze and spoke inexplicably to the empty air.

Whoosh!!

A strange ripple of energy passed through, as if responding to Furuya Daisuke, and twenty black shadows flashed by in an instant.

They were none other than Anbu members directly under the Hokage's command!

The Third Hokage couldn't afford to neglect Konoha's future.

Especially during this chaotic war period, carrying out such a dangerous graduation exam.

And that's not even mentioning Sarutobi Asuma, the Third Hokage's son—there's no way he'd have no one protecting him in the shadows.

The valley wasn't large, only about ten li in radius, and from a distance it looked hazy and indistinct.

Up close, they realized the temperature here was strange, layered distinctly, naturally forming a vast sheet of water vapor that shrouded the entire valley.

It was hard to see far ahead, and only the Hyuga Clan's Byakugan was useful in this situation.

Tōka, Gai, and Kurenai crouched in a patch of grass outside the valley entrance.

"Tōka, any tactics?" Gai asked. Though he was older than Tōka, he always listened to him.

Kurenai shot a surprised look at this odd pairing. She'd thought Tōka was just dead weight tagging along with Gai.

But throughout the journey, Gai had clearly deferred to Tōka.

In terms of raw strength, if he didn't use All-Killing Ash Bones, Gai could thrash Tōka.

But without absolute power, strategy mattered more.

"Two options. First, charge in and fire the opening shot," Tōka said after a moment's thought.

That would force the other teams hiding in the shadows to engage.

The battle would escalate straight into its climax.

The advantage was a quick resolution—it came down to who was stronger, a test of pure hard power.

The disadvantage was having zero intel: enemy numbers, enemy strength, enemy defenses.

Going in completely blind could lead to incalculable losses.

Seeing both of them stay silent, Tōka nodded inwardly. These Konoha Elite Class kids weren't bad.

They understood this method might cost many comrades, so they didn't choose it.

"Second option: sneak in, gather intel, and see if we can pick off some heads," Tōka said with a faint smile, showing no concern about killing.

Gai and Kurenai's expressions shifted, especially at the word "heads."

Tōka's meaning was simple: infiltrate, assassinate, withdraw quietly.

The advantage was a higher survival rate. The disadvantage was equally clear—if another team got exposed, they'd be caught in the fallout.

Though fifty-one people were split into seventeen teams, they were still one unit.

Pull one thread, and the whole body moves.

If one person on one team was discovered, no one else could stay hidden.

Tōka's first plan seemed reckless, but it seized the initiative.

The second plan seemed easy, but it hid real danger.

Because you never knew when a useless teammate would screw things up.

"Let's go with the sneak approach," Kurenai said hesitantly. In a direct fight, her genjutsu would be less effective.

"Fine." Tōka glanced at Gai, saw no objection, and nodded.

With the three of them in agreement, they quickly dashed into the valley.

The mist was the valley's natural camouflage, but also the infiltrator's natural camouflage.

The team lacked a sensor type, but that was fine—two taijutsu practitioners had stamina to spare!

If eyes and ears couldn't find the intel they needed, Then use their legs. Run.

"Teacher Daisuke deliberately led us in circles through the forest to drain our stamina."

Tōka, Gai, and Kurenai crouched under a low rock in the valley, surrounded by dense plants taller than their heads, perfect for hiding.

It was like having already fought one battle in the war, then facing a second operation right after.

Clearly, the Ninja Academy had turned the Elite Class graduation exam into a war simulation.

"Alright, Gai and I will take turns gathering intel outside. Kurenai, you handle perimeter defense," Tōka said after thinking it over.

Tōka and Gai were taijutsu practitioners, while Kurenai's genjutsu expertise could set up a safe zone.

That way, the three could take turns resting.

By the time their stamina recovered, they'd have enough intel.

"No problem," Gai said directly.

"Me neither," Kurenai nodded.

"The other teams are probably hiding too, recovering their stamina," Tōka said quietly. "Then... operation start!"

The moment he finished, Gai shot out of their camp.

Among the three, Gai had the best stamina, so the first round of intel gathering was set as preliminary reconnaissance.

Its only goal: pinpoint the enemy's position.

The time limit is no more than ten minutes!

At Gai's speed, ten minutes was enough to take a full lap around the valley.

Kurenai also carried out her own task, setting up a trap at the entrance to the camp—the Fox in the Mind technique, trigger-type.

Once anyone stepped into the genjutsu's deployment range, the technique would activate automatically.

And Kurenai would know the moment her technique was triggered.

It was essentially a warning line protecting the camp.

After finishing all this, Kurenai quickly returned to the low rock and sat down beside Tōka.

She observed him without making it obvious. "You've changed quite a bit in these six months!"

His body had filled out considerably, no longer as frail and delicate as when they first met, like a little sister.

"Yeah, I've been training in taijutsu with Gai." Tōka raised his arm to look at it; his light yellow skin was the color of health.

And his arm had thickened a lot too, no longer like a bamboo skewer.

"Training taijutsu with Gai, huh?" Kurenai didn't know much about Gai, just a bit more than the average classmate, because of his infamous reputation as a dead last.

No talent for ninjutsu, no talent for genjutsu.

He'd even gotten into the Ninja Academy on special dispensation—she'd never understood how he ended up in the Elite Class.

"Little sister, don't underestimate Gai." Tōka naturally knew what Kurenai was thinking, and gave a light laugh without explaining.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Kurenai pouted in displeasure, feeling looked down on.

She definitely was, absolutely looked down on!

The atmosphere fell into an awkward silence.

Tōka closed his eyes to rest, while Kurenai stewed in her own sulk.

The ten-minute break passed like a fleeting moment, gone in an instant.

Gai returned.

"How is it?" Tōka asked.

"I've found the general positions of the enemy." Gai nodded.

"In the middle of the valley is a stretch of high ground, with two Visible Sentries—one front, one back—and one Hidden Sentry in between."

"That cautious? Three sentry posts?" Tōka narrowed his eyes slightly. This didn't feel like bandits, but more like a military fortress?

The terrain commanded the heights, with Visible and Hidden Sentries covering each other.

Still, this information was enough.

Tōka gave the two a slight nod, and with a whoosh, he shot out of the camp.

After ten minutes of rest, his stamina had recovered quite a bit.

His mission was to determine the enemy's numbers and strength.

And if possible, bring back three heads to complete the task.

Time limit: twenty minutes!!

The sun hung high overhead at noon, its golden light illuminating the earth—hardly a good time for infiltration.

But this valley was different.

For some reason, the climate here was very strange, with distinct temperature layers.

The higher you went, the colder it got, and the heat rising from the ground turned into thick clouds of mist.

Amidst jagged rocks and overgrown weeds, Tōka located the Mountain Fortress at the center of the valley's high ground.

Just as he was pondering how to avoid the sentries and sneak into the fortress—

A cold laugh, completely out of place, rang out behind Tōka.

"Hmph, so it's this brat!" Asuma stood with his arms crossed, arrogant and condescending, staring coldly at Tōka.

Behind him stood two teammates, Ibiki and Mizuki.

Tōka narrowed his eyes at Asuma, subtly shifting his stance to turn sideways toward him.

Asuma would never forget how Tōka had embarrassed him on the first day of class, especially in front of Kurenai!

"Kid, I'm going to teach you a lesson today!"

"Asuma, don't mess around. We're still in the exam." Ibiki frowned and said in a low voice.

"What's the big deal? It's just some friendly bonding between classmates."

Mizuki, however, wore a smirking expression, eager to stir up trouble.

Sarutobi Asuma was the Hokage's son; even if he made a mistake, it would be handled with a heavy hand and a light touch.

"But the Enemy Fortress isn't far. If we're discovered..." Ibiki's frown deepened.

"Hmph, coward. If you're scared, you can leave on your own!" Asuma shot a glance at Ibiki, speaking with displeasure.

Today, he was absolutely going to teach this shorty a lesson—how dare he steal This Elder's girlfriend!

The flames of rage burned away every shred of Asuma's reason.

Bam!

Asuma crouched low, his foot crushing a clump of dirt beneath him as he shot forward like an arrow toward Tōka.

As a descendant of the Sarutobi clan, Asuma's taijutsu couldn't match Gai's, but it was still formidable!

Tōka's gaze sharpened. This time, Asuma was genuinely furious, holding nothing back in his attack.

The strike came with a piercing gust of wind, rushing straight at him and tightening the skin on his face.

Smack!!

Tōka moved fast, extending a palm to meet Asuma's fist, then suddenly shoving it upward.

Asuma used his height advantage, but why couldn't Tōka use the advantage of being short?

A shorter body meant a lower center of gravity and a more stable stance!

Tōka pushed Asuma's attack aside with one palm.

Asuma's body was already airborne, with no leverage to brace himself. Tōka shoved him upward, sending him tumbling past Tōka and crashing down.

Beat the drowning dog—that was the only thought on Tōka's mind.

As their bodies crossed, Tōka suddenly leaped up and lashed out with a whip kick.

Bam!

The kick landed square on Asuma's rear. As he flew forward, Asuma felt a massive force surge up from below.

His descending body jerked to a halt, then launched into the air, tumbling into the pile of grass ahead.

This was the advantage of Tōka's physical condition—sealed for a thousand years, yet nurtured for a thousand years as well.

After half a year of training, he had fully unleashed his body's flexibility and agility.

In close-quarters combat, Tōka didn't fear even Gai.

"Bastard! Stop right there!" Asuma climbed out of the pile of weeds, a few dry blades of grass sticking out of his hair.

Tōka had already turned to leave, but hearing this furious shout, he could only sigh in exasperation.

What a brat. He and Kurenai didn't have a single thing going on.

Even Gai had exchanged more words with Kurenai than Tōka had!

The mature version of Uncle Asuma was much more likable...

Tōka stared at Asuma with a blank expression, a flicker of killing intent passing through his mind.

He wasn't a good person, and he hated people who made unreasonable scenes.

Especially in a crisis like this, dragging others into it for some absurd reason.

If it were someone else, Tōka wouldn't care. But when he himself became the target of that misplaced anger...

Heh. (To be continued)