A "closely matched" team combat drill was underway on the Ninja Academy training field.
On Class Two's side, the three participants were Shimura Kazashiro, who looked frail enough to be blown over by a gust of wind; Hatake Kakashi, whose face was the picture of kidney deficiency; and the carefree Asuma Sarutobi.
The moment those three stepped out, Makoto Ito and Saito's hearts leaped into their throats.
"Teacher Ito, are you sure you didn't rig the teams?" Saito quietly asked Makoto Ito beside him.
How could it be such a coincidence that Class Two's three most prominent students had ended up on the same team?
Those three were no ordinary children. At their age, their peers had not even figured out Taijutsu, yet they were already using Ninjutsu.
Especially that Shimura kid. Before even graduating from the Ninja Academy, he had used Wind Release to break through a teacher's Earth Release. Looking across the academy's generations of outstanding students, only Hiruzen Sarutobi in his youth had possessed such ability.
Saito had already begun worrying about the students his own class had sent out.
"I'm fucking nervous." Watching Kazashiro and the others take their positions in the middle of the field, Namiashi Raidō slowly shuffled over and muttered to his companions.
"Hmph, n-n-nervous? What's there to be nervous about? Us brothers aren't pushovers either." Fugutake Tonbo, half his head wrapped in bandages, forced himself to rally Namiashi Raidō despite his trembling lips.
"Exactly. Everyone has two heads on one shoulder, so what's there to be nervous about?" Aoba Yamashiro, who wore tiny dark glasses like Ebisu, also tried to boost morale. Though he was not stammering like Fugutake Tonbo, his nonsensical words still revealed his true state of mind.
"Ahem, well, let me confirm something. Aoba, you can use Ninjutsu, right?"