At Work, Use Your Job Titles!

"I can't go because I haven't finished handing over my work."

After Yuhi Shinku finished speaking, Yuhi Kurenai fell silent.

She seemed to have taken a tremendous blow. Completely crestfallen, she staggered back to her room.

"Uncle Shinku, who are Yuhi Kurenai's teammates?"

Akiyama Shun knew Yuhi Kurenai would be fine after a while. He turned to Yuhi Shinku and asked.

"Uzuki Yugao and Shizune."

Huh? They were both people he knew.

Akiyama Shun raised an eyebrow. One was his student, and the other was also Tsunade's ward, just like him.

Wait a second...

Wouldn't that make things exhausting for Shizune?

She'd have to take part in Konoha's class system, find time to study Tsunade's medical skills, and take care of Tsunade's daily needs.

Just thinking about it made Akiyama Shun feel suffocated. He could help out with taking care of Tsunade, but he really couldn't help with studying medicine. He couldn't exactly study in Shizune's place.

Afternoon came quickly.

Yuhi Kurenai was the first to arrive at the meeting place. She sat on a large rock and stared up at the sky, her mind a complete blank.

But when Uzuki Yugao and Shizune arrived, the gloom vanished from Yuhi Kurenai's face, replaced by a smile. She hurried over to them.

They had spent three years studying together as classmates, and all three often spent time with Akiyama Shun. By now, they knew one another very well.

"Why hasn't our instructor arrived yet?"

Once they had gathered, Yuhi Kurenai suddenly asked. Before the other two could answer, a voice came from behind them.

"No, I've been here for a while."

At the sound of the voice, all three turned around.

"Teacher Akiyama Shun?"

"Why is it you?" x2

Yuhi Kurenai and the others stared at Akiyama Shun in astonishment, unable to believe their eyes.

"Yeah. Uncle Shinku ran into a problem with his handover, so I'm filling in for him and putting you through your test."

Akiyama Shun explained.

"A test?"

Yuhi Kurenai and the others exchanged glances. None of them had heard anything about this test.

"All right, let's leave that for later. First, introduce yourselves. You, start."

As Shun spoke, he jumped onto the large rock.

Uzuki Yugao's expression didn't change. She stepped forward and introduced herself. "My name is Uzuki Yugao. I like looking at flowers. I dislike..."

She paused, then continued, "There's nothing I dislike. My dream is to become even stronger!"

"Good. Next." Akiyama Shun pointed to Shizune.

"My name is Shizune. I like cultural heritage and brown rice, among other things. I dislike pork most of all, along with people who get drunk every day and always need me to take care of them."

That was awfully specific!

Akiyama Shun made a mental quip, then pointed to Yuhi Kurenai. Her introduction was no different from the one she'd given at the Academy.

Before long, all three had finished introducing themselves.

"Shun, aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

Yuhi Kurenai looked at Akiyama Shun, a hint of amusement in her eyes.

"At work, use your job titles!" Akiyama Shun said with a stern expression.

His serious demeanor startled Yuhi Kurenai. After hesitating, she said, "...All right, Teacher Akiyama Shun. Aren't you going to introduce yourself?"

Akiyama Shun waved a hand. "I'm not your teacher. Why do you need to know so much about me? Let Uncle Shinku introduce himself when he gets here."

The three girls: "..."

Akiyama Shun clapped his hands, drawing their attention.

"All right, now we'll begin the test. It's simple. See these two bells in my hand?"

As he spoke, Akiyama Shun shook the two bells, making them ring crisply.

"You three have to take the bells from me. Anyone who gets one before time runs out passes. Anyone who doesn't fails and gets kicked off the team. You also won't get any lunch this afternoon."

The three girls' expressions changed at once.

There were three of them but only two bells. Didn't that mean one of them was bound to fail and get kicked off the team?

Akiyama Shun glanced over the three of them. "Any questions?"

Yuhi Kurenai raised her hand. "Yes!"

"Good. You're not allowed to ask."

The three girls: "..."

Akiyama Shun jumped down from the rock and tied the bells to his waist.

"Ready? Then the test begins!"

By the time Akiyama Shun finished speaking, he had already used the Body Flicker Technique to put some distance between himself and the three girls.

Even though they thought the test seemed unfair, Yuhi Kurenai and the others exchanged glances and hurried after him.

Akiyama Shun didn't run at full speed. If he did, the three of them wouldn't even catch a whiff of him, which would defeat the purpose of the test.

Instead, he kept a carefully measured distance, dodging the three girls while watching their movements.

Not one of them slacked off.

Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao each focused on genjutsu and close combat, respectively. They performed the best, and since they often trained together, they worked seamlessly as a team.

Shizune, by comparison, was a little behind. She'd studied Medical Ninjutsu, so naturally she couldn't keep up with the other two. But she did her best in her own way—for example, by releasing poison to block Akiyama Shun's escape route.

Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao also made a point of coordinating with Shizune. Before long, Shizune had completely surrounded Akiyama Shun with poisonous gas.

The three girls smiled at the sight and charged at Akiyama Shun together.

Just before time ran out, Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao, who were both in better physical shape, managed to snatch the bells.

"Shizune, you can have mine."

Yuhi Kurenai and Uzuki Yugao spoke at the same time, offering Shizune the bells in their hands.

"It's okay. Even if I get kicked off the team, I can still study under Lady Tsunade."

Shizune hurriedly waved them off, her face full of emotion.

As the three girls continued to insist that the others take the bells, a calm voice sounded nearby.

"You all passed the test."

Yuhi Shinku stood beside Akiyama Shun and announced the results.

"Father? Why?"

Yuhi Kurenai looked at Yuhi Shinku in confusion.

"At work, use your job titles!"

Yuhi Kurenai: "..."

That line sounded awfully familiar.

"Teacher Shinku?"

At the sound of that title, Yuhi Shinku nodded and began explaining the real purpose of the test.

After Yuhi Shinku finished explaining, the three girls finally understood. They turned to look at Akiyama Shun, resentment in their eyes.

Faced with their resentment, Akiyama Shun could only let out a couple of awkward chuckles.

Inside the Hokage's office.

Sarutobi Hiruzen read the reports from the border. He took a puff from his pipe, then frowned.

The tensions were escalating. If things continued like this...

Sarutobi Hiruzen rubbed his temples and leaned back in the Hokage's chair, his face full of worry.

"Old man, what are you thinking about?"

Jiraiya casually glanced at the reports and plopped down beside Sarutobi Hiruzen.

"I'm thinking about those children. If war breaks out, they'll have a hard time too. Especially Akiyama Shun. He's already a Chunin, and if war starts, he may be sent to the front lines earlier than the other Ninja Academy students. But how old is he? He's a whole year younger than the students who graduate at the usual age! He's only eight!"

Sarutobi Hiruzen sighed. "Sigh... You know that policies like this are shaped by public opinion and many other factors. They aren't something I, or anyone else, can decide on my own as Hokage."

After Sarutobi Hiruzen finished speaking, Jiraiya's expression changed as well.

"Didn't you ask me to go to the Land of Grass to find that undercover agent? How about I take Akiyama Shun with me, so he can get a feel for things? It's only a period of tension for now, after all."