The Team is Formed: A Meeting Gift

Unfortunately, that is not possible.

As the son of Hiruzen Sarutobi, he knew very well that the most important criterion in the Konoha assessment system was teamwork.

If he excluded Nebula Kotetsu from his plan, it would inevitably affect his evaluation.

Asuma Sarutobi frowned and said, "I was just wondering what role you could possibly play. Medical ninjutsu is useless in a battle like this."

His tone was quite dismissive.

Nebula Kotetsu reminded him, "My taijutsu is actually not bad."

Asuma Sarutobi gave a soft huff, clearly unconvinced. The record of defeating a guy like Mizuki held no persuasive power at all.

"Forget it, let me think... how about this..."

A few minutes later.

"Bang, bang, bang!!!"

In the training ground, Nebula Kotetsu held a kunai and clashed with Mikoto Uchiha. He had been assigned by Asuma Sarutobi to lead the attack. The other party had said that since his taijutsu was "not bad," he should strike first and draw their attention.

In other words, he was cannon fodder.

Fists and kicks whistled through the air, and sparks flew as kunai collided.

In the midst of the exchange, a flash of surprise crossed Mikoto Uchiha's eyes.

Unexpectedly excellent!

His strikes were standard and full of force, and his reaction time in combat was particularly fast. There were several times she thought the fight was over, yet he managed to dodge. This level of taijutsu far exceeded that of an average genin—was this really the "dead-last"?

The files the academy gave her didn't say anything like this!

She felt she had plenty of room to spare, but Nebula Kotetsu was under immense pressure. Even though his opponent was a woman, he couldn't gain the slightest advantage in their exchange.

She was slightly taller than him at his current age, with a slender build. Her attacks with fists, kicks, and kunai carried the sharp, precise style characteristic of Uchiha taijutsu.

Finally, having roughly gauged Nebula Kotetsu's strength and sensing a subtle movement nearby, Mikoto Uchiha suddenly increased her force.

"Boom!"

Accompanied by a faint, delicate fragrance, a slender, fair palm pressed against his chest. As the force surged, Nebula Kotetsu's body was sent flying backward.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Shuriken whistled through the air!

Asuma Sarutobi lunged from the side, wielding his trench knives.

"Ninja Art: Light Confusion Technique!" Seizing the opportunity, Kurenai Yuhi formed hand seals, attempting to cast a genjutsu to disrupt Mikoto Uchiha's vision.

Yet, facing this low-level genjutsu, Mikoto Uchiha merely cast a glance.

With a flash of blood-red light, the genjutsu was broken before it could even take effect.

With a casual flick of her wrist, several dark streaks shot toward Kurenai Yuhi's limbs.

"Clang, clang, clang!!!" Nebula Kotetsu, having just been sent reeling, flashed in from the side to block the shuriken, which weren't moving particularly fast.

Then, he charged back into the fray!

Even knowing she was holding back, the taijutsu level of a jonin was still vastly superior to theirs.

It was only because his physical reflexes had been enhanced by the system that he could barely play a role in a battle like this.

A few minutes later, the battle ended.

It was an unsurprising defeat; the three of them hadn't even posed a threat to Mikoto Uchiha.

Mikoto Uchiha looked at the three panting students, her expression reasonably satisfied.

"You three did quite well."

"Well?" Kurenai Yuhi asked, "Sensei Mikoto, we clearly lost so miserably."

Mikoto Uchiha chuckled softly, "Isn't it normal to lose?"

"What matters isn't the win or loss, but your coordination in battle."

"Although your tactics were very average, at the very least, the three of you were coordinating with each other."

"Kotetsu, your reaction speed is excellent, and your timing in supporting your teammates and launching your own attacks was also good."

Nebula Kotetsu nodded.

"Kurenai, your timing for casting genjutsu was also correct, and you knew your own strengths, avoiding the center of the melee so as not to become a burden to your teammates."

"Asuma..."

Asuma Sarutobi's expression held a hint of anticipation; he was waiting for his own encouraging critique.

"I have to criticize you."

Asuma Sarutobi: ?

Why did the other two get praised, but when it was his turn, he had to be criticized?

Clearly, I was the one who put in the most effort!

Mikoto Uchiha also saw that the other party was unconvinced, so she said.

"Do you know why I criticized you?"

"First, the tactics you formulated were very ordinary. If you are to act as a team leader, that simply won't do!"

"Nebula's attack power and grasp of combat opportunities are no worse than yours. You two could have coordinated, but you failed to bring out your teammate's strength."

"Furthermore, you had too much of a desire to show off during the battle. Although your strength is the best, you must find the right timing when facing a powerful opponent, and you failed to do that."

"Your attention was constantly on Kurenai, so you didn't perform at your full potential. Moreover, when Kurenai was in danger and Nebula blocked the attack, you were distracted."

"In a ninja's battle, this is something that should absolutely never happen!"

Asuma Sarutobi remained unconvinced in his heart, yet he did not know how to refute her.

Mikoto Uchiha was right.

During the battle, he had been distracted, constantly preparing to look after Kurenai Yuhi.

However, when the danger actually appeared, he was too far away, and it was Nebula Kotetsu who intervened instead. This only made his thoughts more chaotic and caused flaws in his movements.

If Mikoto Uchiha had been an enemy, he would already be dead.

At this moment, Kurenai Yuhi asked timidly: "Teacher, did we pass?"

Hearing this, Mikoto Uchiha beamed at Kurenai Yuhi, and for a moment, the scenery in the woods seemed to brighten.

"Of course."

Mikoto Uchiha said: "After all, today is your first day as a team, so it is normal to be unfamiliar with each other."

"Also, this is the gift I promised you. Remember not to share it with others."

Under the expectant gazes of the three, Mikoto Uchiha handed three small scrolls to them one by one.

They hurriedly took them.

Looking at the scroll in his hand, Nebula Kotetsu recalled his memories.

Whether it was the memories of his past life or his understanding of this world, there was no such thing as a team leader teaching ninjutsu right off the bat.

In fact, some team leaders wouldn't even teach a single move or style even after the team disbanded.

So... he turned his head to look at Kurenai Yuhi and Asuma Sarutobi.

Political maneuvering?

The wife of the Uchiha clan head and the young master of the Sarutobi clan—it seemed quite reasonable.

He looked at the scroll in the other person's hand, which had a few words marked on it.

<Essentials of Melee Combat and Short Blade Manipulation> Hmm, tailor-made.

He looked at Kurenai Yuhi's.

Genjutsu - Moon Shadow

Nebula Kotetsu was startled at first glance, thinking it was Tsukuyomi, but upon closer inspection, he realized it was Moon Shadow. Hmm, it was also provided based on the other party's abilities.

He looked at his own.

Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique

After feeling a slight sense of disparity, he leveled his mindset. She didn't owe him anything; it was a free gift, and having something was better than having nothing.

"Thank you, Teacher Mikoto." Nebula Kotetsu said, tucking the scroll away safely.

Seeing that they had put away their scrolls, Mikoto Uchiha said: "That is all for today."

"Tomorrow, do you want to take on missions, or do you want to train?"