Test (True)

Eight o'clock the next morning.

Fourth Training Ground.

Hyuga Ningxue arrived on time with a small water bottle. Although the weights on her legs made her steps feel slightly heavy, her expression remained calm.

Sugiyama Tetsu and Nakamura Daisuke had also arrived. Both looked rather nervous, especially at the thought of the bottom-ranked person having to pay for the meal.

Kamizuki Izumo leaned against a tree, watching the three who had appeared on time, and nodded.

"Very good, no one is late."

"Now, the test begins."

He was not like Kakashi, who would play games like snatching bells; instead, he chose to start a proper, serious examination right away.

Though... come to think of it, snatching bells was probably a tradition for Team 7.

"First item, taijutsu assessment. You will spar with me one-on-one. The longer you hold out, the higher your score," Kamizuki Izumo said concisely.

Sugiyama Tetsu went first.

He let out a loud shout and, gathering his courage, charged toward Kamizuki Izumo. His taijutsu certainly had some foundation, but while his movements were full of power, they lacked flexibility.

Kamizuki Izumo did not even use any flashy techniques; with simple blocks, dodges, and the occasional precise counterattack, he had Sugiyama Tetsu pinned to the ground in less than a minute.

Kamizuki Izumo clapped his hands.

"Next, Nakamura Daisuke."

Nakamura Daisuke walked forward with a bitter face.

His taijutsu was clearly much weaker than Sugiyama Tetsu's; his movements were sluggish and full of openings.

Seeing this, Kamizuki Izumo lost interest and simply tripped him with his foot, sending Nakamura Daisuke sprawling to the ground.

"Next, Hyuga Ningxue."

Ningxue took a deep breath and stepped forward.

She had to work hard to maintain a slightly above-average level. She used the Hyuga's Gentle Fist, but her speed was reduced by the weights on her legs. However, this was exactly what she wanted.

While easily blocking Ningxue's attacks, Kamizuki Izumo observed her carefully. He could feel that this young student had a very solid foundation and clean, crisp movements.

However... his gaze lingered on Ningxue's feet and eyes.

As a ninja of the Interrogation Force, he had enough discernment to see that there were clearly weights on her legs.

And this kid's Byakugan should have been activated by now, right? Why wasn't she using it? She wasn't even targeting his pressure points; was she hiding something?

Kamizuki Izumo pondered this in his heart, but he did not expose her.

After about three minutes, he spotted an opening Ningxue had deliberately left, and with a light hand-blade strike to her wrist, he ended the fight.

"Taijutsu assessment concluded. Next is ninjutsu," Kamizuki Izumo announced expressionlessly.

"Show me your best ninjutsu. I will grade you based on power, control, and practicality."

Sugiyama Tetsu demonstrated the Fire Release he had been practicing hard, the Fireball Technique. Although it wasn't large in scale, its form was stable, which could be considered decent.

Nakamura Daisuke sheepishly demonstrated an Earth Release, Earth Style Wall, but only managed to raise a waist-high, wobbly little wall, causing Kamizuki Izumo to shake his head.

When it was Ningxue's turn, she formed hand seals and used Water Release, Water Wave.

A stream of water struck the target in the training ground; the volume was moderate and the control was precise, but the power was mediocre.

Seeing the ninjutsu of his three subordinates, Kamizuki Izumo secretly shook his head, feeling somewhat disappointed in their techniques.

Next came shuriken practice and some tactical questions. As the assessments went on, Ningxue consistently kept her performance just slightly better than Sugiyama Tetsu's.

Sugiyama Tetsu, meanwhile, had his hands on his hips in pride, feeling that after these rounds, he was definitely in first place.

Nakamura Daisuke's face was pale; he felt as if he could already see the money in his wallet flying away from him.

"The final item," Kamizuki Izumo said, looking at the three with their varying expressions, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.

"Teamwork combat test."

He quickly formed hand seals with both hands.

"Ninja Art, Hidden Mist Technique!" (In reality, it was the False Surroundings Technique.)

A thick fog instantly enveloped the entire training ground. Visibility dropped sharply, and even the vision of the Byakugan was interfered with to a certain degree.

"In my mist, hold out for ten minutes, or find a way to locate me and land an attack. That is how you pass."

"Of course, you may use any means necessary. I mean any means."

As he finished speaking, a cold killing intent instantly permeated the air, pressing down on the nerves of the three like a physical weight.

"Ugh!" Sugiyama Tetsu and Nakamura Daisuke turned deathly pale instantly, their bodies trembling uncontrollably, barely able to hold onto their kunai.

Ningxue also couldn't help but feel nervous; she felt that he was playing for real.

After getting a rough idea of the situation, she took a few deep breaths and, feigning calmness, spoke to the two beside her.

"Stay calm! Back to back!"

Ningxue's low shout awakened the two who were still paralyzed by fear.

They hurriedly huddled together, forming a triangular formation.

Ningxue also grew serious, activating her Byakugan.

Yet, strangely, she still could not see through this layer of thick fog.

From within the mist, the sound of something piercing the air suddenly rang out!

Shuriken! They were coming from every direction!

"Left!" she called out a warning, simultaneously swinging her kunai to parry.

Clang, clang, clang—the three of them scrambled in a flurry to fend off the attacks coming from all sides.

As for Kamizuki Izumo, he was like a phantom; every time he appeared in a corner of the mist, he brought with him a fierce offensive.

Though not fatal, each strike left them in a state of utter disarray.

Attacks like these were also rapidly draining their stamina.

Soon, Sugiyama Tetsu and Nakamura Daisuke were exhausted, temporarily losing their ability to fight.

This won't do...

Ningxue's eyes narrowed. She realized that Kamizuki Izumo was forcing them to reveal their true capabilities, compelling them to react under such pressure.

"Fine! If that's how it is, I'll give you something big too!"

Just then, Kamizuki Izumo's figure quietly reappeared behind Ningxue's flank, a sharp hand-blade slashing directly toward her neck.

This time, the speed was faster and the power greater, bringing a genuine sense of lethality to Ningxue.

Ningxue's thoughts raced. Driven by instinct, the strength she had been suppressing erupted in that very moment.

She pushed off hard with her feet, instantly vacating her spot. During the slide to buffer her momentum, she quickly unhooked the water canteen hanging at her waist.

She wasn't drinking; instead, she aimed the mouth of the canteen toward the direction of Kamizuki Izumo's assault and gave it a violent flick.

A colorless, odorless liquid sprayed out in a fan shape.

"Hm?"

Kamizuki Izumo hadn't expected Ningxue to have this trick up her sleeve. Although he retreated in time, his sleeve and the back of his hand were still splattered with the liquid.

He assumed it was ordinary water or acid, but the next second, an intense sensation of numbness instantly spread from the point of contact.

Poison?

The word flashed through his mind.

Kamizuki Izumo was shocked and immediately mobilized his chakra to resist, but the paralytic toxin was exceptionally potent, causing his right arm and half of his body to stiffen instantly.

It was at this very moment—

Swish, swish, swish.

Three iron needles, whistling through the air, struck Kamizuki Izumo's leg, bringing an even more intense numbness to his right side.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye.

In the very instant Kamizuki Izumo stood frozen, the surrounding mist gradually dissipated, revealing the area as it truly was.

Well, just a bunch of trees and some rocks.

It had been a genjutsu all along.

Sugiyama Tetsu and Nakamura Daisuke stared at the scene before them, dumbfounded.

They watched Hyuga Ningxue, who had always appeared so unremarkable, actually be this strong?

And their instructor, Kamizuki Izumo, was kneeling on one knee, his right arm and leg trembling slightly, his face filled with shock and a hint of... appreciation?

"Cough, cough..." Kamizuki Izumo channeled his chakra, forcibly breaking through the blockage of his acupoints to dispel most of the numbness, and stood up.

He looked at his still-uncomfortable arm, then gazed deeply at Ningxue, specifically at the canteen on her right hip and the small pouch on her left.

"Needles? Poison? And that technique with hidden weapons... Hyuga Ningxue, you really have been hiding deep."

Kamizuki Izumo's tone was unreadable.

Ningxue felt a tightness in her chest, but she quickly calmed herself, her face remaining composed.

These were all trivial matters; it was fine.

"It was a desperate situation, and I had no other choice. Please forgive me, Instructor."

Kamizuki Izumo stared at her for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.

"Forget it. The purpose of the test has been achieved. To be able to decisively use every means to counterattack in a life-or-death crisis—you kid, not bad."

He turned his head to look at the still-bewildered Sugiyama Tetsu and Nakamura Daisuke and said indifferently.

"You two still need to practice."

Finally, he announced the results: "Overall score: Hyuga Ningxue first, Sugiyama Tetsu second, Nakamura Daisuke third. Therefore..."

He turned his gaze toward the ashen-faced Nakamura Daisuke. "As agreed, you're treating us to Yakiniku Q tonight."

Nakamura Daisuke let out a wail.

"No!!!!!"

BGM.

Snowflakes drifting~ The north wind whistling~.

In the evening, inside Yakiniku Q.

The four members of Team 11 sat around a table piled high with various cuts of meat and vegetables.

Kamizuki Izumo, true to his word, had not stood on ceremony and had even called over his good partner, Hagane Kotetsu.

Upon hearing about the test Kamizuki Izumo had conducted today, Hagane Kotetsu couldn't help but slap the table and laugh mercilessly.

"Hahaha, Izumo, are you saying you got outsmarted by your own student?" Hagane Kotetsu sat beside Kamizuki Izumo, clutching his stomach as he laughed non-stop.

Kamizuki Izumo glared at him irritably and shoved a large piece of meat into his mouth.

"Less talk, more eating! Someone is treating us today, after all." As he spoke, he pointed at Nakamura Daisuke, who was wearing a pained expression while forcing a smile.

Hagane Kotetsu looked at Hyuga Ningxue with curiosity.

"Oh? Is this the kid? From the Hyuga Branch Family? To be able to make Izumo look like a fool, not bad!"

Hyuga Ningxue simply grilled the meat in silence, eating occasionally and offering only a bland response to Hagane Kotetsu's scrutiny.

Sugiyama Tetsu seemed very excited, talking incessantly about the day's test and expressing his absolute admiration for Hyuga Ningxue's final performance.

Nakamura Daisuke turned his grief and indignation into appetite, burying his head in his food as he tried to eat his money's worth.

Kamizuki Izumo watched his three subordinates, a thousand thoughts swirling in his mind.

The hot-blooded and simple-minded Sugiyama Tetsu, the lazy but perhaps uniquely talented (at making cookies, perhaps?) Nakamura Daisuke, and this Hyuga Ningxue, who hid so much beneath the surface...

Perhaps this Team 11 of mine could actually become the future pillars of Konoha?