End of Practical Exercise

"Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!..."

In the forest, Sasuke and Asuma were still locked in fierce combat. Both sides had truly ignited their fighting spirit, with Sasuke backhanding his kunai to clash fiercely with Asuma's Flying Swallow.

Sparks continuously flashed in the air, leaving the four people ambushing in the dark wide-eyed with astonishment.

Although the four knew Sasuke and Naruto had undergone special training with Lu Yu and Tenten, they never imagined the training's effects would be so terrifying.

For a newly graduated genin to be able to fight a jonin in taijutsu without being at a disadvantage, wasn't that going too far?

"I suddenly regret it. My brother asked me to train, and I refused him."

Sakura watched Sasuke with sparkling eyes. Hearing Shikamaru say this, she asked with some confusion:

"From what you're saying, did your brother Lu Yu teach Sasuke all these skills?"

Seeing Shikamaru nod, Sakura fell into thought. She couldn't fathom how the lazy Top Student possessed such abilities.

In Sakura's opinion, Lu Yu's consistent reign as Top Student was more because Sasuke wasn't interested in the title.

After all, Sakura felt that even if Lu Yu came, he might not be able to achieve Sasuke's current level, let alone teach others.

The three of them could tell what Sakura was thinking from her expression. However, as seasoned slackers, they couldn't be bothered to explain much to Sakura.

On the field, Sasuke grew more and more excited as he fought. He hadn't had such a satisfying battle in a long time.

Although he had sparred with Lu Yu a few times before, what was the point of simply being thrashed?

As for that guy Naruto, he always used clones to wear down his opponents, making it feel like there was no real fight at all.

Unlike now, in this intense battle, Sasuke felt his entire body trembling with excitement.

Even he himself hadn't expected his strength to have reached this point.

To be honest, a month ago, he had almost been driven to depression by Lu Yu. No matter how hard he and Naruto tried, they could never make Lu Yu even take them seriously once.

Lu Yu felt like an insurmountable mountain to both of them. Every time they climbed over one mountain and thought they were nearing the end, they tragically discovered that the finish line seemed even farther away.

However, it was precisely because of the constant sparring with Lu Yu that Sasuke's combat intuition and adaptability had become outrageously strong.

Asuma on the other side felt it most acutely. At the beginning, Sasuke still struggled to keep up with his movements.

But as the battle progressed, the kid opposite him became increasingly difficult to deal with.

Until now, he seemed like a completely different person. Every attack trajectory and impending move had already been completely seen through by the opponent.

Just as the two were locked in a difficult struggle, a sound came from afar.

"Multiple Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

It was Naruto who had arrived. With a puff of white smoke, hundreds of shadow clones rushed directly towards Asuma.

Naruto's arrival caused the originally balanced battle to suddenly tilt in Sasuke's favor.

"Clang!"

Seeing Naruto arrive to support him, a sharp glint flashed in Sasuke's eyes as he fiercely swung his kunai towards Asuma.

This attack was filled with power and terrifying speed. Its greatest purpose wasn't to inflict damage, but to force a retreat. Once Asuma was forced back, they would have countless follow-up moves.

However, the experienced Asuma didn't fall for it. He clenched his right hand tightly around the Flying Swallow and forcefully blocked Sasuke's strike. He raised his left arm to block a kick from Naruto in the air.

"Heh heh, a good offense, but unfortunately—"

Asuma's words were cut short when he suddenly noticed a huge dark shadow approaching.

"Human Bullet Tank!"

Seeing Choji's attack, Asuma swung his arms with all his might, forcing the two back. Then, using the ground for leverage, he rapidly retreated backward.

"Good opportunity!"

Shikamaru, hidden in the dark, had a sharp glint in his eyes. He quickly formed hand seals:

"Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Following that, Shikamaru's shadow shot towards Asuma's landing spot at extreme speed.

The terrain, which had been tampered with, made Shikamaru's shadow seem extremely easy to overlook. The moment Asuma landed, his expression changed drastically.

Shikamaru's lips curved slightly:

"Shadow Possession Jutsu, success!"

At the same time, Ino, who was standing nearby, was already prepared:

"Mind Transfer Jutsu!"

Sakura carefully supported Ino's body. She watched as Asuma struggled for a moment on the opposite side, then his eyes rolled back, and he lost consciousness.

Naruto and Sasuke, who were prepared, quickly moved to Asuma's side and easily took the bells.

Clap clap clap...

A sound of applause echoed. The six people's expressions changed slightly. They looked up and saw Lu Yu on the tree, who had appeared at some unknown time, with shocked expressions.

Lu Yu smiled, looking at them with satisfaction, and said:

"Not bad, not bad. Your performance exceeded my expectations. As a reward, I'll treat you to barbecue next time."

Hearing Lu Yu's words, everyone except Sakura looked excited and high-fived each other in celebration:

"Long live the boss, hahaha..."

On the other side, Ino also dispelled the Mind Transfer Jutsu after seeing that she had obtained the bell.

When Asuma awoke, he looked at the empty spot where the bells had been hanging. Then, seeing the little ones cheering and celebrating, he said with a chuckle:

"I declare, you have won the first practical combat exercise. The target is the Barbecue Restaurant, let's go!"