Gekko Hayate's frail health was no secret in the class, but the three members of Team 8 did not understand the terror of Bloodline Disease.
Though she had just been embarrassed, Kurenai still leaned forward slightly as she looked at Gekko Hayate, sympathy written across her face.
Asuma had even forgotten his earlier displeasure. He patted Gekko Hayate on the shoulder, thumped his chest, and promised loudly, "Don't worry. When Lady Tsunade returns to the village next time, I'll ask the old man to talk to her and have her take a look at you."
Practical Combat Drill
Gekko Hayate was overjoyed at this. He replied excitedly, "R-Really... cough cough cough! Really?! Thank you so much, Asuma!"
Asuma smiled, patted his chest, and raised his head with a confident look.
"Leave it to me!"
"Alright, enough with the digression. Your turn, Asuma." Mo's voice interrupted their conversation.
Asuma came back to his senses. Meeting those calm black eyes, he could not help but shudder. He lowered his head and said:
"I... I'm Asuma Sarutobi. I like sausages and yam noodles, I hate bitter melon, and my dream is to live a life free from other people's restraints!"
He had been somewhat scared at first, but when he spoke of his dream, his voice suddenly grew louder. He raised his head and puffed out his chest, looking much more spirited.
Uchiha Mo nodded. "Alright, that's it for the first day. Gather here again tomorrow morning. I'll give you a test. Pass, and there'll be a reward. Fail, and there'll be punishment. Prepare yourselves."
Before the three could react, Mo used the Body Flicker Technique and left the training ground.
The moment Mo vanished, Asuma immediately let out a long breath and complained:
"The old man is really something. That guy... is indeed strong, but isn't he being way too strict? And being ordered around by someone my age, I..."
He did not finish, but the other two understood what he meant.
Kurenai smiled, while Gekko Hayate replied somewhat awkwardly:
"I... cough! I think it's pretty good. Teacher Mo looks very strict, and in reality... he's also very strict. But at least having a genius as our teacher means we'll definitely improve quickly in the future!"
Kurenai was in a good mood, so she picked up the thread and comforted him:
"Alright, Asuma, stop sulking. Mo said there'll be another test tomorrow. Do you have any ideas?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the three began chattering away as they discussed it.
Hokage's Office.
Hiruzen Sarutobi held a pipe between his lips. Watching the harmonious scene in the crystal ball, he could not help but smile.
"Although I didn't manage to arrange for Uchiha Mo to join ANBU as I hoped, having him serve as a team leader seems pretty good too. He can help this old man teach Asuma, that little brat, a lesson."
As he spoke, he seemed to recall Asuma trembling in fear and could not help laughing aloud.
"Hehehe~ So that little brat finally knows fear? With Biwako stopping this old man, there's nothing I can do to you, but the Uchiha Clan won't put up with your nonsense."
Meanwhile, after leaving the training ground, Uchiha Mo quickly returned home.
He spread the map of the Land of Birds' underground black market branches across the table and studied it carefully with a furrowed brow.
After Asuma and the others had accumulated enough low-level missions, Mo planned to choose the Land of Birds for their first mission outside the village. That way, he could also handle Cat Granny's mission and obtain that Kusanagi Sword.
The Land of Birds was not large, but as one of the main gathering places for underground black market merchants, its black markets were incredibly widespread. Yet the murderer had wiped them all out in roughly half a month. Either it had been a group operation, or the culprit was an exceptionally powerful ninja.
Unfortunately, he did not know the exact circumstances at the scenes. Otherwise, the battle traces alone would have allowed Mo to narrow things down considerably.
After tentatively marking several locations in the Land of Birds as priorities for investigation, he folded up the map. There were too few known clues at present; no amount of thought would help.
"Shisui."
Mo called out softly. A round-nosed, big-eyed little boy immediately ran out from the inner room and asked with a puzzled expression:
"What is it, Brother? Did leading the team go smoothly today?"
"Come to the training ground with me tomorrow and fight those people from Team 8. You may use the Sharingan. From now on, you'll train alongside them with me."
Mo put the map back into his Ninja Tool Pouch and spoke calmly.
Shisui immediately became excited. "Really? Then do I get a reward if I win?"
Mo glanced at him and replied evenly, "No. But there'll be punishment if you lose."
"Huh? How can that be?!"
The next day.
The morning sun hung above the mountaintop. Asuma and the other two stood on the training ground, still looking somewhat sleepy.
"We came so early. Bloo... Mo isn't going to be late again like yesterday, is he?" Asuma frowned, looking a little worried.
But the moment he finished speaking, one tall and one short figure suddenly appeared before them.
"Hi~ Hello, everyone!"
With a sunny smile on his face, Shisui enthusiastically greeted them.
"?"
The three looked puzzled as they turned their eyes toward Uchiha Mo.
Mo introduced him calmly. "This is my younger brother, Uchiha Shisui. He'll be your examiner today, and he'll train with you from now on."
"Your younger brother?!"
All three cried out in disbelief. They looked at Shisui's bright smile, then at Uchiha Mo's cold face...
"Um... he's your younger brother?"
Asuma squinted at him, looking utterly unconvinced.
"We're genuine blood brothers!" Shisui's eyes curved into crescents as he grinned proudly.
"Even if he is... your younger brother, doesn't he look way too young? You're having a child test us? You..."
Asuma had wanted to say more, but when he met Mo's calm, unruffled black eyes, his words caught in his throat. He then added quietly, "Don't regret it later. That reward is as good as mine."
Mo gave a disdainful smile and said:
"The three of you can fight him together. If you beat him, I'll reward each of you with an A-rank ninjutsu suited to you."
After speaking, Mo turned his gaze to Shisui.
"Shisui, if you dare lose, I'll release all the crows you've raised."
"Really? Don't regret it!" Asuma was ecstatic. If I can't deal with you, can't I deal with this little brat? Heh heh~ Beating up his little brother and learning an A-rank ninjutsu...
Shisui's face immediately fell. He opened his mouth to say something, but Uchiha Mo spoke first:
"Alright, enough nonsense. Both sides, prepare!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Shisui instantly focused, his gaze turning determined.
The two sides faced each other. Shisui raised his right hand and formed the Seal of Confrontation, saying softly, "Sorry, everyone. For my crows, I'm going all out!"
The flock of crows Shisui kept already possessed considerable intelligence. He estimated that he could breed Ninja Crows in the next generation, which would also give his brother a pleasant surprise. He would never give up on them.
"Don't talk like you've already won."
Asuma gritted his teeth and raised two fingers in irritation. Now he could see the resemblance between the brothers: they were equally arrogant.
"Team 8's first practical combat drill, begin!"
Mo swept his right hand, and Asuma immediately shot forward!
Shisui vs. Team 8
"You don't need to interfere. I'll teach this little brat a lesson myself!"
Asuma shouted as his body flew forth like an arrow loosed from a bow. At the same time, his hands rapidly formed seals before his chest.
Snake—Ram—Monkey—Boar—Horse—Tiger!
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Shisui frowned. "Using Fire Release against an Uchiha? Don't underestimate the power of the Uchiha Clan!"
Fire Style: Great Fireball Technique!
Shisui puffed out his chest and forcefully exhaled a fireball as large as a house, violently crushing toward the noticeably smaller fireball ahead.
The two fireballs collided in midair, flattening against each other as they struggled for dominance. However, the point of impact rapidly shifted toward Asuma.
Asuma's pupils shrank. "This little brat's Fire Release is this strong?!" Seeing that he could not win the clash, he immediately stopped supplying chakra and rolled aside to evade.
The next instant, without chakra sustaining Asuma's fireball, Shisui's Great Fireball Technique instantly crushed through it and exploded with a thunderous blast as it grazed past Asuma's side!
The blast wave instantly sent Asuma flying. With a flick of Shisui's wrist, eight shuriken appeared between the fingers of both hands. He swung his arms in succession, and the shuriken tore through the air toward Asuma's airborne body with fierce howls!
Asuma's pupils shrank. After landing, he hurriedly got to his feet and began forming seals, but Shisui had seized every advantage, and Asuma's hand seals were not fast enough. Seeing the shuriken already upon him, fine cold sweat beaded at his temples.
At the crucial moment, a female voice came from behind him.
Earth Release: Earth Flow Wall!
A thick earthen wall rose in response, blocking Asuma's path.
"Clang clang clang clang~"
Four shuriken embedded themselves in the earth wall from different directions. Shisui flicked his right arm again, and four more shuriken, thrown later, overtook the first set. They collided with the earlier shuriken in midair, producing a clear series of metallic rings.
Then, a remarkable scene unfolded. After a chain of collisions, the shuriken changed their trajectories in midair, curving around the Earth Flow Wall to attack Asuma from the left, right, and above.
But thanks to that delay, Asuma had finished his hand seals.
Dog—Horse—Rooster!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Asuma spat out a gale that swept away every shuriken.
Two figures quickly appeared at Asuma's side. Kurenai looked seriously at Shisui and said:
"Let's attack together. Mo's younger brother isn't an ordinary genius."
A five-year-old who could skillfully master a ninjutsu and possessed relatively high Taijutsu ability could be called a genius. But Shisui's Fire Release was not only stronger than Asuma's, despite Asuma being twice his age; he had also displayed a highly proficient Uchiha Shurikenjutsu. He was clearly no ordinary genius.
Even Asuma, who had already graduated, had mastered only two low-level Wind Release and Fire Release ninjutsu. Kurenai had likewise mastered only one Earth Release defensive ninjutsu and Genjutsu, while Gekko Hayate had mastered only a single sword technique.
Asuma wiped the cold sweat from his temple and nodded, no longer stubborn.
"Then, the battle begins!"
At the shout, all three charged out at once.
Shisui immediately adjusted his stance, drew the Wakizashi from the sheath on his back, and fixed a serious gaze on the three before him.
Asuma hung back at the rear, his hands rapidly forming seals.
Dog—Horse—Rooster!
Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
The gale rushed head-on at Shisui. At the same time, Gekko Hayate had already reached a point not far to Shisui's right. His right hand rested on the hilt at his waist as he took a deep breath, a sharp gleam bursting from his eyes.
Leaf Style Swordsmanship: Iaido Slash!
A fierce blade of light swept horizontally toward Shisui, sealing off his retreat. An ordinary Genin faced with such a pincer attack would surely panic, but Shisui's current strength had already fully reached Chunin level.
Clang!
Shisui gripped his short sword in reverse and used his other hand to brace its spine, blocking the slash. Sparks erupted violently, but the gale was already right before him!
At that moment, the hand Shisui used to brace the blade suddenly raised two fingers.
Body Flicker Technique!
The instant he spoke, Shisui vanished from the spot. With the resistance gone, Gekko Hayate's body could not stop pitching forward, and he lunged directly into the attack path of Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!
Before you continue