The Match

Toru and Asuma made their way through the forest, keeping watch as they searched for deer.

However, after making a full circuit, they still hadn't seen a single one.

Asuma was puzzled, so Toru explained, "When the forest grows deep, deer appear. They're timid animals and usually live deep in the woods to avoid predators."

"We're probably near the edge of the forest, so the chances of seeing deer are low. But that's all right. They'll come out to forage around dusk."

"We just need to wait quietly. There's plenty of water and grass here, so a lot of deer should come to feed."

As he spoke, Toru jumped onto a branch. Asuma followed suit.

They waited in the tree, keeping watch for deer.

As the sky grew dim, a distant, leisurely deer call drifted over.

Toru and Asuma exchanged a glance. Then they lowered themselves, taking care not to make a sound, and leaped through the trees toward the call.

Sure enough, they spotted a herd up ahead. There were six deer, all stags with large antlers.

Toru felt the rope at his waist and whispered to Asuma, "Catch as many as you can."

The stags below heard a faint noise and warily glanced around, but they didn't look up and notice Toru and Asuma.

Once they were sure there were no predators nearby, the stags lowered their heads and resumed eating the tender grass and wild berries on the bushes.

Toru and Asuma waited patiently until the stags had completely let down their guard, then leaped down together.

The herd sensed danger and scattered at once. The stags sprinted off in every direction, moving so fast that an ordinary person could hardly keep up.

It was indeed difficult to catch them without hurting them.

No wonder the Nara Clan, who had raised deer for generations, developed the Shadow Possession Jutsu to catch them.

Asuma took off after one of the deer, quickly disappearing into the distance.

Seeing this, Toru seized the opportunity to form Hand Seals and use the Shadow Cursed Technique. He used the long shadows cast through the woods at dusk to capture the other five deer in an instant.

Toru and the deer were now unable to move, but he could use the Shadow Clone Technique. He had already pretended to learn it from Fugaku, so he could use it openly now.

Toru created a Shadow Clone, which took the rope from his waist and tied up all five deer.

The original Toru released the Shadow Cursed Technique, took the rope from the clone, and tied the five deer together. Then he took hold of the lead deer and leisurely led the herd onward to graze.

The deer saw that Toru wasn't hurting them and simply carried on eating. After all, nothing mattered more than filling their bellies.

By the time Asuma returned, dusty and looking rather bedraggled as he carried a deer in his arms, Toru's five deer had been grazing for quite a while.

Asuma stared in shock. "How did you catch all five of these?!"

"With my Shadow Clone," Toru said, half truthfully.

Asuma had no choice but to accept that explanation. He put down the deer in his arms, tied the rope around its neck, and led it along.

Each of them led their deer as they continued patrolling the forest.

But they hadn't gone far before the six deer seemed unwilling to move any farther, resisting their attempts to lead them.

Toru knew forcing them would only backfire, so he and Asuma tied the deer to a tree.

Then they continued patrolling the forest.

As they walked, Asuma suddenly said, "Uchiha Toru, let's have a match."

Toru was surprised. Ever since he had entered the Ninja Academy, he and Asuma hadn't had much to do with each other. He had also felt that Asuma disliked him at first.

He hadn't expected Asuma to suggest a contest. Toru looked at him in puzzlement.

Asuma immediately explained what he meant. "I've been turning this over in my mind for the past few days, and I feel like you're becoming the nightmare of my life."

"You know, the first time I fell for a girl was when I saw Kurenai. I'd planned to pursue her, but you got there first."

"After losing to you in love, I devoted myself to training, hoping to surpass you in strength. But then I realized I couldn't even outdo you at my own job as a ninja. You even beat Kakashi, the person I've always wanted to surpass."

"So all I want now is to have a fair match with you. Even if I lose, I'll be able to accept it."

Here in the deserted forest, Asuma opened his heart to Toru and finally said everything he had been holding back.

Toru fell silent for a moment, making Asuma a little nervous.

Fortunately, Toru's next words put him at ease. "All right. What should we compete in?"

"We'll have two rounds, and we'll each choose the contest for one. If neither of us wins, we'll ask Kurenai to judge a third round." Asuma laid out his idea smoothly, as if he had rehearsed it in his mind many times.

"All right. I'll choose the first round." Toru thought for a moment, then bent down and picked up a stone. "First round: stone throwing."

"Stone throwing?" Asuma asked, puzzled.

Toru explained, "Stones were among humanity's earliest weapons. They were first used for hunting, but we're in the Nara family's forest, so we shouldn't use animals as targets. We'll see who can throw farther."

"The rules are: no using Chakra or anything like that, and we have to use the same stone."

Asuma understood and immediately agreed to the rules.

Toru handed him the stone, then drew a line on the ground with his foot. "This is the starting line. You go first."

Asuma stood behind the line and gripped the stone. After a brief warm-up, he threw it with all his might. It traced a graceful arc through the air and flew into the distance.

A dull thud came from far away as the stone landed in the grass.

Toru said, "Go pick it up and throw it back here. Then stay where you are while I take my turn."

Asuma did as he was told. Toru picked up the stone he had thrown back and returned to the starting line. He assumed a textbook throwing stance, then, with a sharp whoosh, his sleeve sliced through the air and the stone shot away.

The stone flew past Asuma, who could even feel the gust of air it stirred up.

At last, it landed several dozen meters beyond Asuma. Toru had won the first round.

This time, Toru had indeed used neither Chakra nor Cursed Energy. He had relied entirely on his past-life experience and his own strength to make that astonishing throw.

Toru remembered that once, in his previous life, he had apparently killed a huge black bear by hitting it with a stone while hunting.

"What's the second round?" Toru asked.

Asuma took out his two Chakra Blades. "Knife throwing. This time, we can use Chakra."