Asuma Loses His Cool

Asuma sat in his seat for about three minutes.

During those three minutes, another jonin took the stage to demonstrate Water Release ninjutsu, but Asuma did not hear a single word. From beginning to end, his gaze remained fixed on the backs of Chiba and Yuhi Kurenai's heads in the front row.

Their heads were close together. Chiba was saying something, and Yuhi Kurenai was listening, nodding occasionally and sometimes turning to glance at him. Her crimson eyes held an expression Asuma had never seen in the two years he had pursued her.

Seriousness, focus, and a faint excitement at having the door to a new world opened before her.

Asuma's fingernails dug into the wooden armrest, gouging out a shallow trail of splinters.

The Water Release demonstration on the stage ended, and the chunin examiner hosting the exchange announced that they were entering the free sparring portion. Any jonin interested in taking the stage could sign up on their own.

Asuma stood up.

He shoved his chair backward, its legs scraping sharply against the floor as several nearby jonin turned their heads at once.

He strode down the steps, moving quickly. As he passed Chiba's row, his pace faltered for a beat, but he did not stop and went straight up onto the stage.

Standing in the middle of the arena, Asuma pulled a pair of Flying Swallow Knuckle Blades from the weapon pouch at his waist. Their metal edges reflected a cold white gleam beneath the lights.

He slipped the knuckle blades over his fingers and poured Wind Release chakra into them, causing a visible ripple of airflow to rise across their edges.

"Senju Chiba."

Asuma's voice echoed through the Konoha Combat Arena, drawing everyone's attention to the stage.

"If you're a man, come up here and spar with me."

The air throughout the hall seemed to freeze for a beat.

In the front row, Chiba was refilling Yuhi Kurenai's tea. His hand did not pause at those words; tea flowed from the spout into the cup, its surface perfectly calm without a single ripple.

Behind Chiba, Anko crooked her mouth into a smirk, folding her arms over her chest as she leaned against the back of her chair and watched the stage like she was enjoying a show.

Tsunade's hand holding her teacup paused. Her gaze swept over Asuma on the stage, then shifted toward a corner at the very top of the stands.

In that corner, Hiruzen Sarutobi sat in the shadows of the last row in casual clothes, flanked by two ANBU guards. The old man had a pipe clenched between his teeth, smoke curling from its bowl and obscuring most of his face.

Tsunade narrowed her eyes, withdrew her gaze, and leaned close to Chiba's ear.

"Old Sarutobi's watching from the last row. His son jumped out to provoke you, and he isn't stopping him. He probably wants to use this chance to test you."

Chiba set down the teapot, the curve of his lips unchanged.

"Then let him test me."

After waiting ten seconds without receiving a response, Asuma's expression began to turn ugly, and his voice rose another notch.

"What, the Senju Clan only knows how to hide among women and drink tea? You don't even have the guts to come up here and spar?"

The moment those words came out, the atmosphere in the stands changed.

Several jonin who were on good terms with Asuma began to egg him on. Some whistled, while others slapped their chair armrests.

Yuhi Kurenai sat beside Chiba, tightening her grip around her teacup. Anger churned in her crimson eyes as she turned to look at him, her lips moving as though she wanted to say something.

Chiba finished the last sip of tea. When he set the cup back on the table, it made a crisp clink.

He rose unhurriedly, first straightening his collar, then rolling his sleeves up twice to reveal the pale green vein-like markings on his forearms, traces left by prolonged immersion in Wood Release chakra.

Anko whistled from behind him.

Chiba did not head straight for the stage. He turned around and looked down at Yuhi Kurenai in her seat.

He extended his right hand and gently patted the back of hers. The warmth of his palm passed through her skin, carrying the distinctive gentle heat of Wood Release.

"Kurenai, watch closely."

A faint blush spread across the spot where he had touched the back of Yuhi Kurenai's hand. Her lips parted, but no sound came out. Still, her eyes never left Chiba's face.

Chiba's lips curved slightly. His voice was quiet, but every word carried clearly through the silent front-row section.

"Today, I'll use your Tree Binding Kill to teach certain people what a true combination of genjutsu and Wood Release looks like."

Yuhi Kurenai's crimson eyes widened. Her mouth hung slightly open, and her fingers curled against her knee.

Holding her teacup beside them, Tsunade shifted her gaze from Chiba to Yuhi Kurenai's face, then back to Chiba. Her mouth twitched as she drained the rest of her tea in one gulp.

Anko leaned close to Tsunade's ear, lowering her voice.

"Lady Tsunade, your man is flirting again."

Tsunade slammed the empty teacup onto the table without saying a word, leaving a shallow dent beneath its base.

Chiba turned and walked toward the stage, his pace unhurried. Every step landed on the floor with a rhythm so composed it was almost languid.

The instant his foot touched the wooden platform as he climbed the stage steps, the entire arena floor gave off a low resonance. The wood fibers trembled faintly in response to his Wood Release chakra, spreading outward from the center of the stage.

Asuma felt the tremor beneath his feet. His grip tightened around the Flying Swallow Knuckle Blades, and Wind Release chakra hummed across their edges.

Chiba stopped on the stage five meters from Asuma, both hands tucked into his pockets, his posture as relaxed as though he were standing in his own courtyard under the sun.

"Jonin Sarutobi, are you sure you want to spar with me?"

Asuma crossed his knuckle blades before him, the metal striking together with a sharp ring.

"Enough talk. Fight."

Chiba pulled his hands from his pockets, spreading and closing his ten fingers at his sides as he loosened his joints.

His gaze passed over Asuma's shoulder and settled on Yuhi Kurenai in the front row, meeting those crimson eyes fixed tightly on him.

Chiba's lips moved soundlessly, forming two words.

Watch closely.

Yuhi Kurenai's fingers clenched the fabric of her skirt over her knees until her knuckles whitened, but she did not blink even once.

In the shadows at the very top of the stands, Hiruzen Sarutobi removed his pipe from his mouth. Behind the smoke, the old man's eyes narrowed into slits as he stared at the Senju youth on the stage with his hands in his pockets.

Chiba completely withdrew his right hand from his pocket, palm facing downward, five fingers spread.

Emerald-green chakra surged from his palm, not toward Asuma, but toward the arena floor beneath his feet.

The wooden platform began to tremble, spreading outward from beneath Chiba's feet. Fine cracks extended along the grain of the planks, dark green light seeping from within them.

A tremor rose through Asuma's feet. He shifted his center of gravity half a step back and raised the Flying Swallow Knuckle Blades before his chest in a defensive stance.

Chiba parted his lips. His voice was quiet, but in the Konoha Combat Arena, now silent enough to hear a pin drop, every syllable struck the ears of everyone present.

"Demonic Illusion: True Tree Binding Kill."