Unexpected Combination

Takuma sat on a bench at the edge of the training ground, clutching the team application form. The "temporary teammate" section remained blank, not a single word filled in.

In the distance, several Genin squads were conducting their final coordination drills. Shouts, the crackle of Ninjutsu, and the clashing of iron Kunai blended together, occasionally punctuated by the reprimands of their Jōnin instructors.

Forget it, I'll try my luck at the mission assignment desk tomorrow.

He stood up and brushed the dust off his pants, preparing to leave the training ground, when a girl's voice came from behind him.

"Mori Takuma?"

Two people stood at the entrance of the training ground. One was a girl with shoulder-length black hair and skin so pale it was almost translucent. Her frame was so slender she looked as if a gust of wind could knock her over, and she wore a loose, light-colored kimono, clutching a thick sketchbook to her chest. She looked a year or two younger than Takuma, her gaze unfocused and drifting, as if she were lost in thought.

Behind the girl stood an adult man. He looked to be in his thirties, tall and sturdy, wearing a grey uniform that was faded but impeccably clean. An old scar ran from his left eyebrow across the bridge of his nose to his right cheekbone. He stood in silence, hands hanging naturally at his sides, like a mute wall.

Takuma stopped. "I am Mori Takuma. Who might you two be?"

The girl opened her sketchbook to a bookmarked page, glanced down at it, then looked up at Takuma's face, as if comparing something. "My name is Yakumo Kurama. We need a close-quarters combatant who can take a hit."

Takuma blinked. "...What?"

"We need a close-quarters combatant who can take a hit." Yakumo repeated, her tone devoid of inflection. "I heard your recovery is strong and you're good at enduring damage. So, I'm here to ask if you want to team up."

Takuma's mouth twitched. "Just what kind of reputation have I built?"

"It's spread throughout the entire Konoha Genin circle." Yakumo tilted her head, as if recalling specific details. "Team 12 encountered rogue ninja during a C-rank mission. Two teammates were killed, you returned alive alone, and you kept fighting even after a Kunai pierced your left shoulder. The Medical Corps said your recovery speed was abnormally fast. The lady at the mission desk says you always pick the hardest missions available."

"...How does that lady know about the last part?"

"I asked around." Yakumo replied righteously. "You have to do a background check before picking teammates."

Takuma opened his mouth, momentarily at a loss for what to complain about first.

"What was your name again? Kurama?"

"Yakumo Kurama."

Takuma had an impression of that surname. The Kurama Clan had some renown in Konoha, their Kekkei Genkai being a unique form of Genjutsu. He seemed to recall seeing the name in the manga from his past life, though the details were fuzzy; he only vaguely remembered it being related to illusions.

"You're asking me to team up—does that mean you're participating in the Chunin Exams?"

"Yes." Yakumo nodded. "I need a three-person squad to register. But my original situation isn't suited for a standard team. Tetsu has always been responsible for protecting me, but there are only two of us. The Third Hokage said I could find a temporary teammate, and he recommended you."

She stepped aside, signaling the burly man behind her to come forward. The middle-aged man took a step, silently nodding slightly at Takuma as a greeting.

"This is Tetsu, my guardian." Yakumo introduced. "He specializes in defensive Earth Release and has extensive combat experience, but his frontal assault capability is average. I handle Genjutsu control and long-range strikes, but my Taijutsu is a zero."

"Zero?"

"The kind of zero where I faint after running two hundred meters." Yakumo said flatly. "I've been defeated in close-quarters combat by a ten-year-old. My Shuriken throwing accuracy is about twenty percent."

Takuma glanced at her slender wrists and the heavy sketchbook, feeling that this "zero" might not be an understatement.

"So you need someone who can hold the line against enemies in close combat." Takuma summarized. "And I happen to fill that vacancy."

"Correct." Yakumo opened her sketchbook and showed Takuma a page featuring an intricate Genjutsu composition. "My Kekkei Genkai can project the scenes in my drawings into reality, creating semi-tangible Genjutsu traps and restraints. But the composition takes time, and I cannot be interrupted while doing it. Tetsu's Earth Release can build defensive positions, but if the enemy breaks through the line, I'm as good as dead."

She closed the book and looked up at Takuma. "You can handle close-quarters combat, right?"

"I can, but..." Takuma paused. "If I'm the only one holding the line, will you have enough offensive power?"

"Tetsu's Earth Release can coordinate with the terrain to inflict damage. My Genjutsu can provide targeted restraint or mental interference once the enemy is pinned down." Yakumo tilted her head, thinking. "Theoretically, as long as you don't go down within a minute, we can win."

"...Could you sound a little more confident?"

Takuma looked at Yakumo's expressionless face, then at Tetsu's equally stoic one, and suddenly felt a strange sense of harmony in this combination. A gloomy Genjutsu user, a bodyguard so silent he was practically mute, and himself—a transmigrator full of issues... the three of them actually formed a complementary tactical structure.

"Fine, I'm in." Takuma nodded. "But I'll say this upfront: my offensive means aren't exactly strong. I rely mostly on Taijutsu and ninja tools, with the occasional Water Release. I can take the hits, but you two will have to handle the finishing blows."

"Agreed." Yakumo closed her sketchbook. "Let's go to the Hokage Building to register."

The three turned and walked out of the training ground. Takuma walked beside Yakumo, while Tetsu followed half a step behind in silence.

On the way, a question occurred to Takuma. "By the way, you said the Third Hokage recommended you. Have you met him personally?"

"I have." Yakumo said. "My training schedule has always been arranged by the Third Hokage himself."

Takuma thought, Oh. Having the Third Hokage personally arrange a training schedule wasn't something an ordinary Genin could expect. It seemed the Kurama Clan's Kekkei Genkai was indeed significant; this fragile-looking girl likely possessed some formidable abilities.

"How long can your Genjutsu projection last?"

"It depends on the complexity. Simple single-line patterns can last over ten seconds, intricate compositions can last three to five minutes, and large-scale scene projections require pre-prepared scrolls, which can last ten to fifteen minutes once unfurled."

"That's enough for actual combat." Takuma quickly calculated the tactical synergy. "I'll handle the front line to draw fire, Tetsu can find opportunities to use Earth Release to divide the battlefield, and you can deploy the large-scale Genjutsu scrolls from the back."

Yakumo paused, glancing at him sideways. "You're quick on your feet."

"No kidding. I've spent two days looking for teammates; I've already run through every possible formation in my head."

"Then why did it take two days for us to find you?" Yakumo asked directly.

Takuma choked. "...Because every Genin squad in Konoha is already full, and I'm the only one left without a team."

Yakumo gave a soft "Oh" and didn't press further. Tetsu remained silent behind them, though the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch, as if he wanted to smile.

The sky had darkened by the time the three left the Hokage Building, and the streetlights were flickering on. Takuma stood on the steps and stretched, his nerves finally relaxing after two days of tension.

"By the way." Yakumo spoke up suddenly. "Our squad needs a name."

Takuma thought for three seconds. "Team 12 Completion Project."

Yakumo was silent for a moment. "Too cringey."

"It's called sentiment! You wouldn't understand!"

"Whatever." Yakumo opened her sketchbook and wrote the words on the first page, her handwriting neat but slightly slanted. "But I won't be calling out that name during the exam."

"Whether you call it out doesn't matter; that's what's going on the registration form."

Yakumo didn't speak, just looked down and continued writing and drawing in her sketchbook. Tetsu stood quietly to the side.

Takuma looked at this group and suddenly felt that although the process of forming the team was bizarre, the result was unexpectedly good.

[System Notification: Witnessed "Unexpected Combination: Trio Assembled" completed]

[Obtained Lucky Draw Chance x1]

Here we go again. Takuma silently triggered the draw in his mind. The ball of light dissipated, and a magazine landed in his palm.

[Draw Result: Stark Industries Annual Product Catalog]

[Note: For viewing and appreciation only]

Takuma shoved the magazine into his pocket and sighed expressionlessly.

"What's wrong?" Yakumo looked up.

"Nothing. I'm just used to being beaten down by life."