Practical Combat Sparring

"Damn it! Why am I grouped with you two again?!" Takumi complained openly as he looked at the frail Shaye and timid Chino. "Especially you, Shaye. What use is that lousy Spider toy of yours? We're definitely going to lose again!"

Chino lowered her head, twisting the corner of her clothes between her fingers, too afraid to speak.

Shaye ignored Takumi's complaints. He merely calmly observed the opposing lineup and the surrounding terrain—jagged boulders and uneven pits, perfect spots for ambushes and traps.

"Listen," Shaye said. His voice was quiet, yet carried an unquestionable calm. "If you want to win, do as I say. Takumi, you have good stamina. Handle the frontal feint and draw their attention, but don't actually clash with them head-on. Use the rocks to maneuver. Chino, hide in that crevice and guard our flag. If anyone comes close, shout."

"And what about you?" Takumi asked irritably. "You can't even fight!"

"I'll handle reconnaissance and support." Shaye took the crude wooden "Spider" from his clothes. His fingertips moved almost imperceptibly as a thread of chakra connected precisely to it.

The whistle signaling the start of the match sounded!

Sure enough, relying on their superior stamina, Black Ant's team charged straight at them in a fan-shaped formation, looking fierce.

"They're coming!" Takumi charged out despite himself. Following Shaye's instructions, he kept using the rocks to evade them while loudly cursing to draw their attention.

Meanwhile, Shaye swiftly ducked behind a massive boulder and closed his eyes. All his focus was concentrated on the invisible chakra thread at his fingertips and the faint sensations transmitted back by the "Spider."

Under his control, the "Spider" moved like a living creature, its eight legs nimbly scuttling through gaps in the rubble without a sound. Small and dull-colored, it was extremely difficult to spot amid the complex terrain.

Soon, the "Spider's" field of vision—the senses Shaye shared through the chakra thread—caught the movements of the opposing team.

"Black Ant is pursuing Takumi from the front. He's very fast."

"The other one is circling toward the left flank. He wants to surround us."

"The third... he's lying in ambush in that pit on the right, waiting for Takumi to be driven over there."

Though Shaye's eyes were closed, it was as if he could see everything himself as he calmly called out each opponent's exact position.

Hiding in the crevice, Chino listened to Shaye's precise reports and widened her eyes in surprise. Takumi heard them from the front as well. Startled, he immediately changed direction and narrowly avoided the pit where the ambusher was waiting.

"Takumi, run toward that large red boulder to your left, then jump right immediately!" Shaye suddenly ordered.

Takumi obeyed instinctively. The moment he leaped away, a rock thrown by Black Ant smashed into the spot where he had been standing!

"How is that possible?!" Black Ant froze. It was as if they could predict his movements.

Shaye did not pause. The "Spider" had already crawled near the ambusher amid the confusion and used its thin front legs to lightly nudge several loose pebbles.

The sound of rolling stones immediately caught the ambusher's attention. He instinctively poked his head out to look, exposing his position.

"Right-flank ambusher. His head is one-third out from behind the rock," Shaye reported at once.

Takumi, who was being chased into a miserable state, suddenly understood. He grabbed a small stone from the ground and hurled it in that direction with all his strength without even looking!

"Ow!" The ambusher cried out as the stone struck his shoulder. It was not a heavy blow, but it disrupted his rhythm.

The situation instantly turned around! With Shaye's precise reconnaissance, their weaker team had actually held its ground against stronger opponents.

But Black Ant was ultimately stronger in taijutsu. He quickly recovered and launched an even fiercer assault with an angry roar. Takumi was clearly about to be unable to hold on.

"Chino, pull up the vine beneath your feet and stretch it across behind the third rock in front of you!" Shaye suddenly shouted toward the rear.

Though frightened, Chino tremblingly did as she was told.

At the same time, the "Spider" had already silently crawled onto Black Ant's charging path. It anchored itself behind a rock, several of its legs deeply embedded in the sand, its body slightly arched like a tiny tripwire.

Black Ant did not notice anything unusual beneath his feet and charged forward in great strides!

Just as his foot was about to step on the "Spider," it suddenly sprang upward! Its strength was negligible and could not possibly injure him, but it tripped Black Ant at exactly the right moment!

Black Ant staggered and lost his balance, charging straight behind the rock where Chino had stretched the vine!

With a thud, Black Ant tripped over the vine and crashed face-first into the ground!

"Now! Take the flag!" Shaye shouted as he abruptly opened his eyes.

Takumi seized the opportunity and sprinted out like a leopard, heading straight for the enemy flag left completely unguarded!

The remaining two opponents did not react at all. They could only watch helplessly as Takumi pulled out their flag!

"We won! We won!" Takumi shouted excitedly, holding the flag high, hardly able to believe it.

The match ended.

Shaye slowly emerged, his face even paler from the continued chakra expenditure, though his gaze remained calm. He walked over to Black Ant, who was still lying on the ground groaning, and controlled the "Spider" back into his hand.

Black Ant raised his head, looked at the inconspicuous little wooden lump in Shaye's hand, then remembered that strange trip just now. His face turned red, then pale. "W-Was that thing of yours behind it?"

Shaye nodded and carefully checked whether the "Spider" had been damaged.

At that moment, Chino ran over as well. She had been so nervous while pulling the vine that its rough surface had cut a small gash in her palm, where beads of blood were seeping out.

Shaye looked at it, then extended a finger and drew out the last faint thread of chakra in his body. An extremely weak green glow, almost impossible to notice, appeared at his fingertip. He carefully held it over Chino's wound.

The basic healing technique worked slowly and weakly, but the faintly cool sensation and the wound gradually ceasing to bleed still made Chino widen her eyes in surprise. "Shaye... y-you know medical ninjutsu too?"

Takumi and Black Ant's group, who had just gotten back up, all stared at the scene in stunned disbelief.

This perpetual dead last, this boy with the worst physical ability... not only had he made a puppet capable of real combat reconnaissance, but he had also used it to lead them to victory. And he even knew medical ninjutsu?

At that moment, everyone's gaze toward Shaye completely changed. The previous contempt and mockery vanished, replaced by surprise, disbelief, and a faint trace of admiration.

Shaye withdrew his hand and said lightly, "It's only the most basic healing technique. It can only deal with minor injuries like this."

He put away the "Spider," said nothing more, and turned to walk toward the edge of the field.

Sunlight shone on his thin back, seeming to coat him in a different kind of radiance. He was still frail, and his chakra was still weak, but through his actions, he had proven to everyone that in the world of ninja, wisdom and creativity were sometimes more important than sheer strength.