Obtaining an Official Position

The scene fell deathly silent. Though they did not understand how Setsuna had done it, anyone with even a little sense could see that if he could move so freely while wearing such heavy weights, his taijutsu was definitely formidable.

Minato Namikaze was even more shocked. He had an excellent memory; when Setsuna had killed those three Hidden Cloud Village ninja earlier, he had been wearing the same kind of bracelets.

In other words, Setsuna had easily defeated those three Hidden Cloud Village ninja while weighted down. His true top speed could only be even faster than what Minato Namikaze had seen before.

Asuma Sarutobi looked at the Third Hokage in utter confusion. Was the old man trying to get me killed?

Setsuna smiled. "Asuma, let's form the Seal of Confrontation."

"Ha... haha, here I come." Asuma Sarutobi gave an awkward laugh and reassured himself inwardly. It's fine. He only knows taijutsu. As long as I form my hand seals fast enough, he won't be a match for me. I already know ninjutsu—and it's the fastest Wind Release ninjutsu at that.

After forming the Seal of Confrontation, Asuma Sarutobi loudly encouraged himself. "Watch out. I can't hold back my ninjutsu."

However, just as he formed the first seal, he discovered that Setsuna was already in front of him. Setsuna raised his right leg high like a battle axe, then brought it crashing down like lightning.

Asuma Sarutobi performed a donkey roll to evade it. With a thunderous boom, Setsuna split a massive crack through the spot where he had just been standing. It was like an earthquake, nearly dividing the entire training field in two.

"Everyone, retreat outside the training field!" the Third Hokage shouted. Yet he did not stop the fight, because he could already tell that Setsuna was merely toying with Asuma Sarutobi. Otherwise, Asuma Sarutobi would never have been able to dodge.

The crowd fled the training field in terror. Was this really a battle between Genin? It was terrifying.

Seeing this, Asuma Sarutobi's face turned even paler. If he had not dodged, that guy really would have killed him.

"Where are you looking?" Hearing the voice behind him, Asuma Sarutobi felt as though a vicious ghost had fixed its eyes on him. His heart clenched violently, his blood nearly freezing as he rolled to the left faster than he ever had in his life.

Sure enough, another crack appeared where he had been moments before.

"No, I have to find a way to fight back!" Asuma Sarutobi formed hand seals while rolling across the ground. After rolling across more than half the field, he was finally about to form the last seal when he discovered that Setsuna was already standing in front of him. He had no choice but to abandon the seals and change his escape route.

Asuma Sarutobi fled again and again, but every time he was about to form the final seal, Setsuna interrupted him. The suppression was so unbearable that he nearly vomited blood. In the end, his mentality collapsed, and he shouted, "I surrender!"

Only after Setsuna stopped pursuing him could Asuma Sarutobi finally gasp for breath. But what followed was unwillingness. "Damn it, I was always just one step away. If only I could have used my ninjutsu..."

The Third Hokage stepped forward at the right moment. "You should thank Setsuna. He could have defeated you long ago. He only did this to make you understand that ninjutsu is not something for you to show off. Without cooperation from your companions, you might not even get the chance to use ninjutsu against an enemy."

Asuma Sarutobi froze, seriously considering the old man's words. Then he looked at Setsuna. "Thank you, Senior. I understand now."

What exactly did you understand? Setsuna found it amusing. He had merely wanted to display a little of his strength and see whether he could attract Orochimaru's attention.

For Obito Uchiha, however, it was as though the sky had collapsed. If Senior Setsuna was not the dead last, then did that not mean he was the only dead last?

Of course, though he felt dejected, he was still happy for Setsuna. In his view, with how hard Senior Setsuna worked, it would have been far too regrettable if he could not become a ninja.

The Third Hokage gathered the scattered crowd and announced, "I have decided to grant Chiaki Setsuna the title of Konoha Genin. Does anyone object?"

Looking at the training field, which seemed as though it had been through a natural disaster, everyone felt awe. They respected the Third Hokage even more for his discerning eye in recognizing a "ninja," so naturally, no one objected.

The Third Hokage continued, "It is time to revise the Ninja Academy's graduation rules as well. We should give certain gifted students with uneven abilities more opportunities to try. For example, we can establish a special-talent student system. Even if they are lacking in a particular skill, as long as they possess other outstanding talents, they can still graduate by exception."

Setsuna accepted the forehead protector representing a Konoha ninja, his expression rather subtle. He had planted the tree so that Rock Lee and the others could enjoy its shade.

Obito Uchiha raised his forehead protector and cheered. "Big Brother Setsuna, to celebrate us both becoming ninja, let's go get some barbecue!"

Rin clapped her hands. "I'll go call Kakashi and Might Guy too. Ever since they graduated, we haven't gotten together in a long time."

Obito Uchiha pouted. "Will that stuck-up Kakashi come too?"

Setsuna did not object. As the Ninja Academy's super senior, he had crossed paths with most people. Only Kakashi, who had enrolled at five and graduated that same year, had barely interacted with him.

Two hours later, inside a barbecue restaurant.

Obito Uchiha lay sprawled across the table without a shred of dignity, complaining, "Why isn't that bastard Kakashi here yet? Doesn't he know that punctuality is a ninja's virtue?"

At that moment, a somewhat cold voice came from the entrance. "Aren't you the least qualified person to say that? You can even be late for ordinary exams."

Setsuna looked toward the source of the voice. A Haku-haired boy wearing a mask and radiating an unapproachable aura was walking toward them.

Obito Uchiha slapped the table and glared at him. "I always have reasons for being late! Last time, I was taking an old lady home. The time before that, I was helping catch a thief. The time before that was..."

Kakashi cut him off bluntly. "Do you think I was late on purpose? On my way here, I found someone peeping outside the women's bathhouse."

"Peeping at the women's bathhouse?" Obito Uchiha's eyes widened. "That's so enviable... no, I mean, so contemptible! That kind of perverted lecher must be caught!"

Kakashi frowned slightly. "I did want to catch him, but I did not expect him to be a skilled ninja. He escaped from my hands."

Setsuna's expression turned strange. The only person capable of doing something like that was probably Jiraiya, right? If this had happened in the future, it could have counted as a Make-Out Paradise fan meeting.

However, since Kakashi did not recognize Jiraiya, Jiraiya had most likely only just returned to the village.

Obito Uchiha eyed him suspiciously. "You failed that easily? Don't tell me the one peeping at the women's bathhouse was actually you. You may look all cold and aloof, but I saw through your pretentious nature long ago."

Kakashi's mouth twitched slightly. "Do you think I'm you?"

Seeing that the two were about to start arguing, Rin hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over. "It's rare for us to get together. Let's talk about something happier. I happen to want to ask about some things we should watch out for after becoming ninja."

Kakashi nodded and took a seat. Looking at the exceptionally tall figure sitting across from him, he asked, "Are you Senior Setsuna, the one who defeated Asuma?"

Although Asuma Sarutobi, who always boasted about being a genius, was not worth mentioning in Kakashi's eyes, from some of the rumors he had heard, this senior's strength seemed excessively powerful.