Ch38: Ninja Graduation Examination

As Yasuke was breathing heavily after the intense battle, he felt a presence appear behind him. Thinking it was some forest beast that had witnessed the battle and attracted by his current weakness decided to attack him. He tried to stand up to defend himself however his legs were shaking too much, he tried to turn his body and, leaning on his arms to get up, everything in his mind seemed clear, but his arms, as well as his legs, failed.

Yasuke only succeeded in making his head collide with his mysterious attacker. To his surprise, he felt no pain; his head was pressed against something metallic. Looking up slowly, he saw a serious face with recognizable silver hair. Yasuke had collided with a ninja bandana that Sakumo held horizontally in his palm, the object his face had made contact with.

-Congratulations," Sakumo said, still serious but with a faint, almost imperceptible smile at the corner of his lips.

Yasuke relaxed completely, letting the tiredness invade his body. No longer resisting the exhaustion he felt, he allowed his heavy eyelids to finally close, surrendering to the deep sleep that claimed him after the grueling confrontation.

Yasuke relaxed completely, trusting Sakumo as he was carefully laid back against a nearby tree. He allowed exhaustion to grip every fiber of his being, feeling the weight of recent battles and concern for his leopard companion mingle with the relief of having survived.

He did not fight the weariness that closed his eyelids; he simply let himself drift off into sleep, a well-deserved rest after so many trials. In that moment of calm, the world around him faded away, and Yasuke drifted into a deep restful sleep.

Two hours passed, a brief time of rest compared to the grueling effort Yasuke had endured, but it was enough for him to regain some energy. His body, once stiff and sore, now felt more supple, though not fully restored.

Upon awakening, Yasuke noticed something in his right hand; a kunai tightly tied to the ninja headband previously held by Sakumo.

Confused and a bit disoriented, he looked up and, with wary and alert eyes, began to carefully scan the surroundings, looking for signs of Sakumo or any other presence that might be nearby.

As Yasuke adjusted his sight to the surroundings and the light after waking up, he noticed two figures: one kneeling, gagged and immobilized with ropes; in front of her, a figure stood, arms crossed and with his characteristic silver hair. It was Sakumo, who spoke to her firmly:

-You woke up already. One hour, fifty-seven minutes and forty-three seconds. If you had taken two hours, you would be dead. A shinobi cannot afford to take so long resting during a mission; the enemy could take advantage of that vulnerable state.

Yasuke could only grimace, showing his discomfort. Sakumo, determined to ignore Yasuke's obvious discomfort, continued in an instructive tone:

-Now that you have awakened, let us finish this test. Come.

Yasuke, full of hope at the thought of finishing his grueling test, only waited to receive confirmation of approval from his new sensei.

Exhausted but determined, he approached Sakumo using all the strength he had left and positioned himself firmly in front of him, longing for his recognition.

Sakumo, uncrossing his arms and pointing toward Yasuke, began by saying.

- Now Yasuke Shiya... -

At that moment, Yasuke, who was eagerly anticipating the confirmation of his promotion to genin, froze.

-You must kill the captured target to complete your mission.

Yasuke's body, momentarily paralyzed by shock, began to tremble, unable to process Sakumo's order.

Although he had witnessed death on multiple occasions and had participated in countless operations as a doctor, he had never intended to take a life. Although doctors are not omnipotent and cannot always save everyone, his goal had always been to preserve life, never to take it.

The idea of killing was alien to his desire to become a medical ninja, whose purpose would be to heal and protect. Even on the battlefield, his focus would be on incapacitating or capturing enemies, not eliminating them.

Sakumo, sensing the indecision and conflict in Yasuke, challenged him with a serious question.

-Are you going to disobey an order?" At Yasuke's lack of response, Sakumo sighed and shook his head, showing his disappointment.

With a deliberate movement, he took Yasuke's hand, which held firmly the kunai tied with the shinobi bandana, and directed it slowly towards the prisoner's throat. The latter, aware of the gravity of his situation, looked directly into Yasuke's eyes, searching for some indication of his fate.

Sakumo stopped Yasuke's hand a few centimeters from the prisoner's skin and spoke firmly

-Student Shiya, you have two choices. First, you can raise your other hand and undo the knot of the bandana holding the kunai in your hand. Second, you can use your other hand to strengthen your grip and stab your target.

Yasuke instinctively thought of the first option, preferring to avoid killing.

However, Sakumo, anticipating Yasuke's inclination toward mercy, added.

- If you choose the first option, you will not only be dropping the kunai, but also your bandana. With these words, Sakumo made it clear that Yasuke's decision would not only determine the prisoner's fate, but also his own as a shinobi.

Seeing Yasuke's internal conflict, Sakumo released his grip and turned to the side, letting Yasuke's trembling hand hold the kunai dangerously close to the prisoner's neck.

Yasuke's dilemma intensified as he felt the cold metal of the kunai in his trembling hand, pointed dangerously at the prisoner's neck. Aware of the crimes this one had committed, he understood that many might consider his death justified.

However, Yasuke had never wished to be anyone's executioner; his aspiration had always been to save lives, not take them. Doubt consumed him as he weighed his ideals against the expectations of his path as a shinobi.

With a mixture of resolve and doubt, Yasuke raised his free hand to the knot that held the kunai and bandana.

Staring at the knot that bound the kunai to the bandana, he pondered the lives he might save in the future if he continued his training. The prospect of sacrificing one life to save many others was beginning to take hold in his mind, challenging his moral principles.

Yasuke was at a deep moral crossroads, debating internally about the direction of his life and career. Was this act of violence a pragmatic necessity for a future where he could do greater good? It was unclear, but was that the path he wanted to follow?

The moral dilemma plagued him-could he justify the end with the means? Was this sacrifice necessary to fulfill his goals as a doctor and shinobi?

Determined, Yasuke strengthened his grip on his hand, closed his eyes and, after a brief sigh, lowered his hand. Looking at Sakumo, he questioned firmly.

-Why do I have to choose only from the options you've given me? Why can't I create a third option? I could capture the target and, if I consider it a threat, eliminate it. In his current state, I don't consider him a threat.

Sakumo, slightly surprised by Yasuke's answer, even smiled slightly before replying

-I seem to have underestimated you. Yes, you could, but I'm not giving it to you. I'm asking you to decide; I didn't give you option 3, only option 1 and 2.

-Yes, you've given me two options, and I've created a third." Sakumo frowned, pondered for a moment and then admitted- Yasuke replied with determination.

Sakumo frunció el ceño, reflexionó un momento y luego admitió respondió Yasuke con determinación.

-Not bad- This answer surprised Yasuke himself. Sakumo continued - I am of the opinion that we shinobi are not tools, so I don't think it's wrong for you to have your own thoughts. I don't want my student to be a tool that only follows orders and doesn't question anything.

Relieved by this answer, Yasuke was able to take a breath.

Just when Yasuke thought he had avoided taking a life, Sakumo acted with impressive speed. He grabbed Yasuke's hand, which held the kunai, and with a swift and precise movement, stabbed the prisoner's throat.

Yasuke, completely in shock, could only listen to Sakumo's justification as he watched the scene in horror.

-However, I also hope that my student is someone I can fully trust. If he is afraid of killing, I can't trust him," Sakumo explained seriously.

While Yasuke tried, unsuccessfully, to remove the kunai from the prisoner's body. The blow had been too powerful, and the weapon was firmly trapped. Unconsciously, Yasuke's eyes were drawn to the face of his former enemy.

The prisoner's face went through several emotions: surprise, fear, and finally madness. Yasuke noticed that the gag had fallen, probably due to the impact. Haruki, with blood gushing from his mouth, smiled and spoke with a mixture of resignation and disdain.

-Oh boy, I knew I would be killed someday, but at least I thought I would die in an incredible battle against a powerful enemy. However, I'm simply being used in a test for genin hahaha- laughed Haruki, while the blood from his mouth splashed every time he laughed at Yasuke.

-You know, cof looking at your face, cof I'm sure you won't forget me soon hahaha cof hahaha- continued Haruki, coughing between laughs. -Let me help you a little bit more.

With those words, Haruki turned his neck sharply, cutting arteries in the path of the sharp kunai. The blood that once slowly slid down the surface of the kunai and dripped to the ground, now gushed towards Yasuke like a geyser, covering him completely.

As Haruki laughed with a mixture of madness and acceptance of his fate, Yasuke could only stand transfixed, watching the life drain out of the man in front of him.

To be continued...