Chapter 37: Genin Test.

Author Note: Nothing of importance, just enjoy the chapter, and if you have any questions, make sure to comment!

And like always, remember if you want to read up to 13-15 chapters ahead go to https://www.patreón.com/cornbringer

I'm currently updating the novel 2-8 chapters a day in patreeeeon. On chapter 47 so far, though by the end of today it will be chapter 49-51.

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Enjoy you sexy bastards.

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[Takeshi Arata - POV.]

The sun was high in the sky as Itachi and I stood in the training ground, waiting for our new sensei, Mr. Yamato. I could feel the anticipation buzzing in the air. This was it—the final test to see if we were worthy of becoming full-fledged genin. I glanced at Itachi, who looked as composed as ever, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to the excitement bubbling inside me.

Mr. Yamato arrived with a stern expression, his gruff appearance fitting the stories I'd heard about him, a man married to his duty, as Lord Fugaku called him. He wore the standard jonin attire, but his presence was anything but ordinary. He exuded an aura of authority and strength that demanded respect.

His chakra was smaller than Lord Fugaku's, but chakra alone wasn't enough to gauge the power of a shinobi, so I wasn't sure how strong Mr. Yamato was.

"Alright, you two," Mr. Yamato began, his voice as rough as his demeanor. "Today's test will determine whether you are ready to become genin. The objective is simple: retrieve the scroll I have hidden somewhere in this training ground."

I glanced at Itachi, who gave me a barely perceptible nod. We both knew there had to be more to this test than just finding a scroll.

We had read enough to know there was always a secret meaning to these tests. Kakashi's test was to prove how willing to work with one another was a team, but that wasn't the norm, meaning I really didn't know what to expect, other than something between the lines.

"There's a catch," Mr. Yamato continued, his eyes narrowing. "You have until sundown to find the scroll and bring it back to me. If you fail, you go back to the academy, forever."

I smiled, cracking my neck.

Mr. Yamato handed us each a small scroll, a kind of tracking scroll. "These will help you locate the scroll, but be warned—I've set up traps and obstacles throughout the training ground. Use your skills and teamwork to overcome them."

Without another word, he vanished into the trees, leaving Itachi and me alone to start our search. I activated my scroll, a soft beeping guiding us toward the direction of the scroll. We moved cautiously, knowing full well that Mr. Yamato would not make this easy.

If he was willing to let us know he had put traps, it meant there was something worse he hadn't told us about out here.

We navigated through the dense forest, our senses on high alert, until suddenly, a kunai shot out from a hidden trap, narrowly missing Itachi. He responded with lightning speed, deflecting it with his own kunai.

"Stay sharp," Itachi said, his voice calm but firm.

Now that I think about it… I can't feel Mr. Yamato's chakra, or Shisui's for that matter. They were either outside my range, which was unlikely, or have a way to counter my chakra sensing abilities… and the only reason they would do something like that would be to gain the element of surprise, meaning that a fight was probably brewing at the end of this test.

We continued, moving deeper into the training ground. The beeping grew louder, signaling that we were getting closer.

We reached a clearing, and the beeping was now almost constant. The scroll had to be nearby. But as we stepped forward, the ground gave way beneath us. We both leaped to the side, narrowly avoiding the pitfall trap.

"Nice try, Mr. Yamato," I muttered, scanning the area for any more surprises.

Itachi's eyes narrowed as he pointed to a tree. "Up there."

I followed his gaze and saw the faint glimmer of the scroll, tied to a high branch. "I'll get it," I said, forming a plan.

Using my chakra, I ran up the tree trunk, reaching the branch with ease. Just as I was about to grab the scroll, a barrage of shuriken came flying toward me. I twisted my body, dodging the projectiles, and snatched the scroll from the branch.

"Got it!" I called out, leaping back down to the ground.

But as soon as my feet touched the ground, we were surrounded by a thick fog. I could barely see Itachi, who was just a few feet away. The beeping from the sensor stopped, leaving us in an eerie silence.

"Another trap," Itachi said, his voice barely audible through the fog.

No…

This wasn't a trap.

We were being ambushed.

We stood back to back, our senses heightened. I knew we had to work together to get out of this. "Let's stick together; I have a feeling we are being led into an ambush," I suggested, my mind racing.

We moved cautiously, our steps synchronized as we kept close to one another. I could feel the fog messing with my chakra sensing, making it difficult to pinpoint anything, seeing the entire fog was made out of chakra. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me. I turned just in time to block an attack from Mr. Yamato, who had appeared out of nowhere.

"Good reflexes," he said, a hint of a smile on his face.

I love it when I'm right.

Before I could respond, another figure emerged from the fog. Shisui Uchiha, his Sharingan gleaming in the dim light. Itachi and I exchanged a quick glance.

Shisui alone was strong enough to defeat us, but Shisui and a seasoned Jonin?

We were heavily outclassed.

"Looks like we have to fight our way out," I said, a faint smile on my face.

Itachi nodded. "Let's give it our best shot."

Shisui made the first move, his speed incredible. I barely had time to react as he closed the distance between us. I deflected his initial strike, but his follow-up was relentless. Itachi was engaged with Mr. Yamato, their clash of kunai ringing through the fog.

I created a shadow clone to help me, but Shisui dispelled it with ease. I activated my Wind Release: Vacuum Blade, hoping to catch him off guard by enhancing one of my weapons. The wind-enhanced kunai slashed through the air, but Shisui dodged with fluid grace.

"I'm evil Shisui, fear me," Shisui said, smiling at me.

Way to break my immersion in this fight, Shisui.

Pushing my thoughts aside, I moved forward, using the Phantom Mirage, but in response, he moved faster than I could track under the fog, and before I knew it, he had me pinned. I struggled, trying to break free, but his grip was like iron.

"Itachi!" I called out, hoping he could hear me.

Itachi was holding his own against Mr. Yamato, but I could see the strain on his face. He managed to break away and rushed toward me, his hands forming seals. "Great Fireball Jutsu!"

The massive fireball roared toward Shisui, forcing him to release me and evade the attack. I took the opportunity to regroup with Itachi.

"We need a new plan," I said, panting. "They're too strong for us to beat individually or together."

Itachi nodded, his eyes never leaving our opponents. "We need to work together. Distract and divide. We just need to avoid defeat until the time runs out."

Meaning we had to somehow fight them until sundown… well, fuck. I am both excited and concerned about the result of this.

"Let's do this then," I said, a faint smile on my face.

Wasting no time, we moved forward. This time, our approach was different - we attacked simultaneously, Itachi coming from the left and me from the right. Our synchronized strikes were meant to divide Shisui's and Mr. Yamato's attention, give them too much to handle at once, until a window of opportunity opened.

"Itachi, now!" I shouted, signaling our coordinated attack.

Itachi and I formed seals simultaneously. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" "Wind Release: Breakthrough!"

The combined force of our jutsu created a massive explosion of fire and wind, engulfing the area. For a moment, a brief moment at that, it seemed like we had the upper hand. But as the smoke cleared, Mr. Yamato and Shisui stood unfazed, their expressions unchanged.

Well, fuck, there goes the power of friendship…

"Impressive," Mr. Yamato said, his voice calm. "But not enough."

Shisui moved with blinding speed, appearing behind Itachi and disarming him in an instant. I tried to intervene, but Mr. Yamato blocked my path, his kunai clashing with mine, before he kicked me to the ground, stopping my movements.

"You're good, Takeshi," he said, a hint of a smile on his face. "But you still have a lot to learn."

Oh well… it's not like we expected to win.

Despite our best efforts, it was clear we were heavily outmatched since the beginning. Mr. Yamato and Shisui were on a completely different level.

"So… what do you say, sensei?" Shisui asked, helping Itachi back to his feet with a smirk. "Are we done here?"

Yamato glanced toward the setting sun, his stern expression softening slightly. "Good job, kids. Welcome to the team."

"Yeih!" Shisui cheered, patting our backs with a beaming smile.

Mr. Yamato then looked at both of us with a serious expression. "There's one more lesson I want you to learn today," he said, his voice grave. "It's important to know when to retreat. Sometimes, the smartest move is to recognize when you are outmatched and live to fight another day. Understanding this can save your life and the lives of your comrades."

So the hidden part of this test was recognizing when to give up?

I suppose we failed that part.